Colorado Excursions with History, Hikes and Hops

by Ed Sealover

Overview

Experience Colorado's history, beauty, and award-winning breweries with this travel guide featuring ten weekend excursions.
 
Full of fascinating history and natural beauty, Colorado also boasts a thriving craft beer culture. In this informative guide, author Ed Sealover offers a series of itineraries that combine all three. Colorado Excursions with History, Hikes and Hops features ten three-day excursions full of nature, historic sites, and unique watering holes.
 
Discover sprawling parks and celebrated landmarks throughout the state. Visit oddball destinations like the trail of America's favorite cannibal and the renowned ghost town of Saint Elmo. Work up a thirst on the hiking trails of Rocky Mountain National Park and unwind on the single block in the state that is home to a brewery, a winery, and a distillery. Uncover the craft, creative and cultural gems that make the Centennial State a curious wanderer's dream.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781625857521
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	05/10/2022
Series:	History & Guide
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	213
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Ed Sealover is a reporter with the Denver Business Journal covering state government, tourism and the beverage industry. Over his twenty-year journalism career, he has received seventy-seven state, regional and national awards in categories ranging from investigative reporting to political reporting to public service. Sealover has been writing about beer since 2003, including the book Mountain Brew: A Guide to Colorado's Breweries (2011) and his ongoing "Beer Run" blog.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 11

Introduction 13

Colorado Map 16

Trip #1 Denver

Day 1 Introduction to Denver and Colorado 21

Historic Site: History Colorado Center 21

Natural Site: City Park 22

Drinking Site: Buckhorn Exchange 24

Day 2 Downtown Denver 27

Historic Site: Downtown Denver Walking Tour 27

Natural Site: Confluence Park 31

Drinking Site: Falling Rock Tap House 32

Day 3 Uniquely Denver 34

Natural Site: Red Rocks Amphitheatre/Dinosaur Ridge 34

Historic Site: Molly Brown House Museum 36

Drinking Site: Great Divide Brewing 39

Trip #2 Denver Area

Day 1 Denver and Its Outskirts 45

Natural Site: Mount Falcon Park 45

Historic Site: Colorado State Capitol 47

Drinking Sites: Strange Craft Beer and Dry Dock Brewing South Dock 48

Day 2 South Denver and Its Suburbs 52

Natural Site: Devil's Head Lookout 52

Historic Site: Littleton Museum 54

Drinking Site: Laws Whiskey House 56

Day 3 Golden to Boulder 58

Historic Site: Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave 58

Natural Site: Golden Gate Canyon State Park 60

Drinking Site: Avery Brewing 62

Trip #3 Fort Collins and Estes Park

Day 1 Greeley to Fort Collins 67

Historic Site: Dearfield 67

Natural Site: Horsctooth Rock 69

Drinking Site: The Mayor of Old Town 71

Day 2 In and Around Fort Collins 74

Natural Site: Mount Margaret 74

Historic Site: Downtown Fort Collins Walking Tour 75

Drinking Site: Odell Brewing 78

Day 3 Estes Park to Lyons 81

Natural Site: Rocky Mountain National Park 81

Historic Site: The Stanley Hotel 84

Drinking Site: Oskar Blues Grill & Brew 85

Trip #4 Mountain Corridor

Day 1 Idaho Springs to Central City 91

Natural Site: St. Mary's Glacier 91

Historic Site: Central City Opera House 93

Drinking Site: Dostal Alley Brewpub 95

Day 2 Georgetown to Dillon 98

Historic Site: Georgetown Loop Railroad 98

Natural Site: Dillon Reservoir 100

Drinking Site: Pug Ryan's Brewing 102

Day 3 Vail 104

Natural Site: Booth Falls 104

Historic Site: Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum 106

Drinking Site: Vail Cascade Resort 108

Trip #5 Central Mountains

Day 1 Leadville Area 113

Historic Site: Camp Hale 113

Natural Site: Twin Lakes 115

Drinking Site: Silver Dollar Saloon 117

Day 2 Leadville to Aspen 119

Historic Site: National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum/Matchless Mine 119

