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[SW Colorado] If you're traveling by car, you can make a big loop from I-70 and Grand Junction, south to Montrose and the Black Canyon, then into Ouray County, where there are several hot springs, This is a good first stop, and the spot where you decide if you want to continue south on the Million Dollar Higway through Ouray and Silverton to Durango. Or, turn west and loop around past Telluride, Rico, and Dolores to Cortez... then back east again to Durango.
The entire loop is known as the San Juan Skyway.
San Juan Skyway. While you can drive it in a day, you won't have time that way to see much of it. Allow a couple of days to play and take in the sites. Be sure to allow time to ride the vintage Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, steaming daily form Durango. This route also takes you past remnants of the native peoples who once inhabited this area.
Trail of the Ancients. The most famous along this route is Mesa Verde, a world heritage park, but there are other ancestrail ruins as well, some, like the ones at the Anasazi Heritage Center, in Dolores, offer interactive intrepretive exhibits. Nearby, Hovenweep is a haunting experience. As you wander windswept paths, you'll swear you feel the "old ones."
If mountain scenery doesn't appeal, when you get to Grand Junction, you might think about exploring the wine country there, then heading south to Montrose and the Black Canyon, and from there, east to Gunnison, through some historic cattle country.
All of the communities you will visit also present various festivals throughout the year. The fall Colorado Moutain Winefest (Grand Junction area) is a lot of fun. So are art and music festivals. Telluride offers top name entertainment and several live music festivals. Several towns also have brewfests, and with microbrews more popular in Colorado than any other state, you don't want to miss one. Telluride's Blues and Brews draws people from around the world.
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All summer long is a big celebration in SW Colorado. From spring through fall, the days are packed with festivals and events making it fun to break your scenic sojurn for a taste of local entertainment.
Most state parks are seasonal, although there is limited access to most of them all year long. The road trips suggested here use well-maintained highways open most of the time. Some are closed briefly for winter maintenance, such as "shooting an avalanche, and there may be summer delays due to road repairs and paving. It's a good idea to check with the Colorado Department of Transportation before starting out. Also, please remember it gets dark early in the mountains, and wildlife love to cross the road without looking. Watch out for the deer or elk; they feed at dawn and dusk. Remembr too, that the map is flat, bu this country is not, so allow extra time for steep roads and sharp curves. Speed is not the point here. Scenery is. Take the time to enjoy it!
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