January 6, 2020

A COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE CLIFF DWELLINGS AND MORE IN MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO

Just 6 miles east of Colorado Springs is one of the towns we love the most in Colorado.  Manitou Springs sits at the base of Pike’s Peak at an elevation of 6,414 feet in the Rocky Mountains. Manitou Springs has an historic, Old West feel, with many buildings from the early 1900s still in use today.   Leave your car parked on the street and stroll the town. There are mom-and-pop shops, art galleries, restaurants, and more!   You can go fishing, try both easy and difficult hikes, soar on a zip line, go rafting, or caving!     TOWN HISTORY     Manitou Springs was home to the Ute Indians who…

October 7, 2019

COLLEGIATE PEAKS SCENIC BYWAY IN COLORADO

Updated 9/19     Soar high among 14,000 foot peaks and breathe in the crisp air on the Collegiate Peaks Scenic Drive in Colorado!       THE ROUTE OF THE COLLEGIATE PEAKS SCENIC BYWAY     The Collegiate Peaks Scenic Drive is an old stagecoach route through canyons carved by the Arkansas River in Colorado. The American Gold Rush, dancing waters, white cliffs and ghost towns are awaiting you!     The paved scenic route is 57 miles long and took us hours to drive since we stopped to admire vistas and take photographs. If you drive straight through, you can travel the portion in Chalk Creek Canyon in only 2-3…

July 22, 2019

WALK THROUGH ROUGH AND TUMBLE SILVERTON, COLORADO

Dodge City. Tombstone. Durango. We’ve been to them all but the old west town that still remains the most authentic is rough and tumble Silverton, Colorado.  At 9,000 feet, the mining town of Silverton was a magnet for miners, saloon keepers, and the few women who kept the men company.     The frontier flavor of Silverton isn’t fake and recreated for tourists.The western free spirit remains today. That may be due to the fact that the town is still very remote in the San Juan Mountains. Getting to Silverton is an adventure in itself! This is the land of “the 14-ers”, the peaks in Colorado that are 14,000 feet or…

July 8, 2019

ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT RAILROADS: DURANGO TO SILVERTON, COLORADO

All Aboard! Hop on a coal-fired, steam-powered train that still uses the 3-foot narrow gauge tracks that were constructed to haul silver and gold ore from the San Juan Mountains in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado! This trip is truly a thrill! You HAVE to take this ride!       Frommers lists the 3-foot narrow gauge Durango-Silverton, Colorado Railroad one of America’s 10 most fun and this train trip has been called, “one of the best in the world.” The views are jaw dropping along the route of this “Old West” steam train! This train line is a designated National Historic Landmark.     The 45-mile route takes approximately 10 hours roundtrip. We…

May 30, 2018

TAKE BACK ROADS TO EXPLORE AMERICA!

Take Back Roads to Explore America!   The Traveling Seniors ALWAYS travel back roads. Why?  Exploring America and her inspiring people is most rewarding along back roads and scenic byways!   Backroads vacations are so easy in retirement travel!  The pavement is smooth, traffic is sparse and the scenery is breathtaking. We can drive at our own pace. We can pull off the road to take photos or a break at almost any time. Backroads adventures are just waiting for you!   HOW TO FIND BACKROADS   One way to find byways is to visit scenicbyways.info. On that site, search by state or follow the dots on the map provided….