HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS Well-preserved landmarks and captivating museums offer a peek into the past, when American Indians, pioneers and fortune-seekers made our state what it is today. Chip at a real gold vein and gain an understanding of the arduous work undertaken by miners at Molly Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek; ride the rails of the Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad ; or explore the reconstructed 1840s fur-trading post frequented by famed frontiersman Kit Carson at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site near La Junta. COLORADO.com/History @Photo_Hiker_Dave CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: GOLD PAN, ISTOCKPHOTO; MOLLY KATHLEEN GOLD MINE, FLICKR/PHOTO_HIKER_DAVE; BUTTERFLY, ISTOCKPHOTO; BACKPACK, GETTYIMAGES; COLORADO GATOR FARM. W ZOOS & ANIMAL SANCTUARIES Bears, gators and butterflies are just a few of the cool critters that inhabit Colorado’s zoos, aquariums and animal sanctuaries. Spy on black bears, mountain lions and other Centennial State natives at the Wild Animal Sanctuary 45 minutes west of Denver; feed one of the largest giraffe herds in the world at scenic Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs p g or toss fish to the alligators at Colorado Gators Reptile Park in Mosca. COLORADO.com/Zoos FAMILY ACTIVITIES BACKPACKS Twenty-nine Colorado State Parks have Family Activity Backpacks available for check out at the park visitor centers. With bug boxes, magnifiers, guide books, binoculars and more, the packs help explorers of any age discover how fun the journey through the great outdoors can be. COLORADO.com/ CSPBackpacks COLORADO.COM / 63
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2018: Page 63
