As a Colorado native, I am often asked what places make up Colorado. Where can I go to see all of Colorado, or the real Colorado, or even just the tourist Colorado? These aren’t necessarily the best places in Colorado, but they all are a part of Colorado’s culture.
As you can imagine, it is tough to come up with a suitable variety of people, places, and things in Colorado to accurately satisfy such questions. But recently, I found a cup– a mug, really — in one of those Cherry Creek North shops that sells “Colorado art,” the real kind, not the copying-Santa Fe-art kind. It is a Yeti mug knockoff, complete with the same see-through lid that seals for heat, not for spills. These metal mugs have a certain feel to them that appeal to people, and particularly Colorado people and Colorado hunters. This one also had a cartoonish, not to scale, map (I don’t know what those are called) listing many of Colorado’s greatest treasures in one place. I figure that is as good of a place to start with how to really know Colorado.
The Mug
In my outline for this article, I explained what the mug was like here. I got carried away and already described most of my Yeti-like mug. It has a China stamp on the bottom, but no other markings.
What about these whimsical drawings drawing our attention to places across Colorado filled with Colorado life?
The Left Edge of Colorado
Better known as the Western edge, the leftmost part of the state is as good of place as any to start on a round map. We’ll proceed to the right, heading toward Colorado’s westernmost edge. So, without further ado, I bring you, The Colorado Mug.
You’ll find many people who think Grand Junction is one of the best places to live in Colorado. Most of the rest of the towns out here would only make the best places to visit in Colorado list.
Dinosaur National Monument
Ah yes. The only name brand tourist attraction in the Colorado northwest, Dinosaur National Monument.
Dinosaur National Monument is so far west that only part of it is in Colorado. The rest continues across the border into Utah. When you are done with Dinosaur National Monument, it can be a short visit if you aren’t really into dinosaurs or archeology. There are various outdoor activities available made all the more attractive by the lack of other people and cities nearby.
River Rafting Dinosaur National Monument
In spring you can take advantage of being pretty much the only rafting group out river rafting. In fact, you can go by yourself. You can get Class III and Class IV rapids on the Green River, as well as Class III and one Class IV rapids on the Yampa River. Before you choose the river rapids route with more Class IV rapids, you should know that the single Class IV rapid on the Yampa side is named, “The Maytag.” – I’ll let you kiddies look up what a Maytag is.
Dinosaur National Monument Camping
There are six campgrounds in DNM. They get more crowded toward mid-Summer and less crowded through fall. You can do some sweet nighttime star photography from here. Civilization is several miles away, so the only light pollution is probably coming from you. There is even a certified dark sky location if that is your jam.
Obviously, the fossils and petroglyphs are the stars at Dinosaur, but with over 200,000 acres, you can hike to your heart’s content as well.
Grand Junction
Grand Junction is a great town on the Grand River. It sits along the Western Slope of Colorado on the state’s main east-west highway, I-70. Grand Junction is one of those towns that is big enough to have everything, but not necessarily have two of everything. Sporting around 70,000 people, Grand Junction has great food, fun nightlife, access to world class skiing, and plenty of ways to get off the beaten path.
Grand Junction is the biggest city in Grand Junction County.
Montrose
For those of us from I-25 Corridor (I’m going to get us a better name), Montrose is famous for being a town, at long last, after driving many, many, miles without one as we trek from Denver to Telluride or Crested Butte.
If you are looking for more than gas, food, and a place to stand up and rest your butt, Montrose’s main attraction is the nearby Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. All around are hiking trails, rock climbing ascents, both set and unset, and of course, river rafting through the canyon.
Mesa Verde
Mesa Verde is a if-you-know-you-know (IYKYK) national park. Located in Southwest Colorado away from anything resembling a city, Mesa Verde consists of several cliff dwellings left behind by indigenous Ancestral Puebloans. When I was a kid in school in Colorado (Oh yes, I’m an insufferable Colorado native) we learned that they were Anasazi. It’s the same tribe of people, but apparently Anasazi can be interpreted negatively.
People will tell you that there are all kinds of things you can do around Mesa Verde. Ignore those people. See everything you want to see at Mesa Verde and then go to the Great Sand Dunes National Park if you are looking for more things to do.
Follow The Mug
Keep with us as we follow the mug across Colorado.