Founded in 1859 by gold seekers from Kansas and Georgia, Denver marks the boundary between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains that provide a splendid backdrop. A university town and the capital of American craft beer, it is called the 'Mile High City' because it is located exactly one mile (about 1600 meters) high, as noted on the 13th step of its Capitol building. Modern and youthful, it has trendy neighborhoods for all tastes and is pleasant to explore on foot, featuring diverse architectures ranging from Victorian to postmodern, along with art, history, culture, shopping, and a vibrant nightlife.
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Day 3 — Denver → Grand Lake
Rocky Mountains National Park is the largest mountain complex in Colorado, with over 100 peaks exceeding 3,000 meters. It offers an impressive variety of landscapes: coniferous forests, meadows covered in wildflowers, tundra, lakes and waterfalls, narrow gorges, wide valleys, and wildlife such as squirrels, marmots, elk, and deer. The eastern entrance is in Estes Park, 200 km from Denver, while the western entrance is in Grand Lake. The spectacular scenic road, Trail Ridge Road, crosses the entire park, reaching the extreme limit of vegetation at around 4,000 meters.
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Day 4 — Grand Lake → Vail
Vail, approximately 200 km west of Denver, was created out of nothing as a ski resort in 1952. The skiing is excellent, perhaps the best in the USA, with a wide variety of slopes. Along with Aspen, it is the most famous and fashionable ski resort in the Elk Mountains, set in a picturesque landscape. It is highly frequented by the wealthy and famous, and is a resort town centered around Vail Village, with top-notch shops and restaurants.
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Day 5 — Vail → Grand Junction
Grand Junction is the main town in western Colorado and an excellent starting point for exploring the vast and spectacular canyon region with the pinnacles of the Colorado National Monument; here the Green River merges into the Colorado River.
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Day 6 — Grand Junction → Telluride
Telluride is a renowned ski resort and one of the most beautiful towns in Colorado, with a well-preserved historic center, cobbled streets, and Victorian-style buildings that recall the times of the Gold Rush.
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Day 7 — Telluride → Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde is the only national park in America whose focus is on archaeology rather than nature. On the abrupt rocky walls of its narrow canyons, the remains of more than 4,000 Indian cliff dwellings are hollowed out in the rock. Mesa Verde is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Day 9 — Alamosa → Pueblo
The rich cultural history and Pueblo Revival style architecture characterize the town of Pueblo, as well as its festivals where Hispanic and Native roots blend together.
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Day 10 — Pueblo → Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, a mountain town, has always been known for its countless outdoor activities that it offers to visitors. A short distance away, at the Garden of the Gods Park, you can admire extraordinary sandstone formations set against the breathtaking backdrop of Pikes Peak, which you can climb via a hiking trail or comfortably aboard the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. Another must-see stop is Seven Falls, a series of waterfalls over 55 meters high cascading down a deep canyon.
