DREAMSCAPES SPRING/SUMMER 2024
66
G E T A W A Y S
THE GREAT
COLORADO
ROAD TRIP
BY DEBBIE OLSEN
If life is a highway, you'll want
to ride it all day long in Colorado.
A
s a teenager, I once asked for a rock 'n' roll album for
Christmas and received John Denver's Greatest Hits
instead. I didn't try to hide my disappointment when
I opened the well-intended gift. Since it was the only album I
owned, I listened to the record often and I learned to love the
music—though I never admitted it then. Recently, as my hus-
band Greg and I drove through Rocky Mountain National
Park in northern Colorado, I found myself humming Denver's
"Rocky Mountain High" the entire way. I finally understood
why he sang so passionately about Colorado.
Colorado was made for road trips—remarkable landscapes
filled with beauty and grandeur, quaint small towns, and
cosmopolitan cities ripe with arts and culture. The Rocky
Mountains took our breath away, but so did the Garden of the
Gods, an awe-inspiring national landmark of striking
sandstone formations near Colorado Springs. We loved
driving through panoramic scenery, but we also enjoyed
exploring the galleries and museums in Denver and stopping
in communities so picturesque, they inspired parts of the
Disneyland theme park.
COLORADO'S CREATIVE CAPITAL
Denver is the capital of Colorado, the largest city in the state,
and it's also the best place to start a road trip. Nicknamed
Mile High City, due to being exactly one mile above sea level,
Denver is an artsy favourite with delectable restaurants and
unique attractions.
We spent two days delving deep into Denver. We explored
the city on a guided electric tuk-tuk tour with local operator,
the Ultimate Urban Denver City Tour. Our guide/driver Erik
