Royal Gorge, Colorado - What Do We Do Here?

Dean  (the husband)
Shalane  (the wife  :O)

I’m always amazed at the ingenuity of mankind.  The way that they can take a concept or dream and make it a reality.  Yesterday’s time in the Royal Gorge near Canon City, Colorado was no exception.  What they were able to accomplish with the help of mother nature was breathtaking.  I mean this literally, as I found it difficult to breathe correctly while looking over the edge of the bridge.   Today in our blog we will share the things that we liked and didn’t like about the whole experience. 

The bridge itself spans over 1000 feet (300 m) above the Arkansas River.  Looking over the bridge actually made me a little uneasy at first.  Maybe I’ve spent to much time down on the prairie.  It is billed as one of the highest suspension bridges in the world.  I believe it!  Again, I marvel at the people who, in 1930, even thought they could build such a marvel, what more succeed at  it.   Most people choose to park and walk across the bridge to truly appreciate the grandeur of the sight.  However, it appears as if you can pay and drive across the wooden planked bridge as well. 

Canon City owns the bridge and the area that surrounds  it.  They decided a few years ago to make it into a theme park with rides, attractions, and shows.   One hint: The rides and shops don’t open until 10 a.m., but we got there just before 9 a.m. and got the early bird rate of $18 instead of the normal $25 fee.  This fee allows full access to all rides, attractions, and shows except the sky coaster and the mule trail rides.  We didn’t go on either of the extra pay attractions, so I can’t tell you much more about those.  I can say that for any thrill seekers the sky coaster would definitely be a must do event.  It is a gigantic swing that lifts you up on a cable so that you are facing down and then drops you in an arc so that you swing out over the gorge 1300 feet above the river!  It costs about $25 per person if two people go together.   Dean and I are too chicken ourselves, but if any of my kids would be brave enough to join me, I would probably give it a try.

My favorite ride was the Incline Railway.  You stand in a railcar and go at a 45 degree angle from the top, near the bridge, all the way to the Arkansas River below.  The view from below is as impressive as the one from above.  It is fun to watch the river rafters go through the rapids there.  Also, if you are lucky enough, the Royal Gorge Route train will make its way near you as well.  Hint:  We got in line just a couple of minutes before it opened at 10 a.m., and we were the first ones in line.  By 11 a.m. there was a VERY long wait in line to get on.   The Incline Railway was also my favorite.  I loved being at the bottom of the canyon and watching all the rafters.  There are some class IV and V rapids down there, so it makes for some great entertainment.

I also liked the Aerial Tram.  It is one of the world’s longest single-span aerial trams.  It has a length of about 2200 feet (200+ m) across the gorge.  The guide that took us across joked that it takes about five minutes to go across or about 8 seconds to go down.  We chose to go across.  :O)  The views were fantastic!  Views? What views?  All I could see what the back of an old lady’s head.  There’s only one tram, and they shove as many people on as they can.  Not everyone believes in deodorant, so the trip was hot, cramped, and stinky.  I would NOT go on it again, and I would definitely not recommend it to anyone who is even slightly Closter phobic. 

Two other things that I enjoyed were the magic show at the Plaza Theater and the funnel cake that we purchased near that theater.  I recommend both of these highly.  I don’t like magic at all, but, he’s right, the funnel cake was yummy! Also, in the same theater, after the magic show, is a film on the making of the bridge.  It was entertaining and informative.  There is enough at the park to make a day of it.  We enjoyed the wildlife park, the petting zoo, the Mountain Man trading post, and, one of Dean’s favorites, mining for gold.  He actually came up with a couple of flakes! 

We did end up leaving before the park actually closed.  We both wanted to take a shower while the temperature was still warm, so we drove to a nearby picnic area and set up our solar shower.  As I stepped out of the shower, there were two young bucks playing in the trees about 15 feet away.  It reminded me of how blessed my life is.  There I was in the middle of the mountains, taking a warm shower in the crisp, fresh air, and watching wildlife play near my “shower house.”  You just can’t get any better than that!  Finally, we drove into Canon City for some dinner at KaBob’s and to publish our post.  It was a great day that I am sure I will always remember.  Happy Trails!