Torrance family arrives at the Overlook

The Torrance family—Jack, Wendy, and their five-year-old son Danny—arrive at the Overlook Hotel on closing day, September 30, 1975, after a tense drive from Boulder. Jack has been hired as the winter caretaker, a job secured by his wealthy friend Al Shockley. The arrival marks the family's entry into a remote, isolated world that will become a trap, and it immediately establishes the hotel's overwhelming presence and the family's fragile hopes.

The Journey and First Sight

The family's battered red Volkswagen Beetle labors up the steep, winding roads of Sidewinder Pass, its fuel pump failing. Jack shifts down to first gear as the car struggles, and Wendy watches the speedometer drop to just above five miles per hour. They pass a sign that reads ENTERING SIDEWINDER PASS, which Jack explains marks the limit of winter snowplow service. At a scenic turnout, they stop to view the hotel for the first time. Wendy is stunned by the beauty: the Overlook sits on a wide square of green lawn, set directly into the slope, with massive westward-facing windows reflecting the sun. But Danny, holding the guardrail, turns a pasty gray and seems on the verge of fainting. He later recognizes the hotel as the place from his terrifying visions—the dark, booming corridors and the word REDRUM. He thinks, "It was here. It was here. Whatever Redrum was, it was here."

The Lobby and First Encounters

Stuart Ullman, the hotel manager, greets them just inside the wide, old-fashioned front doors. He shakes hands with Jack and nods coolly at Wendy, but is genuinely warm toward Danny, bending to offer his hand. The lobby is bustling with guests checking out; bellboys shuttle luggage, and a large brass cash register dominates the desk. Wendy feels a strong, warm memory of her honeymoon in New York, and for the first time allows herself to believe this might be exactly what the family needs. Danny, however, is uneasy. He watches a wealthy guest, Mrs. Brant, argue about her credit card, and through his "shining" he picks up her thought: "I'd like to get into his pants." He is confused but decides not to ask his parents, knowing such questions can get him into trouble.

The Kitchen and Dick Hallorann

Dick Hallorann, the Overlook's tall, black cook, gives Wendy a tour of the immense kitchen. He is warm and humorous, picking Danny up easily and joking about taking him to Florida. Hallorann shows them the walk-in freezer, stocked with forty whole chickens, ten roasts of beef, and a huge leg of lamb, and the cold-pantry with fifty loaves of bread, bushels of apples, and a twenty-pound turkey wrapped in a scarlet ribbon for Thanksgiving. He tells Jack to keep an eye out for rats in the kitchen, but to use traps, not poison, because Ullman's idea of poison could sicken guests. Hallorann then takes Danny aside to his car, where he reveals that he, too, has "the shining"—the ability to read thoughts and see visions. He tells Danny that the Overlook is a bad place for people who shine, and warns him to stay away from Room 217. Danny, relieved to find someone who understands, promises to be careful. Hallorann tells him, "If there is trouble… you give a call. A big loud holler… I might hear you even way down in Florida."

The Grand Tour and the Family's Quarters

Ullman leads the family on a tour of the hotel. The elevator is ornately scrolled in copper and brass but settles queasily beneath their feet; Wendy resolves to take the stairs. On the third floor, in the Presidential Suite, Danny sees a vision of dried blood and grayish-white tissue splattered on the wallpaper, but he looks away and it disappears. He also feels unease at a fire extinguisher, its folded hose curled like a sleeping snake. The family's quarters are on the first floor: a sitting room with a dumb-waiter, a bedroom with twin beds, and a smaller room with bunk beds for Danny. Wendy finds the apartment simpler and homier than the cold elegance of the Presidential Suite, and feels she can abide this place for a season. Danny, however, is already haunted by the hotel's malevolent presence.

The Departure of the Staff

After the tour, Watson, the maintenance man, says his goodbyes, shaking hands with Jack and gravely with Danny. Ullman lingers on the front porch, reluctant to leave. He tells Jack, "The Overlook is my real job. Take good care of it for me." Then he walks to his Lincoln Continental and drives away. The three Torrances are left alone on the porch, watching as the last car disappears. Aspen leaves whirl across the lawn, and Jack feels a curious shrinking sensation, as if the hotel and grounds have suddenly doubled in size, becoming sinister. Wendy breaks the silence by pointing out Danny's runny nose, and they go inside, closing the door firmly against the restless whine of the wind.