There are several factors to take into consideration when wanting to explore a new area. Most people love exploring new places and discovering things that aren’t readily available right outside your own front door, and sometimes these adventures take different turns than expected. Scenic highways are a great way to travel to explore new areas, often with scenic overlooks, spots to pull off and take photos, and look in on rural living.
Dan, the kids and I recently went on a drive in Colorado, wanting to explore a new area. This particular Cole Adventure we partook in meant taking different roads in our Yukon than we would have if we had the Jeep, not to mention that we were under a time restraint, snowy weather was rolling in quickly, and the kids were hungry. We had plans to meet a friend for lunch in Denver and we were south of Colorado Springs, so we chose to take the beautiful scenic highway, Highway 67.
Highway 67 is a 71 mile long highway that runs through the eastern side of Pike National Forest, passing through the small towns of Cripple Creek, an old mining town and Woodland Park, “The City Above the Clouds,” a small town with access to skiing and great outdoor exploration and spectacular views of Pike’s Peak. It is a great alternative to taking the interstate from outside Colorado Springs to Denver. It winds through the forest (beware if you’re prone to carsickness) giving way to breathtaking views of mountain towns, vast boulders lining the roads, evergreens, aspens, red dirt, and mountaintops. This particular trip we saw evidence of the severe fires that burned in the summer of 2013; many trees blackened and broken, some standing and some scattered about as if a giant stepped on them and crushed them to the ground.
Our adventure on Highway 67 was enjoyable for all of us. We can never get enough of taking in the views of the outdoors. The red dirt hillsides and boulders dusted in snow reminded me of a mound of chocolate sprinkled with powdered sugar, and the many scenes were just picturesque. Although Dan and I have ventured off road a few times throughout this area in our Jeep, this highway trip as a family proved to be just as advantageous and exciting. If you’re traveling or looking for a new adventure, choose a scenic highway and take the extra moments to drive it and enjoy the new views and creations around you.
