Happy 150th Birthday to Colorado!

Happy month of August to all!

August first was the sesquicentennial- 150th- anniversary of Colorado's statehood, and many Colorado Day celebrations were held throughout the state.

My husband and I decided to celebrate by taking a drive to nearby areas where we enjoy the scenery.

Our first stop was Golden Gate Canyon State Park, one of the 42 Colorado State Parks. Admission was free for all Colorado state parks for Colorado Day. 

 The park is located in Gilpin and Jefferson counties, around 30 miles west of Denver.  This 11,998-acre Front Range Park has 35 miles of hiking trails. It includes facilities such as a visitor center, 156 campsites, stocked fishing ponds, and over 125 picnic sites.

 (All photos and photo collages in this post will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on)

Panorama Point Scenic Overlook in Golden Gate Canyon State Park offers spectacular views of more than 100 miles of Colorado’s Continental Divide year-round.

We enjoyed the views, the cooler temperatures at a higher elevation, and a walk along a trail. 

I was pleased to see some wildflowers along the trail despite Colorado's long drought.

Next, we drove on the Peak to Peak Scenic Highway towards Estes Park.

I blogged about this very scenic drive in this post when there was snow on the Rocky Mountains--quite a different view!

We entered Estes Park — a beautiful town just outside the eastern entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.

I've blogged about both locations many times, as you can see from labels on my blog sidebar, as we have had many wonderful times in both locations in the thirteen years that we've lived in Colorado.

On this occasion, we went to one of our favorite places to dine in Estes Park--Smokin Dave's Barbecue! My husband and I ordered a double platter meal that comes with two sides and a corn muffin. Needless to say, there was so much delicious food that we both had leftovers to take home <smile>

From Estes Park, we drove a portion of US Route 36 toward our home. It travels through a beautiful portion of St. Vrain Canyon, alongside St Vrain Creek.

It was a wonderful day out and a fun way to celebrate Colorado turning 150 years old as the 38th state of the United States!

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