Nestled under a protective overhang of red sandstone, Manitou Cliff Dwellings near Manitou Springs, Colorado, is a fun and historical place to visit. This Anasazi pueblo dwelling was built by ancient American people who roamed the Four Corners area of the Southwestern U.S. from 1200 B.C. to A.D. 1300. These early people developed from hunter/gatherers [...]
The Gold Rush in American started in 1849, when James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. News of the discovery swept the Nation like a fever. Nearly 300,000 men headed west to stake their claim. Sadly, very few actually struck in rich. Many gave up and began prospecting in other western states, [...]
With 165 named trails and 2,965 acres of open skiing, Steamboat is one of the best ski locations in Colorado and is famous for its powder skiing. The light fluffy snow is so unusual that it has received its own name — Champagne Snow — and people come from all over the world to enjoy [...]
The warm waters and sandy beaches of Yuba State Park are what draw people from all over the West to visit. With great hiking, fantastic off-road ATV trails, biking, fishing and camping and boat-in camping, this park is very popular with outdoor enthusiasts and water recreationists. Two boat ramps, one at Yuba State Park and [...]
Set at the desert foot of the dramatic Sacramento Mountains, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park in New Mexico is a great place to camp during the Spring, Fall and Winter months. The view from the campground includes the White Sands, the Organ and the San Andreas Mountains, as well as the nearby Sacramento Mountains. Water [...]
Life in the Southwest in the pioneering days was tough and often filled with new and frightening experiences. Strange and spooky rock formations abound throughout the area. The land in some places is a desolate as the moon, and in others, the vastness of the open spaces is intimidating. Spanish and Native American legends and [...]
The Southwest U.S. is famous for its turquoise. For thousands of years, it has been prized and used as a valuable trade commodity among the Native American tribes. Turquoise was left in rough nuggets and polished, carved into beads and strung together or used as inlaid mosaics. The fancy silver and turquoise jewelry so famous [...]
The Southwest U.S. is rife with tall tales and legend of lost gold mines, lost treasures, stagecoach and bank robberies and more. One such tale begins in the small community of Castle Gate, Utah. In 1897, the Pleasant Valley Coal Company was shipping its payroll in by rail. On that April day, three cowboys were [...]
