Travelers
find change of pace in Colorado
By Jack Schneider
On-line Forty-Niner
 It
is a complete change of pace from what most
Californians are used to. Hardly any traffic
or any amusement parks.
Colorado contains more than 40 state and
national parks, along with numerous places
to camp and mountain bike. For those who
are chocolate fans, the Rocky Mountain Chocolate
Factory is only a two-hour drive from Denver
in Estes Park. Similar to Aspen, Estes Park
offers many places to shop and is also a
great spot for tourists to gather Rocky
Mountain souvenirs. Something not to be
seen in Estes Park is high prices, compared
to inflated items in Aspen.
If a good night’s rest is all someone needs,
and is not afraid to pay a hefty price,
the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park is where
to stay. Prices range from $159 to $189
per night while the presidential sweet runs
for $1,500. The Stanley Hotel has been featured
on the silver screen including, “Dumb and
Dumber,” and for Stephan King fans, the
site of where King got his inspiration for
his hit book “The Shining.”
For those who wish to explore the metropolitan
lifestyle of Colorado, Denver, contains
a great night life including clubs such
as Bernard’s Lounge, Ninth Avenue West and
15th Street Tavern. Beside the nightlife,
Denver, the capital of Colorado, has one
step shows that are exactly a mile high
above sea level. Also in the mile high city
is the Denver Mint, the only other mint
in the United States besides Pennsylvania.
One-place students should go to see the
more artistic and cultured side of Colorado
is Pearle Street in Boulder. Sure to be
seen are street performers, mountain bike
shops and even clowns. Boulder has also
proven to be a haven for mountain climbers
and bikers with more than 20 bicycle shops
to choose from in the city alone.
A person can take a relatively short trip
from Colorado to Wyoming and then onto Nebraska.
A person can drive for an hour and a half
on Highway 14 from Fort Collins, Colo.,
to Laramie, Wyo. Although there isn’t too
much life on the way from Northern Colorado
to Laramie, many antelope maybe be spotted
on the desolate highway.
The name Laramie may sound desolate and
grim due to the incident with Matthew Shepard,
but the town is not as dark as one might
think. Laramie is a town that includes craft
stores, cafes and the University of Wyoming.
For those who wish to experience powerful
weather, don’t forget to bring a jacket
as thundershowers are common throughout
Laramie.
For those who wish to know the legacy of
the early pioneers, Scottsbluf, Neb., offers
Chimney Rock, an important landmark seen
in the days of the pioneers who traveled
the West.
Similar to Colorado, Nebraska offers many
scenic places to bike, one of many is Platte
River State Park in eastern Nebraska just
halfway between the two biggest cities in
the state, Omaha and Lincoln. People can
rent a teepee, which houses six to eight,
or can have a choice between 21 housekeeping
cabins.
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