COLORADO
COLORADO
Colorado is at the top of my list for a place to visit and revisit. As you drive around, you just see so many amazing sites. What is it that makes Colorado so beautiful? Well, our Centennial State boasts a mix of mountains, canyons, valleys, snow-capped peaks, and sunny plains. Its vibrant clear skies and stunning sunsets provide breathtaking displays of color throughout the canyons.
Visit the Great Sand Dunes, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Rocky Mountain Range, Seven Falls, Garden of the Gods, Red Rock Canyon and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. They all add to the state’s unique and captivating scenery. Need I say more!
Yes, there is more! The United States has 91 “Fourteeners” , which are mountain peaks that stand over 14, 000 feet tall (2.65 miles high). Fifty Six of these mountains can be found in Colorado, giving our Continental State an amazing landscape! The drive between Colorado Springs and Breckenridge is unbelievably stunning.
You can also explore the only point in America where four points converge. The Four Corners Monument is where Colorado’s southwest borders Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. A marker was placed at this intersection in 1912. Today, a bronze disc embedded in granite marks the only spot in America where you can stand in four states at once! And if you’re just visiting, you don’t have to pay taxes in any of them!
On my last trip to Colorado, we drove up to Pike’s Peak. Back then, this was not a drive for the faint of heart. It was a steady climb up to a height of over 14,000 ft above sea level. Pikes Peak is a designated National Historic Landmark. There were unpaved roads when I was there, many curves in the road and no barriers! Yikes!! Now you can drive the 13.5 miles or take the Cog Railway or the tram. However you go, take it slow and enjoy every minute of your visit.
Pike’s Peak was the inspiration for the song, “America the Beautiful,” and there is a monument at the Peak with the song’s lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates mounted on it.
As my group was nearing the top of the Pike’s Peak, I decided to sprint up the final 200 feet or so. Wrong Move! I was in pretty good shape at that time, but I was huffing and puffing with each breath I took. I was really winded from that little sprint. Yes, the air is thinner at high altitudes. So, watch out.
If driving up isn’t on your bucket list, the Peak is also accessible by the cog railway and a shuttle, making it a popular destination for both recreation and sightseeing. On a clear day it offers incredible views of several states, including Northern Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas and Utah from its summit.
CAUTION: If you have a history of severe cardiac or respiratory problems, it is not recommended that you make the ascent to the summit. The thinner air at the summit makes it difficult to breathe.
WHERE YOU CAN VISIT SOME OF COLORADO’S FIRST, FIERCE RESIDENTS…
DINOSAUR JOURNEY MUSEUM (Operated by the Museum of Western Colorado). Located at 550 Jurassic Court in Fruita, CO.
Western Colorado is a paradise for dinosaur enthusiasts that it’s located in the “Dinosaur Diamond”. This is home to some of the most significant dinosaur fossil discoveries in the world. This region contains the first evidence of ancient life here dating back to about 500 million years ago. In fact, it’s such a dinosaur-rich region that Colorado even has its own Official State Fossil, the Stegosaurus stenops.
Dinosaur Journey Museum is a regional paleontological and geological museum with exhibits of real fossils, cast skeletons, and robotic reconstructions of dinosaurs. It is the kind of museum that will delight and educate everyone, no matter how old you are. It has a collection of more than 15,000 fossils, many of which were discovered right here in the Grand Valley. You can watch as paleontologists work on skeletal reconstructions and prepare fossils for display in a viewable lab. Also, kids can make dinosaur footprints in a sandbox or dig for their own discoveries in a mock fossil quarry.
They also sponsor lots of family related activities here at Dinosaur Journey. In June, families are invited to Dinosaur Day, which features a range of kid-centered, hands-on activities. Then there is the Monster Mash in October, which is a Halloween event where children trick-or-treat inside the museum, with the dinosaurs. Throughout the year, Dinosaur Journey hosts many guest speakers from different backgrounds that give presentations about their research.
There are also lots of nice hiking trails in the area. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, sun screen, bug spray and a hat to protect you from the elements. Remember to bring plenty of water! Safety first.
RABBIT VALLEY QUARRY (On Bureau of Land Management property)
Located at Exit 2 just off I-70
National Geographic
Western Colorado is a paradise for dinosaur lovers and it’s located within the “Dinosaur Diamond”. This is a 486 mile scenic and historical route where you can drive through the states of Utah and Colorado. This is where thousands of mighty dinosaurs once shook the valleys as the lumbered through this area. The Rabbit Valley Quarry is 1.5-mile trail that brings visitors back to a land before time when, the mighty dinosaurs roamed. Here you can see real dinosaur bones that are still embedded in the rock! Awesome! This is the place to find out what dinosaur fossils look like when they are found. The trail is easy for hikers and it’s ok to bring your dogs as long as they are leashed. The best time to visit is from late spring to late fall. Many archeologists visit this site during the summer when university classes are out.
There are many markers along the trail, letting you know what dinosaurs have been discovered in the area. Benches can be found along the trail to ease your weary bones if needed. I recommend stopping at the overlooks to see the vast, beautiful scenery.
Markers along the self-guided trail
Grand Junction, Colorado
A ¾ mile long hiking trail that brings you through several historical sites. In 1900, Elmer S. Riggs discovered the fossils of the Brachiosaurus altithorax. The largest dinosaur in existence at that time. In 1937, schoolteacher Edward Holt discovered the bones of four different dinosaurs.
Brachiosaurus Discovery Marker
GARDEN PARK FOSSIL AREA
Garden Park Paleontology Society, PO Box 313, Canyon City, Colorado 81215-0313
You could nick-name this site “Jurassic Park” because historically, this was where 2 great fossil hunting detectives, Edward Drinker Cope and Othneil Charles Marsh clashed in ‘Bone Wars”. Both men had teams of diggers working for them in the 1870’s. All totaled, they discovered the remains of 17 dinosaurs. Whew!
While there have no longer been any more big finds, discoveries are still being made. The site is open year round. The Garden Park Educational Center is open to the public.
There are many other trails and dinosaur sites in this beautiful state. I recommend going online to check out other sites, where they are located and other dinosaur lovers incites. Enjoy
