Gold Digger: Inside The Phoenix Gold Mine

Gold Digger: Inside The Phoenix Gold Mine 1

Deep beneath the earth, in the dim, cool tunnels of The Phoenix Gold Mine, you can still see veins of gold-streaked ore, bright metallic flecks that speckle the rock. One of the veins shimmers bright blue and green — the colors come from oxidized copper — and the bold streak across the walls of the … Read more

Grape Delight: Colorado’s West Elks Wine Country

west elk wineries

WEST ELKS WINE TRAIL Hot summer nights and cool mountain air. The two are a perfect combination when it comes to growing grapes – especially when those grapes are grown in Delta County. Tucked away on the western slope 70 miles south of Glenwood Springs and 75 miles east of the vineyards of Palisade, this … Read more

Bishop Castle: One Man’s Dream A Reality

bishop castle rye colorado

Jim Bishop is truly a man after my own inner child. For the past 40 years, Bishop has been building a castle in the mountains outside Rye southwest of Pueblo. He’s not having a castle built for him on his property nor does his house merely look like a castle. Bishop goes to work every … Read more

Breck’s Wildlife Preserve: Cool As a Cucumber

Cucumber Gulch Wildlife Preserve You’d be forgiven for assuming that between the cozy mountain town and the snow-packed slopes, there isn’t much else in Breck. But you’d be wrong. Between the town and the mountains — more precisely, between the Gold Rush Parking Lot and Peak 8 — is one of the country’s most matchless … Read more

Chimney Rock: National Historic Site

chimney rock

Look south as you drive across U.S. 160 in southern Colorado, between Pagosa Springs and Durango. What appears to be a spire of rock rises from the landscape like a sword thrust through the earth’s crust. You might glimpse a sign that informs you that the turnoff for Chimney Rock is near. Take it. The … Read more

Colorado Springs Castle: Glen Eyrie, A Place of Solitude

Colorado Springs Castle: Glen Eyrie, A Place of Solitude 2

The stone Colorado Springs castle stands tall on a gentle hill, framed by century-old trees and a sandstone canyon wall as its backdrop. The Glen Eyrie castle, and the story of the man who built it, quickly capture the imaginations of visitors. Colorado Springs Castle: Glen Eyrie Glen Eyrie was the personal retreat of Civil … Read more

Scenic Byway: Gold Belt Tour

Scenic Byway: Gold Belt Tour 3

Cars creep along a ledge chiseled from a steep cliff. A creek tumbles through a granite gorge 200 feet below. While drivers rivet their eyes on the narrow road, passengers crane their necks to marvel at the view. For many travelers, this white-knuckle, eye-popping drive on The Shelf is the highlight of the Gold Belt … Read more

Thanksgiving At The North Pole

Thanksgiving At The North Pole 4

Whether you are in town on business, visiting family, or just taking a trip for the long holiday weekend, you don’t have to miss out on Thanksgiving just because you’re not at home! There are a few places in Colorado where you can keep to tradition and celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday without having to do … Read more

Manitou Springs, Colorado

Manitou Springs, Colorado 5

Visitors to Manitou Springs once immersed themselves in the ‘60s hippie culture while indulging in old-fashioned entertainment. You can still do that, but the new Manitou, 4 miles west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is more “hippie chic” than “hippie chick.” You still can buy tacky souvenirs, hemp clothing and patchouli incense, eat saltwater taffy and … Read more

Banjo Billy’s: Tour Boulder’s Brewpubs by Bus

Banjo Billy’s: Tour Boulder’s Brewpubs by Bus 6

Boulder is known for many things: The Flatirons, Pearl Street, the University of Colorado Buffaloes. But there is something else that keeps tourists and locals happy: local breweries. All along the Front Range dozens of local breweries are generating the latest and greatest in beers. The only downside is the distance between the breweries and … Read more