I’m always looking for the perfect road trip whether I’m riding my motorcycle or cruising in my SUV. In 2009, my New Year's travel resolution is to see more of Colorado from behind the wheel.
Colorado road trips are as simple as putting your wheels to the pavement. Colorado has 25 scenic and historic byways and four national parks that cover a lot of ground.
When you feel like a road trip, just do it! Gas hasn't been this cheap in four years. A gallon of gas averaged $1.65 in mid-December, down from an all-time high of over $4 a gallon in July. Whether you’re up for short day trip from Denver, or an extended weekend viewing Colorado’s scenery, anything is possible in our beautiful state.
Catchy names like Peak to Peak, Frontier Pathways, Trail of the Ancient and the Lariat Loop will have you clicking on Colorado’s historic byways link to map out your next road trip..jpg)
Here are two of my favorites:
The Lariat Loop is just west of Denver amidst rolling hills of evergreen, the crimson foundations at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater, and dinosaur tracks in the hogback at Dinosaur Ridge. This road trip is just 40 miles, but you should allow 2 hours to explore including a stop at Buffalo Bill’s Museum and Grave.
The Trail of the Ancients byway includes landscape painted red and orange and the opportunity to see the mind-blowing Ancestral Puebloan sites at the Canyons of the Ancients and Hovenweep National Monuments, Ute Mountain Tribal Park, the Anasazi Heritage Center and Mesa Verde National Park (an UNESCO World Heritage Site).
This byway is definite road trip from Denver through southwest Colorado, so allow at least 3 hours for this more than 100 mile jaunt, or make it an overnight stay in Durango.
National Parks top travel trend in 2009.
Speaking of road trips, national parks, like Mesa Verde, will be a top trend in 2009 for families looking for vacations that will allow them to make some lifetime memories and save a few pennies. In a recent TripAdvisor survey, 73 percent said they plan to visit a national park in 2009, up from 62 percent one year ago.
The mysteries of nature and hunger for history can be fed by Colorado’s four national parks, offering some of the most outstanding natural and cultural attractions in North America.
Here are links to the Colorado's four national parks:
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
For more info: Visit Colorado's Scenic & Historic Byways or Colorado National Parks. For your complimentary Colorado Official State Vacation Guide, visit www.Colorado.com or call 1-800-COLORADO.
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