tell me--what is colorado like? (Denver, Pueblo: crime, live in, move to)

[jjustj]

we have it all, montains, desert, large sand dunes, open grasslands, ok no surfing but.... lots of nice lakes, hiking etc feel free to contact me fo for more specifcs!

[nm_photojournalist]

I can tell from your question, you are a very sensitive, and caring person. So, even though I'm from Albuquerque, I'll keep it simple for you, should you wish to plan a trip to Colorado to see its natural beauty.

First of all, my apologies to many other beautiful areas in Colorado (I've seen about all of them.)

Southwestern Colorado's San Juan Mountains have been called the "Little Switzerland of America." Get your Colorado map out, and highlight the circle drive north from Durango, through Silverton, and Ouray, to Ridgeway...then west over to Telluride, and south down to Mesa Verde National Park...and back to Durango.

There isn't a more beautiful drive anywhere in the Rockies. Matter of fact, I went over it twice in the past year...I love it so much! Just stay away from the cities, although they have their attractions too.

I hope you can visit there soon. By the way, I've been to San Diego on occasion, and you could do worse! Beautiful...again, for a "city." :-)

[jazzlover]

I have to agree with the other posts that the San Juan mountains in southwest Colorado pretty much put anything else to shame. That hasn't stopped a bunch of rich @#$%&!!!'s from building their stupid trophy houses right in the middle of some the most wild and beautiful country God ever created, thus despoiling it for the rest of us, but I digress.

As others have posted, the San Juans are not for the meek or the faint of heart. As spectacular as photos are of them, nothing compares with seeing the San Juans first hand. I've spent over 40 years exploring them, and I never get tired of them.

As Nadine mentioned, the Sangre de Cristos are lovely, too. Very rugged country in them--only a couple of Jeep trails cross them between U.S. 50 on the north and U.S. 160 on the south.

The one thing that is sad about Colorado now is that it is MUCH more difficult to find solitude than it was in years past. I do have some "secret" spots that I frequent where I won't see people for as long as a day or two, but I'm not telling where those are. When I was a kid, if you got more than about a hundred miles out of Denver, those kinds of quiet, lonely places could be found just about everywhere. No more. People are "loving" the place to death.

[Nadine]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

I have to agree with the other posts that the San Juan mountains in southwest Colorado pretty much put anything else to shame. That hasn't stopped a bunch of rich @#$%&!!!'s from building their stupid trophy houses right in the middle of some the most wild and beautiful country God ever created, thus despoiling it for the rest of us, but I digress.

As others have posted, the San Juans are not for the meek or the faint of heart. As spectacular as photos are of them, nothing compares with seeing the San Juans first hand. I've spent over 40 years exploring them, and I never get tired of them.

As Nadine mentioned, the Sangre de Cristos are lovely, too. Very rugged country in them--only a couple of Jeep trails cross them between U.S. 50 on the north and U.S. 160 on the south.

The one thing that is sad about Colorado now is that it is MUCH more difficult to find solitude than it was in years past. I do have some "secret" spots that I frequent where I won't see people for as long as a day or two, but I'm not telling where those are. When I was a kid, if you got more than about a hundred miles out of Denver, those kinds of quiet, lonely places could be found just about everywhere. No more. People are "loving" the place to death.

About the only places to get away from it all is to hike in or ride in horseback in wilderness areas. Even those are getting more and more people. At least they don't run over you. While I am at it would you mind if I give a tip, or trail rules. When hiking, and you meet a horseback rider the horse has the right away. Please speak and continue to talk and stay in plain sight. Those funny people things that scatter behind trees that have huge humps on their backs are maybe horse eaters, ya know Bikers, ATVs cut engines and let horse get by. Continue to speak. Altho when I and most of my fellow riders, hear bikes we look for a place to get off trail if possible. Too many bikers, ATVers are traveling too fast and might just run us down. We have a ATV too. But we like to look and enjoy when we are out. So many don't, they just want to take jumps etc. Only takes 1 bad apple to ruin it for the others. There are horse back riders, hikers etc that don't follow rules either.

[Jaxx99]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

The one thing that is sad about Colorado now is that it is MUCH more difficult to find solitude than it was in years past. People are "loving" the place to death.

I agree. For those who have an idyllic picture of being in a nice log cabin with complete silence, and waking up and going to bed with the sun, you had better have some $$$. You'll need to buy the section of land that your cabin is sitting on as a buffer. A couple million will do in some areas.

