I Guess We'd Rather Be In
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Discoveries The Garden of the Gods at Colorado Springs I guess we ’d rather be in CNoroman Wrlight troavels throrugh a satate steepedd in o history and tradition that represents the very essence of America PHOTOGRAPHY: CLIVE NICHOLLS M 26 CHOICE JANUARY 2015 JANUARY 2015 CHOICE 27 Discoveries The main street of Georgetown with mountain view Buffalo Bill’s Grave on Lookout Mountain Log cabin rooms at the Zapata Ranch M HUGE bull buffalo sagebrush or taking their own dust bath, exploit America’s West. It’s not the Wild has a beef herd and offers holidays where of all ages, in the dining room for an system of alleys and pens topped by rolled over in the dusty number only a couple of thousand where West any longer, although the bull you can ride out with the cowboys and excellent meal. Towards the end catwalks that are designed to filter the herd wallow then with once millions roamed. looked like he could get pretty angry if his join in the working ranch. of the meal we all went outside to witness down into a hydraulic chute so the animals surprising agility rose to Our giant bull matched the landscape, peace and his harem of wives were Accommodation is in log cabin lodges the most spectacular sunset imaginable. can be vaccinated and selected. survey his domain – the seemingly endless and with the mountains and huge wide disturbed any more. (but with all mod cons). The horses are The ranch nestles close to one of Every one of the herd goes through Ahigh plains of Colorado to the east and, to sky as a backdrop, both beast and vista are The herd was built like Spike the brought up from the stables in a long America’s most unusual national parks, the round-up every November and the the west, the snowy peaks and grey crags truly magnificent. bulldog in Tom and Jerry cartoons or an trailer pulled by a four-by-four with 12 the Great Sand Dunes National Park, incredibly powerful big bulls take of the Rocky Mountains. Buffalo, or more correctly American American football linebacker – broad individual boxes. Riders and their mounts some 30 square miles of enormous sand some managing. We had just driven through the Rockies Bison, were a bit of a theme during our shoulders and huge muscular chest but are then driven off to the part of the ranch dunes, as if you had suddenly come across Conserving the herd is made financially up over Wolf Creek Pass where we crossed tour of Colorado. We dined on Buffalo with a small backside. It is a bit of an they will be working on. the Sahara desert. viable by sending some for slaughter. the Great Continental Divide. Now we steaks in Denver, stood on Lookout illusion as they can leap 12 feet in the air We took the buffalo tour in a four-by-four Behind the dunes the Sangre de Cristo I sampled a Buffalo steak and elk meat were seeing for ourselves the country we Mountain and shared the view Buffalo Bill and get up to 40mph for short periods but with a very knowledgeable guide in her mountains rear up. We didn’t have time at Colorado’s oldest restaurant, The knew only through Western films and chose for his grave. We also walked in they do look all head and front end. first job after graduating in conservation. to explore the park and I would love to go Buckhorn Exchange in Denver. No books, the land of Indians, cowboys, the footsteps of native Americans and the This herd roam as wild on 50,000 acres We skipped the horse bit as we are too back for a longer look at this big country. vegetarian’s paradise this. You eat waggon trains and, of course, buffalo. white pioneers who depended on hunting of the Zapata Medano Ranch owned by dude for even a dude ranch and joined On the buffalo tour we drove to find the overlooked by more than 500 stuffed The herd we saw, grazing amongst the those massive herds to survive and then the Nature Conservancy. The ranch also the riders, who were families and couples herd then visited the Buffalo Barn – a hunting trophies and the photographs of M 28 CHOICE JANUARY 2015 JANUARY 2015 CHOICE 29 Discoveries Buffalo graze on the high plains with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the distance Not the restaurant for vegetarians. Some of the 500 trophies at Buckhorn Exchange, Denver The State Capitol in Denver. Its 13th step is exactly a mile above sea level M hundreds of celebrities who have dined eat and drink, almost a museum with visiting his sister in Denver in 1917. He are exactly a mile above sea