DENVER, February 28, 2017— By design, Colorado is a destination rich in experiences that connect visitors with craftsmanship, natural wonders and historic landmarks. With many new agritourism and heritage attractions, destinations, and events available for 2017, travelers can pack authentic engagement into an itinerary. Here are 10 ways to experience the best of Colorado’s heritage and agritourism all spring, summer and fall long.
GET YOUR FESTIVAL ON: From strawberries or potatoes to bighorn sheep and rodeos, there are festivals galore worth adding to your Colorado itinerary. Some highlights include Burning Can Beer Festival in Lyons in May, North Park Never Summer Rodeo in June, Crested Butte Wild Flower Festival in July, Rocky Ford’s Watermelon Day in August and Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship Trials in September.
COWBOY UP: There’s many ways to embrace your inner cowboy in Colorado and plenty of places to hang your Stetson at night: Cattle Drive Week at Sylvandale Dude & Guest Ranch: A new six-night stay dude ranch adventure, running July 2-8 and 9-15, includes a hands-on cattle drive of Sylvandale’s beef herd to the Colorado high country. Package includes lodging, meals, daytime activities and evening entertainment. Ranchlands Camp Experience Available at Chico Basin and Zapata Ranch: New for 2017, Ranchland Camps are based out of extraordinary tent camps that place guests in the heart of each ranch. Experiences are singular to each location and focus on a special theme unique to that property, taking guests into the core of ranch life. Tent camps come complete with hot showers, beds and specially prepared meals.
PEDAL TO FARM: Colorado is renowned for its epic road-biking, with glorious stretches of open highway offering energetic and scenic rides. How about combining the saddle with a taste of agritourism? Pedal The Plains, September 15–17, 2017, is an annual cycling event that celebrates the agricultural roots and frontier heritage of the Eastern Plains of Colorado. The ride creates an opportunity for cyclists to learn about farming and ranching, while experiencing the culture, history and landscape of Colorado’s high plains. Indulge your appetite for supreme wines and incomparable cycling with a Palisade Wine Country Guided Bike Tour, and discover the true beauty of Colorado’s Western Slope. Pedal quiet country roads into the heart of Colorado Wine Country. Enjoy private wine tastings, tours and lunch.
TOUR & TASTE LOCAL: Colorado has become one of the nation’s emerging dining destinations with local sourcing front and center for most chefs across the State. A celebration of this will be had at Slow Food Nations: Slow Food USA and Slow Food International will launch their first U.S. Slow Food event, Slow Food Nations in Denver July 14-16, 2017. Slow Food Nations will combine the energy of a street food festival, gravitas of a food systems conference and inspiration of a cultural exchange. Another way to tour and taste some local flavors is Epitourean Culinary Adventures in the Heart of the Rocky Mountains: This week-long culinary experience will be based in Snowmass with visits to a working dairy farm, cider mill, distillery, brewery and even a cooking class in neighboring Aspen. The experience also features a side dish of adventure as culinary delights will be accessed on foot, hybrid bikes and customized Jeeps.
SOAK UP COLORADO’S HISTORIC HOT SPRINGS: Colorado’s mountains have plenty of activities to get the heart racing, but they’re also perfect for kicking back. Dip into the state’s many natural hot springs to soothe sore muscles and take in the scenery and experience Colorado's recently designated Historic Hot Springs Loop. Five premier hot springs destinations in the western part of the state: Chaffee County, Pagosa Springs, Ouray County, Glenwood Springs, and Steamboat Springs came together to form with 19 unique facilities. Located along the Colorado River in Glenwood Springs, Iron Mountain Hot Springs, located on the site of the historic Iron Springs Spa, offers 16 mineral hot springs soaking pools and a freshwater family pool. Stay in a tent or rent a rustic cabin, and make sure to book the signature watsu treatment: a bodywork massage that takes place in geothermal waters at Strawberry Park Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs. Surrounded by Gunnison National Forest, the remote Waunita Hot Springs Resort is an ideal getaway for horseback riding, fishing and swimming in the hot springs-fed pool. Right inside San Isabel National Forest along Chalk Creek, Antero Hot Springs Cabins features three cabins each come with their own hot-springs-fed pools and spectacular views.
VISIT A GHOST TOWN OR HISTORIC WATERING HOLE: Colorado’s history runs deep as the silver and gold veins that once lured a surge of fortune seekers during the late 1800’s mining boom. But when those rich resources went bust, dozens of towns were abandoned—leaving behind saloons, mercantiles and other hallmarks of wild west life. Get intrepid as you travel to some of these destinations: there are plenty of means to reach Colorado ghost towns, from ATV and off-roading to St Elmo, stunning hikes through peaks and forests, or by pedal, such as the ride from Aspen to Ashcroft. Another fun way to taste Colorado’s history is to detour from the ghost-town quest and relive the Old West at some of Colorado’s oldest places to quench your thirst. The Centennial State’s longest surviving gold rush-era business Buffalo Rose Saloon in Golden got its start at the International Bowling Saloon in 1859. Dining and drinking venues have been operating in The Minturn Saloon’s Vail Valley location since 1901. Though established in 1862, the original building of The Mint in Silverthorne has been taken apart and moved three times.
