Now that the road to Rocky is finally reopened, I suggest taking a detour off of it. When the Big Thompson River chewed up and spit out major sections of Highway 34 in 2013, it not only interrupted the primary migratory route for out-of-state tourists traveling to Rocky Mountain National Park, but it also cut off locals from playing in their backyard. Growing up outside Loveland on the last road that crosses 34 before it enters the Big Thompson Canyon, I spent a lot of hot summer days on the banks of the river.