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OT: Colorado Rocky Mountain Road Trip

Wandering Spectator

Wandering Spectator

Well-Known Member
Dec 17, 2017
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Chandler, AZ
www.wanderingspectator.com
This board has all the answers so here's another question...
We're thinking of getting out of the AZ heat and taking a road trip through the Rockies.
Planning on leaving Phoenix with Santa Fe the first stop, then heading north into Colorado.
From there, we're wide open. Denver or Boulder, before heading into the Rockies and returning through either Moab or Durango.
Most looking for scenic routes with great towns at night.
Maybe some hiking in the parks.
We're not interested in going further north or west on this trip.
What are your suggestions? Places to see, eat, stay, drink? No oyster suggestions please :cool:
 
1c2a037e0187493003f31a8a7842b4d8.jpg
 
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Rockies are what they are, easy to find where to go. Hit Grand Junction/Colorado National Monument on the way to Moab. Its worth the 2hrs to backtrack from Moab to take hwy 50 down to Durango. Red mountain pass is worth the extra time, take your blood pressure medicine before you go. Silverton is on one side and Durango is on the other.
 
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Wandering Spectator said:
This board has all the answers so here's another question...
We're thinking of getting out of the AZ heat and taking a road trip through the Rockies.
Planning on leaving Phoenix with Santa Fe the first stop, then heading north into Colorado.
From there, we're wide open. Denver or Boulder, before heading into the Rockies and returning through either Moab or Durango.
Most looking for scenic routes with great towns at night.
Maybe some hiking in the parks.
We're not interested in going further north or west on this trip.
What are your suggestions? Places to see, eat, stay, drink? No oyster suggestions please :cool:
Click to expand...
Do the Silverton train ride in Durango...awesome
 
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IMO lots to do quickly around Colorado Springs - have done two Boy Scout high adventure trips out that way.

Start the day going up Pike’s Peak, enjoy the doughnuts and lightheadedness at the top for a bit. Come back down, hit Garden of the Gods then go down to Mantiou for lunch. Enjoy some of the springs then climb the Manitou Incline - if you haven’t adapted to the altitude it will kick your ass hard, if you have adapted it will just kick your ass. :)
 
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Wandering Spectator said:
This board has all the answers so here's another question...
We're thinking of getting out of the AZ heat and taking a road trip through the Rockies.
Planning on leaving Phoenix with Santa Fe the first stop, then heading north into Colorado.
From there, we're wide open. Denver or Boulder, before heading into the Rockies and returning through either Moab or Durango.
Most looking for scenic routes with great towns at night.
Maybe some hiking in the parks.
We're not interested in going further north or west on this trip.
What are your suggestions? Places to see, eat, stay, drink? No oyster suggestions please :cool:
Click to expand...
Colorado Springs. - Air Force Academy, Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods Park, The 5 star Broadmoor for lodging.

Drive up Mt Evans. Highest paved road in the US at 14,200 feet. 60 mile drive from Denver. Around 35miles as the crow flies. You wont be disappointed in the drive up to the summit and you may feel a buzz at the top from a mild case of hypoxia. Phenomenal scenery and you're likely to see a number of Big Horn Sheep or mountain goats along the road above the tree line. Reservations needed so book ahead of arrival. https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10087438?tab=tours\\

Golden CO. Coors brewery tour.

Breckenridge CO. Old mining town with phenomenal scenery. Alpine slide and zip lines this time of year.

Vail Valley. Not a big fan.

Moab - a must see. Google is you're friend
 
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Wandering Spectator said:
This board has all the answers so here's another question...
We're thinking of getting out of the AZ heat and taking a road trip through the Rockies.
Planning on leaving Phoenix with Santa Fe the first stop, then heading north into Colorado.
From there, we're wide open. Denver or Boulder, before heading into the Rockies and returning through either Moab or Durango.
Most looking for scenic routes with great towns at night.
Maybe some hiking in the parks.
We're not interested in going further north or west on this trip.
What are your suggestions? Places to see, eat, stay, drink? No oyster suggestions please :cool:
Click to expand...
Thats a lot of possibilities...
First off I would take the "turquoise trail" from Albuqurque to Santa Fe. Stop in Madrid for a look see.
Try the Mine Shaft for one of the best Green Chile Cheeseburgers I've ever had. Their Jalapeno Margarita is
pretty awesome as well.
https://www.turquoisetrail.org/
I would suggest a side trip to either Bandelier or Tent Rocks.
Abiquiu is gorgeous and if your a fan of Georgia O'Keefe a stop at Ghost Ranch is a must.
Further north Durango is a very nice town and has the train from Durango to Silverton.
Red Rocks State Park outside of Denver has some great hiking trails.
https://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/Roxborough
If your doing Moab (its going to be crowded unless the heat is turning people away, that goes for all the National Parks).
Moab is mt. bike central and has some great bike trails and tubing.
A little further north is Dead Horse Point.
Also if your doing that route you will be going though Grand Junction. Its a very nice town and the Colorado
National Monument, with a lot of trail options is only minutes away.
 
