• Rocky Mountain National Park
• Estes Park
• Mesa Verde National Park

An extensive four-hour deep-dive into the park’s most important historical sites. Led by a National Association for Interpretation guide, the tour proceeded in chronological order from the footprint of a circa-AD 600 Pithouse village—the earliest recorded in human history—to the Pueblo-era cliff dwellings from the 13th century. The crowning moment was the descent to the magnificent Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in the park and a truly stunning site to behold.

• Celestial Seasonings Tour - Boulder, Colorado

The Celestial Seasonings production plant in Boulder is situated on Sleepytime Drive, but a visit here is nothing less than invigorating. Free, daily 45-minute tours give you a close-up look at the process of tea making—cleaning, cutting, sifting, blending, and packaging the herbs, spices, and tea leaves that are shipped all over the world to make 1.6 billion (yes, billion) cups of tea each year. You’ll also visit the sampling bar, where the list includes 100 kinds of tea. Should you need fortification before you get on your way, check out the Celestial Café, which offers an extensive salad bar and lots of grilled items. It’s adorned with original paintings of the images you'll recognize from the packaging, some of which you’ll also find on the memorabilia in the adorable shop.

• Eat green chili cheese fries
• Denver Central Market
• White water rafting - Buena Vista
• Wesley and Rose - Buena Vista
• Deerhammer distilling company - Buena Vista
• Jailhouse - Buena Vista
• Buena Vista Roastery Cafe - Buena Vista
• Echo Canyon River Expeditions - Canon City

Whether peaceful floats or white water screamers-rafting trips are an exciting way to share time and experiences with family and friends. The United States is fortunate to have 2.9 million miles of rivers, and many of these are ideal destinations for rafting trips through dramatic landscapes. The Arkansas River tumbles through Colorado's Royal Gorge near Cañon City, where the 6-mile canyon reaches a maximum depth of 1,250 feet and measures only 50 feet across at its most narrow. Echo Canyon Rivers Expeditions offers several rafting trips for all adrenaline levels including bombing Boateater, Sledgehammer and other Class III to V rapids through the 1,000-foot-deep Royal Gorge. For a mellower family adventure, raft through Big Horn Sheep Canyon where you may spot the area’s namesake animal, or try the Gentle Family Float that’s perfect for children as young as 4.

• Cheesemaking class at Mountain Goat Lodge - Salida
• Currents - Salida
• Howl Mercantile and Coffee - Salida
• Book Haven - Salida
• Bungled Jungle - Salida
• The Fritz - Salida
• Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

Designated an International Dark Sky Park in May of this year, this particular protected land is a striking anomaly: a towering stretch of sand, eroded from the mountains over thousands of years, with nary a wave in sight—unless you visit during the summer, that is, and the creeks are flowing in your favor. When there’s been ample snowmelt, the Medano spreads around the base of the dunes into a shallow stream, and the crowds come out to play, swimming, floating, and wading while the water levels hold. But that’s not the park’s only attraction. With hiking, camping, and ranger-led programs like “Great Women of Great Sand Dunes” and after-dark telescope viewing, there’s plenty to see and do year-round.

• Joyful Journey Hot Springs Spa - Moffat

A tranquil setup boasting three mineral-rich, non-sulfuric pools untouched by chlorine or other chemicals, it’s the polar opposite of the state’s more polished commercial springs, with $10 all-day soaks on Tuesdays and clothing-optional Wednesday evenings. It has a lodge, RV sites, tipis, and camping sites, but we opted for a yurt, decked out with a proper bed, a small seating area, and both a fan and a heater for hot days and cold nights. We spent some time hopping from pool to pool, making small talk with our fellow soakers, before grabbing a light supper of homemade soup and salad (complimentary with our stay). With blessedly little else to do, we unplugged and called it a night—until a few hours later, when we had to put on our shoes and venture out to the communal bathhouse. A chilly proposition to be sure, but well worth it for the unbelievable, light-pollution-free galactic display we witnessed on the way.

• The Springs Resort & Spa - Pagosa Springs

A slick facility overlooking the river, with 23 geothermal pools—the most in the state, fed by the deepest geothermal hot spring in the world—as well as locker rooms, restaurants, bars, and a well-stocked gift shop, the Springs offered a decidedly different experience from what we’d encountered at Joyful Journey the night before. We compared and contrasted the two for a few hours, dipping in and out of pools of varying temperatures, before caving to our lunchtime cravings.

• Cyprus Café - Durango
• The Bookcase & Barber - Durango

A speakeasy with meticulously composed literary-themed craft cocktails

• Avalanche Brewing Company - Silverton
• K&C Traders - Silverton
• Thee Pitts Again - Silverton
• Cascade Creek Hike - Silverton
• Nugget Bar - Durango
• Primus - Durango
• Canyon of the Ancients Museum - Dolores

A little less than 60 miles to the north. Operated by the Bureau of Land Management, with fascinating exhibits on local history and Native American culture as well as two 12th-century sites and a nature trail offering expansive skyline views from its peak, the small archaeological museum made the short detour worthwhile.

• Olio - Mancos
• Fenceline Cider taproom - Mancos
• The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey – Cañon City, Colorado

Head to The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey for a free harvest event in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado. The Harvest Festival is an annual event where partygoers can indulge in local foods and enjoy blues and jazz bands. Want to make your own wine? Anyone attending ehe Harvest Festival is able to bring their own grapes to be added to that year’s unique “Canon Harvest” wine batch. This all goes down on September 28th and 29th, and the community batch will eventually be bottled and sold. Guests can also splurge on a special dining experience with the Winemakers Dinner Friday night for a cost of $125 per ticket. The chef will highlight Colorado produce, meats, fish, and cheeses in the creation of the menus. Think miso trout and brown butter sage gnocchi, all paired with divine wine.

• Denver Central Market

A marketplace filled with local food and drink vendors.

• Linger

Small plates with a hip ambiance. Love that the small plates include options from across the globe, including Asia, India and the Americas! Great for sharing and trying a ton of different things.

• Safta

Food with influences from the Middle East, Europe and North Africa. Doug and I both agreed that their Muhammara was the best we’ve ever had.

• Avanti
• Ash’Kara
• Root Down
• Izakaya Den
• Joviana’s
• Rioja
• The Wolf’s Tailor
• Fruition
• Senor Bear
• Bar Dough
• Domo
• Colorado Rail Adventure

https://www.vacationsbyrail.com/vacation-type/national-park-train-tours/colorado-rail-adventure

• La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal - Denver