Colorado’s Western Slope offers a terrain of bold beauty and ageless history. In this realm of bluffs and buttes dinosaurs once roamed, cliff-dwellers farmed and miners sluiced streams in an elusive search for wealth. For the summer visitor, the ground between mountains and desert typically features brilliant days and balmy nights. Adventurers have trails to … Read more
Colorado’s Grand Valley lies at the topographical junction of heaven and earth. On one side tower the Colorado Rockies, whose lofty summits reach steeple-like into the empyreal sky. In the opposite direction stretches the Colorado Plateau, a weather-sculpted fantasia of soaring cliffs, striated buttes and sinuous canyons. At this scenic merger of landforms lies Grand … Read more
Maybe it’s curative minerals in the water. Maybe it’s majestic poolside mountain views. Or maybe it’s just the knowledge that the soothing liquid was heated by Mother Nature, not a power company. Whatever the reason, when it comes to a warm soak after a cool day on the Colorado slopes, nothing beats a dunk in … Read more
Come September, the mountains of Colorado make their annual grand-to-gaudy transformation. Alpine meadows turn straw yellow, and aspen-plastered hillsides become swaths of quaking gold. While virtually any road ascending the Rockies offers glimpses of gilded color, drivers with good tread, a bit of time and a willingness to do dirt will discover that the best … Read more
On the Silver Thread Scenic and Historic Byway, modern travelers view sights that marveled 1870s stagecoach passengers. The mighty Rio Grande carves huge curves through a lush valley. Centuries-old mudslides scar a mountain slope. The jagged profile of the San Juan Mountains etches the western horizon. As the 75-mile route follows Colorado 149 from South … Read more
Bright sunlight peeks through the latticework and casts checkerboard patterns across large patio umbrellas. Spring has brought brilliant greens to the trees, and the small patio at the Shiloh Steakhouse is a welcome refuge from Cortez’s sweltering desert climate. In the far reaches of southwestern Colorado, Cortez is known for its proximity to Mesa Verde … Read more