2017-12-13 05:29:49
There Will Not Be a Quiz, But Fun is Mandatory Learning about the history of your destination makes the place come alive with old stories and clues that give context and meaning to your travels. 1 FORT GARLAND MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER Colorado’s historic forts open a window on the 1800s, when the area was settled by frontiersmen, military men, homesteaders, miners and more. Visit these historic sites to find out what life was like for Coloradans during the nation’s westward expansion. Fort Garland (east of Alamosa) was commanded by legendary frontiersman Kit Carson and had a garrison of more than 100 who protected the earliest settlers in the San Luis Valley. Tour original adobe buildings and view exhibits on how the fort was saved and preserved. COLORADO.com/Forts 2 CARSON GHOST TOWN Visitors to Carson often think they’re the first to discover the high-altitude town when they see its undisturbed buildings and remote, tricky-to-get-to location. Carson was also unpopular with miners because of its inaccessibility; it sits at nearly 12,000 feet. The best way to get to Carson is from Lake City on Wager Gulch Trail (via 4x4, bike or hike). COLORADO.com/GhostTowns 3 TOURS & TREKS Denver’s History Colorado Center puts on two- to six-hour tours and overnight treks each month with deep dives into Colorado stories. Past topics have included a tea at the Swan House in Loveland, an Irish tour of Denver, bus tours of forgotten neighborhoods and historic districts, guided hikes with the state’s archaeologists, a summer blossoms trek to Crested Butte and others. COLORADO.com/Events 4 SATISFY THAT SWEET TOOTH Visit Honeyville, where you can watch live honeybees at work inside a glass-encased beehive and (most importantly) taste free samples of regional honey products, jams and jellies. This small retail shop is located just 10 miles north of Durango. Try local favorites like cinnamon whipped honey and Chocolate Buzz honey fudge sauce. COLORADO.com/CulinaryActivities 5 TOUR HISTORIC HOMESTEADS Any historic structure, from Durango’s Strater Hotel to Leadville’s Tabor Opera House, houses colorful human stories. Barney Ford, a business-man who escaped slavery’s shackles via the Underground Railroad, is honored at the Barney Ford House Museum in Breckenridge. The expansive lifestyle of a silver mining magnate is preserved at the Hamill House in Georgetown. Victorian-era splendor and nine architectural styles bring the era to life at Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs. The 1883 Byers-Evans House Museum in Denver tours the home of two prominent Denver families, and no one can forget the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown, whose house museum in Denver pays homage to her enduring celebrity and contributions to women’s rights. 6 DRIVE OUR JOURNEY Your very own GPS-guided scavenger hunt of Colorado’s eastern plains is online at ourjourney.info. The area’s local historians have plotted a fun and surprising journey for you. When traveling this area, a must-see is the Kit Carson County Carousel in Burlington, where a 1905 carousel has been spinning since 1928 to its Wurlitzer Monster Military Band Organ. Stop to see the 1910 wood-frame Limon Railroad Depot, one of only three Rock Island depots in Colorado remaining in their place of operation. 7 PUEBLO CHILE & FRIJOLES FESTIVAL We’re talking about the famed Pueblo green chile here. That city’s chile is so popular that every September, 100,000 people celebrate its harvest by strolling along Pueblo’s historic Union Avenue listening to live music, browsing through local art and, of course, smelling roasting chiles and then tasting the yummy dishes made from them. COLORADO.com/Events WANT MORE? COLORADO.COM/HISTORY
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