Mesa Verde National Park
- Best preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological site in the United States known for its cliff dwellings
- Starting in 7500 BC, the region was inhabited by a group of nomadic Paleo-Indians
- In 1285, the region was abandoned due to social and environmental instability dues to a series of severe and long droughts
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Garden of the Gods
- Rock formation created by a natural fault line millions of years ago
- Prehistoric people visited Garden of the Gods about 1330 BC
- Given to the City of Colorado Springs in 1909 by Charles Elliott Perkins, who purchased and donated 480 acres of the land that included Garden of the Gods
Telluride/Mountain Village Gondola
- Free gondola from Mountain Village and the town of Telluride
- The first and only free public transportation of its kind in the United States
- Reaches a height of 10,540 ft
- Was once an 8 mile drive between the two towns, now it’s a 3 mile route over the mountains
Trail Ridge Road
- Stretch of U.S. Highway 34 and trailheads
- The elevation is 12,183 ft high at its height
Maroon Bells
- Two peaks in the Elk Mountains
- Composed of metamorphic sedimentary mudstone that has hardened into rock over millions of years
- Elevation reaches 14,163 ft
Aspen and Evergreen Gallery
- Art gallery specializing in photography, pottery, jewelry, blown glass, fused glass, woodwork, handmade furniture, textile art, gourd art, and leather work
Costs
all flights $244
food $45/day x 8 days = $360
hotel $79/day x 7 days = $553
tickets (all attractions) $80
TOTAL for whole itinerary $1,237
