"Alma is the highest incorporated town in North America at 10,578 feet. Founded in 1873, the town boasts an estimated population of 275 (2000 census: 179), with an estimated 1,000 residents in nearby subdivisions. Mix with the locals at one of a couple of its restaurants/bars, or the health food store/coffee shop, explore intriguing shops, and mail off the treasures you bought at the post office, and inquire about life above it all at one of the real estate offices." - http://townofalma.com/
While I normally wouldn't put a whole town as a place to visit, the entire town of Alma is probably smaller than most shopping malls, it is a cute little town to stop and stretch, walk around, have a meal or a drink (if you are going to have a drink, keep the altitude in mind, if you aren't used to it you'll get drunk... fast!). There's a bar and a saloon "Alma's Only Bar" and "South Park Saloon"... I guess there really is a difference between a bar and a saloon, who knew?
South Park Saloon - The Highest Saloon in the USA
There's a marijuana dispensary (they kinda take that 'highest town in the country' claim seriously). And there are a few shops, but based on the stops I've made in Alma, finding any of the shops actually open is pretty hit or miss.
Alma is only 17 miles from Breckenridge over Hoosier Pass and 6 miles off of Hwy 285 in Fairplay. Definitely worth visiting, even if just to say that you have been to the highest town in the country.
"The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad was originally constructed in 1880 as part of the Rio Grande’s San Juan Extension, which served the silver mining district of the San Juan mountains in southwestern Colorado. Like all of the Rio Grande at the time, it was built to a gauge of 3 feet between the rails, instead of the more common 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches that became standard in the United States. The inability to interchange cars with other railroads led the Rio Grande to begin converting its tracks to standard gauge in 1890.
However, with the repeal of the Sherman Act in 1893 and its devastating effect on the silver mining industry, traffic over the San Juan Extension failed to warrant conversion to standard gauge. Over the ensuing decades it became an isolated anachronism, receiving its last major upgrades in equipment and infrastructure in the 1920s. A post-World War II natural gas boom brought a brief period of prosperity to the line, but operations dwindled to a trickle in the 1960s. Finally, in 1969 the Interstate Commerce Commission granted the Rio Grande’s request to abandon its remaining narrow gauge main line trackage, thereby ending the last use of steam locomotives in general freight service in the United States.
Most of the abandoned track was dismantled soon after the ICC’s decision, but through the combined efforts of an energetic and resourceful group of railway preservationists and local civic interests, the most scenic portion of the line was saved. In 1970, the states of Colorado and New Mexico jointly purchased the track and line-side structures from Antonito to Chama, nine steam locomotives, over 130 freight and work cars, and the Chama yard and maintenance facility, for $547,120. The C&TS began hauling tourists the next year.
Today the railroad is operated for the states by the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission, an interstate agency authorized by an act of Congress in 1974. Care of the historic assets, and interpretation of the railroad is entrusted to the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, a non-profit, member-based organization whose mission is to preserve and interpret the railroad as a living history museum for the benefit of the public, and for the people of Colorado and New Mexico, who own it." - http://cumbrestoltec.com/
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Depot is located in the small town of Antonito near the New Mexico border. It is also located near Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church (the oldest church in Colorado). The train runs from Antonito, CO to Chama, New Mexico and while I haven't ever taken the train, it is supposed to be incredibly gorgeous.
"America’s most authentic steam-operated railroad, the Cumbres & Toltec, is a proud remnant of the spirit that won the West. In recognition for its place in our national history it was awarded National Historic Landmark Designation in 2013.
Built in 1880, it was part of the San Juan Extension of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, with tracks running from Denver through the ore-rich Rocky Mountains to Silverton, Colorado and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Its path through steep passes and deep gorges is the stuff of adventure novels and was an engineering feat for the time. The decline of silver mining in the 1890s ended the railroad’s vital role.
The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad filed for abandoment in 1969, but the most scenic part of its route, its equipment, and its buildings were saved by the states of Colorado and New Mexico.
Today the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad fulfills another important mission – taking passengers on the ride of a lifetime, connecting Colorado and New Mexico, the Mountains of the San Juans to the Conejos Valley, and allowing us to see where the deer and the antelope play." - http://cumbrestoltec.com/
It's the last day of spring, time for the first day of summer (and road trip season)...
So, from today, just in time for road trip season, until the fourth of July you can enter to win free gas, the winner will receive a $25 Shell Gas Station refillable gift card.
What do you have to do? Simple, go to Colorado Road Trips on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ColoradoRoadTrips), click the 'giveaway tab' and follow the directions to enter the contest.
