Mountain Vacations

What makes mountain vacations better? Let's see... A couple days ago I was swimming in the Arkansas River. A couple days before that, and an hours drive away, I was playing in the snow at a roadside rest area. Tomorrow I'ill drive an hour and then hike to a beautiful mountain lake at 11,000 feet.

This is all made easier by the fact that we live here in Colorado now, but the point is the same if you are vacationing here from other places: You get the widest variety of climates and experiences in the shortest time when you vacation in the mountains. You can be hiking a snowy pass in the morning and sunbathing in the desert in the afternoon.

It's not just about outdoor activities either. For example, there is a unique atmosphere to small mountain towns like Silverton or Buena Vista. Their isolation seems to make them immune to the rushing and busyness of the cities. You can safely walk the streets at night, stop in saloons that may have been there for a hundred years, and watch the stars as you walk back to your hotel.

There are also ghost towns throughout the mountains of the western United States. There are the restored ones that have become parks, and the remnants of small towns left in the weeds. Yesterday my wife and I explored an old abandoned schoolhouse on a back road near Canon City, Colorado. Last week we poked around an old town site that used to have nine bars, five grocery stores, and over a thousand residents. There is nothing there now but a few foundations where the buildings once stood, and odd pieces of dishes and other things scattered on the ground.

Simply driving from one town to the next makes for a scenic and relaxing vacation when you are in the mountains. Even if you don't get out of the car, it is enjoyable to look out the windows like you are watching a beautiful scene in a movie. One moment you're staring up at huge cliffs, and minutes later you're on top of them looking down on a river winding through a grassy valley.

Some Tips For Mountain Vacations

- Weather is unpredictable in mountains. Bring clothing for all conditions.

- Thunderstorms are common on summer afternoons. Hike early in the day, and come down from higher elevations before one in the afternoon.

- Long stretches between gas stations are common in many mountain areas, so fill up when you have the chance.

- The high altitude can make you sick - the solution is to go lower if this happens.

- You may encounter some dangerous animals in most mountainous areas. We walked up on a six-foot rattle snake while hiking yesterday (just back off as we did in this case). And although bears don't normally attack, they may break into coolers and picnic baskets if you leave them unattended outside.

- If you vacation in the mountains in summer, bring sun block. The sun can burn you faster at higher altitudes.