Hot Air Balloon Rides in Colorado

Colorado offers a unique experience when it comes to hot air ballooning. The high altitude, clear air and mountain vistas offer ballooners an unmatched experience on their Colorado vacations. One popular location or thermal ballooning is the South Park Valley. No not because of the famous TV show, but because of the glorious views. This area is near the center of Colorado, so it is close by many other activities popular on Colorado trips.

This is right near the golden ski area that includes Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone and more. The most convenient place to stay outside South Park would probably be Colorado Springs. Most air balloons do not go that high up. However the launch point at South Park is one of the highest in the world. You will leave the ground already around nine thousand feet above sea level. From up top you can see mountains over 100 miles away through the clear air. Some popular sights are viewing both sides of the continental divide, Mt. Elbert and Pike's Peak. The balloons have the ability to go high for views and lower to monitor native wildlife.

After the balloon ride there is a special ceremony for first time travelers. I can't give you the full story now for fear of ruining it. After the ascent is over, many Rocky Mountain travelers opt to finish their Colorado trips with a full fledged adventure. There is kayaking, river rafting, horseback riding, fishing, biking and all kinds of outdoor adventures. Colorado is not short on culture as well. There are many wine, music and beer festivals, as well as historical sites. Some people like to descend into the old gold mines for a peek. The mining and ghost towns preserve the gold rush culture well.

Afterwards you can return to stay at Colorado Springs, where a morning adventure might include a trip up Pike's Peak on the cog railway, or a visit to the Garden of the Gods or US Olympic complex.

Another popular ballooning launch point is Boulder. Boulder has plenty to offer for Colorado trips, but while in the balloon the primary attractions are Estes Park and the front range mountains. Boulder is famous for its Pearl Street mall. Nearby is the Coors Brewery, Red Rocks Amphitheater and many more. Consider visiting a Colorado welcome center for more ideas for Colorado trips after your balloon ride.

Mining and Gambling: Black Hawk Colorado

Black Hawk is a tiny town in the Colorado Rockies. It is one of Colorado's oldest towns, but the reason it is famous today is because it is one of the few places in Colorado that allow gambling. Nestled in a canyon, the first settlers came after a prospector found gold in the canyon in 1859. The population swelled, but few found gold, and the settlement was more like a string of camps.

First called mountain city, Black Hawk's history make it a prime destination for a Colorado vacation. The boom quickly subsided and the town turned to laboring in the mines. Black hawk became known as the city of mills because of the stream running through town that was used to drive water wheels and sift gold ore. Many mines sent their ore to Black Hawk to be milled.

When visiting mines be careful. Never visit an abandoned mine. These mine shafts do not go horizontally into the mountain. Gold is forced up through natural processes which means that mine shafts go straight down, often more than a thousand feet. There are also thousands of mining claims. Most have been capped but not all.

As the mining petered out and new mining techniques no longer needed water power, Black Hawk's population and relevance decayed. Historical district laws were passed, but without employment many Black Hawk natives moved away after the automobile made travel easier. As the city moved away from mining, tourist activities like hiking and skiing took over.

The town continued to decay until the early 90's, when the state legislature legalized gambling in Black Hawk and Central City. Now the town is a popular location for Colorado trips. The casinos are popular because they are smaller and more intimate than the ones in Las Vegas.

For those looking to plan a Colorado vacation in the casino towns you should call ahead for lodging reservations. The towns are in a narrow gulch with little room. Most of the room is taken by casinos, although there are a few hotels and bed and breakfasts. Over the years, the mining town turned to gambling and tourism between a brief dry spell that left the city almost abandoned. Some ghost towns are excellent for Colorado trips however. The other legalized gambling spots in Colorado are Central City and Cripple Creek, both a few hours from Colorado Springs.

Colorado Mining History and Historical Mines

In the summer of 1849 a party of seven Georgians were taking a herd of thoroughbred horses across the continent to California. Reaching the mountains too late in the fall to effect a safe crossing with their stock, they established a winter camp at the junction of Cherry Creek and Platte River, on the present site of the city of Denver, and during the fall occupied themselves in prospecting the gravels along Cherry Creek, but they did not penetrate into the mountain canyons for fear of the Indians. Gold in quantities sufficient to awaken their hopes was found at several places, particularly at a point 16 miles upstream.

With the arrival of spring they proceeded to California, where for several years they engaged in mining, but in 1857 they sold out their interests in California and returned to Georgia. Before separating it was agreed among several of them that in the near future they would form a prospecting party to go to the Rocky Mountains and search for gold. In May, 1858, the original seven and four others met in St. Louis, and in August they reached the present site of Denver, where they established a camp and began prospecting. According to Rickard, one of these parties followed Boulder Creek up to the forks, finding small amounts of gold. Another party proceeded across the ridges to Fall River and Spring Gulch. They did not descend into the valley of North Clear Creek at that time but crossed Quartz Hill and found rich gravel at Russell Gulch, named after its discoverer, W. Green Russell. As it was too near winter to begin mining, the prospectors returned to their camp at Cherry Creek. Six of the party went east to obtain provisions, returning in the spring of 1859.

