COLORADO

from Denver-Morrison-Estes Park

.



	state capitol		Denver Center for the Performing Arts

	Denver is a fun and interesting city to sightsee in. It's well known for its array of civic parks and buildings, as well as a revitalized Lower Downtown, known as LoDo. A signifigant investment from the city and state towards it's preservation was made, transforming many brick structures formerly used for storage and warehousing, into restaraunts, pubs, shops, clubs and offices. Larimer Square is one of many stops in the LoDo area worth stopping by. At one end of LoDo is Coors Field, home to the Colorado Rockies. Right across the street is the tactfully sited Colorado Housing Finance Agency (CHFA). Biking trails along the river on the other side of LoDo will connect you to Washington Park.



	looking down to the stage		looking up at the seating

	About 10 miles west of Denver is Morrison, home of Red Rocks Park. Further north is Lookout Mountain, which has spectacular views of Denver, as well as the grave site of William "Wild Bill" Cody. And of course, Golden is known for it's famous beer, which everyone thinks has to be Coors, but in fact it is Golden City. This micro-brewery is located in a residential area, and blends in so well, it's easy to miss. Golden City is worth writing home about. It's walking distance from the center of Golden and they usually have five or six varieties available.



	Estes Park entrance		road into town

	Estes Park is the base camp for those headed for Rocky Mountain National Park. Elk are protected throughout and are often seen jaywalking around town. They've even been known to invade the golf course in town. There is an interesting rock formation in the nearby mountains known as the Twin Owls. A motel in town which faces the formation is named after the Owls.



to Rocky Mountain National Park - Mesa Verde NP - Pagosa Springs



	park entrance		elk are protected throughout

	Rocky Mountain National Park has over 78 named mountain ranges that are over 12,000 feet. The Alpine Ridge Visitor's Center is on one of those ranges and the view is phenomenal. The views of the lakes, valleys, plains, and wildlife are spectacular. If you enter the park through the Beaver Meadows entrance on the east side, you can see Moraine Park and Bear Lake. About a mile up from Bear Lake is Dream Lake.



	Trail Ridge Road		view from the road

	Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved road in the U.S., reaching a high of 12,813 feet near the Rock Cut Trail. This trail is a short walk from the road, and at this altitude is a tundra which is a very delicate ecosystem. Not far down the road is the Alpine Visitor's Center. The weather can change in an instant at this altitude, so keep a close watch out when hiking.



	Mesa Verde		Pagosa Springs

	Just east of Cortez, Colorado is Mesa Verde ("green table") National Park, which is home to structures called cliff dwellings that were occupied by the Anasazi Indians during the 600 A.D. - 1300 A.D. period. At 52,000 acres, this park is worth a full day or more. Two well know sites which show how the Anasazi Indians lived are called Balcony House and Cliff Palace. East of Cortez is Pagosa Springs, which in the downtown section has several (17 to be exact) outdoor pools at various temperatures that are open to the public.

	LINKS: Colorado: Places To Go www.denver.org www.go-arizona.com www.go-utah.com/utah-destinations www.americansouthwest.net/utah/zion/national_park.html Village of Estes Park Mesa Verde National Park Pagosa Springs