What is a road trip without some awesome tunes? I have some old stand-by songs that have been on my road trip playlist since I was making road trip mix cd's and there are new songs being added all the time. I won't lie, some of these songs are beyond a cliche and you will find them on every road trip mix, but I'm OK with that because I'm also betting there are some you've never heard of; variety is the spice of life :)
I'm going to link to my top 15 road trip tunes (you can also go to my YouTube 'Ultimate Road Trip Playlist here).
Bob Seger - Turn the Page (the Metallica version isn't bad either)
This is the epitome of road trip songs.
Yonder Mountain String Band - 40 Miles from Denver, maybe
not good for all road trips, but it always seems fitting in CO.
Elton John - Tiny Dancer, and yes I love Almost Famous, and
if you have ever seen it, you know why this song is on the list.
Fountains of Wayne - '92 Subaru, because my 'road-trip-mobile'
is a '90 Subaru (that I love with all my heart)
Rihanna - Shut Up and Drive, yes, this one is one of those
cliche road trip songs, but it is so fitting for a road trip.
Daughtry - Renegade, maybe it's a guilty pleasure, but this song
inspires my 'lead foot' on a road trip (maybe that's not so good)
David Wilcox - Eye of the Hurricane, this song is super nostalgic
for me. It reminds me of being 18-19 and independence, my first
road trips when I had just moved out on my own. I picked this
version with Trace Bundy because I have known Trace, well for
just about forever and because he and Jonah Werner are how I
discovered David Wilcox.
Jason Aldean - Dirt Road Anthem, the country girl in me
is definitely showing...
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Road Trippin', another cliche pick, but
how could you have a road trip playlist without this song?
Jason Mraz - Dream Life of Rand McNally, Ok, I'm sure a lot of
people are too young to remember this, but before the days of
navigation systems and Google maps, even before mapquest,
we had maps, big paper maps and atlases. I know I remember the
days of having the Rand McNally Atlas on every road trip and
I remember spending days and weeks looking at it planning a
vacation, planning every stop, highlighting the map and fighting
about where to go.
Katie Herzig - Sweeter Than This, Ok, maybe this song isn't
the best 'road trip song' for all occasions, but it's a great song
I was born in the 80's, I was a teenager in the 90'sand Top Gun
was just one of those movies that everyone loved! My brother and
I have probably owned about a dozen copies of this soundtrack
over the years. So obviously this is one of those songs that has
always been on my road trip playlists.
Carbon Leaf - Life Less Ordinary, this is one of those songs
that I listen to when I am feeling bored. It is a reminder to go
out and do something out of the ordinary.
Tom Cochrane - Life is a Highway, the road trip song of all time!
Eels - Beautiful Day, this one doesn't need a defense or
explanation... EVERYONE feels this way when they set off
on a new adventure!
So, there you have it, my 'top 15 Ultimate Road Trip Playlist songs' or close to it anyway. There are probably a few I would have added if they were on YouTube. A few of them are:
Smooth Money Gesture - The Road
Kinetix - Wishing Well
Newcomers Home - Drive
Newcomers Home - Life on the Road
Farrell Jackson - Tripping Down a Different Road
If you are on Spotify you can always view and subscribe to my full 'Ultimate Road Trip Playlist' here:
Enjoy and feel free to let me know what your favorite road trip songs are!
This story needs just a little background information...
'The other half' and I couldn't be more different in some areas, one of those areas is technology. He has a 'dumb phone', by choice, has no idea what to do with my smart phone... 'why can't I just make a phone call?!?!?'.
I on the other hand love my smart phone and all my handy little apps. So after watching (AKA putting up with me) get directions to everywhere using my Google Maps navigation app, looking up every restaurant we went to on Yelp, finding a Marijuana Dispensary (which he was actually impressed with, and yes, it's legal in Colorado); I opened my handy Yelp app to find a place for a late breakfast before heading over Guanella Pass. I found a place with great reviews, set my navigation to get me there and well the place was packed. Not wanting to wait we decided to head to downtown Georgetown and see if we could find a place that was less packed.
So without checking Yelp or knowing exactly where I was going, off we went. Just a little ways down the road we noticed The Whistle Stop Cafe and decided to give it a try.
As it turns out, sometimes doing things the 'old fashion' way works out, this place was absolutely delicious! While, yes, the ambiance was somewhat lacking and it may have been the tiniest restaurant I have ever been in (there are 4 tables, a few seats at the counter and one outside table), I also had the best omelet I have ever had.
I had 'The Georgetown Omelet' which was served with home fries and an english muffin and 'the other half' had the special of the day which was steak and eggs, also served with home fries and toast.
Both dishes ended up being absolutely amazing.
No matter how much I love technology, finding this little diamond in the rough served as a reminder that getting lost or wandering aimlessly can sometimes lead you to something unexpectedly fantastic.
Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church is located in the San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado near the New Mexico border. If you are heading from Alamosa towards New Mexico on Hwy 285 you will be able to see the church from the highway, there will also be signs directing you to the church if you want to visit.
