29/50: Colorado

After an unexpected extended stay in STATE 28: UTAH and its “Mighty 5” national parks, we made our way to STATE 29: COLORADO, where we had some special guests waiting for us. Kendra invited her parents to visit us from Michigan while on the road for the 50 States: Veterans + Artists United tour for [HAS HEART]. We hoped our timing would align with the Aspens changing color in the Rocky Mountains. All of our fingers were crossed.

We arrived at dusk at their rented tiny house at Basecamp 550, formerly the Weber RV Park. Although it was also an RV park, we didn’t require any hook-ups, so the campground allowed us to park tightly against one of their cabins.

We lucked out with beautiful fall weather the following day and enjoyed a brisk breakfast on the deck with stunning mountain views to jumpstart our Rocky Mountain adventures.

The first of our Colorado adventures was a scenic drive on the Million Dollar Highway, known as one of the most beautiful roads in the country. The meaning of its nickname is disputed between whether it costs $1 million per mile to build or that the fill dirt underneath the road is full of millions of dollars worth of gold ore. Either way, the route offers million-dollar views every inch of the way.

This part of Colorado and the city of Ouray is known as the “Switzerland of America” because of its peaks, valleys, and little towns tucked throughout. One day, I’d love to experience it in mid-winter, but right then, the sun and warmth were very much welcomed.

We were excited to see pops of yellow Aspens leaves everywhere along the mountainsides and streams. We learned that Aspen trees are connected through their root systems, and once they begin to turn colors, they do so quickly and in unison. We also learned that although the trees may live for 40-150 years above ground, their root systems are likely thousands of years old, earning them the classification as “ancient woodlands” in some areas.

We were surprised to see the river match the Aspens. In 2015, the Animas River was contaminated by a wastewater spill from the Gold King Mine, which has been shut down since the 1920s. The yellow river water is likely due to the oxidation of dissolved iron embedded throughout the riverbed. So we made sure not to drink it, touch it, or maybe even stare at it too long.

At the end of the Million Dollar Highway was the historic town of Silverton, boasting dozens of local shops and artisan makers, including banjos. Some old buildings were fully renovated, others in desperate need of repair, and some that you weren’t sure if they were real or props. Parts of the town seemed like they should be in the HBO series Westworld, with the exception of the trucks or motorcycles parked in front.

We got back on the winding mountain roads, full of hairpin turns and cross-backs along the mountainsides, and couldn’t help pulling over a few times to admire the views. We came across the abandoned mines of the Idarado Mining Operation, which is part of the several miles of underground mines throughout the San Juan Mountains that stretch from Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, and beyond.

If we were to drive in the mines, it would have been only a five-mile journey straight west through the mountains. Instead, we had to take the highway around the mountains, which was close to a 60-mile journey. Still, Telluride was well worth it.

A skier’s paradise, Telluride offers visitors a free gondola ride up to Station Saint Sophia, a whopping 10,000+ feet above sea level. Up there, you’ll find Allred’s Restaurant and the Telluride Bike Park, which we’d like to mark for our next visit. This time around, we took in the priceless views.

Southwest of the Rocky Mountains is an entirely different Colorado landscape and experience. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite make it to the Four Corners, where you can stand in four states: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. However, we made it to Mesa Verde National Park, established in 1906, to preserve and interpret the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people, who made it their home for over 700 years, from 600 to 1300.

Within Mesa Verde National Park, there are over 4000 archaeological sites and over 600 cliff dwellings of the Puebloan people. It is believed that the people of Mesa Verde were farmers who grew beans, corn, and squash. They supplemented their diet by gathering other edible plants and hunting deer, squirrels, rabbits, and other animals. It’s believed they left the area around 1300, but no one knows why, although many speculate it was due to crop failures.

We could hardly imagine living life literally on the edge - so ingenious.

We inched closer to central Colorado with a night’s stay in Carbondale. After a quick visit to Aspen, we returned to our Airstream for dinner outside and s’mores over the campfire.

Our last group outing was a day’s visit to one of the largest jewels on Colorado’s crown: Rocky Mountain National Park. Our national park greeter was a screaming male elk in the heat of the mating season. If you’ve never heard an elk mating call, you should watch this video.

We walked up a steep set of stairs with wobbly l
egs with clear as blue views 12,000+ feet above the ocean. The air up there is no joke, but neither are the views. I’d love to experience the Rocky Mountains in the Winter, ideally from a warm rustic cabin heavily stocked with fresh food, books, a creative itch, some friends, wine, and board games. Maybe a puzzle, too.

We entered the park being greeted by elk in the morning, so it was only fitting that we drove out of the park ignored by a small herd of elk at sunset to end our beautiful day in the Rockies.

Soon after that, Kendra’s parents flew back to Michigan, and we continued to Denver for our STATE 29: CO project held at the very first Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1. Typically, we don’t do cities very well, but Denver’s River North (RiNo) district was right up our alley with street art walls that might rival Miami’s Wynwood Walls (STATE 15: FLORIDA).

To top it off, our favorite guilty pleasure was Shake Shack. It wasn’t quite the original shack we visited in New York (STATE 08: NEW YORK), but the Shack and Mushroom burgers tasted just as good.

We enjoyed our time in Colorado, met and worked with some incredible people, and can’t wait to get back someday soon.