My Favorite Colorado Towns...and Why

Well, I have revised my list of favorite Colorado towns and will also expound more on WHY these towns are my favorite.

**(I would ask for a drum roll here but that seems a bit pretentious for such a tiny blog as this.)

My Favorite Colorado Towns:

1) Telluride
This town sits perched amidst some of the most breathtaking mountain peaks in all of Colorado. I felt like I was in the bottom of a bowl looking up... The downtown area is cute, rustic, quaint, and caters to the wealthy but also can accommodate those on a budget. I picked this town as number one because of the ambiance of the town...the feel...the vistas...the western, rustic charm...it really seemed to epitomize the Colorado experience.

2) Ouray
Of course, since I picked Telluride for the number one spot then I had to pick Ouray for the number 2 spot...since they share the same mountainous backyard basically. Ouray also is surrounded by majestic peaks on all sides it seems...has a western, rustic charm...and offers several main attractions besides the views. For instance, there is Box Canyon, Ouray ice fields (in winter), and hot springs.Ouray is nicknamed "Colorado's Little Switzerland". When you drive in you will see why...There is something for everyone in this cozy hideaway.

3)Estes Park
You can't visit Colorado and not go to Estes Park. Its just the thing to do really. Estes Park is probably one of the most visited towns in Colorado, if not THE most popular tourist town in Colorado. Mostly in part because it is the main thoroughfare for Rocky Mountain National Park. There are a ton of places to stay, eat, and play in this nature-lover's paradise.

4)Steamboat Springs
This town has it all with a little less of the ritz that perhaps Telluride may have. Steamboat Springs offers fabulous skiing and snow activities during the winter. As well as, a myriad of activities during the other seasons....such as; hiking, biking, fishing, shopping, dining, sightseeing, etc. Steamboat, like most other towns in Colorado, is absolutely beautiful and charming. It is also home to my favorite hot springs in all of Colorado; Strawberry Hot Springs.

5)Salida
This little, cozy, artsy town is a precious gem. It is quite small but it is hugely popular among Colorado fans..especially among kayakers, campers, and artists. It sits upon Colorado's most popular area for rafting...the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area. It is close to some of the best four-wheeling, hiking, and outdoorsy activities around. There is so much to do in and around this town if you do your research. There are 2 hot springs less than an hour away, one old ghost town, atleast one waterfall hike nearby, and obviously tons of open space to hike or go 4x4ing. The area between Salida and Buena Vista is my favorite place during the summer...I have written about this in other blog entries.

6)Breckenridge
Breckenridge is a great summer and winter destination. The ski slopes are directly in this towns backyard...as well as the breckenridge brewery. This town is quaint, cute, and makes a great day trip from Denver. There is a main strip of shops, restaurants, and a new historical museum that rests along a rushing river that winds through downtown.

7)Colorado Springs
This town is home to Garden of the Gods and several other popular attractions. There are alot of sites to see in this town...several waterfall destinations nearby, hiking and shopping. What else I enjoy about Colorado Springs is that two other cute cities are adjacent to it...Old Colorado City (which takes about 5 minutes to drive through but has several cute, rustic shops) and Manitou Springs (a VERY cute and tiny town...alot of excellent shopping and eating...kinda has a hippie feel at times).

8)Ft. Collins
A mountain college town that has an adorable downtown strip...the town has a cute, peaceful, old-school feel about it...It feels very relaxed. It is home to the popular New Belgium Brewery; voted one of the best companies to work for in the Unites States. It is also home to the Horsetooth Reservoir; a winding lake that lies beside a rock canyon. This western-feeling town is great for summer activities and shopping.

9)Grand Lake
This secluded mountain town is basically the backdoor of Rocky Mountain National Park (Estes Park would be considered the front door...of course depending on where you are coming from...but Grand Lake is typically the less popular entrance...but don't take that to mean that it is not full during the summer...because it definitely gets filled up!). Grand Lake is great for summer kayaking, hiking around Rocky Mountain National Park or surrounding area, boating, fishing, shopping, etc. A beautiful drive along the way as well. Also, the Hot Sulphur Springs in Grandby is not far either.

10)Durango
This would be a great town to live in if you preferred the southwest part of Colorado. Durango feels like a family town surrounded my mountains...kinda spread out...yet not too big. It has a historical, western type of downtown section...very cute. Alot to see and do. It also is part home to the Durango-Silverton Railroad. Also, Mesa Verde National Park is not too far from Durango.

(I did not include Aspen in this list because it felt too posh for my style. But I'd say it is an interesting place to drive through if you have never been there.)

Flatirons Vista Trailhead

Great views. Great space. Great trails. Great hike. (Great for hiking, biking, or walking your dog).

Oskar Blues

I have been hearing about Oskar Blues for several months now. So, I finally went to check it out. I highly recommend this incredibly tasty place which serves a "cajun, creole and southern-style menu". Oskar Blues is also known for its unique Colorado style canned beer.

There are several venues as you can explore on their website. I enjoyed the ambiance, blues music, and food at the Oskar Blues Grill and Brew in Longmont, CO. I had a delicious dish of shrimp and grits...mmmmm...even better than the one's I've had down South!

So, if you get a hankering for some down home cooking, beer, and blues.....now you know where to go!