If you are interested in Colorado historic locations or architecture, this is a great little, slightly 'off the beaten path' location to visit. I happen to like Colorado history and historic buildings, particularly old churches. When I was in college I did a photography project with photography of historic churches in Denver, so this location was right up my alley.
"This tract was selected by Bishop Machebeuf for the first permanent church in Colorado. Here was built a Jacal (Picket) church, later replaced by a larger church. The first parish of Colorado was erected 100 years ago with Our Lady of Guadalupe as patron by John B. Lamy, first bishop of Sante Fe. Father Montano was the first pastor.
The finished church dedicated by bishop Lamy on December 12th 1863, was under the Jesuit Fathers 1871-1920. Since 1920. Since 1920 it has been under the Theatine Fathers. Fire destroyed the on Ash Wednesday, 1926
John Henry Tihen, third bishop of Denver, dedicated a new church on December 12, 1927.
In 1948 the church was enlarged and embellished with its towers by Rev. Michael Pasual C.R., Pastor. The most Rev. Joseph C. Willging, first Bishop of Pueblo, dedicated and addition to the church on Aug 7th, 1948." - http://www.guadalupecatholicchurchconejoscolorado.org/
Although the Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church, has been renovated over the years and is very well preserved, looking around the area you can see how much of the area is abandoned and falling apart.
Abandoned buildings across from Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church
Abandoned buildings across from Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church
Abandoned buildings near Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church
Garden of the Gods is one of those places in Colorado that I have taken for granted over the years. Growing up I (well at the time my parents) drove through Garden of the Gods more times than I can count. I even attended my first year of college at UCCS, mere miles from the park entrance. Across from the main entrance is a visitor center where there is a cafe, you can watch a historical movie about the are and tours.
Throughout the park there are various parking areas with accessibility to different hiking trails. The park is also popular for biking and rock climbing. The hiking trails are family friendly and some are even handicap accessible. Garden of the Gods is a wonderful place to explore a little while in the area.
Park History By the 1870's, the railroads had forged their way west. In 1871, General William Jackson Palmer founded Colorado Springs while extending the lines of his Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. In 1879, General Palmer repeatedly urged his friend, Charles Elliott Perkins, the head of the Burlington Railroad, to establish a home in the Garden of the Gods and to build his railroad from Chicago to Colorado Springs. Although the Burlington never reached Colorado Springs directly, Perkins did purchase two-hundred and forty acres in the Garden of the Gods for a summer home in 1879. He later added to the property but never built on it, preferring to leave his wonderland in its natural state for the enjoyment of the public. Perkins died in 1907 before he made arrangements for the land to become a public park, although it had been open to the public for years. In 1909, Perkins' children, knowing their father's feeling for the Garden of the Gods, conveyed his four-hundred eighty acres to the City of Colorado Springs. It would be known forever as the Garden of the Gods "where it shall remain free to the public, where no intoxicating liquors shall be manufactured, sold, or dispensed, where no building or structure shall be erected except those necessary to properly care for, protect, and maintain the area as a public park." How we got our name It was August of 1859 when two surveyors started out from Denver City to begin a townsite, soon to be called Colorado City. While exploring nearby locations, they came upon a beautiful area of sandstone formations. M. S. Beach, who related this incident, suggested that it would be a "capital place for a beer garden" when the country grew up. His companion, Rufus Cable, a "young and poetic man", exclaimed, "Beer Garden! Why it is a fit place for the Gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods." It has been so called ever since.
Garden of the Gods is one of those places that reminds me to 'stop and smell the roses'. I have always appreciated the beauty of Colorado, but this reminds me how amazing things in this state are, even the places I've seen and taken for granted over the years.
Monarch Pass is one of my favorite passes in Colorado. Monarch Pass is a stretch of Highway 50 going from just outside of Poncha Springs towards Gunnison and of course is home to Monarch Ski Area. Monarch Pass is known for being one of the most scenic passes in Colorado, although I'm not sure how you decide that in a state where every pass is scenic and gorgeous in its own way.
At the summit of Monarch Pass there is a visitor center with a gift shop and you can even take a gondola ride with views over 100 miles. The summit is also located along the continental divide.
Abandoned Madonna Mine near by Monarch Pass
Abandoned Madonna Mine near by Monarch Pass
Abandoned Madonna Mine near by Monarch Pass
One of my favorite sites from Monarch Pass is the abandoned Madonna Mine, Colorado is full of abandoned mines and Ghost towns, which always intrigue me. I just love the idea of the little glimpse of history that you get, it's like a little glimpse into the past.
No matter where you stop and look along Monarch Pass, you are sure to be greeted by spectacular views. But like most passes in the Colorado high country, be prepared for anything, even a snow storm in the middle of the summer.