URBAN, RURAL FOOD AND FARMERS MARKETS: The growing season is strong and long across the state, with most towns offering one (or more!) farmer’s markets from spring to fall. Some of the state’s best crops include sweetcorn, cherries, potatoes, apples and peaches. The historic Fort Collins Feeder Supply building is on-track to become a foodie haven when it opens as Ginger & Baker this spring, replete with a coffee and pie shop, two restaurants, as well as a small retail store, wine cellar, tasting room, and teaching kitchen. Last fall, the historic Jessup Farm in Fort Collins, opened as a reimagined as an artisan village focused on handcrafted and locally sourced products and includes The Farmhouse restaurant which utilizes the village’s small farm and garden operation to create the menu. In July 2016, Boulder became home to Rayback Collective, a Kickstarter-funded rotating food truck park, beer garden and event space.
FIBER FARMS & FESTIVALS: Colorado fiber producers across the state celebrate a passion for craft with a love for the land and animals. Some highlighted farms worth a stop include Jefferson Farms and Natural Fibers in Salida, an alpaca ranch with unusual breed called a paco-vicunas with a fleece light and luxurious, creating a true labor of slow-growing love. Yampa Valley Fiberworks have developed their own natural washing, drying and spinning methods and producers from across the country ship yarns to be processed. Fiber festivals include the Sneffels Fiber Festival in Ridgeway, Estes Park Wool Market & Fiber Festival and Elizabeth Fiber Festival.
A TRIFECTA OF CULTURE, NATURE & HISTORIC WONDER: Colorado has three designated National Heritage Areas, which are not to be confused with National Historic Landmarks or the Register of Historic Places. National Historic Areas offer a look at regions that tell stories through a wealth of natural, cultural and historic resources. NHA’s cast a wide, heritage-focused net, sometimes encompassing popular National Parks. Diverse activities—from hiking and paddling to festivals and museums—provide a more comprehensive sense of an area’s roots, and lesser-known attractions mean fewer crowds to contend with. Choose from: South Park National Heritage Area: Park County’s mining and ranching heritage is on display in South Park, cradled in a valley that shows off diverse terrain. Highlights include July’s music and art-centric Festival in the Clouds. Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area is a 3,000-square-mile corridor encompassing the San Luis Valley, home to the state’s earliest civilizations and a mountain range named for the red hue of its peak at sunset. The 120-mile name-sake river of the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area influenced development of water law in the Western U.S., enhanced water-delivery systems and helped shape northern Colorado’s cultural heritage.
SEED TO SIP: Colorado has a remarkable collection of 45 distilleries, more than 200 breweries and 108 wineries. Tours are available all over Colorado, providing an up-close understanding of the creative science behind these beverages and the opportunity to rub elbows with friendly and knowledgeable craftspeople. Favorite visits include Odell Brewing Company of Fort Collins, known for their hoppy beers and IPAs Odell is a Colorado favorite and primarily use local raw materials for their brews. Mesa Winds Farm & Winery in Hotchkiss harvests grapes from their backyard or nearby neighbors, the soils to mesa Winds are similar to those in burgundy and the atmosphere is likened to someone’s awesome grandma’s farm. Marble Distilling Company of Carbondale filters its pot-distilled spirits through marble sourced at the same quarry that supplied marble for the Lincoln Memorial. A tasting room, barrel club and rooftop deck round-out the experience, along with five boutique luxury guest rooms—the only known distillery inn where guests can literally “sleep at the stills.” And of course, Colorado has a festival for that: Colorado Mountain Wine Fest, Palisade, September 2017, celebrates the best vintners and grapes of the States eight AVA’s, the world-renowned Great American Beer Festival has become a bucket list event for beer lovers, and DSTILL is in its third year as a festival and industry showcase for the Colorado craft spirit movement, featuring signature tasting events, craft cocktails, pop-up bars and educational workshops, all highlighting top distillers and bartenders from across the country.
For more information on the Colorado Tourism Office Heritage and Agritourism Program, please contact: Sarah-Jane Johnson, 310 854-2408, [email protected]
ABOUT COLORADO
Colorado is a four-season destination offering unparalleled adventure and recreational pursuits, a thriving arts scene, a rich cultural heritage, flavorful cuisine, and 26 renowned ski areas and resorts. The state's breathtaking scenic landscape boasts natural hot springs, the headwaters of seven major rivers, many peaceful lakes and reservoirs, 11 national parks and monuments and 58 mountain peaks that top 14,000 feet. For more information or a copy of the 2017 Colorado Official State Vacation Guide, visit www.COLORADO.com or call 1-800-COLORADO. For the Colorado Heritage & Agritourism ROOTS Guide, visit http://www.colorado.com/roots
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