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Nudging the state’s eastern border, Burlington and Wray pack a helping of rural living and eastern plains heritage. Just a day trip from Denver, see the farms that bring food to your table. MORNING Begin your journey in Wray with some one-of-a-kind birding. In the spring, colorful and peculiar greater prairie chickens strut and dance across local grasslands in search of mates. The ritual is such a spectacle that the Wray Chamber of Commerce and Colorado Parks & Wildlife have teamed up to offer special viewing tours. Housing one of the only permanent Smithsonian exhibits outside of Washington, DC, the 13,500-square-foot Wray Museum features an extensive Paleo-Indian exhibit, displaying one of the largest and oldest Stone Age bison kill sites. AFTERNOON Mosey down to Burlington and treat yourself to an Old West experience. The Old Town Museum (2) contains 21 refurbished buildings filled with authentic artifacts from the early 1900s. Visit Memorial to Labor days, when things are in full swing: Watch a high-noon gunfight, visit the old-fashioned soda fountain for a hand-dipped ice cream cone and enjoy Wild West Dinner Theaters. EVENING Grab a quarter and head over to the Kit Carson County Fairgrounds to ride a National Historic Landmark. Out of the nearly 4,000 wooden carousels carved in America between 1885 and the 1930s, the fully restored 1905 Kit Carson County Carousel (1) is one of a handful still spinning. For an extra bit of fun on summer weekends, ride to the carousel on the Old Town Express, a horse-drawn wagon ride between the fairgrounds and Old Town. And those visiting last week in July can take in the 101st Kit Carson County Fair and Rodeo. SIDETRIPS Visit ourjourney.info to learn about 13 museums and attractions, upcoming events, off-the-beaten-path sites to explore and geocaches to discover around the region. Colorado is home to more than 450 different avian species, many of which are found in the diverse ecosystems just east of the Rockies. Lone falcons share the sky with droves of tiny white-throated swifts, owls snooze inside hollowed trees and prairie chickens strut through vast stretches of golden shortgrass. Check out COLORADO.com/TopBirdingTrails to learn more. STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Burlington (page 190), Wray QUICK TIP For the perfect picnic spot, hop over to Burlington’s new Greenbelt, an area with tables for families that also highlights the flora and fauna of the Eastern Plains.
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