Getting Out of Denver: Five Great Day Trips

Outside of the Pacific Northwest, Denver, Colorado is the city I visit most frequently. With family in the Denver area and occasional business, I'm familiar with the region - in fact, I will be taking a road trip to Denver with wife and son in September. Always eager to explore, I've gone on many day trips outside of the metro area. Here is a list of five favorites.

Royal Gorge Region

Located to the southwest of Colorado Springs, the Royal Gorge area provides family fun and adventure along with spectacular scenery and geological wonders. The highest suspension bridge in America towers over the Arkansas River, 1,000 feet below. The Royal Gorge is only about 50 feet wide at the bottom, and a few hundred at top.

At the suspension bridge is a theme park, with rides for the kids. There's an aerial tram and incline railway as well. Below the bridge, witness whitewater rafters bouncing along the river, or go to an outfitter and brave the rapids yourself. There's bungee jumping, hiking and biking, and more than enough natural wonder.

Pikes Peak Cog Railway

Ride to the top of one of Colorado's 14,000 ft.+ peaks and enjoy an expansive and unique viewing experience that takes you through several micro climates. It was a few years ago when I made the trip, but the highlight still stands out - seeing Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep in their natural environment.

Pike's Peak Cog Railway can be boarded in Manitou Springs, just to the west of Colorado Springs.

Rocky Mountain National Park and the Stanley Hotel

The beauty and grandeur of Rocky Mountain National Park need little explanation - simply amazing suffices. While you are there, visit a piece of movie history, the Stanley Hotel near Estes Park. While many people think it's the location for the exterior shots of The Shining, that's not quite correct.

The Stanly Kubrick directed movie features Timberline Lodge, on Mount Hood, Oregon. Author Stephen King did stay at the Stanley in 1973, and it inspired his story. For the television remake, the Stanley was used.

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Straight up I-25 from Denver is Cheyenne, a true outpost of the American West. The 115th annual Cheyenne Frontier Days, the world's largest outdoor rodeo and western celebration, takes place July 22-30. If you can't make the big show, Cheyenne still offers a peek into the past, anytime of year.

Mount Evans Scenic Byway

Billed as a "ride to the top of the continent," the drive up to Mount Evans is incredible. Beginning just off I-70 near Idaho Springs, you will go by Echo Lake at over 10,000 feet and 40 miles from Denver, it is park of the Denver Mountain Park System.

After Echo Lake, you continue to climb up the highest paved road in North America. The views are amazing, especially from the top.