Home on the Range

Denver

Denver gets its name, the "Mile High City", from the brass cap positioned exactly one mile high on the State Capitol steps. A truly Western town, Denver got its start as the first gold rush camp in the region. The Wild West era of Bat Masterson and the Unsinkable Molly Brown, with gunslingers, gamblers, gold miners, saloons, cattlemen and a sheriff has never completely ended. The city was so sure it would be a success, that the Historical Society was founded in 1879. After winning the title of capitol, a cattle exchange, banking and energy industry contributed to making Denver the thriving contemporary city it is today. An incredible amount of early architecture still exists, because almost from the beginning, Denver was built for permanence.

Introduce yourself to Denver on a walking tour of the 16th Street Mall and downtown Denver. Starting and ending in Civic Center Park, you'll be passing the Colorado History Museum, the US Mint, Larimer Square, the historic Brown Palace hotel and the Denver Art Museum—you'll have to see its architectural design with your own eyes to believe that it actually stands on its own!

You can experience the natural side of Denver's high desert region on a tour of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science which features thousands of objects on local geology. The Denver Botanical Gardens presents 32,000 plants that thrive in the dry mountain climate.

On your second day in Denver, you may want to get out and explore its great neighborhoods. Go to LODO (Lower Downtown) for arts, entertainment and great restaurants. The Santa Fe Arts District has Denver's largest collection of art galleries. Cherry Creek has the best shopping and dining in Denver. Quaint Old South Pearl Street has a Farmer's Market every Sunday and the Highlands neighborhood was recently featured in National Geographic Traveler and Travel + Leisure Magazine. Today's blend of western, southwestern, Hispanic, African American and Native American cultures make Denver's neighborhoods most interesting.

Colorado Springs

70 miles/1hr 10mins

Today you can experience the ultimate "Colorado Rocky Mountain High," visiting the area that inspired the anthem "America the Beautiful." Soaring high above Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak, at 14,110 feet, rises well above the timberline and into the clouds. Majestically luring in the distance, the Peak has been a magnet for visitors for nearly 1000 years.

During the 1850s, "Pikes Peak or Bust!" became the mantra of pioneers as they traveled to the edge of the Great Plains, where the mountain represented the gateway to the West — the land of new possibilities. When gold was discovered in Colorado in 1858, thousands of fortune seekers arrived. Soon after, pioneers settled into the area, creating the towns that we visit today. By the end of the century, Colorado Springs was a popular resort and luxury community of tycoons who had made their fortunes in the nearby gold mines.

On the way to the top of Pike's Peak Highway, you will pass through five of the eight life zones in Colorado. As you ascend, you may need to add another layer of clothing, as the Peak tends to be 30 degrees cooler than the base at Manitou Springs. Traveling this exhilarating mountain road, with its 156 hairpin turns, you'll be following in the tracks of one of the nation's oldest auto races, the Pike's Peak Hillclimb, which started in 1915 and continues today.

Salida

102 miles/2hrs 5mins

Located in the central Colorado Upper Arkansas River Valley, Salida, Colorado exemplifies the quiet high quality lifestyle that the state is so famous for. In late 2008, Diversion Magazine called Salida one of the 10 best places you've never heard of, an "off-the-radar" destination with lots to offer. Outside Magazine called it a "sweetly unpretentious town" and one of 20 Dream Towns and Adventure Hideouts. Salida is also ranked as one of America's 100 Best Small Art Towns.

Salida is surrounded by the Sawatch Range, sometimes referred to as the "backbone of the Continent." The early surveyor Hayden called the range one of the grandest eruptive masses on the continent. The range averages about 20 miles in width and stretches for 90 miles. With a population of 5,504, Salida, once a riverfront railroad town, is gradually turning over to a tourist economy. Or not so gradually—you'll have to ignore the urban sprawl dotted with American chain-favorites just off the highway and delve into the historic downtown district instead. Seek out Headwaters the outdoor store which is the best source of information on the area's various recreational opportunities. From here, you can rent mountain bikes or kayaks or inquire about local rafting companies. Get out and explore the Arkansas River!

Next to the visitors bureau on Rainbow Avenue is Salida Hot Springs, the largest in the state of Colorado. The naturally heated, Works Progress Administration-built indoor pool and baths are open year-round.

Powderhorn

92 miles/1hr 50mins

The Powderhorn Guest Ranch offers an authentic, western Dude Ranch Vacation. The ranch is located high in the Colorado Rocky Mountains next to the Powderhorn Primitive Wilderness Area. Family owned and operated a stay at the ranch is just like visiting with family. At Powderhorn you can go horseback riding, fishing, take jeep tours or rafting trips. The list of daily activities is nearly endless and the pace is the one you choose. One thing is for sure, you are bound to have a great time!

