2022-12-03 10:03:41
This peaceful valley, sandwiched between the Wet and Sangre de Cristo mountains, is home to 200 miles of trails and 54 alpine lakes — and Westcliffe and Silver Cliff were the first Colorado communities recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association. Day 1 Start at Westcliffe’s new Main Street Welcome Center for stargazing tips. Then, uel your day with smothered-in-goodness burritos, followed by Dark Skies ice-cream sundaes at nearby Stage Stop. Next, head to Planet Walk — a free solar-system exhibit boasting a scale of 4 billion to one. Each planetary sign contains a handy QR code that’ll connect you to audio guides about our vast universe. Celebrate the night with an old-fashioned Amish wagon ride from Sunset Ranch for star-strewn delights along quiet country roads. Gaze toward the glittering heavens as horses placidly clop-clop along. Day 2 Soak in the area’s rugged grandeur on a portion of the nearly 30-mile Rainbow Trail for fantastic sights like Mount Ouray and, if you’re lucky, colorful cactus blooms. Then order goodies like bacon-wrapped venison fillets at The Historic Alpine Lodge in Westcliffe, or tangy barbecue tacos at Tacos el Tapatio in Silver Cliff. After the sun sets, delve into the cosmos with a guide at a Smokey Jack Observatory star party — you’ll see shimmering constellations, glimmering planets and, of course, the infinite depths of the Milky Way through the observatory’s telescope. Day 3 Hop on the 104-mile Frontier Pathways scenic byway to motor along the winding Sangre de Cristos, through the San Isabel National Forest, then by Hardscrabble Canyon and Lake Isabel, an ideal spot for fishing, hiking and picnicking. Go along Hwy. 165 to Bishop Castle, a quirky fortress Jim Bishop has been building on his own for more than 40 years.
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