Snow on Monarch Pass in the Summer
Never knowing the kind of weather that you are going to encounter in Colorado is just part of the adventure.
For "the other half's" birthday we stayed the night at Indian Hot Springs in Idaho Springs. Idaho Springs is an old mining town just off of I-70 about 30 miles west of Denver and Indian Hot Springs is a historic landmark just outside of town.
The main building was built in 1905 and they have since added 2 other buildings, cabins and some camp sites. If you are looking for a 5 star resort and all the modern conveniences, this probably isn't the place for you, but if you're looking for a place to relax and are ok with basic amenities, this is the place to go.
For a Hot Springs Resort, this place is probably close to 1/2 the cost of any other hot springs you will find. Even for an almost top of the line room here (hey, we have a budget) the room I got was significantly less than every other hot springs resort I looked at.
Although I thoroughly read about the rooms I read several reviews on different websites that show that that isn't necessarily the case for everyone. So, I will mention that if you are booking a room, the rooms in the main building only have 1/2 baths (although there are showers in the pool area, which is attached to the main building), the Lodge building only has 3/4 baths (no tubs) and the Inn building has full baths.
Of course, the best part of staying at any hot springs is, well, the hot springs. The main pool is in a covered atrium area attached to the main building, the pool is surrounded by palm trees and other tropical plants, the pool is a comfortable temperature. They do also have private indoor and outdoor hot tubs which were booked while we were there (reservations are recommended). There are also geothermal cave baths (16+) which are bathing suit optional and have separate caves for males and females. They also have a mud bath and spa services. While use of the main pool is included in the cost of the room, everything else is an additional cost, which is to be expected.
'The Inn' at Indian Hot Springs, my 'other half' and 'Bumble Bee'
my ever-faithful little yellow Subaru/road-trip-mobile
All room reservations also include a 'VIP Card' with which you can receive discounts on area activities as well as several local restaurants, which we took advantage of with a late dinner outing at *Azteca Mexican Restaurant.
*I probably won't write a lot about restaurants I visit, you can always read my yelp reviews at http://coroadtrips.yelp.com, or view exerpts of my reviews on the right side of this page.
Living in Colorado my entire life, I had never driven over Guanella Pass. Guanella Pass goes between Highway 285 at Grant and I-70 at Georgetown. I have spent plenty of time in Georgetown and have driven past the turn off for Guanella Pass in Grant more times than I can count. I have always said that someday I would check it out, and after years of saying that, I finally took the scenic detour that is Guanella Pass.
After spending the night at Indian Hot Springs in Idaho Springs 'the other half' and I spent some time in Georgetown before heading over the pass. Although the pass is only about 24 miles, it takes probably about an hour, if you don't stop.
One of the many gorgeous views on
Guanella Pass
But, with all of the gorgeous views you're bound to want to stop at least a couple of times. There are several lakes, ponds, streams and waterfalls along the way. There are also aspen trees most of the way making it a great trip in the fall when the leaves are changing, I'm already planning another trip that way in the fall.
Guanella Pass Summit
At the summit there is a parking area, hiking trails ans an amazing view of Sawtooth Ridge, and while climbing is not really my area of expertise, if you are interested this article from 14ers.com is a good resource for climbing in this area.
An unpaved section of Guanella Pass (through my very cracked windshield)
On the Grant/Highway 285 side of the pass a good portion of the pass isn't paved and the part that was paved wasn't very well maintained.
To get to Guanella Pass from Georgetown take Rose St. (which is the main street through town) and at the south end of town Rose St ends and there is a sign for Guanella Pass Rd.
From Grant there are clearly marked signs along Highway 285.
Visiting one of Colorado's many hot springs is always a go-to get away or day trip. Swimming or just relaxing in a pool or hot tub is one of my favorite ways to relax any time of year. Anyone who is familiar with hot springs knows that some are more family friendly than others, so I thought that the first one I posted about would be one that is definitely family friendly.
This is a great place to stop if you are visiting the Salida area or even just passing through. I usually prefer a more relaxing soaking pool, but this pool is great for families. They have 2 pools; a larger one with lap lanes and a diving board, there is also a smaller/warmer pool. They also have private 18+ pools (I think they are small hot tub size), but we didn't get a chance to try those.
There is also an outdoor section with lawn chairs and a play area. After swimming and splashing around with my 'other half' and 'the kiddo' I spent most of the afternoon lounging on one of the lawn chairs working on my tan.
So, if you ever find yourself in Salida looking for something to do, this is a great place to check out, and if you happen to be skiing at Monarch Ski Area in the winter, they even offer discounts if you bring in your ski pass, and not being much of a fan of the cold, there really isn't much better than soaking in some hot water after a day in the cold!
