It’s the shared experience of every Coloradan. You’re traveling across the county, or the world, and you’re asked, “Where are you from?” You proudly respond, “Colorado,” then wait for the oohs, aahs and compliments.
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Because Colorado is cool.
From the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains, from the urban corridor to tiny towns on the Western Slope, from Denver to Durango, from La Junta to Rifle, from the Arkansas River to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado is a beautiful, diverse tapestry.
We have wonderful music, vibrant arts, hiking, biking, skiing, rafting, fishing, paragliding and good eating. A Colorado experience can be weird, wild, scary, spectacular, sublime, or soothing.
But seldom boring.
As the Centennial State celebrates its 150th birthday, here are 150 things that are quintessentially Colorado:
1. A summer concert at Red Rocks: Music at the world-renowned, natural sandstone amphitheater fills the soul.
2. Maroon Bells: Too pretty to be real — but they are, and undoubtedly the most photographed spot in the state.
3. Powder days: Getting off the Panoramic lift at Winter Park on a bluebird day, skiing Vail’s Back Bowls, or riding clouds of champagne powder at Steamboat: heaven.
4. Bagging a fourteener: Summiting one of Colorado’s 58 ranked and unranked peaks that rise above 14,000 feet in elevation is a rite of passage for many.
5. Palisade peaches: Juicy and sweet, the famous, scrumptious Western Slope fruit is available late July through September.
6. State flag: How many other states celebrate — and market — their state flag like Colorado? (Fun fact: The blue stripes represent Colorado skies, the white is for snow-capped peaks, the golden circle is sunshine, and the red “C” represents the rocks and earth.)
7. Opening day at Coors Field: Colorado’s Mardi Gras as baseball fans and partyers — not necessarily in that order — pour into LoDo.
8. Riding Mr. Twister: Baby Boomers got their thrills riding the roller coaster, which opened in 1964 at the original Elitch Gardens in north Denver. Twister III: Storm Chaser debuted at the new location in 2023.
9. John Fielder photography: Fielder was not only a spectacular nature photographer, but he was also a state historian.
10. KBCO radio: Long before streaming and SiriusXM came along, KBCO’s “World Class Rock’ brought quality music and new artists to listeners in the Denver-Boulder area, starting in 1976.
11. Manitou Incline: Want to get your steps in? Hike “The Incline,” gaining 2,000 feet of elevation in less than a mile via 2,768 steep steps.
12. Colorado Columbine: The state flower (Aquilegia caerulea) blooms in summer and brings a smile to every hiker’s face.
13. Rocky Mountain big horn sheep: The state animal was nearing extinction around 1900, but conservation efforts saved them. There are now an estimated 7,000 in Colorado.
14. Rocky Ford cantaloupe: The Arkansas River Valley produces watermelon, honeydew, and, most famously, cantaloupe, which have up to 3% more sugar than California cantaloupe. (Fun fact: Rocky Ford High School’s mascot is a Meloneer.)
15. Chipotle: “Do you want guac on that?” In 1993, Steve Ells, a graduate of Boulder High School and CU Boulder, opened the first Chipotle Mexican Grill blocks from the University of Denver.
16. Glenwood Springs Hot Springs: The spring waters — called Yampah, or literally “Big Medicine,” by Utes — have been soothing tired muscles and spirits for centuries. It’s now touted as the world’s largest hot springs pool.
17. Mesa Verde National Park: Established in 1906, the cliff dwellings give visitors a glimpse of what life was like over 700 years ago when the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving agricultural communities on the mesas and in the cliffs.
18. Great Sand Dunes National Park: Hike the tallest dunes in North America or sand sled or sandboard down the slopes. Then look into how all that sand got there.
19. Pikes Peak: The 14,115-foot peak is touted as “America’s Mountain.” Drive to the top, hike up or ride the world’s highest and longest cog railroad.
20. Bolder Boulder: It’s not just a run, it’s also a celebration, complete with costumes. The Memorial Day 10K began in 1979 with 2,700 entrants. By 2004, it was the largest timed 10K in the world, with 47,454 participants.
21. Bent’s Old Fort: The reconstructed adobe fortress became a national historic site in 1960. It was built in 1833 as an important trading post near the Arkansas River along the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail.
22. Colorado welcome signs: There are 40 of the wooden, brown-and-white “Welcome to Colorado” road signs around the state. The design dates back to the 1950s.
