Sometimes the hidden treasure is located in your back yard, or this case, your own country.
In recent years, my travel adventures have focused on coastal villages, city scenes, and vistas south of the border in Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia, to name a few. This Spring, I decided to take a different trip and reacquaint myself with the American west. Destination: Denver.
The cafes, restaurants, and nightlife make up the proper elements of a great time. Yet, what made this trip truly special was the return to the true character of the West – the great outdoors.
The majestic mile high mountain range was unmistakable as my flight touched down at Denver International Airport (DIA). Even in Denver, the snowcapped Rockies provided a tremendous backdrop, regardless of where I traveled. But, but Colorado offers so much more.
Start in Denver and head south down Interstate 25 towards Colorado Springs. The purpose: escape the city for the promise of the open road. As the landscape widened on my drive, visibility augmented and soon I noticed the unassuming road sign of my next stop “Garden of the Gods.”
Two surveyors riding horseback stumbled upon the unique landscape in 1859, and the first suggested it as “a capital place for a beer garden” – perhaps foreshadowing Colorado’s now abundant (and tasty) microbreweries. However, his more spiritual companion, awestruck as well, exclaimed, “Beer Garden! Why it is a fit place for the gods to assemble.”
Having traveled to amazing locales, the formations didn’t seem very special at first glance. But as I continued to walk along the trail and descend deeper into the rock garden, amazing beauty unfolded before my eyes. Impressive red and white sandstone formations showed their timelessness in an artistic escape from the man made world. Then clouds rapidly rushed across the sky dropping precipitation that only started to land when the sky returned to its quiet blue.
Now, with a sun shower of snow flurries sticking to some sparse desert vegetation, a friend pointed to the Rocky Mountain backdrop. “A hike to the summit of Pike’s Peak provided the inspiration for the song America the Beautiful,” he stated. After this experience, that bit of trivia came as no surprise to me.
Travelers note: 2009 marks the centennial anniversary of the Garden of the Gods park, donated to Colorado Springs in 1909. For the last 100 years, entrance to the park remains free, and it continues to be a place people reconnect with a very spiritual landscape.
For me, the snow continued slowly and then faded, but its presence muted the landscape. My thoughts turned internal and the silence provided the chance to be still and exhale, the chance to once again appreciate America’s West.
Denver offers numerous hotel options and all the chains for the frequent traveler. I selected the Sheraton Downtown, where rates started as low as $84 for the night. For flights, options are endless but United remains a good option since it maintains a large presence in Denver. My springtime flights to Denver cost me under $150 each for two one-ways: San Diego to Denver, Denver to New York.
© Cheapflights Ltd Craig Zabransky