Natural Site: Maroon Bells Scenic Area 121

Drinking Site: Element 47 123

Day 3 Glenwood Springs 126

Historic Sites: Doc Holliday's Grave and Hotel Colorado 126

Drinking Site: Glenwood Canyon Brewing 130

Natural Site: Glenwood Hot Springs 132

Trip #6 Western Slope

Day 1 Grand Junction Area 137

Natural Site: Colorado National Monument 137

Historic Site: Museum of the West 139

Drinking Site: Palisade's Everything Block 140

Day 2 Silverton to Telluride 143

Historic Site: Mayflower Mill 143

Natural Site: Box Cañon Falls 145

Drinking Site; Telluride Brewing 147

Day 3 Montrose Area 149

Natural Site: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park 149

Historic Site: Ute Indian Museum 151

Drinking Site: Horselly Brewing 153

Trip #7 Southwestern Colorado

Day 1 Central Durango 157

Historic Site: Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum 157

Natural Site: Animas Mountain 159

Drinking Site: Lady Falconburgh's Alehouse and Kitchen 161

Day 2 Gortez/Durango Area 164

Historic Site: Mesa Verde National Park 164

Natural Site: Knife Edge Trail 166

Drinking Site: Ska Brewing 168

Day 3 Lake City 171

Historic Site: Alferd Packer Massacre Trail 171

Natural Site: The Alpine Loop 173

Drinking Site: Packer Saloon and Cannibal Grill 176

Trip #8 San Luis and Upper Arkansas Valleys

Day 1 San Luis Valley, Part One 181

Historic Site: Fort Garland Museum 181

Natural Site: Zapata Falls 184

Drinking Site: Three Barrel Brewing 186

Day 2 San Luis Valley Part Two 189

Natural Site: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve 189

Historic Site: Town of San Luis 192

Drinking Site: The Rubi Slipper 194

Day 3 Upper Arkansas Valley 196

Natural Site: Rafting Browns Canyon 196

Historic Site: Saint Elmo 198

Drinking Site: Elevation Beer Company 201

Trip #9 Southeastern Colorado

Day 1 La Junta to Lamar 205

Natural Site: Vogel Canyon and Picket Wire Canyonlands 205

Historic Site: Bent's Old Fort 208

Drinking Site: The Buzzards Roost 210

Day 2 Las Animas to Pueblo 212

Natural Site: John Martin Reservoir State Park 212

Historic Site One: Camp Amache 214

Historic Site Two: Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site 216

Drinking Site: Walter's Brewery & Taproom 219

Day 3 Canon City 221

Historic Site: Museum of Colorado Prisons 221

Drinking Site: The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey 223

Natural Site: Royal Gorge Bridge & Park 225

Trip #10 Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek

Day 1 Around Colorado Springs 231

Historic Site: Air Force Academy 231

Natural Site: Pikes Peak Cog Railway 233

Drinking Site: Bristol Brewing 235

Day 2 Colorado Springs' Westside 238

Historic Site: Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy 238

Natural Site: Garden of the Gods 240

Drinking Site: Golden Bee 241

Day 3 Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek 244

Natural Site: Gold Camp Road 244

Historic Site: Old Homestead House Museum 246

Drinking Site: Boiler Room Tavern 249

Index 251

About the Author 255

Editorial Reviews

"Somewhere between hiking, history and drinking, you'll find the soul of Colorado, says Denver journalist Ed Sealover. His new guidebook is called "Colorado Excursions With History, Hikes and Hops." Colorado Public Radio

Colorado Book Awards 2017 finalist! Colorado Humanities - Colorado Book Awards

"Natural beauty, a Wild West history and some of the nation's best breweries: 'These are the three things about Colorado that I love the most,' says Denver Business Journal reporter Ed Sealover. And he proves it with a series of ten three-day Colorado treks that he created for his new guide, 'Colorado Excursions With History, Hikes, and Hops,' a handy book that's certain to capture the hearts of like-minded Coloradans and tourists." Westword

"The Rocky Mountain State has long been a destination for beer and nature enthusiasts, and this collection of drinking spots and hiking trails peppered with colorful prose and important tips is worth a place in any daypack." All About Beer Magazine

"Instead of just telling his readers where they can go to taste some unique craft brews, he tells readers a bit more in his latest work, 'Colorado Excursions with History, Hikes and Hops.'

This 254-page guidebook, published by the Charleston, South Carolina-based History Press, offers 10 three-day excursions around the state that allow readers to drink, hike and take in some history all in the same place. The excursions are broken up into three one-day trips all within close proximity of each other." Grand Junction Sentinel

From the Publisher