Last week, I woke up and thought “What Denver weekend activities should I take part in?” I’ve never asked myself that before, so this was fun- should we go hiking, to a microbrewery, or a museum? Or perhaps a tea tour, shopping, dining, or an outdoor theater? The answer to this question can be determined … Read more
The Man Who Discovered America’s Mountain Long before Zebulon Pike discovered Pikes Peak, between the mid 17th and 18th centuries, a number of Spanish explorers entered the area. The U.S. acquired Colorado territory with the negotiation of the Louisiana Purchase from the Spanish. President Jefferson sent explorers Louis and Clark to check out his recent … Read more
Katherine Bates stood atop Pikes Peak Colorado and wrote a poem that would eventually become the song “America the Beautiful”. If you have ever visited this icon of the old west, then you know how moved she was looking out over this vast new territory. Living in this region of Colorado, I am looking out … Read more
Long before the first Colorado explorers, was a prehistoric period, around 15,000 years ago. Before recorded history, a man walked the area, along with mammoths and other prehistoric mammals. Remains have been found substantiating this rare find. The first recorded people of Colorado were the Native Americans, who inhabited the area between 700 – 1000 … Read more
The Colorado mountain lion is a beautiful animal. Very shy of humans, they usually only appear during the night, between dusk and dawn. They have a long, sleek body, tan to golden coat. The cats weigh in between 80-200 pounds. Big cat attacks on people are very rare. Either the animals have to be very … Read more
The Colorado coyote is a nocturnal mammal that is found in the western U.S. and similar in species to the fox. It is gray with reddish legs, bushy tail and a long snout. Size is around 40 inches in height and 30-50 pounds in weight. These “wild dogs” are found roaming free just about everywhere … Read more
The Colorado black bear is seen everywhere in the U.S. mountains and hills, anywhere there is a forest. From east to west and north to south, they are in every state. Primarily plant and berry feeders, they have been known to wander into populated areas in search of food and trash. In Colorado, the black … Read more
The photo above of a Colorado elk cow and calf was taken when we first moved to the state a long time ago. We had rented a house in the foothills outside of Denver and every day a herd of about 30 cows and calves would roam the property. During mating season in the fall, … Read more
The above photo was taken of a Colorado mule deer doe and her baby out our front window. These are beautiful animals. Wildlife in Colorado is fun to watch and take pictures of. The deer got their name from a rather large set of ears. Can you imagine what the pioneers of the old west … Read more
The old west painters who captured the cowboys, gunfighters and Native Americans of the time, glamorized their subjects to be more romantic than they were. Every painting, sculpture or dime novel pays homage to every state in the west that early pioneers populated, including Colorado. In truth, the cowboys were overworked, dirty and fried their … Read more
Tough and hardy, pioneer women did what was necessary to survive. They stood by their men or alone and fought Indians, the elements, starvation, and toiled endlessly in the fields and at home. However, hard they fought at home, they continued their fight for schools, churches, and bringing the law into the wilderness. Many single … Read more
A Fighter for Native American Rights Mrs. Jackson is renowned as a poet, writer, and Native American activist. She rallied for improved treatment of the Indians by the federal government. Helen was born Helen Fiske on October 15, 1830, in Amherst Massachusetts. She attended Ipswich Female Seminary and the Abbott Institute. One of her best … Read more
The Colorado Huntress Mrs. Maxwell was a Colorado naturalist, artist, hunter, and taxidermist. Her 1876 display at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia of lifelike animals she shot and stuffed, won her national acclaim. At an early age, Martha showed unusual spirit for a female in her home state of Wisconsin. Her little sister, threatened by … Read more
Of all the famous legends in Colorado, Nikola Tesla, the world-renowned scientist, made his home in Colorado Springs and worked on many beneficial experiments. Tesla was born in Austria on July 10, 1856. He was a gifted child and an exceptional adult. It is said that Tesla had a photographic memory, that he could memorize … Read more
Molly Brown was instrumental in many causes throughout her life. She was born Margaret Tobin in 1867 in Hannibal, Missouri to a wealthy Irish family. Margaret had an uneventful early life, but at age 18, she and her sister decided to “go west young woman” and Leadville, Colorado was as good a place as any. … Read more
Baby Doe Tabor is a colorful legend in Colorado. She rose from rags to riches by tempting the rich and powerful Horace Tabor away from his wife of 25 years. She thought she had it all, only to die frozen and penniless in her cabin at the site of the “Matchless Mine”. Her husband had … Read more
When you think of Colorado legends, does anyone, in particular, come to mind? Probably not. Although many of the people who made their mark in Colorado are the ones who are familiar to most of us from the Wild West. Some are the gunfighters and gamblers from western history. Doc Holliday and Bat Masterson, friends … Read more
Horace Tabor was known as the richest man in Colorado. He was born in Holland, Vermont in 1830. He trained to be a storekeeper and stonemason, and at the age of 19, he left Vermont for the stone quarries of the northeast. In 1855, he signed up with the New England Emigrant Aid Company to … Read more
Doc Holliday was born John Henry Holliday in Georgia in 1851. When you look at his early years, he was an educated man. John studied history, language, math, and grammar at the Valdosta Institute in Georgia. He left Georgia for Pennsylvania to study dentistry and graduated in 1872 with a Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree … Read more
Buffalo Bill Cody was born in Iowa in 1846. Christened William Frederick Cody, he didn’t earn his nickname until later in life. Oddly enough, Buffalo Bill didn’t have much to do with Colorado except as a pony express rider in Julesburg when he was a teenager. Other occupations in his early years were cattle drover, … Read more
