It will take you to Victor. From Victor, you can continue to Cripple Creek, another 19th-century mining camp. Today, Cripple Creek has lots of gambling establishments that use slots, poker and blackjack, in addition to little gift shops. To return to Colorado Springs, take Colorado 67 north to Divide, then U.S.
Southwest of Colorado Springs, in a remote area in the Wet Mountains of San Isabel National Park, is a kooky stone-and-iron castle that's been under building and construction considering that 1969. Jim Bishop started building it ten years after he 'd acquired a small tract for $450 at the age of 15. Visitors' contributions to a 501( c) 3 non-profit called the Bishop Castle Non-profit Charitable Structure for New-born Heart Surgical treatment fund the continuous task.
To get to Bishop's Castle from Colorado Springs, take Highway 115 south to Florence, turn left at the first traffic light onto Highway 67, then ideal onto Highway 96 in Wetmore. Turn left onto Highway 165 and go 12 miles. The castle is huge you can't miss it. After your go to, double back on Highway 165 and turn left on Highway 96 and go Westcliffe.
Then follow Colorado 69 south towards Gardner, but before you arrive, turn right at the indication for Red Wing. Before you get to Red Wing, try to find a small green sign for Pass Creek and turn left onto this roadway. It is a surprisingly smooth unpaved roadway that will take you to La Veta Pass.
This pass that the residents utilize will slash off about an hour and a half from needing to go southeast to Walsenberg to get to the San Luis Valley. The tallest dune in all of The United States and Canada are here in the San Luis Valley. Scientists think the dunes were produced less than 440,000 years earlier by winds that blew sand deposits from the Rio Grande River to the western base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
The dunes are open to the public all year, 24/7. The park offers a lodge and cabins, which are offered in the spring through the middle of October. There's a little corner store and a dining establishment, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the summer traveler season. When my bro and I existed in early October, it was only open for breakfast.
If you do not go during the summer season, you may want to bring your own food. The lodge staff advised that we not endeavor on foot from the lodge in the dark because black bears reside in the location. Info and appointments: Great Sand Dunes Lodge, 719-378-2900; www.gsdlodge.com The next early morning, my bro and I dined on delicious pancakes and huevos rancheros at the restaurant, and our friendly server was the 3rd regional to advise that we take time to see the nearby waterfalls prior to we continued our travels north through the San Luis Valley.
The tracks are very tiny and shallow and even a light wind will blow them away. The dunes were my favorite part of the entire journey. After strolling on the ridges of the dunes, we headed 10 miles south on Highway 150 and pulled off onto the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
This roadway is steep and bumpy, and we talked about whether or not seeing the falls was worth all this problem. We finally reached a parking lot. From there, it was a quarter-mile hike up a rough and high trail to a stream, which we had to cross 5 times to reach the falls inside a narrow crevasse.
Caution: The rocks are slick, and locals stated the stream can be quick and deep throughout early summertime. On our drive down from the falls, I asked my bro to stop so I could discover out what people were doing on the side of the road. I approached a female and presented myself.
Archeleta informed me that the trees just produce nuts every 5 or 6 years. The nuts should be toasted prior to using in a range of dishes. The next stop on our adventure was 47 miles away. We took Colorado 150 North, then Lane 6 West, then Colorado 17 North. The sign warns: "No trespassing.
The secret is to supply them with geothermal water that remains at a comfy 87 degrees. Offering alligators to numerous zoos across the nation, Colorado Gators Reptile Park consists of bit, medium-size, big and extra-large gators, sorted by size so they don't consume each other. It likewise has 5 albino alligators (we were told there were just about 50 in captivity). Colorado Gators Reptile Park likewise uses a class in alligator fumbling.
It's just a few miles north of the Colorado Gators Reptile Park on the west side of Highway 17. Owner Judy Messoline claims that many psychics have actually felt the presence of a pair of vortexes that work as portals into parallel universes. The Vortex Garden is undoubtedly an unusual location, with sunglasses, empty bottles, watches and bracelets, beaded pendants, silk flowers, combs, spiritual symbols and other things.
We encourage visitors to leave something in The Garden to get their energy there too. PLEASE do not move or remove anything in The Garden bad, bad Karma if you do." Info: 719-378-2296; www.ufowatchtower.com. To return to Colorado Springs, go north on Highway 17 and turn east on to Highway 285 to Salida.
50 East, which is an extremely picturesque path along with the Arkansas River amidst high canyon walls. Driving through these canyons along with through the aspen-covered mountains on the Gold Camp Roadway were my brother's preferred parts of our trip. When you reach Penrose, take Colorado 115 back to Colorado Springs.
These extraordinary rock formations are a popular location for professional photographers, hikers, rock climbers and bird watchers. Invest the early morning exploring The Kissing Camels (a formation that looks like 2 camels), The 3 Graces, the Cathedral Spires in the Cathedral Valley and Balanced Rock. Info: 719-634-6666; www.gardenofgods.com. You've probably become aware of Cheyenne Mountain, the former website of NORAD (The United States Northern Command, and the Flying Force Space Command).
On another part of the mountain, above the surface, is the home of many exotic animals. At an elevation of 6,800 feet above sea level, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is the only zoo in the United States on a mountain. It's southwest of Colorado Springs, above the Broadmoor resort, which you can see from the zoo.
It's best known for its giraffe herd. The zoo currently has 18 giraffes, and its reproducing program is the most successful in the world, with 199 births since 1954. The giraffes are allowed outside when the temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. For a couple bucks, you can purchase a handful of lettuce to feed the giraffes and get a close encounter with their sweet and curious characters along with their 20-inch, dark purple tongues.
24 East, then turn south on 21st Street. Follow signs to the zoo. Details: 719-633-9925; www.cmzoo.org. Consider this four-day itinerary as simply a sampling of remarkable sites southern Colorado needs to provide. My sibling and I are currently making prepare for next year's roadway experience that consists of a check out to the incredible cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park.