23. Telluride Bluegrass Festival: It began as the Telluride Fourth of July Celebration in 1973. It became the Telluride Bluegrass Festival on July 6, 1974. Emmylou Harris once called it “the Valhalla of places to perform.”
24. View from Wolf Creek Pass: Coming off the pass, looking west toward Pagosa Springs, is the look above the west fork of the San Juan River Valley. Breathtaking.
25. Empower Field at Mile High: Exiting the stadium with the fans after a big win is a magic carpet ride.
26. Stanley Hotel: Founded in 1909 by F.O Stanley, the historic hotel reigns over Estes Park and sits at the doorstep of Rocky Mountain National Park. And it was the inspiration for Stephen King’s “The Shining.”
27. Garden of the Gods: The park was gifted to Colorado Springs in 1909 by the children of railroad magnate Charles Elliot Perkins. Balanced Rock, a 35-foot, 1.4-million-pound red rock, is the star.
28. Subarus: Preferably with a sticker-covered Thule strapped to the top of an Outback, they are Colorado’s vehicle of choice. Or so it seems.
29. Hanging Lake: A short but steep and rocky hike takes you to a cliffside turquoise lake fed by waterfalls. It was named a National Natural Landmark in 2011.
30. South Park vista: From the top of Kenosha Pass, the valley — filled with green ranchland, twisting creeks and rimmed with snowcapped peaks — seems to go on forever.
31. The Numbers: A challenging, whitewater stretch of the Arkansas River just south of Buena Vista, The Numbers is a guaranteed adrenaline rush.
32. Big Blue Bear: The 40-foot-high bear, created by local artist Lawrence Argent, peers into the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver.
33. “Blucifer:” Love it or hate it, you can’t ignore the 32-foot-tall fiberglass sculpture with glowing red eyes on Peña Blvd approaching Denver International Airport.
Blucifer just turned 13. But the family of the artist who died creating it would prefer you don’t call it that.
34. Eisenhower Tunnel: The only bore through the Continental Divide that is named after a U.S. president. (The accompanying Johnson Tunnel is named for Gov. Edwin C. Johnson.)
35. Frozen Dead Guy Days: The festival, begun in Nederland in 2002 and relocated to Estes Park in 2023, revolves around Bredo Morstøl, a Norwegian mountain pioneer who died in 1989 but is cryogenically preserved.
36. The Broadmoor: Known for comfortable luxury, the famed hotel opened in 1918 and is the longest-running, consecutive Forbes five-star, AAA five-diamond resort in the country.
37. The Brown Palace: The Downtown Denver hotel has been a landmark since 1892. It has hosted U.S. presidents, heads of state, and in 1964 … The Beatles!
38. The Colorado Trail: One of the most spectacular long-distance trails in the country, the 567-mile Rocky Mountain journey begins in Denver and finishes in Durango.
39. Grand Lake fireworks: The Fourth of July pyrotechnics over the state’s largest natural lake, deep in the mountains, is unforgettable.
40. F.M. Light & Sons: You can’t miss the signs touting the store’s “Stetson Hats, “Levi Overalls” and more. According to Rocky Mountain PBS, there are 100 of the signs alongside US 40 and Colorado 131, starting 100 miles from downtown Steamboat Springs.
41. Golf at elevation: Everyone has a favorite course, from municipal links to posh country clubs. But it’s tough to top Grand Junction’s Redlands Mesa.
42. Picket Wire Canyon Trail: The 17.6-mile trail in southeast Colorado features 150-million-year-old dinosaur footprints and prehistoric Native American rock art.
43. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: A spectacular ride into the past along the Animas River through canyons in the San Juan National Forest, active since 1882.
44. Baker’s Bridge: About 15 miles north of Durango are the iconic cliffs where Paul Newman (Butch Cassidy) and Robert Redford (The Sundance Kid) jumped into the Animas River to escape a posse. (Fun fact: Part of the famous scene was filmed in California.)
45. Rocky Mountain National Park: How to describe Colorado’s slice of mountain paradise? The park’s 415 square miles encompasses a spectacular range of mountain environments, from meadows to alpine lakes to towering peaks.
46. Kit Carson County Carousel: There were nearly 2,500 wooden carousels carved in America between 1885 and the 1930s, but fewer than 150 survived. One of the best can be found at the county fairgrounds in Burlington.
47. Pawnee National Grassland: Covering 193,060 acres northeast of Greeley, it is home to hundreds of birds, pronghorn antelopes and other wildlife.