Your stay includes two horseback rides a day with free group horseback riding instruction. By the end of your stay, you will be riding like a pro! The Powderhorn ranch maintains a herd of 40 horses and is able to cater to any riding skill level from novice to expert. Each ride will take you through stunning scenery which will take your breath away. Another consideration is a jeep trip into the high country of Colorado today. Be sure to bring your camera, the views are unbeatable as you ride to the summit.

If you haven't taken the time yet, spend the day fishing in the crystal clear streams nearby. You can fish on the property or schedule a semi-private fishing lesson outside of Powderhorn Ranch. Don't worry if you have never been fishing, free fly-fishing clinics are available year-round. Imagine strolling from your front door, fly fishing pole in hand, and bringing back a beautiful trout. Good luck catching that ideal fish!

As this is your last day at the Powderhorn Guest Ranch, be sure to soak up as much as fun and adventure as you can. Don't forget to take those last few trail rides or catch that last tempting fish. Or if you want something more unusual, schedule a white-water rafting ride for today. If white-water rafting is not your style, take a float trip down the Gunnison River. These trips are not to be missed and will complete the Colorado experience. Spend the last day here enjoying whatever you choose to do.

Durango

180 miles/4hrs 10mins

The route to Durango takes you through the scenic San Juan Mountains. If you think you've seen Durango before, it's because it's the picture perfect Old West town that has starred as the backdrop for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, City Slickers, Cliffhangers and many other movies. It's so authentic that you might expect a gunslinger to step right into the street any minute. The nightly show at the Strater Hotel is right out of the Old West.

Founded by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1880, Durango was once a young city surrounded by silver mining towns and the wild, Wild West. Today the railroad still passes through here, even though the mining towns it was built to serve have long since been abandoned. Durango has grown-up into a carefully preserved National Historic Landmark, unlike any other in America.

Moab

159 miles/2hrs 45mins

It's hard to imagine what forces of nature worked for millennia to sculpt the greatest density of natural arches in the world at Arches National Park. Over 2,000 structures range in size from a three-foot opening (the minimum considered to be an arch), to Landscape Arch, which measures 306 feet from base to base. Towering spires, fins and balanced rocks complement the arches, creating a remarkable assortment of landforms in a relatively small area. You can explore the many areas of Arches National Park by car or on foot. Two drives through the park take you to a number of exceptional viewpoints, including Delicate Arch Viewpoint from which you can see the park's most famous arch at a distance. Take a moment to get out of the car and walk under the two largest arches, North Window and Double Arch, for a truly up close and personal experience. If you prefer to hike, there are trails to the park's highlights that take from 1-1/2 hours to a half a day. We suggest that you do the longer hikes early or late in the day to avoid the mid-day heat.

Sundance

191 miles/3hrs 15mins

Everyone has to have a bit of relaxation time and we have planned yours at Robert Redford's Sundance Resort just south of Salt Lake City in Provo. The setting invites you to "come stay with us, watch the moon climb over Utah's Mt. Timpanogos from your Sundance patio and enjoy a fireside dinner in your mountain home." We invite you to retreat where centuries ago the Ute Indians found sanctuary to escape the summer heat and enjoy the earth's natural abundance. As Robert Redford says about his very special resort, "this place in the mountains is the perfect host for inspiration." Spend two days relaxing and being inspired at Sundance Resort.

Vernal

154 miles/2hrs 55mins

The stories of the thousands of dinosaurs who lived and died near Vernal, Utah are captured in the rock at Dinosaur National Monument. The quarry has already revealed over 1,600 bones from 11 different species. This is the story that Dinosaur National Monument was first established to preserve, yet only one of the stories of the park. The Monument was expanded to include 300 square miles of great high desert canyon country.

Viewed from the top, you can see the end of the Rockies and the beginning of the canyon country desert.

The second of the park's stories is told through the petroglyphs of the Freemont Indians who lived in the canyon between 800 and 1,200 years ago. And yet a third is revealed through the preserved homesteads of some of the early settlers in the region. Combining all three, Dinosaur National Monument contains famous fossil finds, dramatic river canyons, mysterious petroglyphs, and endless opportunities for adventure. The story continues at the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in downtown Vernal. The new facility displays a full size dinosaur skeleton and artifacts that illustrate the entire geological history within an 80-mile radius.

Steamboat Springs

162 miles/2hrs 55mins

From Native American hunting grounds to early pioneers; from the Flying Norseman, Carl Howelsen to the newest of our 52 Olympians; from gold and silver mining to coal ore; Routt County offers a rich, colorful and inspiring past.

For hundreds of years prior to the first settlers' arrival in the valley, the Yampatika Utes found the area ideal for summer hunting. Trappers began to come to the valley in the early 1800s. They called the area The Big Bend because the Yampa River makes its turn toward the west at this point in the valley. 

Denver

165 miles/3hrs 35mins

Enjoy another day and evening to spend exploring Denver before heading home tomorrow.

Depart