Things to do / Travel Guide
Skiing and snowboarding shouldn't be the only activities that will vie for your precious time in Colorado Rockies. And if you are not a skier and don't plan on becoming one, you will be happy to know that the Colorado Rockies region has a wide array of additional activities available for you. Whether you dig dinosaurs, appreciate art, relish riding the railroad, or savor a scenic snowy horse-drawn sleigh ride or snowshoe excursion, or all of the above, Colorado Rockies' unique roster of activities await (and expect) your approval.
Sleigh Rides in the Colorado Rockies
Draft horses dash through the snow pulling you behind in a blanket-cozy, hand-crafted sleigh. Scenic sleigh rides are a highlight activity in the Colorado Rockies. You can take the rides to dinner, have a box lunch or a snack on the way, or simply enjoy the scenic snow sojourn. The Northwest Colorado towns of Breckenridge, Aspen, Vail, and Steamboat Springs, and the Southwest Colorado town of Crested Butte all offer this unique activity, with rides usually taking about 40 minutes.
Snowshoeing in the Colorado Rockies
A great option for folks who want to get out in the snow without placing their destinies in the clutches of gravity, snowshoeing is a gentle and enjoyable winter activity that lets you traverse the snow the old fashioned way, on foot. Great for wildlife observation and forays into some of the backwoods, the Northwest Colorado ski resort areas of Aspen, Breckenridge, Vail, and Steamboat Springs, and the Southwest Colorado ski towns of Crested Butte and Telluride offer snowshoe rentals, trails, classes, and guided excursions.
Dinosaur Digs and Discovery in the Colorado Rockies
Make no bones about it, dinosaurs once loved the Colorado Rockies as much as today's tourists do - many of these creatures with reputations (and remains) of mammoth proportions have been found and continue to be found in the region. From June-August, the Dinosaur Journey Museum in Northwest Colorado's Grand Junction offers dinosaur digs and dinosaur quarry expeditions two days a week - you can tour the sites with a professional paleontologist and actually help in the discovery of dinosaur bones and fossils. Dinosaur Hill and Riggs Hill are one-mile trail sites of historic dinosaur expeditions. You can tour these quarries with a guide from the Museum of Western Colorado also in Grand Junction. For a self-guided dinosaur discovery trail, try Rabbit Valley Research Area and Trail through Time, also overseen by the Museum of Western Colorado. On these trails you can expect to see real dinosaur bones, fossils, and other important geological sites. The area around the Southwest Colorado town of Delta is also the site of many important paleontological discoveries; at the Dry Mesa Quarry you can take a look at a working dig in process. Be prepared to hike about a half-mile from the parking lot, and bring water with you, as none is available at the site.
Art Appreciation in the Colorado Rockies
Whether you are an artist in fact or at heart, or would like to look at local creative endeavors, the Colorado Rockies region has a wide range of art-appreciating activities. In Grand Junction, the largest town in Northwest Colorado, walk up and down Main Street to see more than 100 public sculptures by local and national artists at Art on the Corner. The 20-year-old outdoor art project and exhibit was the first in Colorado and the largest in the West. The visitors' center on Horizon Drive can give you a brochure for a self-guided tour. Also in Grand Junction, the Western Colorado Center for the Arts has a wide range of exhibits by local and regional artists, including a permanent collection of Navajo weavings.
Northwest Colorado's Aspen is always a great choice for an artsy afternoon; the Anderson Ranch Arts Center on Owl Creek Road offers a very high-caliber range of regional and national talent from photographers, painters, sculptors, and artists who work in other media. Snowmass Village and Aspen also have a range of down-to-earth and extremely upscale galleries displaying (and selling) everything from prehistoric art to works by none other than Picasso, Matisse, Miro, and Renoir. In the Southwest Colorado community of Delta, also called “The City of Murals,” walk around downtown to see seven colorful murals, renditions of local history, recreation, and economy.
Riding the Railroads in the Colorado Rockies
To chug along breathtaking scenery without being tied to the wheel, several historic Colorado Rockies railroads offer wonderful half-day excursions and incredible vistas. The Leadville, Colorado, and Southern Railroad Company in the South-Central Colorado town of Leadville is the highest narrow-gauge railroad in the U.S. and traces a winding 11,120-foot summit on a switchback track. Tickets cost about $25. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs a 45-mile track between the Southwest Colorado towns of Durango and Silverton, through the pleasant green Animas River Valley and spectacular San Juan National Forest. The round trip tour (with an overnight in Silverton or Durango) takes six hours and costs $50 per person. The trains leave Leadville, Silverton, and Durango several times daily and are usually open from Memorial Day-Labor Day, as well as on fall weekends, weather permitting. It is best to reserve tickets in advance.
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