48. Crested Butte wildflowers: The town owns the title as “Wildflower Capital of Colorado.” Look for varieties like lupine, paintbrush, elephant heads, fireweed and glacier lilies.
49. Colorado National Monument: Within the 32 square miles of the Colorado Plateau in northwest Colorado are towering stone monoliths, red-rock canyons and the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive.
50. Rifle Falls State Park: A thundering triple waterfall and limestone caves make this a gem of the Colorado State Parks system.
51. DIA: The largest U.S. airport in square miles is easily recognizable, with its tent-like roof intended to mimic the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies. (It’s also known for conspiracy theories, never-ending construction projects, parking woes, long security lines … .)
52. Complaining about Californians and Texans: Come on, admit it, you’ve done it.
53. “Rocky Mountain High”: You sing along when you hear John Denver’s ode to Colorado, the state’s second official song. (The first is “Where the Columbines Grow.”)
54. The National Western Stock Show: Held annually in January at the National Western Complex, the event has celebrated Colorado’s cowboy roots since 1906.
55. Burro Days: In late July, Fairplay celebrates its heritage with burro, llama, dog and outhouse races, as well as a parade. The fete began in 1949 when a challenge went out to anyone who wanted to race alongside a burro from Leadville to Fairplay.
56. Sliding down a snow field: It’s boiling hot on the Eastern Plains, but nice and cool at 11,990 feet on Loveland Pass. Find a patch of snow and away you go! (Don’t forget the selfies.)
57. Fly fishing: Colorado is heaven for anglers casting for rainbow, brown, cutthroat and brook trout. What’s the best spot? The Gunnison River? The Frying Pan River? The fly fisherman will never tell.
58. Black Canyon of the Gunnison: With steep, dramatic walls that range from 2,700 to 1,750 feet, this national park east of Montrose is stunning.
59. Hot-air balloon festivals in Colorado — like the ones in Telluride, Erie, Colorado Springs and Moffat County — offer kaleidoscopes of color against Rocky Mountain skies. (Wanna take a ride? There are quite a few Colorado companies that will take you up.)
60. Coors Brewery tour: Before craft brewing was all the rage, there was Coors in Golden, the largest single-site brewery in the world.
61. Ralphie: CU’s famous buffalo just might be the best mascot in college football. (The current Ralphie, nicknamed Brandy, is the seventh bison to fill the role.)
62. Crestone spiritual retreat: At the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the San Luis Valley, the area includes a Hindu temple, a Zen center, several Tibetan Buddhist centers, and various New Age activities.
63. My Brother’s Bar: Touted as the oldest tavern in Denver, continuously serving fine beers and spirits since 1873, it also offers a famous jalapeño cream cheese burger.
64. Dinger: Love him or not, the purple Triceratops mascot for the Colorado Rockies has been around since April 16, 1994, famously “hatching” from an oversized egg on the grounds that would become Coors Field.
65. “Bucky” the Bronco: Originally built in 1975 and modeled after Roy Rogers’ famous horse, Trigger, Bucky first stood above the scoreboard at the original Mile High Stadium. He now stands atop the South Stand scoreboard at Empower Field at Mile High.
66. Loveland Valentines: The northern Colorado town, known as the Sweetheart City, has been postmarking and re-mailing Valentine’s Day cards for 80 years.
67. Colorado Shakespeare Festival: For more than six decades, thespians have performed The Bard’s works under the stars on the University of Colorado Boulder campus at the Mary Rippon Theatre.
68. Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival: The annual party celebrates Pueblo’s famed green. Every September, more than 100,000 people stroll along Pueblo’s historic Union Avenue listening to live music, browsing local art and getting tastes of roasted chiles.
69. Million Dollar Highway: Stunning and scary (for some), the road travels between Silverton and Ouray in Southwest Colorado. Full of switchbacks and sheer cliffs, it peaks at 11,018 feet on Red Mountain Pass.
70. Bridal Veil Falls: Telluride, perhaps Colorado’s most picturesque mountain town, sits in a box canyon. At the end of the canyon, you’ll find the highest free-falling waterfall in the state.
71. Fiesta de Santiago y Santa Ana: Dating back to the founding of the Town of San Luis in 1851, the late July weekend festival celebrates the history of Colorado’s oldest town with bands, vendors, parades, mariachi mass, a softball tournament, food stalls and a 10k run.