By the fall of 1858 rumors of the gold discoveries had reached eastern Kansas. The East and especially the Middle West was still suffering from the effects of the financial panic of 1857, and this fact undoubtedly accounted in a measure for the enthusiasm with which any plan that promised to revive fallen fortunes was received. Prospectors in large numbers traveled to the new gold field, which became generally known as the Pikes Peak field. The town at the mouth of Cherry Creek, on the present site of Denver, was named Auralia, and there in 1858 wintered a considerable number of people disappointed at the small findings of gold in that vicinity and ready to stampede to any field of new discovery. At the foot of the mountains, where now stands the town of Golden, three prospectors camped for the winter.

One of these men, George A. Jackson, a native of Missouri, penetrated into the mountains during the winter of 1858 and discovered the hot soda springs near the present site of the town of Idaho Springs, and shortly afterward, on January 7, 1859, he washed fine gold from the gravels bordering Chicago Creek near its mouth. A monument now marks the site of his discovery. The news of Jackson's find and the display of his gold at Auralia, where he offered it in payment for tools and supplies, precipitated a rush of prospectors to the mountains and resulted in the spring of 1859 in the discovery of gold at many other places.

Once word spread, people came all over the Rockies in droves. Many of these locations are now popular destinations for Colorado trips. People were willing to brave harsh alpine conditions for gold.

Among those who joined in this rush was John Hamilton Grergory, a native of Georgia, who followed up North Clear Creek. On May 6 Gregory made the first lode discovery in the Rockies, on the lode that bears his name (on Gregory No. 5 claim), between the present sites of Blackhawk and Central City. Other prospectors coming up North Clear Creek soon learned of his discovery, and the news spread and occasioned another rush, many hastening across the hills from Cherry Creek and from the Jackson "diggings," on South Clear Creek. Gregory sold his two claims for $21,000 in the summer of 1859 and soon afterward left the district.

Some of these historical towns are still thriving up in the rockies. Idaho Springs for example is more than just a pit stop up in the mountains. But many towns are now ghost towns. Visiting historical towns is a great way to preserve history during a Colorado vacation.

Source for mining history: http://www.miningbureau.com/

How To Taste Colorado Wine

Not a wine connoisseur just yet? Here’s all you need to know to get started.

The equipment:Clear, stemmed wineglasses, preferably ones that slant inward at the rim.

Pitcher of water for rinsing.

Bucket for spitting (not considered impolite at a tasting) or for dumping excess wine.

Cubes of bread to clear the palate between wines.

Notebook and pen for recording impressions as you taste.

The steps:

• Starting with the lightest wine, pour no more than an inch into each glass.


• Hold it up to the light to look at the opacity and color. (Hint: White wines gain color as they age; red wines lose color.)


• Holding the stem, not the bowl, gently swirl the wine. With your nose right over the opening of the glass, inhale lightly to get an initial impression of the aroma, then stick your nose right into the glass and inhale deeply. Try to relate the aroma with a fruit, plant or spice.


• Take a small sip and let the wine flow over your tongue. Open your lips slightly and draw in a bit more air and “chew" the wine so that it touches all taste buds.


• Swallow the wine and consider how long its taste lingers (this is called the wine’s “finish").


• Dump out the remainder, rinse your glass and proceed to the next heaviest wine.


• Make notes not just of the color, aroma and finish but how well you actually like the wine.

Wine tasting need not be a haughty venture. The most important fact is how much you liked the wine. Some wines go better with food. Ask the people at the winery what parings they recommend. Often the winery will have some cheeses to try with the wines. Some wines go best with heavy meats or something exotic. Remember which ones you like! There are so many wines to choose from and different wineries, it is a good idea to keep your notes so you will be able to order your favorites later, or buy a few to bring with you on your Colorado Vacation.

According to the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, 85 percent of Colorado’s vineyard acreage is planted in premium vitis vinifera varietals, with merlot accounting for nearly one-fifth of that amount. Here is what Colorado vineyards are planting:

• Merlot, 19.3%


• Cabernet Sauvignon, 18.6%


• Syrah, 15.4%


• Chardonnay, 11.3%


• Riesling, 8.5%


• Cabernet Franc, 7.1%


• Viognier, 2.9%


• Gewürtztraminer, 2.4%


• Sauvignon Blanc, 2.4%


• Pinot Noir, 2.3%


• Other, 10%

As you can see, there is a great range of creative wines being produced in Colorado. Going on a wine tasting or Colorado winery tour can be great additions to Colorado Trips. To find out more on wines, visit my source http://www.visitgrandjunction.com/cms/d/colorado_wines.php