Colorado – A Place for All Seasons

Photo by Carolyn Mason

Heading upward to Loveland Pass, we heard Fiona’s stern voice: "There’s a better way." And she was right. (For the record, Fiona is our Garmin GPS.) Still, we did not want to wait in the ever-lengthening line of traffic caused by an overturned truck on I-70 near the East entrance of the Eisenhower Tunnel.

White knuckled, my husband Carlton negotiated the narrow two-lane road with no guard rails plus precipitous drops. He focused on the car ahead and the yellow center stripe, leaving all the "wows" and wavering windshield photography to me. We wound our way up from 11,013 feet to 11,990 feet and crossed the Continental Divide. Carlton did not want to hear about the state’s passes that soar more than 14,000 feet or the dirt and graveled "Oh My God Road" snaking past dozens of abandoned mines between Central City and Idaho Springs.

A state of stunning beauty, Colorado lures skiers to its snowy slopes today just as it did miners with a promise of riches back in the 1880s. With what some consider the world’s greatest ski surface, the high altitude and dry atmospheric conditions, Colorado promises a singular ski experience. But you don’t have to be a snow chaser or powder hound to love this place, which also makes a great warm weather destination as we experienced last year – on a whim, actually.

When neighbors Carolyn and Bill Mason decided to summer in Vail, they invited all their friends for a visit, never dreaming their friends would come – but they did. No sooner did one group exit than another flew in to occupy their condo guestroom at The Antlers.

Photo by Carolyn Mason

So it was we found ourselves en route from Denver to Vail, each curve in the road featuring yet another spectacular view of the Rockies' natural splendor. With sparkling mountain lakes, gulches, deserts, canyons, wildflowers, forests, and Alpine tundra, this rugged country offers staggering landscapes.

At the base of Vail Mountain, we trekked through the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens gazing at wildflowers, waterfalls and dramatic rock formations. The adjacent Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater offers summer visitors entertainment under the stars with classical music, ballet, children’s productions and more.

We lingered over coffee at flower-banked sidewalk cafes and took in a Yoga for Athletes class at a Vail fitness center, a free 10-minute shuttle ride away from our condo. At nearby Beaver Creek, a posh community with a European flavor, we indulged in brunch with a view. Here, summer visitors can opt for a number of diverse cultural events at the Vilar Center for the Arts, and Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival attracts world-class chamber musicians.

The Masons introduced us to Georgetown’s eateries, shops and nearby Guanella Pass. We celebrated my birthday at the Peck House, the state’s oldest hotel and once a stagecoach stop in tiny but historic Empire.

Their summer itinerary also included visits to Leadville’s Baby Doe Silver Mine, jeep outings into the San Juan Mountains surrounding Ouray, and train rides on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad through spectacular mountain scenery. The Gunnison National Monument’s Black Canyon and Mesa Verde National Park with its incredible cliff dwellings of the ancient Anasazi made their must-see list.

Photo by Carolyn Mason

Many travelers who fly into the Denver International Airport spend the first night in the city, which allows skiers some time to adjust to the higher altitude before hitting the slopes. With cultural facilities, entertainment venues, shopping and fine restaurants, Denver offers plenty to see and do. Sports fans will find year-round action with football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer or lacrosse. History buffs will want to visit the Victorian home of "Unsinkable Molly Brown." Another museum pays tribute to Buffalo Bill Cody. Browse through exhibits at the recently expanded Denver Art Museum or the Denver Museum of Natural History. Downtown, the U.S. Mint houses the largest depository of gold outside Fort Knox. Take a stroll through the Civic Center complex with its parks, gardens, and monuments or tour Colorado's gray granite and gold-domed State Capitol.

Farther afield, but still within an hour's drive of Denver, you can explore colorful old Western mining towns like Central City. Here, in Colorado's first major boom town of Gold Rush days, you can pan for gold, ride a narrow gauge locomotive, and see some of the West's best preserved Victorian architecture. In fact, today's Central City/Blackhawk National Historic District looks much the same as it did a century ago (well, except for the casinos). Once known as "the richest square mile on earth," this area produced over a half-billion dollars in mineral wealth.

Photo by Carolyn Mason

Central City's Opera House hosts an annual summer festival, and its shops, saloons, and restaurants have often served as sets for Western movies. Perched on a steep street about a block above the Opera House stands the Thomas-Billings Home, which one Boulder visitor described as "fascinating because all the furnishings, utensils, everything the family used are still there. It's like walking into a Victorian house still in use."

From cozy lodges and romantic inns to spacious condos and luxurious resorts, Colorado offers accommodations for every taste. With an average of 300 sunny days per year and a wealth of wide open spaces, this state makes a great choice for a rip-roaring Western vacation. Outdoor activities run the gamut: world-class skiing, mountain biking, snowboarding, hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, snowmobiling, swimming, horseback riding, golf and more. This intoxicating year-round destination also promises serious arts and music and stellar restaurants.

Photo by Carolyn Mason

Colorado makes a marvelous vacation destination any time of the year, but it’s hard to top autumn when the aspens quake in their golden glory . . . or winter’s white and crystal fantasyland . . . or spring’s vibrant quilt of wildflowers . . . or summer’s easy outdoor dining and concerts. I wonder which season Fiona would recommend.

Copyright 2009 Gay N. Martin