72. Chapel at the Air Force Academy: The Cadet Chapel (closed until 2028 for renovation) is the most recognizable building at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The aluminum, glass, and steel structure features 17 spires that shoot 150 feet into the sky.
73. New Year’s fireworks on Pikes Peak: For more than 100 years, members of the AdAmAn Club have hiked Pikes Peak to ring in the New Year with a fireworks display on the famous mountain.
74. Rattlesnake Canyon Arches Trail: Near Grand Junction, this trail features 35 sandstone arches, the second-highest concentration of natural rock arches in North America outside Utah.
75. Palisade Plunge: A 32-mile mountain bike route that descends 6,000 feet from the top of the Grand Mesa to the town of Palisade. Spectacular.
76. Salida’s FIBArk: America’s oldest whitewater festival is held along the banks of the Arkansas River in June. It features concerts, craft beer, river rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, and running. FYI, FIBArk stands for “First in Boating in the Arkansas River.”
77. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument: Located in Teller County, in the mountains west of Colorado Springs, the monument protects 34-million-year-old fossils of redwood trees and insects.
78. Casa Bonita: For more than 40 years, the Lakewood restaurant has served Mexican food in a pink adobe building that features caves, cliff divers, and endless sopapillas. The iconic restaurant gained cult fame after being featured in an episode of “South Park.” Casa Bonita (Spanish for “pretty house”) is now owned by the show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
79. Mountaintop matrimony: For 35 years, couples have gathered on the Forest Meadow run at Loveland Ski Area to exchange vows and kisses at 12,000 feet.
80. Silver Dollar Saloon: Dating back to 1879, the saloon is an enduring piece of Leadville’s history with a classic, wild-west oak bar. Touted as “a gathering place for locals, outlaws, and legends,” it has hosted figures such as Doc Holliday, Molly Brown and Oscar Wilde, and witnessed the rise and fall of Leadville’s mining boom.
81. Central City Opera: Founded in 1932, it’s the fifth-oldest professional opera company in the country. The summer performances take place at 8,500 feet in the intimate 550-seat opera house built in 1878.
82. Telluride Film Festival: Held annually during Labor Day weekend for 52 years, the event matches movies and the mountains. The 2025 event included the debut of “Springstreen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.”
83. Animas Forks Ghost Town: Just outside the historic San Juan Mountains town of Silverton, the well-preserved ghost town features abandoned buildings and mining structures, taking visitors back to Silverton’s mining frontier history.
84. Meeker base camp: The town in the northwest corner of the state is the center for some of the best elk, mule deer and big-game hunting in Colorado. Hunters encounter terrain ranging from 6,000 feet to mountain peaks exceeding 12,200 feet in the Flattops Wilderness.
85. Greeley Stampede: The annual 10-day celebration, culminating on the Fourth of July, brings the Northern Colorado community together with rodeos, concerts, carnival rides, parades and more.
86. Museums galore: Need some culcha? The dozens of museums in Colorado can help. Among them: the Denver Art Museum; the Firefighters Museum; the Museum of Nature & Science; the Museum of Illusions; the Morrison Natural History Museum; the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver; the Museum of Northwest Colorado; the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum; The ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy; the Children’s Museum of Denver; Colorado Railroad Museum; Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum; the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery; the Aspen Art Museum; the Museum of the West; the National Mining Museum; Forney Transportation Museum; the Clyfford Still Museum; the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum; and the History Colorado Museum, where you can currently see “Zoom In: The Centennial State in 100 Objects.”
87. Rocky Mountain Oysters: A famous — or is it infamous? — delicacy consisting of deep-fried, thinly sliced bull or bison testicles.
88. Beau Jo’s: The original “mountain pie” pizza restaurant opened in Idaho Springs in 1973 and has been a sanctuary to escape I-70 ski traffic ever since.
80. Buckhorn Exchange: A restaurant with heads of actual wildlife on the walls? That they can then serve you? Seriously? (And they also offer Rocky Mountain oysters; see above.) Wild.
90. Colorado natives: Who brag about being Colorado natives.
91. Transplants: Who are annoyed by those who brag about being Colorado natives.
92. The Front Range: Even after decades of living in Colorado, you catch yourself pulling over on Interstate 25 to snap a photo of the majestic mountains after a rainshower, when the clouds are lying heavy on the horizon. Stunning.