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Mile High Lion said:
Drive from Durango to Silverton. Then from Silverton take the road over Ophir Pass to the little town of Ophir. From there it is a short drive to the beautiful town of Telluride.
www.outtherecolorado.com

Narrow mountain pass closed after delivery truck gets stuck in Colorado | OutThere Colorado

According to the San Miguel County Sheriff, the notably scenic Ophir Pass has been closed due to a delivery truck getting stuck on the narrow, rocky route.
www.outtherecolorado.com www.outtherecolorado.com
Click to expand...
Excellent suggestion and I would add Bandelier is great and of course Mesa Verde is awesome.
 
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Wandering Spectator said:
This board has all the answers so here's another question...
We're thinking of getting out of the AZ heat and taking a road trip through the Rockies.
Planning on leaving Phoenix with Santa Fe the first stop, then heading north into Colorado.
From there, we're wide open. Denver or Boulder, before heading into the Rockies and returning through either Moab or Durango.
Most looking for scenic routes with great towns at night.
Maybe some hiking in the parks.
We're not interested in going further north or west on this trip.
What are your suggestions? Places to see, eat, stay, drink? No oyster suggestions please :cool:
Click to expand...
If you're coming from Santa Fe north on 25 take a 20mi side trip to Canon City and the Royal Gorge. Train trip up the gorge and if go up to the park you can drive across the bridge up until the park opens. I drove over the bridge parked then walked across the bridge and back then drove back across the bridge. If i remember correctly the park opens at 10 :00 AM. You can zip line across the gorge, pretty good ride.
 
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Wandering Spectator said:
This board has all the answers so here's another question...
We're thinking of getting out of the AZ heat and taking a road trip through the Rockies.
Planning on leaving Phoenix with Santa Fe the first stop, then heading north into Colorado.
From there, we're wide open. Denver or Boulder, before heading into the Rockies and returning through either Moab or Durango.
Most looking for scenic routes with great towns at night.
Maybe some hiking in the parks.
We're not interested in going further north or west on this trip.
What are your suggestions? Places to see, eat, stay, drink? No oyster suggestions please :cool:
Click to expand...
https://royalgorgebridge.com/
 
If you want a high bridge and don't want to splurge on Royal Gorge, the Rio Grande bridge west of Taos is a good substitute. Not as high, but you can walk across (and dangle your foot off, etc...). I was there in April and there was a bonus herd of bighorns hanging out in the canyon below even.
 
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Wandering Spectator said:
This board has all the answers so here's another question...
We're thinking of getting out of the AZ heat and taking a road trip through the Rockies.
Planning on leaving Phoenix with Santa Fe the first stop, then heading north into Colorado.
From there, we're wide open. Denver or Boulder, before heading into the Rockies and returning through either Moab or Durango.
Most looking for scenic routes with great towns at night.
Maybe some hiking in the parks.
We're not interested in going further north or west on this trip.
What are your suggestions? Places to see, eat, stay, drink? No oyster suggestions please :cool:
Click to expand...
We really enjoyed our time doing the ziplines at the Broadmoor. Some of, if not the best you will ever find.

Destination Resort in Colorado Springs | The Broadmoor

The Broadmoor is a legendary destination resort in Colorado with picturesque mountain views, luxurious accommodations, and unmatched services & amenities.
www.broadmoor.com www.broadmoor.com
 
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Moved to the Springs 42 years ago. I think the northern 10 miles of NM and southern 10 miles of CO are as good as it gets. That said the Ouray suggestion is spot on as would be the Granby Area. Headed there myself in a couple of weeks. Finally a drive over Independence Pass is always worth it but this time of year count on getting behind an RV. It’s a must to get out at the summit and walk around.
 
