Compass Colorado 5th ed."The cultural material and the excellent color illustrations make this a reference book you are going to want to keep." --
Maine in PrintCreated by local writers and photographers, Compass American Guides are the ultimate insider's guides, providing in-depth coverage of the history, culture and character of America's most spectacular destinations. Covering everything there is to see and do as well as choice lodging and dining, these gorgeous full-color guides are perfect for new and longtime residents as well as vacationers who want a deep understanding of the region they're visiting.
Outstanding color photography, plus a wealth of archival imagesTopical essays and literary extractsDetailed color mapsGreat ideas for things to see and doCapsule reviews of hotels and restaurants
IntroductionColorado is a sprawling western state whose Rocky Mountain spine of towering snowcapped peaks is bracketed by a vast prairie on the east and a dry, windswept desert on the west. To the south, mystery reigns.
All of Colorado provides postcard images. If a picture is worth a thousand words, pictures of many Colorado scenes are worth a thesaurus. And even that can't describe the beauty, tranquility, and almost spiritual feel that can overtake mere mortals when escaping into the millions of acres of Colorado plains, mountains, and deserts.
Whether it's the stability of small town life on the plains, brightly clad skiers busting through piles of "champagne powder," or a sunrise splashing color across a desert moonscape, nature can provide visitors to Colorado more than enough goosebumps.
Goosebumps aside, there's more than postcard images in Colorado. There is also the Oil Shale Capital of the World, the world's highest town (railroad, paved road, and suspension bridge), enough natural hot springs to soak away half the world's fatigue, the world's biggest underground hole filled with military brass (and we're not talking ammo dump), and the sweetest peaches this side of paradise.
Although this book can't reproduce the taste of those peaches, it can give you a taste of and feel for the parts that make Colorado a unique whole, while pointing out each area's sights, scenes, and history. As with any story, there are characters, and Colorado is full of them, from the first optimistic gold miners and silver barons to the current crop of peach growers on the Western Slope.
Today, millions of acres of national forest, national parks and recreation areas, and public land draw visitors from around the globe. Whether it's to fish, backpack, bike, camp, hunt, or just try to get back in touch with land that has not been scarred or trampled by civilization, Colorado is more than accommodating.
The same is true for the state's famed mountain resorts. Entire communities have been created from scratch to satisfy the urge to ski. Mining towns down on their ore learned how to mine powder or historic charm instead of minerals. The transformation has been dazzling. Formerly dilapidated Victorian downtowns now boast everything from living history to the latest fashions.
Thanks to its history and its people, Colorado is a state that is used to remaking itself whenever it has to. It is an amazing testament to the state's bountiful natural resources and resourceful citizens that it has been able to adjust and survive in an ever-changing world, while retaining its famous, almost magical reality.
