Colorado

Colorado State Fair

(http://www.coloradostatef...) - in pueblo. rodeo, concerts, tigers, sea lions, fair rides and fair food.

Strawberry Days

Every june glenwood springs holds a festival and carnival with something for everyone of every age to enjoy. they serve free strawberries and ice cream on saturday of the event. this events goes back over hundred years. it is the longest running festival west of the mississippi river. the festival was started to celebrate the strawberry harvest and to gather with friends and family to celebrate the warm days of summer ahead.

Old South Gaylord Street Festival

Held every memorial day weekend, this festival started when several local stores held sidewalk sales at the same time. they decided to coordinate their efforts next year, and now decades later vendors from all over the state set up tents. many of the goods on sale are handmade, and there is plenty of food, live music and fair-style attractions as well.

Taste of Colorado

Every year in downtown over 40 restaurants set up booths near the state capitol in civic center park to celebrate the weekend. admission is free but tickets are needed for the carnival rides and other attractions.

Mesa Verde Country Indian Arts & Culture Festival

May is archaeology month in colorado and there is no better place to celebrate than mesa verde country, the archaeological center of america. archaeology ties all of us to the heritage we proudly share with the ancestral pueblo people from the past and the native americans living here today.

Mesa Verde Country Wine & Art Festival

(http://www.mesaverdecount...).

Alamosa/Monte Vista/Baca National Wildlife Refuge Complex

(http://www.fws.gov/alamos...) - near alamosa. threatened bird is the largest crane in north america. each october and march, 3,000 -5,000 cranes make a migratory stopover. in the spring the san luis valley celebrates the monte vista crane festival (http://www.cranefest.com) to honor this impressive bird.

 

Gould - In the North Park area of the state near Wyoming, is the Moose Watching Capital of the state, while Colorado in general is home to the southernmost moose population in North America.

Rocky Mountain National Park is a wonderful place to look for elk. Fall days are the best time of the year to enjoy watching elk. Herds can be spotted all through the park and the elk's bugling is an almost constant noise during some times of the year.

 

It's not hard to spot wildlife in Colorado. There is a diversity of wild animals maintained by the Colorado Division of Wildlife (http://wildlife.state.co.us). Elk, mule deer, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, antelope, brown bears, mountain lions and a smattering of bobcats range the national parks, forests and state parks. Migratory birds such as hummingbirds and the sandhill cranes return each year to their summer habitat. Look for "Wildlife Viewing Area" signs along the highways and interstates. Or simply venture into any wilderness area. You will need binoculars, a camera, as well as good luck and patience.

I-70 at

Genesse park - this western suburb of denver in the foothills of the rocky mountains is home to the city of denver's buffalo herd. pull off the interstate and snap a few photos with the bison in the foreground and the snow capped continental divide in the distance.

I-70 through

Georgetown - just west of denver. around the downieville starbucks, start scanning the north side of the interstate. a herd of bighorn sheep routinely grazes on the steep slopes, often venturing as close as the shoulder of the highway.

whitewater rafting

Skiing isn't the only reason thousands of people travel to Colorado each year. During the summer months, Colorado offers, perhaps, some of the best white water rafting in the country. The Arkansas River is one of the most rafted river in the country with over 50,000 rafters experiencing the pounding white water of "The Ark", as the locals call it. Many of the outfitters are less than 2 hours outside of Denver and offer a variety of trips for all ages and experience levels.

Golden has a world-class kayak course that is free and open to mostly year round use. There are several kayak shops in Golden, and they also have demos and clinics on various dates.

Many of the mountain towns along the Colorado and Arkansas Rivers offer whitewater rafting excursions. You can choose a half-day, full-day or overnight trip.

gaming

There are a number of historic towns in Colorado that offer casino gambling. The three most famous are Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek. Local officials are in the process of raising maximum bets from $5 to $100, allowing for more Las Vegas-style gaming. The Ute Reservation in the Southwestern corner of the state also runs casinos.

skiing/snowboarding

Colorado is one of the world's top destinations for alpine skiing, snowboarding, and other winter mountain sports. Home to 26 ski areas and resorts, Colorado offers the perfect location to take a family or solo or couples vacation to. From beginners to expert mountains, these resorts are open to anyone. Even for the non skiers, the resorts and ski towns offer shopping, spas, tubing and any multiple other fun attractions to enjoy. Many of these resorts are only 1-2 hours outside of Denver.

mountain climbing

Of the 54 so-called "Fourteeners" those mountains with an elevation above 14,000 ft., or 4,267 m, many can be climbed without ropes or technical experience. The rewards are breathtaking. The current standard among introductory guidebooks to routes on Fourteeners is Borneman and Lampert, "A Climbing Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners." This book is updated frequently to reflect changes in access restrictions several are on private land or have private holdings high on the mountain that interfere with some routes, and the latest edition as of 2005 is ISBN 0871088509. Many people also find Gerry Roach's the second person in the world to summit all of the "Seven Summits" book, "Colorado's Fourteeners: From Hikes to Climbs" ISBN: 1555914128 to be a comprehensive guidebook for hiking and climbing these Colorado giants. Colorado has more "14ers" than any other state in the USA. Be prepared for crowds on some of the more popular summits during the summer on weekends. Also be prepared for an outing, as conditions can and do change rapidly on Colorado's high mountains.

There are also many "high Thirteeners" that are nearly as rewarding to climb as the Fourteeners, while typically far less crowded with would-be mountaineers. Some of the high Thirteeners are more technically difficult than any Fourteener and require rope and technical expertise.

hiking

Colorado has a seemingly endless amount of hiking trails. Colorado hiking trails can lead you through various terrain, including deserts, mountains, canyons, and more.

mountain biking

Colorado is one of the best places in the world to go mountain biking. The choice of location will depend on the season. Crested Butte, Steamboat Springs, Winter Park, Salida, Leadville, Vail, and Summit County all offer world class mountain bike trails, but many are only ridable after the snow melts in June and before the snow returns in September or October. During the spring and the fall, conditions are perfect at Grand Junction and Fruita, which offer desert trails similar to the famous bike trails in Moab, UT. The trails along the Front Range, near Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs are also excellent and, since they are located at various elevations, offer riding almost year-round. Additionally, most ski resorts offer lift-served mountain biking; Keystone, Winter Park, and Sol Vista resorts are among the most notable.

snowmobiling

Colorado is home to some of the best snowmobiling in the country. Glenwood Springs is surrounded by two areas, White River National Forest and the Grand Mesa. Trail riding on groomed trails, hill climbing, deep powder carving, scenic views, with a mixture of trees and meadows. These areas get an average of 35 feet of snow a year.

fishing

With 6,000 miles of streams and more than 2,000 lakes and reservoirs to choose from, you can fish for over 35 species of both warm- and cold-water fish. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy angling, high mountain stream fishing and ice fishing in Colorado. Don't forget to watch the seasons set by the state (http://wildlife.state.co....) and obtain your fishing license. Otherwise, you may be facing a stiff fine.