My silver Audi TT Roadster, a black London Taxi, and Manuel's sky blue miata at the Stanley Hotel. The Rocky Mountains are in the background.

A Fun Drive to Estes Park with Two Roadsters

Felix Wong's avatar
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I had a great time driving with my friend Manuel in our roadsters. He had just repaired an engine leak in his Crystal Blue Metallic NB (second-generation) Mazda Miata and was eager to go for a drive. I had been hard at work inside my home in Fort Collins and hadn’t gone anywhere in days, so I was up for taking a break.

We met up at his apartment in Fort Collins. I drove Teeter, my silver Audi TT Roadster Quattro, while Manuel drove his Miata. We decided to head to Estes Park and the Stanley Hotel, a famous landmark and a source of inspiration for Stephen King’s novel The Shining.

The drive was scenic and enjoyable. The Rocky Mountains beyond Estes Park were covered in snow, creating a beautiful contrast with the blue sky. The roads were twisty and fun, perfect for our nimble and agile cars. The Miata is known as one of the best-handling cars ever made, with its lightweight, front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and balanced chassis. The TT is also a great sports car for Colorado, as it has all-wheel drive, heated seats, and rear windblocker. It’s been a hard car to replace because there is basically no other convertible sports car nowadays that has all-wheel drive and a manual transmission. The only other contemporary car with those options is a Porsche 911 Carrera 4.

At the Stanley Hotel, we parked in front of a black London taxi cab and took photos. We also saw elk roaming around the hotel grounds. They were majestic and calm, not bothered by the tourists or the cars.

We returned to Fort Collins through Glen Haven and Masonville. We stopped by the Big Thompson River to take photos of our cars and the scenery. Over there, we marveled at how well the Audi has aged, considering I have had the car for 14 years now. Manuel’s Miata was also in great shape, despite being over 20 years old. He bought it from an owner who had kept it garaged and well-maintained. It was one of the LS editions that came with a six-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential. The car surpassed 60,000 miles during the drive and we stopped to take a photo of the odometer and celebrate the moment.

We finished the drive by stopping at Vern’s Place in Laporte, where we enjoyed eating a cinnamon roll that was baked on premise. The pastry–claimed by Vern’s to be a “Colorado staple since 1976”–was a delicious treat after a fun day of driving. We agreed that we should do this more often, as we both love our roadsters and the Centennial State roads.

If you are looking for a fun and affordable sports car, you can’t go wrong with either a Miata or a TT. They are both reliable, fun to drive, and easy to maintain. They also have great communities of enthusiasts who can help you with any questions or issues you might have. I highly recommend checking them out if you are in the market for a roadster.

Thanks for reading my blog post. Even though I live in Spain most of the time, there are sure to be more adventures with Teeter and Manuel’s Miata.

Route

Strava
Manuel's sky blue NB Miata with the hood up at his apartment complex.
Manuel's sky blue NB Miata with the hood up at his apartment complex.
Manuel's garage had an American flag and lots of license plates from different states that he has collected.
Manuel's garage had an American flag and lots of license plates from different states that he has collected.
Manuel with my Audi TT Roadster Quattro at a gas station in Estes Park, with the snow-covered Rocky Mountains in the background.
Manuel with my Audi TT Roadster Quattro at a gas station in Estes Park, with the snow-covered Rocky Mountains in the background.
My silver Audi TT Roadster, a black London Taxi, and Manuel's sky blue miata at the Stanley Hotel. The Rocky Mountains are in the background.
My silver Audi TT Roadster, a black London Taxi, and Manuel's sky blue miata at the Stanley Hotel. The Rocky Mountains are in the background.
My silver Audi TT Roadster Quattro in front of the Stanley Hotel.
My silver Audi TT Roadster Quattro in front of the Stanley Hotel.
A live elk on the sidewalk at the Stanley Hotel.
A live elk on the sidewalk at the Stanley Hotel.
Elk resting on the ground in a field in Estes Park.
Elk resting on the ground in a field in Estes Park.
Manuel's sky blue NB Miata with my silver Audi TT Roadster Quattro next to the Big Thompson River.
Manuel's sky blue NB Miata with my silver Audi TT Roadster Quattro next to the Big Thompson River.
My Audi TT Roadster Quattro and Manuel's Miata in Loveland, with a tall rock formation in the background.
My Audi TT Roadster Quattro and Manuel's Miata in Loveland, with a tall rock formation in the background.
Manuel readying his iPhone inside Vern's Place in Laporte to take a photo. We enjoyed an enormous cinnamon roll that was baked on premise.
Manuel readying his iPhone inside Vern's Place in Laporte to take a photo. We enjoyed an enormous cinnamon roll that was baked on premise.