Cliff Dwellings; Manitou Springs

I finally got a chance to check out the Cliff Dwellings Museum in Manitou Springs, CO.

Unfortunately, I was under the impression that this was an authentic Anasazi heritage site. However, the Ancestral Puebloans did not live in this exact spot (as far as we know). People merely took a part a section of ruins from the Mesa Verde region and transported them to the Manitou Springs site for tourist purposes. On one hand, if you can't make it to Mesa Verde....it is cool to see what the ancient ruins looked like in person....however, after learning that this region was not an actual Ancestral Puebloan site....I am a bit disgruntled. And after visiting Mesa Verde....this tourist attraction just doesn't compare to the REAL authentic place and sites. But...if it encourages interest in Native American history and the lives of the ancestral Puebloans....then....some good perhaps can come of this site.


For more information check out the Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings website.

Finally got to see an Eagle!

I was so excited to get this shot of a bald eagle recently!!

Denver Bike Share

Have you ever wanted to just take a bike ride around Denver? Well, now you can without even having to bring your own bike. Denver's new bike share allows you to essentially rent a bike for minutes or hours at a time. There are several stations set up near downtown. You can start at the art museum and then ride to the 16th street mall and back...or wherever else you want to go.

Dinosaur Ridge

I recently visited Dinosaur Ridge, located in Morrison, Colorado. The site is comprised of a visitor center, exhibit hall located off of C-470. Further up from the visitor center is a paved road that you can hike or bike along that has interesting geology and fossils along the road. They say you can "see 80 million years worth of geology in a mile" hike up on the ridge. The very first stegosaurus fossils were found here at Dinosaur Ridge. At one point, Colorado was ocean front property as the Western Interior Seaway covered the middle of present day America. Due to such conditions, various footprints and fossils remain of ancient dinosaurs, plants, and insects. There are signs that interpret the landscape and point out where to look for fossils. This site really opened my eyes to the natural history surrounding us. My favorite stops along the ridge are the dinosaur "track" site and the "bulges" site. You can literally see the REAL footprints of dinosaurs!! And at the bulges site you can see the impact of an actual dinosaur footprint; how it left real bulges in the topography of the landscape. As you meandor along the ridge viewing the sites, follow the path as it meanders through the rock ledge and leads you to where you are literally across the street from the Red Rocks Ampitheatre. This is a 2.75 roundtrip hike for anyone who enjoys geology and natural history. There are $4 dollar per person bus tours of the ridge if you would like a tour guide. So, get out and come walk where the dinosaurs walked!!

Guanella Pass in the Fall

I recently drove around Guanella Pass to take some photos of the colorful aspen leaves. Guanella Pass runs between Grant and Georgetown. However, the pass is closed near the top due to a potential rockslide...so you cannot drive all the way through. But the leaves are great on the side that is open (near Grant). There are several hiking trails in the area, great views, flowing river, and superb seclusion. Here are some photos to show you the area:

Bluff Lake Nature Center

The Denver area continues to expand, gentrify, and grow. Until recently I had never thought of visiting Bluff Lake Nature Center. In fact, in years past I have driven right by the park but never gave it a second thought due to the area. However, now that the Stapleton area is expanding eastward, I think that Bluff Lake Nature Center will become a popular urban retreat. With a great panorama of downtown Denver in it's background, it is a quick escape to nature! Especially if you live in the Stapleton area or close to east Denver; come and get away without going too far! Below are some pictures from my recent excursion:

Alderfer/Three Sisters Park

I set out for a lovely picnic and ended up at Alderfer/Three Sisters Open Space Park near Evergreen. The park was beautiful; tall, grassy meadows with several rock outcroppings to climb around, evergreen trees, mountain views...and a ton of open space! This is a great place to hike, bike, or simply meander through nature.

Late Night at Denver International Airport

If you happen to fly in or out of Denver International Airport and need a late night snack or beverage be advised that your options are quite limited after around 10 pm. Apparently there are only two or three places still serving hot food late at night.....And atleast two of them are on concourse A.

However, there is a cozy little bar/restaurant that serves tasty treats that I have found very handy on a couple of occassions. The name is Chef Jimmy's Bistro. I highly recommend this place if you need to destress before a midnight flight. I am not sure why there aren't more late-night cafe's but I am sure thankful this place is open late.


**Updated: 7/2/16:  Chef Jimmy's is still one of the places open the latest at DIA. However, there are some nice new restaurants that have been added since my original post. Check them out here.

Mesa Verde National Park

I absolutely fell in love with Mesa Verde National Park. Nestled in the middle of nowhere, toward the southwest corner of Colorado, is a time machine composed of rock dwellings. These cliff dwellings are what is left from an ancient civilization. It is believed that they left the region due to some type of possible water supply issues. Most of the sites you see only from a distance but a handful you are able to actually walk up to...or have to climb up, using a ladder. For some of these, you must purchase a tour ticket and schedule a time. But totally worth it!

There was so much history at this park that I felt richly connected to the primitive people's that first inhabited such dwellings. Seeing how dependent upon the earth these people were...made me really wonder if perhaps our society might not get too carried away with our technology-driven way of life. I walked away with a deeper respect for the generations past (even those from my Grandparents generation) who know how to plow the land and till and toil.

Anyway, for a dusty, primitive journey back in time be sure to check out Mesa Verde National Park in your lifetime.