GRISWOLDDAD
Parenting, Entertainment, and Travel Tips
Things to Do in Colorado
*For the top yearly events of Colorado, click here. *
Aspen
Colorado is the US's #1 destination for skiing and snowboarding. From here in Aspen to Vail to Telluride, there's skiing all over the state. There are so many tall mountains in Colorado, that taking the average mean of their height makes Colorado the highest state in the US. Yes, THAT's why it's the highest state! Looking for more info on where to ski? Click here.
Estes Park
Have you ever said, "I'd love to stay in that hotel from the movie the Shining?" If you have, then we're kindred spirits! Once you make that determination, you must decide between the one where the outside shots of the movie were filmed, which is The Timberline Lodge, or the one where Stephen King stayed in for inspiration while writing The Shining, The Stanley
The Stanley has the movie of the Shining showing on a channel 24/7. Oh...and it's reputed to be haunted! There's a ghost of a lady who used to work at the Stanley as a housekeeper that still resides there. She worked there in a time in which couples stayed in the main building while single men stayed in a separate wing, and single women stayed in yet another wing. So, the story goes that she stays in room 217 and will unpack for married couples but pack the bags of single people and put them out in the hall…since the single people aren't supposed to be staying in that building. Worse yet, if a non-married couple stays in the room, she pushes the man out of the bed! Now, this is no "Redrum"…but I think it'd still be pretty freaky to be pushed out of bed in the middle of the night by a ghost.
Estes Park is also the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. If you're looking for scenic drives, head to Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road. If hiking is more your speed, there are many popular hikes, ranging from easy to rugged and difficult. Easy ones include the some of the lake hikes, such as Lily Lake (.8 miles) and Sprague Lake (.3 miles). Copeland Falls Trail is another easy hike, giving you views of the cascading Copeland waterfalls (.3 miles). The next level up include great views but get a bit longer, Gem Lake (3.4 miles), Finch Lake (4.5 miles), and Fern Lake (3.8 miles). Then, there's Longs Peak Trail. It's a 14er, meaning you're hiking to a summit over 14,000 feet high, 14,259ft to be exact. The trail is 8.4 miles one way and difficult!
Four Corners
Four Corners is the location where the corners of 4 states come together, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. (When I was trying to find it, it was listed as Four Corners, Colorado, which is why it made this page). Keep in mind, a lot of the Navajo parks don't have exactly what you'd call addresses, more longitude and latitude points, which can make them hard to find. With this one, if you're on the right road...you won't miss it. Once you get close, there are a lot of signs.
This is the monument where "visitors can simultaneously straddle the territory of four states". The monument is also surrounded by Native American booths selling arts and crafts.
Mesa Verde
Mesa Verde National Park, near Cortez, is the largest archaeological preserve in the United States, preserving the cliff dwellings of the ancient Pueblo people, or Anasazi from 600 to 1300 AD. The park has the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum, and some of the dwellings can be toured, such as the Spruce Tree House, Balcony House, Long House, and the Cliff Palace.
Million Dollar Highway
The stretch of highway from Ouray to Silverton is among the most beautiful stretches of road through the Colorado Rockies and is considered one of the most beautiful drives in the United States. This 2-lane stretch of US-550 curvedly snakes 25 miles with STEEP drops on either side. Parts of it, you may have to white-knuckle your way through if you aren't used to curvy roads. The scenery is amazing and well worth it.
The exact reason it's called "the million dollar highway" is unknown. It's either because it cost that much to build during the 1930's or because the scenery is worth a million bucks.
Truthfully, the beauty begins as early as Durango. Don't miss Pinkerton Hot Springs just outside of Durango, seen below looking like a large pile of steaming...mud.
Also, the small towns along the way through the Million Dollar Highway are really cute and cozy looking. They definitely look like the type of towns where everyone knows each other.
Pike's Peak
Located near Colorado Springs, Pike's Peak is one of the "Fourteeners", the 53 mountains of the Rockies that are over 14000 feet high. This is one of the most popular and scenic mountains in the Rockies. The most popular hiking route to the top is called Barr trail, 6.5 miles one way, which approaches the summit from the east and is the trail used for the yearly Pike's Peak Marathon.