93. Glenwood Canyon, a 12.5-mile marvel of engineering that took 12 years to build. Workers had to bore three tunnels through the canyon’s rock; built 15 miles of retaining walls to hold the road in place; and construct 40 bridges and viaducts, according to CDOT. Amaze amaze amaze. (If you get it, you get it.)
94. Sleigh rides, dog sled rides: Take an old-fashioned winter sleigh ride in Steamboat Springs, or zip behind a team of gorgeous huskies pulling you along snowy Breckenridge trails. The kids will never forget it.
95. Molly Brown House: The home of Titanic survivor Margaret Brown offers a Victorian Horrors theater program around Halloween, letting guests traipse through the 1889 house and enjoy ghostly tales.
96. Golf: Where else can you partake nearly year-round without baking (don’t tell me it’s a dry heat, Arizona) or drowning (hello, humid Florida)? And with nearly 300 courses to choose from, you might even be able to find a tee time.
97. The Olympics: Denver is the only city in the country to reject the Winter Olympics (in 1976), giving us the right to gloat over all those other sites that lost money by doing so (sorry, Montreal).
98. Royal Gorge Bridge: With the Arkansas River flowing 956 feet below, it remains America’s highest suspension bridge. The bridge spans 1,260 feet and features 1,257 wooden planks.
99. Fickle weather: A day in May begins with bright sunshine and warms up to 80 degrees. Eight hours later, it’s snowing. Two days later, it’s 80 degrees.
100. The Ouray Ice Park: The man-made ice-climbing park sits in a spectacular natural gorge just outside Ouray. The free, public park is home to more than 150 named ice and mixed climbs and draws adventurers from around the world.
101. DCPA: The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is a downtown treasure hosting Broadway touring plays, Tony Award-winning theater, classical music, ballet and operas.
102. Aspens: Monarch Pass? Kenosha Pass? Independence Pass? Guanella Pass? Does it matter? With aspen glittering golden against cobalt-blue skies, autumn in Colorado is magical.
103. Enstrom toffee: Based in Grand Junction, but found throughout the state, the almond toffee is the star of the show for Enstrom Candies, a business that dates to 1929 and is still family-run.
104. Denver Botanic Gardens: The urban oasis features native and exotic plants and trees, the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory, the Mordecai Children’s Garden and outdoor concerts in the summer.
105. Eldorado Canyon: Just south of Boulder, Eldorado Canyon State Park is a mecca for rock climbers. For others, hiking along scenic South Boulder Creek and stopping for a picnic works just fine.
106. Chautauqua Park and auditorium: Nestled at the base of the Flatirons in Boulder, Chautauqua is a national historic landmark that includes Chautauqua Auditorium, built in 1898. From the Chautauqua Trailhead, hikers can access 40 miles of trails.
107. Apres ski: The after-ski bliss begins with taking off the boots, then gathering at a lodge, bar, or restaurant to unwind and exaggerate your most epic run of the day. A hot tub session is optional.
108. Buffalo Bill’s Grave: At the top of Lookout Mountain, just west of Denver, is the Buffalo Bill museum and gravesite. The popular tourist attraction tells the story of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, star of his Wild West Show that began in 1882.
105. Canyon of the Ancients: Though not as famous as Mesa Verde, the Canyon of the Ancients National Monument is a precious time capsule. Sitting just outside of Dolores, it consists of nearly 200,000 acres and features the largest concentration of archaeological dig sites and Ancestral Puebloan ruins in the United States.
106. Pearl Street Mall: Boulder’s pedestrian mall features restaurants, shops, flowers, street artists, and people watching. It’s about as Boulder as it gets.
107. Central City, Black Hawk, Cripple Creek: Gold and silver first brought people rushing to these mountain towns as they gambled on their future. Now people gamble in the casinos.
110. Hiking is more than just a walk in the park: From a half-mile stroll atop Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park to a 10-mile trek deep into the wilderness, hiking is Colorado’s religion.
111. Indoor rock climbing: For those who need their fix, there are rock-walled gyms throughout Colorado. Climb on!
112. Sundance Film Festival: Robert Redford’s beloved festival will make its Boulder debut Jan. 21-31, 2027, after beating out Utah and Ohio to become the event’s next host. Sundance is moving from its longtime home in Park City, Utah.
113. The Fort Restaurant: The famed adobe restaurant opened in February 1963, specializing in what founder Sam Arnold called “New Foods of the Old West.” The building was inspired by a drawing of Bent’s Old Fort, the famous fur-trading post on the Santa Fe Trail.
