My husband and I are planning a roadtrip to Colorado next summer. We've never traveled Colorado. It was actually part of our vacation plans for the summer of 2007, but after spending 5 days in the rain traveling from CA to SD, and with 5 more rainy days forecasted for CO (which was the last leg of our trip), we decided to reroute our trip back home and headed across MT, WY, ID to avoid all of the rain. (BTW - I'm well aware that we'll most likely hit rain in CO in July/Aug.)

Our current plan is to travel from CA (we're in Bakersfield which is ~100 miles N of Los Angeles) to Kingman AZ, down into NM and back up to Durango CO. From Durango we're not sure where to go except we do know that we want to head up the 550 toward Montrose. We're planning on a spending 7 to 10 days in Colorado before heading back to CA via Grand Junction CO, then through UT.

We know that there is a lot of beautiful country to see in CO. Recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for your help in making our trip to CO a memorable one.

 

Sounds like you've got a good start to the trip already! 450 across the San Juan Mountains is beautiful...plan on a couple of days for Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.

 

jmcollision - thanks for the recommendation.

 

The Royal Gorge Bridge and Pikes Peak are a neat change of pace. But I agree, around Estes Park and maybe through the Rocky Mountain National Park are routes that are a must do. Also the Idaho Springs to Blackhawk is a good ride.

 

Thanks garyl. We thought about going to see the Royal Gorge Bridge. A question about Pikes Peak - is that the road that's not paved?

 

Just took my family in July to Colarodo Springs, by far the best thing was Pikes Peake, 14000 ft is the highest I will ever be on foot, it is mostly paved and is rideable no problem, saw my first mountain goat at about 12000 ft.
White water rafting was also excellent, with a guide a half day trip was $60.00 a person, well worth it.

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Do a search on this site for anything posted by "sfarson". Steve lives in "central Colorado" and, for many of us flatlanders who enjoy Colorado, he makes the absence from that state somewhat tolerable with his photos and videos. But he usually posts maps of great off-the-beaten-path roads and must-see routes that will have you in scenery overload! If you can't locate his posts, PM him directly. He should be HDFORUM's Colorado Ambassador of Touring! Enjoy the trip!!!

 

Contact "Whiskers" on this forum he put me in contact with a another forum member who sent me a handmade book that they use for trips he is the guide for.

It is great. We planned the trip but wasn't able o go. Good luck.

 

I do prefer the "off-the-beaten path" roads over the Interstates and highways. There's so much more to see and experience when your not flying down the Interstate.
Thanks for the recommendations.