Colorado is still beautiful, but he secret's out. Last time I drove to my favorite fly fishing spot one weekday evening, there were 4 cars parked where I normally park, all with people fishing. 10 years ago, it would have been just me, gauranteed.

I'm all for letting everyone enjoy Colorado, but people moving here just need to have their eyes open about how it is changing.

[SugarLady]

I am in Central Upper North Dakota and wanting to move to the SE plains. I have been to Denver and Colorado Springs, both beautiful I thought. I simply can't afford to live in the mountains. Does anyone have any thoughts on the SE corner. I am fine with the plains, just looking for a little plain Jane house to retire to with my husband and our two dogs. I am Irish-American but grew up in Panama and my Spanish is fair. Can't wait to taste some good food once again. We have moved all over and every place has its good and bad points. Is it humid on the plains? I see from pictures there is some snow on the ground in the winter but not a lot compared to what we get here.

SugarLady

[McGowdog]

You want to move out to the South East plains? Do you mean like Springfield, Two Buttes, Walsh, Branson (not the one in Missouri), Vilas, Campo? Do you own a farm out there or have family who lives there? Some of these towns are so small, they are hard to find with a map.

For example, I think that the Vilas high school band took the field at half time and formed a "Period". The next year they added a new band member and they formed a "comma". budum ch! No offense to Vilas! It's one of the smaller schools in the area I could play that little joke on. Props to their boys basketball team! They did battle amongst the small but mighty 1A!

There MAY be a restaurant in Two Buttes. Your nearest towns would be either Lamar, Las Animas, or La Junta along the Ark Valley or west to Trinidad. I really wouldn't consider the Arkansas Valley or Trinidad to be the SE plains. When I think of the plains, I think of "Pinon Canyon". That brings up an whole new can of worms. Try to google that and you'll see a battle brewing between Colorado farmers and the Army at Ft. Carson. You could also go to the forums section of the Pueblo Chieftain newspaper to find out more about that area.

Your Spanish may be pretty good, but you wont be speaking Spanish or English much unless you got a phone handy. The Schwan's man will be one of your bestest buddies. The nearest grocery store or Walmart is maybe over an hour away and your ice cream will melt by the time you get home.

It's humid out there during a 105 degree day, at least compared to the Front Range. When it gets really hot in Lamar, a swamp cooler just won't cut it.
It doesn't snow too much, but when it does, it might be 54 inches and it will be coming down sideways.[IMG][/IMG]

I flew over this section of the state on my way to DFW and I couldn't see anything but dirt from the air. It looked straight up desolate out there to me. I guess there's some grasslands out there somewhere. I'd like to ride my Harley out there but my brother-in-law says my gas tank isn't big enough to go from gas station to gas station.

Hopes this post is useful to you. I'm sure that the people out there are great people, the salt of the earth. If you move out there, you'll get to know them pretty well.

[Katiana]

SE Colorado is quite remote. There is a high school league that plays "6 man football" and many of the teams are on the eastern plains. Even then, the team members are scattered and some of the teams are co-op, that is two or more high schools. That's not necessarily bad, mind you.

[junedubois@aol.com]

wow! i'm in awe. first of all, i'm new to this forum and thought the computer would generate a message as soon as i got a response, so when it did i thought i had finally gotten one post. i have to say, it's what i thought and it's also NOT what i thought. i admit, i do get a little shy riding shotgun on a narrow road that goes up steep mountainsides. i'll keep that in mind, for sure. i know what a real mountain is, though, having lived near the cascades in washington, and of course there are mt's baker and ranier. i once thought that "purple mountains' majesty" was poetic license, and with my mouth draped open, i learned it wasn't.

of course, now i want to go more than ever. i just want to toss a pack on a stick like a vagabond and sing "valderie" and off i go, but i know it may be something i only dream about for a while.

thanks so much for all that awesome input!

[lorearch7]

You have seen some pictures, but they can never replace actully being here, yes most people can not afford to live right in the mountains, they live and work in the city. The mountains are so close you can enjoy them on a day trip or the week end. It is beautiful everywhere you go, as in any state you would visit...there is the beautiy and the not so pretty......let me know if you would like more information or if you are planning a trip I can give you some idea of where to go and what to do depending on your style, and what interests you. I am pretty new to this..I have attached a picture of a sunset from my front door.......