LOVELAND - As I sit on my deck, looking across the land filled with a variety of trees and views of Mount Meeker, Longs Peak, and Mount Lady Washington, the sound of silence is disrupted by the distant sound of motorbikes.

I don’t mind the disruption. They remind me it’s summer and people are enjoying the beauty that only the Colorado Rocky Mountains offer. I hit the John Denver Station on my Pandora app, and I inhale.

It’s been roughly six weeks since my beloved returned to me. We’ve spent a lot of time together, catching up and learning about each other again. One of my favorite things to do is take him to all the places I’ve been, and where I spent many hours thinking of him, which are many.

As we drove on US 34 from Estes Park to Loveland, I pulled the truck into the family-owned and operated The Dam Store. From T-shirts to jewelry and jerky to souvenirs, The Dam Store is a popular northern Colorado destination for all ages.

My favorite part about the shop is the attraction adjacent to it: the watch tower. A short climb up a few flights of stairs, and I couldn’t help but immediately change my perspective on life. The view not only revealed breathtaking scenery but also evoked emotions that reminded me of how small I truly am. The observation deck is a must-do.

From the tower, you can see a semi-aerial view of the Big Thompson River and the entrance to the Big Thompson Canyon. The surrounding valley and the dam, from which the store derives its name, are also part of the view.

As I focused on each site, the tower revealed one of the state’s biggest historical stories: the Big Thompson Flood of 1976. A replaced water pipe and remnants of the event can still be seen, nearly 50 years later.

The Dam Store has been in business since 1969, seven years before the Big Thompson Flood took 144 lives. The flood is considered one of the deadliest flash floods in Colorado's history. It’s not shocking how powerful nature is; what’s surprising is what little humans can do to protect themselves against it.

It was impossible not to reflect on the recent tragic flood in Texas’ most beautiful Hill Country. The stories of the two floods are all too similar. It was easy to imagine our beautiful mountains struck with the same devastation as we’ve just seen in Texas.

I stood at the top of the tower with my beloved, holding hands. I thought about you, my dear reader, and I wished for you to experience what I was experiencing. So, should you find yourself wanting to explore one of the many roadside attractions in the Centennial State, I hope this “Best store by a dam site” makes it on your bucket list.

The Dam Store is at 10103 W US-34, Loveland. You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Dam-Store-Loveland-Colorado-100057374902326/ or call them at 970-541-0347.