114. Golden retrievers: We love our dogs. Labrador retrievers, bulldogs, hunting dogs, even “little yippers.” But according to U.S. News and World Report, golden retrievers are Colorado’s most popular breed.
115. Colorado State Fair and Rodeo: In late August through Labor Day, Pueblo hosts rodeos, carnival rides, agricultural competitions, big-name concerts, monster trucks, fine art, and food, drink and Western and Hispanic culture.
116. Strawberry Park Hot Springs: Thermal pools, unique stone masonry in the Rockies near Steamboat Springs. Famously, clothing is optional after dark, so minors are not permitted after sundown.
117. Craft beer. OK, so the latest heyday of craft beer in Colorado — which started with Boulder Brewing Company in 1979 and was popularized by the Wynkoop in LoDo in 1988 — may have passed, but local breweries are often still the social and economic hubs of their neighborhoods — and Colorado’s award-winning breweries still employ thousands of people and bring people from around the world to the state.
118. Marijuana legalization: Even if you don’t partake, it’s kind of awesome that Colorado was the first state (in 2012) to legalize cannabis use.
119. The Denver City and County Building at the holidays: The tradition of kicking off the holiday season in Denver by lighting up the City and County Building dates back to 1918, which brings us to …
120. … the fact that colored outdoor Christmas lights were invented by electrician D.D. Sturgeon in Denver in 1914, as a way to bring cheer to his ailing son.
From Jolly Ranchers and cheeseburgers to teddy bears and tampons, these inventions were created in Colorado
121: Parades: Sure, we have organized marches for Memorial Day, St. Patrick’s Day, PrideFest, and MLK Day, but smaller parades are a hoot, like Goldens in Golden and the Fourth of July parades that small towns like Salida, Frisco and Florence hold each year. (Watching little kids scramble for candy tossed off of a 1950s firetruck and saluting veterans in uniform strolling behind will make you proud to be an American, and perhaps long for a more innocent time.)
122. Naked skiing: The Boot Tan Fest, started at Glenwood Springs’ Sunlight Mountain Resort in 2021, invites women — and only women or nonbinary individuals (there were 700 of them in 2025) — includes a run in which participants are invited to ski or snowboard sans clothes. Brrrr.
123. Free concerts: Levitt Pavilion in Ruby Hill Park produces more than 50 free concerts at its outdoor amphitheater every summer. And stake out a spot early with your picnic basket for one (or all) of the 10 free concerts at City Park Jazz. (Which leads us to … )
124. Jazz live: Who says it’s a dying art form? Colorado is home to the Winter Park Jazz Festival, Telluride Jazz Festival, Denver Jazz Fest, Evergreen Jazz Festival, UNC-Greeley Jazz Festival and Jazz Aspen Snowmass. (Which leads us to … )
125. Dazzle Jazz and Nocturne Jazz & Supper Club: These two music venues in Denver offer stellar performances by some of the most acclaimed jazz artists in the country in intimate settings.
124. Colorado’s culinary chops: James Beard Award-winners abound here, from Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson (Frasca); Erika and Kelly Whitaker (The Wolf’s Tailor); Caroline Glover (Annette); Matt Vawter (Rootstalk); Johnny Curiel (Alma Fonda Fina); Alex Seidel (Fruition); Troy Guard (TAG); and Jennifer Jasinski (Rioja). Eat up.
125. Monarch Crest Tramway: In the summer, take a ride to the top of the Continental Divide, where you will be treated to 360-degree views of five mountain ranges.
126. The Denver Nuggets: They may not always win, but boy, these guys have heart — and the best basketball player in the world in Nikola Jokic. And an NBA title in 2023.
127. The Colorado Avalanche: Three Stanley Cup titles and a roster of Hall of Famers for a rabid fan base.
128. The Denver Broncos: Eight Super Bowl appearances. Three Super Bowl wins. John Elway. Peyton Manning. Floyd Little. Orange Crush. Football as religion since 1960.
129. The Rapids: Fans have been getting their kicks from the pro soccer team since 1996. The Rapids won their only MLS Cup in 2010, their second MLS Cup appearance.
130: Denver FC Summit: Crazy for women’s soccer? Colorado sure is. On March 28, Summit FC set the U.S. attendance record for a women’s professional sporting event at Empower Field, with 63,004 fans on hand to witness the club’s inaugural home match against the Washington Spirit.
