To go along with our recent blog about Colorado’s geology and geography (not at all like school classes!), here are some fun facts about Colorado. Let’s start with the savory!
Coloradans are fully appreciative of the harvests but most from out of state are astonished to learn of these deliciously incredible choices. From Palisade peaches to Rocky Ford melons, juicy and savory don’t even begin to do them justice. Let’s not overlook apples and cider, Pueblo green chiles, and Olathe sweet corn!
Colorado wineries have been in production since the late 1800s. Colorado wineries now produce 178,000 cases a year.
Colorado is home to more microbreweries per capita than any other state.
Given Colorado’s 8,000 miles of rivers and more than 2,000 lakes, fishing options abound! Thanks to ice fishing, it’s actually a year-round sport! Dinner could be anything from trout, salmon, whitefish, walleye, catfish, bass and more (see list here).
And now we’ll go into other interesting tidbits.
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has been used in at least a dozen movies including How the West Was Won (1963) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).
Leadville was given its name because there were lots of other towns that already used “silver.”
In 1806, Lt. Z M Pike explored the area of Pikes Peak and published a report that brought a lot of attention to the area. Although he never climbed the peak, it bears his name.
Thousands upon thousands of valentines are re-mailed each year from Loveland.
In 1858 Colorado’s first military post was established. Fort Garland was commanded by frontiersman, trapper & wilderness guide Kit Carson.
Nesting and migrating birds makes Alamosa a world-class wildlife experience. You just might see bald eagles, Sandhill cranes and much more.
A geothermal well near Alamosa is part of the world’s largest alligator farm!
Each year the folks of Fruita celebrate Mike the Headless Chicken Day. Apparently, in 1945 a farmer cut off Mike’s head in preparation of chicken dinner and Mike lived for another 4 years without a head.
Burlington is home to the Kit Carson County Carousel, which dates back to 1905. That makes it the oldest wooden merry-go-round in the country and it’s the only wooden carousel in America still with its original paint.
The world’s highest suspension bridge is over the Royal Gorge near Cañon City. It spans the Arkansas River. It’s 1,053 feet up from the river, and it’s 1,260’ in length.
The two-block long hot springs pool in Glenwood Springs was a favorite stop of former President Theodore Roosevelt.
American gunfighter and gambler “Doc” Holliday’s poor health led him to Glenwood Springs. He died of tuberculosis at the Hotel Glenwood on November 8, 1887.
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park was the inspiration behind Stephen King’s horror film, The Shining.
With all of that fun insight, keep in mind that we didn’t repeat the insight we shared in this blog about Colorado’s geology and geography so we invite you to hop over there to learn more.
Our Find a Campground page makes it easier to narrow the list of campground to those which best suit your preferences.
This publication is supported by funding from the Colorado Tourism Office, a state agency. Turn to Colorado.com for a comprehensive list of festivals, events, historic areas, itineraries, and community insight.
