Find Colorado Roots / COME TO LIFE HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS Some of the best things to do on a Colorado vacation revolve around the past. Once roamed by mighty dinosaurs, then formed by native people, westward exploration and expansion, historic landmarks are waiting to be discovered. X Stand in the footsteps of our oldest residents — the dinosaurs! Dig sites, museums and other family attractions offer access to fossils. COLORADO.com/SeeDinos 8 8 GO PICKIN’ & TOURIN’ The peaches from the Western Slope around Palisade are legendary for juicy goodness, but they’re not the only things ripe for pickin’. Farms across the state invite guests to pick pumpkins, apples and other delicious items — or to just learn about the farming itself. A Few Favorites: Delicious Orchards in Hotchkiss 63rd Street Farm in Boulder Ya Ya Farm and Orchard in Longmont Uncle Johnny’s U-Pick Farm in Cedaredge Orchard Creek Ranch in Glenwood Springs The Living Farm in Paonia More: COLORADO.com/ FarmRanchActivities . 9 YOU MUST EAT THIS Colorado’s got the goods when it comes to succulent fruits, fresh produce and hearty local game, not to mention the creative masterminds behind exquisitely crafted menus that travelers and locals can’t get enough of. A Few Favorites: Rocky Ford melons from stands along Hwy. 50 Pueblo green chiles Palisade peaches Olathe sweet corn Front Range apples and apple cider More: COLORADO.com/ YouMustEatThis X Hit the mother lode of mining history at museums and on mine tours across the state to discover the colorful stories of the founding of many Colorado towns during the 1800s Gold Rush. COLORADO.com/GoldRushTowns X The state is home to three unique National Heritage Areas: South Park, Sangre de Cristo and Cache la Poudre. Learn about their roles in our nation’s history. COLORADO.com/NHA X Each January for more than 100 years, Denver’s National Western Stock Show has celebrated our Wild West heritage with rodeos, dog shows, livestock competitions and more. COLORADO.com/NWSS X From dinosaur fossils and historic homesteads to Santa Fe Trail artifacts and curiosities, Colorado history museums are bound to have something you haven’t seen anywhere else. COLORADO.com/Museums 5 in Hotchkiss Mountain Goat Lodge in Salida More: COLORADO.com/ FarmStays & COLORADO. com/DudeRanches 5 WANDER GHOST TOWNS Colorado ghost towns offer a peek into the foggy windows of a once-rowdy brothel, an ATV trek on roads no one bothered to pave on their way out of town and stories of intense standoffs in gulches that will remind you why this was the Wild West. A Few Favorites: Ashcroft near Aspen Animas Forks near Silverton and Lake City Tomboy near Telluride Pitkin near Gunnison Uptop near La Veta Dearfield east of Greeley More: COLORADO.com/ GhostTowns 6 BOARD A DINNER TRAIN Call it old-fashioned, but there’s something romantic about winding through the Rockies on rail lines and many offer Colorado menus aboard their routes. See page 58 for scenic and historic train offerings. 7 LIVE THE WILD WEST DREAM The hospitality and activities at Colorado dude and guest ranches are unlike anywhere else. Where else can you go on a cattle drive followed by a soak in a cast-iron tub with champagne flutes in hand? Chefs prepare farm-to-table cuisine, and the rustic, relaxing atmosphere meets all expectations you have about Western livin’. A Few Favorites: 4UR Ranch in Creede Vista Verde Ranch in Clark Rawah Colorado Wilderness Ranch in Glendevey Colorado Cattle Company & Guest Ranch in New Raymer 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott Deer Valley Ranch in Nathrop More: COLORADO.com/ DudeRanches 1 WANT MORE? SEE PAGE 51 AND COLORADO.COM/HISTORY. COLORADO.COM / 37
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2018: Page 37
