COME TO LIFE / High-Country Escape: Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Silver Plume, Black Hawk & Central City HIGH-COUNTRY ESCAPE: IDAHO SPRINGS, GEORGETOWN, SILVER PLUME, BLACK HAWK & CENTRAL CITY COLORADO Find Gold Rush lore, modern-day prospectors, railroad adventure and cooler temps just 40 minutes west of Denver. MORNING Take advantage of morning’s typically clear blue skies on a drive up the highest paved highway in North America. Memorial Day to Labor Day (weather permitting), the Mount Evans Scenic Byway (1) starts in Idaho Springs and climbs 7,000 feet in just 28 miles, peaking at 14,265 feet with top-of-the-world views of alpine lakes and the snow-capped Continental Divide. You may find yourself eye-to-eye with the few brawny animals that live above timberline, including rock-hopping mountain goats and bighorn sheep. 1 3 AFTERNOON Swing down to Idaho Springs; the discovery of gold here in 1859 ushered in the Colorado Gold Rush. That heritage lives on through Miner Street’s well-preserved buildings and at the Visitor Center & Heritage Museum , with a new exhibit on transportation history in a Colorado mining town. You can also pick up maps and tips for exploring the area. Bring your appetite to the original Beau Jo’s Pizza (2) . Founders of deep-dish Colorado-style pizza, the eatery serves up hearty Colorado pies (eat ‘em like a local and dip your crust in honey). Next door is Tommyknocker Brewery , the perfect place for a refreshing mountain craft brew or hand-crafted soda, as is Westbound & Down Brewery . Pencil in time for a soak in the therapeutic mineral pools at Indian Hot Springs or a ride on two area ziplines. 2 Or journey farther west on I-70 to Georgetown . Tucked off the highway (beyond the first gas stations you see), visit the town’s Victorian-era homes and silver-boom relics at the Hamill House (3) and Hotel de Paris museums (call for hours). Break for afternoon tea at the Dusty Rose Tea Room and stop into the crafts, cake and coffee shops along the main street. Board the Georgetown Loop Railroad for a narrow-gauge train ride to Silver Plume and back for views of the Clear Creek Valley and an optional walking tour that takes you 500 feet into an 1870s mine tunnel. It also now offers dinner and cocktails aboard. EVENING Step into Colorado’s mini Western-style Las Vegas for some nightlife action in “the richest square mile on earth.” The canyon-cradled hamlets of Black Hawk and Central City are just one mile apart and are lined with bustling, grand casinos as well as mom-and-pop gaming saloons, historic storefronts and visitors hoping to strike it rich. More refined entertainment options reside at the Central City Opera House . The 550-seat jewel-box theater was built in 1878 by Welsh and Cornish miners and continues to draw interna-tional applause with classic to contemporary performances each summer. Visiting in the daytime? From Black Hawk, you can easily hop on the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway and head toward Estes Park , an amazingly kaleidoscopic journey in the fall. STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Black Hawk , Central City (page 199), Dumont (page 202), Empire , Georgetown (page 204), Idaho Springs (page 207), Silver Plume QUICK TIP 164 / In the winter, take a few laps at Georgetown’s Werlin Park ice rink before warming up at one of the town’s cozy restaurants. COLORADO.COM CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MOUNT EVANS, CELIN SERBO; HAMILL HOUSE, MILES; BEAU JO’S COLORADO STYLE PIZZA, BETH SCHNEIDER.
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2017: Page 164
