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Colorado, of course, is known for its marvelous skiing resorts, but there are many interesting places in the state that deserve a visit.
I recently flew in to Colorado Springs to visit family and spent an amazing action-packed four-day adventure that my brother, Stevan Cooper, put together that involved the tallest dunes in North America, the world’s most successful breeding program for giraffes in captivity, a view that inspired the lyrics to “America the Beautiful,” a wacky castle, an even wackier UFO lookout tower in a valley known for mystery, casinos, an alligator farm, hidden falls, a hike beneath Kissing Camels, and gorgeous mountain drives through aspens and steep canyons.
DAY 1
Pikes Peak
Just outside of Colorado Springs is Pikes Peak, the easternmost mountain in the United States that’s over 14,000 feet above sea level. Part of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, it’s the most famous of Colorado’s 53 “fourteeners.”
A 19-mile drive on a paved toll road to the 14,115-foot-high summit is full of white-knuckled hairpin turns, and afterward, your vehicle may need a new transmission. An easier way to the top is via the Pikes Peak Cog Railway operating out of the funky little town of Manitou Springs. This is the world’s highest cog train track and the ride up and back takes about 3 hours.
On the way to the summit, the tour guide will point out Inspiration Point, which inspired English teacher Katharine Bates to compose a poem in 1893 that became the lyrics to “America the Beautiful.”
The air was crystal clear on the October day when we visited, and from the summit we could see Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Wyoming. Below to the east is the stunning rock formation called Garden of the Gods, the city of Colorado Springs and beyond it the beginning of the Great Plains. Denver's to the north, with its skyscrapers visible. To the west, the beautiful San Isabel National Forest, and to the southwest, the majestic snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Info: 800-745-3773; http://www.cograilway.com.
Gold Camp Road
If you take the cog train up to Pikes Peak in the morning, you can grab lunch in Manitou Springs, then have time in the afternoon to go for a drive through the mountains.
Truly off the beaten path, Gold Camp Road is one of the most scenic routes in the entire state. It leads to Victor, a town where large deposits of gold were discovered in the 19th century. To get to the road, take exit 138 off I-25; after you pass the famous Broadmoor resort and before you get to the zoo, you’ll come to Old Stage Road. The pavement will end and this dirt road will intersect with Gold Camp Road.
Be prepared for lots of bumps during the next 35 miles. You’ll be going about 20 mph, even slower on the hairpin turns. For miles at a time, the only sign of human life is the road itself.
In late September and early October, Gold Camp Road is a splendid way to appreciate the aspens, which turn bright gold, then drop their leaves in the short span of a few weeks.
At the end of Gold Camp Road, turn left on Lazy Ranch Road. It will take you to Victor. From Victor, you can continue to Cripple Creek, another 19th-century mining camp. Today, Cripple Creek has plenty of casinos that offer slots, poker and blackjack, as well as small gift shops.
To return to Colorado Springs, take Colorado 67 north to Divide, then U.S. 24 through Woodland Park.
DAY 2
Bishop’s Castle
Southwest of Colorado Springs, in a remote spot in the Wet Mountains of San Isabel National Forest, is a kooky stone-and-iron castle that’s been under construction since 1969. Jim Bishop began building it 10 years after he’d purchased a small parcel of land for $450 at the age of 15.
Visitors’ donations to a 501(c)3 non-profit called the Bishop Castle Non-profit Charitable Foundation for New-born Heart Surgery fund the ongoing project. Although the IRS doesn’t require donations to be made to the charity until the completion of the castle, the Bishops have made several donations to help local families.
To get to Bishop’s Castle from Colorado Springs, take Highway 115 south to Florence, turn left at the first traffic light onto Highway 67, then right onto Highway 96 in Wetmore. Turn left onto Highway 165 and go 12 miles. The castle is enormous — you can’t miss it.
After your visit, double back on Highway 165 and turn left on Highway 96 and go Westcliffe. You’ll have your choice of several restaurants for lunch. Then follow Colorado 69 south toward Gardner, but before you get there, turn right at the sign for Red Wing. Before you get to Red Wing, look for a small green sign for Pass Creek and turn left onto this road. It is a surprisingly smooth unpaved road that will take you to La Veta Pass. Turn right on Highway 160, then right on Highway 150.
You’re now on the west side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and heading north into the San Luis Valley. This pass that the locals use will shave off about an hour and a half from having to go southeast to Walsenberg to get to the San Luis Valley.
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
The tallest sand dunes in all of North America are here in the San Luis Valley. Scientists believe the dunes were created less than 440,000 years ago by winds that blew sand deposits from the Rio Grande River to the western base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Life on the dunes includes colorful tiger beetles as well as patches of saltgrass and wildflowers. The dunes are open to the public year round, 24/7.
The park offers a lodge and cabins, which are available in the spring through the middle of October. There’s a small convenience store and a restaurant, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the summer tourist season. When my brother and I were there in early October, it was only open for breakfast. At the store, I bought a sausage-egg-and-cheese croissant and a canister of Pringle’s Potato Chips for dinner; my brother opted for Vienna sausages and Ramen Noodles. If you don’t go during the summer, you might want to bring your own food.
