Our author, Mr. McFall Kerbey, next ventures into "Rocky Mountain National Park, the 405 square miles of valleys and mountains, glaciers, lakes, and streams that make up one of the most popular federal playgrounds" (p. 32). He particularly enjoyed driving on a road which he judged to be "the most ambitious highway yet constructed in America" as it was on the ridge of a mountain, with spectacular scenery on both sides.
In this article, there is a photo of a scenic overlook, "Cold Shivers Point," with a sheer drop of 800 feet to the canyon floor below - NO guard rails!!
Yet another National Park is in Colorado: Mesa Verde, the abandoned home of cliff-dwelling native Americans.
Denver, the state capitol, is a mile-high city. The cities of Colorado Springs and Manitou own a park called "Garden of the Gods" where grotesque outcroppings of vertical rock formations are featured.
Much of the agricultural land in the green valleys was irrigated. Chief products were flowers and melon garden seeds, fruit from the many orchards, sheep and cattle. "Colorado has one of the largest and best organized fish propagating services among the States. . in 6,000 miles of trout streams and lakes" (photo caption, p. 43).
Pike's Peak, dubbed "America's most familiar mountain" by the author, has an interesting history. In 1806, Captain Zebulon Pike tried to climb it but failed, had to turn back and declared it unscalable. In 1932, as in today, Pike's Peak has many visitors at the top.
FYI: Colorado developed a narrow gauge railway system due to the extreme expense of mountain construction. At some points, cargo had to be transferred to the standard-size railroad cars.
Tourists enjoy Colorado snow in both the summer and winter. "Yes, Colorado's mountains were a barrier once. Now they're a goal" (p. 63).
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