COME TO LIFE / High-Country Escape HIGH-COUNTRY ESCAPE: IDAHO SPRINGS, GEORGETOWN, SILVER PLUME, BLACK HAWK & CENTRAL CITY COLORADO Be sure to visit COLORADO.com/ FieldGuide for even more itiner aries! Find Gold Rush lore, modern-day prospectors, railroad adventure and cooler temps just 40 minutes west of Denver. 1 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. Or hook up with a rafting outfitter — several run this stretch of Clear Creek with trips for those of all experience levels. 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 , where you can also pick up maps and tips for exploring the area. Bring your appetite to the original Beau Jo’s Pizza (2) , the founders of deep-dish Colorado-style pies. @WallyGobetz @e.b.woodward Next door is Tommyknocker Brewery , the perfect place for a refreshing mountain craft brew or handcrafted soda, as is Westbound & Down Brew-ery ; and Bouck Brothers Distilling is just a 15-minute walk down Colorado Boulevard. Pencil in time for a soak in the therapeutic mineral pools at Indian Hot Springs , thrill rides at Lawson Adventure Park or stops in the town’s cute shops — The Spice and Tea Exchange and The Bee’s Knees are two favorites. Or journey farther west on I-70 to Georgetown to visit Victorian-era homes and silver-boom relics at the 2 QUICK TIP 138 / Monday through Thursday is the best time to hike one the area’s fourteeners , including Mount Bierstadt, Mount Evans, Grays Peak and Torreys Peak to avoid heavy trail traffic. Stay nearby to get an early start, which makes for the safest assents — accommodations are available in Georgetown and Idaho Springs. 1-800-COLORADO CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: MOUNT EVANS SCENIC BYWAY, JASON J. HATFIELD; BEAU JO’S PIZZA, @E.B.WOODWARD; ARGO GOLD MINE, FLICKR/WALLYGOBETZ.
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2019: Page 138