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Here's the loop we took in 2015.

goo.gl

Denver International Airport to 22251 E 88th Ave

goo.gl goo.gl

This was our loop in 2008.

goo.gl

Denver International Airport to Denver International Airport

goo.gl goo.gl

We love Colorado, so much to see and do. Some highlights from 2015:

Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction. A smaller version of Arches NP, definitely worth seeing.

photos.app.goo.gl

Colorado National Monument

20 new items added to shared album
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

Unaweep Tabeguache Scenic Byway. Great drive from Grand Junction to Telluride. The highway is all paved, although some of these pics were off the main road.

photos.app.goo.gl

Unaweep Tabeguache Scenic Byway

20 new items added to shared album
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

Imogene Pass Jeep Tour, Telluride. This was awesome!

photos.app.goo.gl

Imogene Pass Jeep Tour

36 new items · Album by 4Relayer
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

Mesa Verde National Park

photos.app.goo.gl

Mesa Verde National Park

36 new items · Album by 4Relayer
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

Ouray, cool town. We hiked the perimeter trail around the town.

photos.app.goo.gl

Ouray, CO

38 new items added to shared album
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Very underrated park, so glad we went! One of those places where pictures don't do it justice.

photos.app.goo.gl

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison NP

51 new items · Album by 4Relayer
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

Great Sand Dunes National Park, another winner!

photos.app.goo.gl

Great Sand Dunes NP

38 new items · Album by 4Relayer
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

From our 2008 trip. Garden Of The Gods, The Broadmoor, and Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. Did stop by Royal Gorge, but did not stay long. We took the less traveled route from Salida to Crested Butte over Cottonwood Pass. Crested Butte is a neat spot. Saw the Maroon Bells near Aspen, then over Independence Pass on the way to Breckenridge. After Rocky Mountain NP, we did the drive up to Mount Evans before returning to Denver.

photos.app.goo.gl

Colorado, 2008

106 new items added to shared album
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

photos.app.goo.gl

Rocky Mountain National Park, 2008

56 new items added to shared album
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl
 
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Relayer said:
Here's the loop we took in 2015.

goo.gl

Denver International Airport to 22251 E 88th Ave

goo.gl goo.gl

This was our loop in 2008.

goo.gl

Denver International Airport to Denver International Airport

goo.gl goo.gl

We love Colorado, so much to see and do. Some highlights from 2015:

Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction. A smaller version of Arches NP, definitely worth seeing.

photos.app.goo.gl

Colorado National Monument

20 new items added to shared album
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

Unaweep Tabeguache Scenic Byway. Great drive from Grand Junction to Telluride. The highway is all paved, although some of these pics were off the main road.

photos.app.goo.gl

Unaweep Tabeguache Scenic Byway

20 new items added to shared album
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

Imogene Pass Jeep Tour, Telluride. This was awesome!

photos.app.goo.gl

Imogene Pass Jeep Tour

36 new items · Album by 4Relayer
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

Mesa Verde National Park

photos.app.goo.gl

Mesa Verde National Park

36 new items · Album by 4Relayer
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

Ouray, cool town. We hiked the perimeter trail around the town.

photos.app.goo.gl

Ouray, CO

38 new items added to shared album
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Very underrated park, so glad we went! One of those places where pictures don't do it justice.

photos.app.goo.gl

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison NP

51 new items · Album by 4Relayer
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

Great Sand Dunes National Park, another winner!

photos.app.goo.gl

Great Sand Dunes NP

38 new items · Album by 4Relayer
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

From our 2008 trip. Garden Of The Gods, The Broadmoor, and Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. Did stop by Royal Gorge, but did not stay long. We took the less traveled route from Salida to Crested Butte over Cottonwood Pass. Crested Butte is a neat spot. Saw the Maroon Bells near Aspen, then over Independence Pass on the way to Breckenridge. After Rocky Mountain NP, we did the drive up to Mount Evans before returning to Denver.

photos.app.goo.gl

Colorado, 2008

106 new items added to shared album
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl

photos.app.goo.gl

Rocky Mountain National Park, 2008

56 new items added to shared album
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl
Click to expand...
really wanted to see your pics but they are not loading for me. 🤷‍♂️
 
I understand that coming from Arizona, you'd be partial to the SW part of the state and it is spectacular. In July, we are flying from Pa. to Denver and doing a NW loop, Aspen, Meeker, the flattops, then the low country of Craig/Maybell, then on to RMNP.
 
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interrobang said:
If the bridge itself was free, then yes, definitely worth it.
Click to expand...
The bridge wasn't free but you could do the bridge separate from admission to the park if you did it before the park opened. Once the park opened you had no choice but to pay the full admission charge.
 
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