131. The Colorado Rockies: “Rocktober” took the Rockies to the World Series in 2007, but the LoDo ballclub usually struggles. But a summer night at Coors Field with a beer and a hot dog has been a great combo since 1995.
132. Sandhill cranes: Each spring and fall, thousands of the long-necked birds flock to the San Luis Valley during migration. Every March, there’s even a party to celebrate them, in the form of the Monte Vista Crane Festival.
133. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center: There’s a pool, gyms, an indoor shooting range, velodrome (track) and more at the Colorado Springs site. And guided tours are available.
134. Four-wheeling on Imogene Pass: A rugged and scary former mining road that connected Telluride and Ouray in the San Juan. Mountains. Thrill-seekers top out at 13,114 feet.
135. Colfax, not just the marathon: Playboy Magazine once called Colfax Avenue the “longest, wickedest street in America.” Jack Kerouac wrote about Colfax in his novel “On the Road.” Music venues, bars, restaurants, shops, and interesting people-watching. Colfax has a thriving live music scene with The Fillmore, The Ogden Theater, The Lion’s Lair and many more bars serving up live music as well. The Colfax Renaissance is well underway. Come check it out!
136. Running around Wash Park: From fit singles scouting out other fit singles, to fit seniors just looking to stay fit, the 2.5-mile crushed-gravel outer loop in South Denver is a runner’s mecca.
137. The name: Colorado’s lyrical name has its origins in Spanish, as the word for “colored red.” So very apropos.
138. Race to open Trail Ridge Road by Memorial Day: The highest continuous paved road in the United States to 12,183 feet through Rocky Mountain National Park, connecting the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake. The goal is for snowplows to clear the road by late May. It doesn’t always work out.
139. Olathe sweet corn: Iowans may try to argue, but one bite of this variety will have you longing for several ears, slathered with butter and a touch of salt. (And it freezes well off the cob, as well; save some for your holiday casseroles.)
140. Larimer Square: The heart and soul of Denver, where it got its start between 14th and 15th in the late 1800s. Named for the pioneering General William Larimer, it was the city’s first block, its first commercial district, home to its first residence and first city hall, and was the city’s first designated historic district.
141. Elk bugling: At the peak of elk rut in Rocky Mountain National Park — typically mid-September through mid-October, you might hear the bulls’ loud bugling. Researchers say the animals call out as a warning, or to communicate with their harems. The sound will haunt you.
142. Same-sex marriage: Colorado has offered civil unions since 2013 and they have been legally recognized here since October 2014. They weren’t established as a constitutional right in the U.S. until June 26, 2015.
143. Denver Press Club: The oldest press club in the United States, founded in 1867, and the building itself was designated a Historic Landmark in 1986. Stop in and toast Damon Runyon at the bar.
144. Georgetown and the Georgetown Loop Railroad: A charming ride on this narrow-gauge railroad (called “an engineering marvel” after its construction in 1884) takes you through a scenic path over the Devil’s Gate Bridge. Afterward, stroll the quaint streets of historic Georgetown, once the center of the mining industry in Colorado.
145. Pulitzer winners: The Denver Post (nine), Rocky Mountain News (four), and Colorado Springs Gazette (one) have been awarded Pulitzers in reporting, photography and editorial cartooning.
146. Nobel winners: Colorado is home to 12 Nobel Prize winners, including CU Boulder’s David Wineland (in physics, 2012); John Hall (physics, 2012), and Thomas Cech (chemistry, 1989).
147. Authors: Dozens of accomplished writers claim Colorado connections, including Gonzo journalist and author Hunter Thompson; Jon Krakauer (“Into Thin Air”); Jack Kerouac (“On the Road”); Peter Heller (“The Dog Stars”); Allen Ginsberg (Beat poet); Stephen White (Alan Gregory thrillers); Blake Crouch (“Dark Matter); and Kent Haruf (“Plainsong”).
148. Root Shoot Whiskey: The Loveland-based Root Shoot Spirits’ American Single Malt Whiskey was named Whiskey of the Year in this year’s London Spirits Competition. That’s in the world.
149. Horseback riding: Fans of “Yellowstone” with visions of Western cowboys on horseback are in luck: Dozens of operations in Colorado will let you come out and saddle up. Cowboy hats optional.
150. Well, you live here. Duh.
Denver Post staffer Barbara Ellis contributed to this report.
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