level. Much galleries. It’s an easy walk to the Capitol restaurants, local shops and a Colorado there, including four Presidents, film stars, collections of weapons and historic was buried on Lookout Mountain a few of the rest of our trip was at this altitude building and also to the start of 16th beer hall. For more details go to: astronauts, even our own Princess Anne. pictures and documents. Then it was one miles outside the state capital and you can and higher. You should take account of Street, the main downtown shopping (www.denverunionstation.org). The founder of the restaurant was of the colourful legends of the Old West, visit the grave and that of his wife Louisa. the fact that oxygen is a bit harder to come street. There’s an excellent free bus Rockmount Ranch Wear is a fantastic Henry H Zeitz, who met Buffalo Bill on occasions it was properly Wild West. The website gives the exact location. by and not try to operate at the same speed service that runs up and down the street western clothes shop founded by Papa Cody as a ten-year-old in 1875 and by the After several years as a scout for the US There’s a café, museum and visitor and intensity as normal. Drink plenty of every five minutes with frequent hop on, Jack Weil, who at 106 was the oldest age of 12 was riding with him as a fully Cavalry Buffalo Bill founded his Wild centre and a superb view over Denver water as you lose more fluids at altitude. hop off stops. working CEO in America until he passed fledged hard-riding, straight-shooting West show and toured with it all over and the plains. In Denver we stayed at the Patterson Among the highlights of the mile-long in 2008. Jack invented the snapbutton member of his band of scouts. During the world including Britain in 1887, Inn in the heart of the Capitol Hill district street is Denver’s Union Station, which western shirt worn by everyone from those years the Indian leader Sitting Bull 1891, 1903 and 1904. On the website Mile-high city on Millionaire’s Row. Once the home of has undergone a massive restoration and Ronald Reagan to Elvis to Eric Clapton, gave him the nickname of Shorty Scout. (www.buffalobill.org) everywhere the show US Senator Thomas Patterson in the early re-development. The 1881 Beaux Arts the latter of whom is a frequent shopper. Zeitz founded the restaurant in 1893 in visited is detailed. I was amazed by how We started our tour of the state in Denver, 1900s it has been restored with each station is a transportation, dining, There’s a little museum in the shop as Osage Street and it has Colorado State many places it performed over here; it must known as the mile-high city. There’s a historic room unique. shopping and entertainment hub with well. (www.rockmount.com) liquor licence number one. Now it is an have caused a sensation in those days. mark on one of the steps of the State The inn is also perfectly placed to 112 hotel rooms, four new Colorado Tattered Cover is one of the nation’s atmospheric although tranquil place to Sadly, Cody died suddenly while Capitol building that tells you when you explore the “Hill” and its museums and chef-owned restaurants, two quick service largest independent bookstores. It’s M 30 CHOICE JANUARY 2015 JANUARY 2015 CHOICE 31 Discoveries Clockwise from main: The incredible Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde; Beautiful water garden at Denver Botanic Gardens; Sandstone canyons in the Mesa Verde National Park; In the footsteps of the ancient Native American cliff dwellers at Mesa Verde; Plum Creek Winery’s cellar door shop in Pallisade M heaven for any book lover with lots of texture with quiet, flat walks through including Mount McClellan. It has a plateau wilderness. The stacked rock to pull off and park to enjoy the many (the Plateau) and the guide takes you on nooks and corners with tables and chairs specialist gardens past tranquil water features historic Main Street with places to shop formations in the canyons are colourful wonderful views. short walks to illustrate the history and and settees for browsing. For details go to: as well as a huge conservatory. It’s a lovely and eat as well as the railway. and often stand proudly in the high lifestyles of the ancient Puebloan people. (www.tatteredcover.com). way to spend a day despite the competition It is a beautiful mountain drive from country with the backdrop of the Grand Mesa Verde The trip culminates with a walking tour Larimer Square is a restored section of for your time from other attractions.