The lodge staff recommended that we not venture on foot from the lodge in the dark because black bears reside in the area. Info and reservations: Great Sand Dunes Lodge, 719-378-2900; www.gsdlodge.com
DAY 3
The next morning, my brother and I dined on delicious pancakes and huevos rancheros at the restaurant, and our friendly server was the third local to recommend that we take time to see the nearby waterfalls before we continued our travels north through the San Luis Valley.
But first I wanted to see the dunes in the morning light, which is a great time to look for the delicate tracks of Ord’s kangaroo rat, which burrows in the dunes. The tracks are very tiny and shallow and even a light wind will blow them away.
The dunes were my favorite part of the entire trip.
Zapata Falls
After walking on the ridges of the dunes, we headed 10 miles south on Highway 150 and pulled off onto the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. From here we drove uphill on a rough road, and along the way we saw about a dozen vehicles pulled off the side by the thick forest of Colorado pinon trees. This road is steep and bumpy, and we discussed whether or not seeing the falls was worth all this trouble.
We finally reached a parking lot. From there, it was a quarter-mile hike up a rough and steep trail to a stream, which we had to cross five times to reach the falls inside a narrow crevasse. We were glad we’d spent the hour and a half out of our way to see this beautiful sight. Caution: The rocks are slick, and locals said the stream can be fast and deep during early summer.
On our drive down from the falls, I asked my brother to stop so I could find out what people were doing on the side of the road. I approached a woman and introduced myself. Jenni Archeleta from Capulin, N.M., had driven 60 miles to gather pinon nuts, which were blanketing the ground like crazy. Archeleta told me that the trees only produce nuts every 5 or 6 years. The nuts must be toasted before using in a variety of dishes.
The next stop on our adventure was 47 miles away. We took Colorado 150 North, then Lane 6 West, then Colorado 17 North.
Colorado Gators Reptile Park
The sign warns: “No trespassing. Violators may be eaten.”
I would not have imagined that alligators could flourish in Colorado. The key is to provide them with geothermal water that stays at a comfy 87 degrees.
Providing alligators to many zoos across the country, Colorado Gators Reptile Park contains little, medium-size, large and extra-large gators, sorted by size so they don’t eat each other. It also has five albino alligators (we were told there were only about 50 in captivity).
Colorado Gators Reptile Park also offers a class in alligator wrestling. Info: 719-378-2612; www.coloradogators.com
UFO Watchtower
In addition to gators, the San Luis Valley is known for prolific reports of UFO sightings, and a place that has capitalized on its reputation is the UFO Watchtower — campground, observation deck and gift shop. It’s only a few miles north of the Colorado Gators Reptile Park on the west side of Highway 17.
Owner Judy Messoline claims that many psychics have felt the existence of a pair of vortexes that function as portals into parallel universes. The Vortex Garden is indeed a bizarre place, with sunglasses, empty bottles, watches and bracelets, beaded necklaces, silk flowers, combs, religious symbols and other things.
A sign reads: "As you walk through the Garden pay attention to your body as you can feel the energy from the Vortexes. We encourage visitors to leave something in The Garden to get their energy there as well. PLEASE do not move or remove anything in The Garden … bad, bad Karma if you do." Info: 719-378-2296; www.ufowatchtower.com.
To return to Colorado Springs, go north on Highway 17 and turn east on to Highway 285 to Salida. From here, take U.S. 50 East, which is a very scenic route alongside the Arkansas River amid steep canyon walls. Driving through these canyons as well as through the aspen-covered mountains on the Gold Camp Road were my brother’s favorite parts of our trip. When you reach Penrose, take Colorado 115 back to Colorado Springs.
DAY 4
Garden of the Gods
Created millions of years ago during a geological upheaval is an odd-looking group of red sandstone rock beds turned on their sides.
These incredible rock formations are a popular destination for photographers, hikers, rock climbers and bird watchers. Spend the morning exploring The Kissing Camels (a formation that resembles two camels), The Three Graces, the Cathedral Spires in the Cathedral Valley and Balanced Rock. Info: 719-634-6666; www.gardenofgods.com.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
You’ve probably heard of Cheyenne Mountain, the former site of NORAD (The United States Northern Command, and the Air Force Space Command). Deep below the surface of the mountain is a Cold War nuclear bunker.
On another part of the mountain, above the surface, is the home of many exotic animals. At an elevation of 6,800 feet above sea level, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is the only zoo in the United States on a mountain. It’s southwest of Colorado Springs, above the Broadmoor resort, which you can see from the zoo.
TripAdvisor ranks Cheyenne Mountain Zoo fifth among zoos in the country and 13th throughout the world. It’s best known for its giraffe herd. The zoo presently has 18 giraffes, and its breeding program is the most successful in the world, with 199 births since 1954.
The giraffes are allowed outside when the temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. For a couple bucks, you can purchase a handful of lettuce to feed the giraffes and get a close encounter with their sweet and curious personalities as well as their 20-inch, dark purple tongues.
To get to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo from Garden of the Gods, take U.S. 24 East, then turn south on 21st Street. Follow signs to the zoo. Info: 719-633-9925; www.cmzoo.org.
CONCLUSION
Consider this four-day itinerary as merely a sampling of amazing sites southern Colorado has to offer. My brother and I are already making plans for next year’s road adventure that includes a visit to the incredible cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park. Stay tuned!
ONLINE: Photo gallery at MyDaytonDailyNews.com
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