Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for colorado
Aglow in Telluride
By Linda Tancs
During winter, Mountain Village is the base area for Telluride Ski Resort in Colorado. Both locales are aglow on New Year’s Eve at 6:30 p.m., which is when the Torchlight Parade takes place. It’s an annual tradition when Telluride instructors glide down the mountain with torches to light up the mountainside. Fireworks begin shortly after the parade and are visible from the Mountain Village side. Enjoy the New Year countdown in Telluride on Colorado Avenue.
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The House With the Eye
By Linda Tancs
Although it sounds like the title of a mystery novel, The House With the Eye is a red, wooden house-turned-museum in Leadville, Colorado. Built in 1879 by architect Eugene Robitaille, the eye refers to an eye in a stained-glass window tucked under an arched eve. Using the house as a model home, it was later turned into a museum, featuring contents donated by locals. Artifacts include a Studebaker horse-drawn hearse from 1890 and a whiskey still from the Prohibition era. The museum is located on West Fourth Street.
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The Maroon Bells
By Linda Tancs
Located just 10 miles west of Aspen, Colorado, is one of the most photographed places in the state. Known as the Maroon Bells, they’re two 14,000-foot, bell-shaped peaks (Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak). The “fourteeners” are named maroon owing to the color they take on in certain light. Anchored by a reflective lake, the Maroon Bells Scenic Area is accessible by car or shuttle with a reservation. The RFTA shuttle service operates seasonally from late May through late October.
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Molly Brown’s House
By Linda Tancs
The Molly Brown House Museum is a historic house museum in Denver, Colorado, that was the home of American philanthropist, activist and socialite Margaret Brown. She survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, earning her the appellation “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” Self-guided and guided tours (from 45 minutes to one hour) are available throughout the day.
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For the Love of Baseball
By Linda Tancs
Recognized by Smithsonian Books as one of the top 20 finest baseball collections in the world, the National Ballpark Museum in Denver, Colorado, is the passion project of its curator, Bruce Hellerstein. Touted as the only museum dedicated to the older ballparks, the facility features artifacts from the original 14 classic ballparks, including vintage seats. The museum is located in LoDo (Lower Downtown) on Blake Street.
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The Mother Spring in Colorado
By Linda Tancs
Certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s deepest geothermal hot spring aquifer, the Mother Spring in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, is indeed the mother of all springs. It isn’t a site for soaking or bathing, considering that its depth is at least 1,002 feet (based on at least one instrument of measure) although no one has been able to get to the bottom of it (no pun intended). It acts as a feeder spring for other popular sites in the region, like Springs Resort and Spa (home to the most geothermal hot spring pools in Colorado) as well as several free “hippy dip” springs along the San Juan River.
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Step by Step in Colorado
By Linda Tancs
You’ll want to take it literally step by step, walking the 1,257 wooden planks suspended 956 feet over the Arkansas River across the Royal Gorge Bridge. It’s a popular tourist attraction near Cañon City, Colorado, within Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, a 360-acre amusement park located along the edge of the Royal Gorge around both ends of the bridge. If the walk isn’t adventurous enough for you, then you might consider the zip line, or a guided climb or a 50 mph swing from the top of a 100-foot tower, the Skycoaster.
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Colorado Without the Crowds
By Linda Tancs
Idyllic mountainscapes are ubiquitous in Colorado. So are the crowds. Many of them flock to Rocky Mountain National Park for the grandeur of its snow-capped mountains, alpine lakes and diverse wildlife. You can, too, but if you’d like to view the same assets on a quieter scale, then head to State Forest State Park. Just as scenic as its famous sister, you’ll find 71,000 acres of forest, back-country trails, jagged peaks, alpine lakes and abundant wildlife, including its beloved moose population. The park is located approximately two hours west of Fort Collins and is separated from Rocky Mountain National Park at its southeast border by Thunder Pass (a saddle between Lulu Mountain and Static Peak), a trail primarily used for hiking, camping and backpacking from June to October.
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To the Heights in Colorado
By Linda Tancs
Just 60 miles west of Denver, Colorado, Mount Evans Scenic Byway is the highest paved road in North America. The starting point is Idaho Springs. From there the route offers 9,000 feet of elevation gain, from the high plains of Denver through five climate zones to the 14,264-foot summit of Mount Evans. It’s one of 54 peaks in the state that soars to a height of 14,000 feet or above, known collectively as the “fourteeners.” Because of snow, the entire journey to the summit is open only from Memorial Day to Labor Day. A national forest information center at Idaho Springs has maps and information on hiking trails and road conditions.
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America’s Mountain
By Linda Tancs
Colorado’s Pikes Peak is affectionately referred to as “America’s Mountain” because, as the story goes, its summit inspired Katharine Lee Bates to pen “America the Beautiful.” It certainly is an iconic part of the country’s landscape, soaring to a height of 14,115 feet. You can reach the summit with a ride on the Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the highest cog railway in the world. Along the three-hour return trip you’ll see bristlecone pines, one of the longest-lived species on earth. In fact, some of those pines on Pikes Peak are estimated to be over 2,000 years old. The views are equally inspiring at the peak, where you’ll be rewarded with views including the Continental Divide, the Garden of the Gods and various cities like Woodland Park, Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs. The railway’s base station is in Manitou Springs, a few miles west of Colorado Springs.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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