Cross the peaks of the Rocky Mountains and see the many lakes, creeks and mountain ranges – there are 8 ranges in total. Climb Coney Summit, it’s 13,334 feet above sea level. Take a load off your feet and take a horseback ride, or grab a mountain bike. Explore the old mining towns and ancient Indian trails, and you can even treat yourself to a night or two at a ski resort while you’re there.
Visit any of the 5 visitors centers in the park; one is registered on the National Registry of Historic Places and was designed by the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. There is a variety of landscapes to explore, from mountains to mountain tundra, and a wide array of wildlife. Whether you come for a day and do a short hike, or stay and camp out to go on longer treks, the scenery will impress you. Don’t miss the Arapaho National Forest or Indian Peaks Wilderness.
In addition to beer and art, Colorado loves a jammin’ music festival. Jazz, blues, rock, punk, rap, country, bluegrass, the list goes on and on. There’s not a genre of music you can’t find here on a regular basis. Toast the summer solstice at SonicBoom in Rye, Colorado’s largest electronic festival. Then in August head up funky Nederland for NedFest.
Visitors can stroke sea stars and horseshoe crabs in the sea life touch zone, hold Rosie the tarantula, stroll on the outdoor nature trail, and watch bees while learning how vital they are to the future of the planet. The Butterfly Pavilion and Insect Center have educational programs for all ages, from young children to seniors, and a gift shop filled with interesting items.
Opera Colorado is Denver's premiere world-class opera company, presenting fine opera performances each season since 1981 at the city's Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The company mounts two full-scale opera performances each season in November and May, focusing on classics such as Verdi's La Traviata and Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. An annual winter chamber performance is also presented, highlighting a new or contemporary opera work in a more intimate theater setting. Other performances throughout the year include recitals, panel discussions, and artist meet-and-greet events. Educational programming at the company reaches more than 45,000 participants each year, including in-school outreach programming. Opera guests can enjoy on-site dining at Kevin Taylor's at the Opera House, with bar drinks and snacks offered within the theater's lobby spaces before shows and during intermissions.
The forty-five mile trip takes four and a half hours to ride, as it is still coal-fired, and winds along narrow mountain paths and in and out of canyons. Historic narration is available on the trains for interested tourists. Both the Silverton and Durango ends of the line have railroad museums; the Durango Museum contains artifacts pertaining to the history of railroading, and the Silverton Museum displays a Baldwin Locomotive from 1902 in the original 1882 Depot.
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