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ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGHS
chasecountychamber.org; manhattancvb.org
THE ROAD: Mount Evans
Scenic Byway & Wilderness in Colorado | DISTANCE: 28 miles from Idaho Springs to Mount Evans, Colo. | INFO: mountevans.com ON THIS 32-MILE drive out of Denver, you can bag a Fourteener without breaking a sweat. But be sure to bring a jacket — it can be 40 degrees colder at the summit. As the highest paved road in the USA, Mount Evans starts at 8,700 feet at I-70 and snakes up to 14,130 feet, where a quarter-mile trail leads to the 14,264-foot summit. Winding like a hiking trail around the mountain for 14 miles, the narrow asphalt emerges above the timberline — and the clouds.
58 GO ESCAPE | SUMMER 2015
THE ROAD: Kansas Highway K-177 | DISTANCE: 86 miles from Cassoday, Kan., to Manhattan, Kan. | INFO: nps.gov/tapr;
CAN’T MISS You’ll spy bighorn sheep, mountain goats, above, marmots and golden-mantled ground squirrels hanging out by the road in the mornings. PHOTO SPOT Anyplace is
good for grabbing nature photos. Arrive in the early morning on a weekday to guarantee fewer people and more critters for your shot.
WANT MORE? South of
Denver, a 19-mile winding road climbs Pikes Peak to an elevation of 14,115 feet for more spectacular views.
TAKE EXIT I-35 AT Cassoday, Kan., and explore small towns set amid the sea of golden grass that once ranged from Texas to Canada. Wander the streets of Cottonwood Falls, Kan., before setting out for the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve just north of town, either by coach or car. By September, these knee-high grasses will tower above your chest, tall enough that only a buck’s antlers move above them. Ride on through Council Grove, Kan., where you can still see the ruts dug by Conestoga wagons 100 years ago.
CAN’T MISS
The Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan, Kan., interprets the area’s geology and culture. PHOTO SPOT
Take a picture with the furry bison separating the green grasses at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
WANT MORE?
Each June, the Symphony in the Flint Hills plays host to an outdoors concert on the prairie featuring the Kansas City Symphony orchestra.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CATHY EDWARDS; KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, PARKS & TOURISM; CATHY EDWARDS
THE TALLGRASS PRAIRIE