The First Discoverers of the West Colorado Native Americans were the very first people to inhabit the area. They lived in the territory for thousands of years being hunting and gathering tribes. The first Native Americans were prehistoric and were called Paleo-Indians.. They lived before the printed word and knowledge of these people come from … Read more
On a crisp winter day, from a high point in west Denver, Long’s Peak towers over the Front Range, its white summit jutting into a deep blue sky. That mountain symbolizes Rocky Mountain National Park beckoning you to come up and take a hike. My favorite walk in the park climbs up a steep ridge … Read more
Climbing a 14er is something that every person who sets foot in the great state of Colorado must do. While none of the 14,000 ft mountains are necessarily easy, there are some that definitely take more effort than others. I didn’t really have any expectations approaching Mount of the Holy Cross, but after finishing the … Read more
I spent a lot of time in Colorado before I was told about Bishop Castle. Even when someone told me that some guy hand-built a castle in the forest outside of Pueblo I didn’t really expect it to be on the same level as some other castles I’d seen around the world. However, now that … Read more
Grand Junction was named for its location at the junction of the Gunnison and the Grand River, which was renamed the Colorado River in 1921. Founded in 1882, after resettlement of the Ute Indians to reservations, the town was intended mainly as a center for agriculture and ranching. Although the region is a high desert … Read more
The stark, barren surface of the windswept “tundra” (treeless land) is transformed into a tapestry of vivid color as wildflowers begin to bloom on Trail Ridge in Rocky Mountain National Park. Usually by early June the beautiful tiny blue clusters of forget-me-nots dot the landscape, and yellow snow buttercups peek through the patches of melting … Read more
Early Colorado history is closely linked with the westward expansion of the railroad into the Rocky Mountains. From the time of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush in 1859, another rush began to find a way to transport rich ores out of the remote mountainous regions of Colorado. The first targets of this expansion were the … Read more
Pueblo began in 1842 as “Fort Pueblo”, an Indian trading post at the intersection of two early nineteenth century trading routes – the Santa Fe Trail and the Cherokee Trail. With the Pikes Peak Gold Rush of 1859 and the subsequent arrival of the railroad, Pueblo grew to became an important town along the Colorado … Read more
Air travel to Western Colorado is via either Denver International or Grand Junction. Most people fly into Denver, then catch a short hop over the mountains to Grand Junction or one of the other local airports. United Airlines is the dominant carrier to the regional airports. From Denver, you can make connections to any of … Read more
If you are a lifelong skier, Wolf Creek Ski Area may soon become your preferred mountain. It is not crowded. It has no lift lines and it is noted for lots of snow. I’ll Let you in on a local secret, it has the best powder in the State. Wolf Creek Ski Area is one … Read more
Silverton has been called the town that is frozen in time. It is the most authentic western town in Colorado. It is a snapshot of another era, much like a western movie set. The town reflects the late 1880’s when it was in its turn of the century heyday. A Western Town As you stroll … Read more
Ridgeway is a small western town called the “Gateway to the San Juans Mountains”. It is on the cross roads to two of the most beautiful mountain Ranges in Western Colorado, The Mt. Sneffels and the Cimarron Ranges. Ridgeway If you are a western movies fan, you have seen Ridgeway. It was Fort Smith, in … Read more
At 10,200 feet, Leadville is the highest incorporated community in the United States. Surrounded by 14,000-foot mountains on all sides, Leadville Colorado actually occupies the lowlands in The Upper Arkansas River valley. From Town you can see two of Colorado’s two highest mountains – Elbert and Massive. Leadville Colorado is called Cloud City. It was … Read more
When people think of Glenwood Springs, the first image they get is splashing in the hot springs pool. But that is changing, fast. In addition to pools, and spas, you can enjoy caves, gondolas, rafting, hiking and historic hotels. When people think of Glenwood Springs, the first image they get is splashing in the hot … Read more
Durango Colorado is a “hidden gem” in the Colorado Rockies. It is quaint victorian town alway buzzing with activity. It is historic and scenic and very much alive. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Company founded Durango in 1880. It has been a railroad town ever since. But as the home of Fort Lewis College … Read more
Between the high desert and the San Juans Mountains, Cortez Colorado is your Gateway to the four corner region. Cortez is a great base camp for anyone interested in archaeology and the study of the Anasazi. This is the ancestral homeland of the ancient Anasazi. They survived in this area for 500 years. Why “Anasazi” … Read more
Mancos State Park is a great alternative campsite for visitors to Mesa Verde National Park. It is only 12 miles from the park and it is much prettier and cooler. Stay at Mancos state park while you visit Mesa Verde National Park. It is beautiful spot, setting among the pines. It is prettier, smaller and … Read more
Crawford State Park is located only 12 miles from the famous and spectacular north rim of the scenic Black Canyon of National Park. The state Park is surrounded by cattle ranches and distance views of Needle Rock, Castle Rock and Saddle Mountain. The Park is conveniently located just one mile for the small ranching community … Read more
Sylvan Lake State Park in the White River National Forest near Eagle Colorado is a true alpine gem, scenic getaway, and a trout fisherman paradise. Choose between tent site, rustic mountain cabin, or secluded yurt. Sylvan Lake State Park located at 8,500 feet in elevation in the White River National Forest near Eagle Colorado. It … Read more
The beautiful triple waterfalls and intriguing caves are one of the secret gems of Western Colorado. The falls has been described as one of the ten most beautiful waterfalls in the west by Sunset Magazine. The park is located in a lush cool shady narrow canyon, 14 miles north of Rifle, Colorado on Highway 325 … Read more