| Vail, Aspen, the names summon images of skiers and | | | | America's highest city. It's been more than 100 years |
| snowboarders flashing down steep slopes of pristine, | | | | since Doc Holiday killed two men in Leadville and |
| powdery snow, forests of trees covered with | | | | Soapy Smith and his thugs ruled the town, over a |
| Christmas lights, pricey shops, tony restaurants and | | | | century since Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson walked |
| fancy hotels. Now think summer. Think of hotel rates | | | | the streets and Leadville Johnny Brown and his young |
| which may be half those of winter. Think of | | | | wife Molly gave parties. |
| restaurant discounts and bargains at fashionable | | | | The gambling tables and brothels are gone, but you |
| shops. Think of carefully groomed golf courses.Think | | | | can still belly up to a bar where Buffalo Bill Cody and |
| of rafting and canoeing and hiking, concerts and | | | | the James brothers downed their drinks and the |
| dance and theater. Then think of a drive along | | | | restored 1866 Delaware Hotel from the rough days |
| mountains more than 14,000 feet high. | | | | of wealth and sin remains open for guests. The |
| The two resorts are 90 miles apart just around the | | | | Tabor Opera House, once described as the finest |
| corner in western terms of distance. | | | | between St. Louis and San Francisco, still stands, |
| The best way of seeing both of them during the | | | | although in need of refurbishing. It is open for tours |
| summer is an auto trip that takes you through | | | | from May 30 to Oct. 1. |
| passes as high as 12,095 feet. It goes through | | | | Once past downtown, there are unobstructed views |
| Leadville with its history of colorful characters as | | | | to the west of Colorado's highest peaks, Mt.Elbert at |
| Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, Baby Doe and the | | | | 14,433 feet and Mt. Massive, only 12 feet lower. |
| Unsinkable Molly Brown. It takes you into trendy | | | | Mt. Elbert continues to dominate the western skyline |
| Aspen with its tree-lined streets and sandstone and | | | | as Rt. 24 continues south from Leadville. Fifteen miles |
| brick buildings, then over to Glenwood Springs named | | | | later Rt. 82 intersects. We turn right toward Aspen. |
| for its warm mineral water pools and caves and from | | | | Driving west, Mt. Elbert looms larger on our right. On |
| there east to your starting point. | | | | the left is the Twin Lakes Reservoir, popular for |
| Vail is where most visitors are likely to start the trip, | | | | fishing and camping. |
| since it's a direct, slightly less than two hour' drive | | | | Beyond Twin Lakes, the highway climbs in a |
| from Denver via the I-70 interstate. | | | | continuing succession of unguarded curves and hairpin |
| Vail is beautiful during the ski season, its beauty | | | | turns to Independence Pass, which crosses the |
| augmented by the brilliant whiteness of newly fallen | | | | Sawsatch Range at 12,095 feet. The pass is sensibly |
| powder snow on the dark mountains. In the summer, | | | | closed doing the snow season. |
| Vail's beauty comes from the dark greens of the | | | | On either side of the pass are turnoffs and parking |
| evergreens, the lighter green leaves and white trunks | | | | spaces and footpaths where sightseers are offered |
| of aspens, the dazzling blue of the sky and | | | | a feast of mountains, streams and dense forested |
| processions of cumulus clouds rubbing against the | | | | wilderness. |
| sharp peaks of the mountains. | | | | West of Independence Pass, Route 82 dives down |
| Summer visitors come to golf on five top-rated | | | | the canyon of the Roaring Fork River. The Roaring |
| courses. Younger and more vigorous tourists come | | | | Fork flows through Aspen, which got its start as a |
| to mountain bike, torturing muscles and lungs by | | | | silver mining center in the 1880s, but found gold |
| pumping up steep mountain roads and trails or taking | | | | nearly a century later as a ski resort. Located in a |
| a ski lift to the top of a high peak and plunging down | | | | glacial valley surrounded by magnificent peaks, |
| its side on two wheels, dodging rocks and holes and | | | | upscale Aspen, with its many rust-colored buildings |
| small animals, staging a heart-stopping, animated | | | | dating from the turn of the century and mature |
| display of why Vail has one of the nation's largest | | | | trees shading the downtown streets, gives the |
| hospitals specializing in sports injuries and rehabilitation. | | | | impression of more permanence and history than |
| Older and less vigorous tourists are likely to restrict | | | | modern Vail. |
| their athletic activities to hikes, canoeing or fishing on | | | | Both are trendy and pricey, the playgrounds of |
| a peaceful mountain lake, viewing the Vail Valley from | | | | movie and rock stars and a billionaire or two.Vail is a |
| a hot air balloon, or riding horses through parts of the | | | | golfers' paradise, but Aspen ups Vail by also offering |
| surrounding national forest. | | | | travel by helicopter, underground trips through old |
| In the summer, Vail Village resembles a sidewalk sale | | | | silver mines and treks into the back country with a |
| of skis, jackets and other winter equipment and | | | | llama to carry your gear. |
| clothing marked down as much as 50 percent, | | | | Aspen also has the edge on culture, earning an |
| sometimes more. In the winter, its impossible to find | | | | international reputation for its annual summer jazz and |
| a hotel offering rates lower than $125 a day or bed | | | | classical music festivals. |
| and breakfasts under $100. Summer hotel rates are | | | | We linger in Aspen only long enough to window shop |
| as low as $59. Many restaurants also cut their prices | | | | at the fashionable shops and galleries and to people |
| during the summer or offer two for one specials. | | | | watch as we nibble on crepes served from an old |
| My wife and I stayed at the Minturn Inn, a rustic but | | | | popcorn wagon standing outside near one of several |
| comfortable bed and breakfast in Minturn, an old | | | | downtown fountains. |
| mining and railroad town five miles from Vail Valley. | | | | Then its back on Route 82 to follow the Roaring |
| Many of the town's weathered buildings have been | | | | Fork River through red rock canyons to Glenwood |
| converted into inns, excellent restaurants and a | | | | Springs. |
| variety of small, arty shops and galleries, selling items | | | | The Ute Indians regarded the hot springs and vapor |
| as Indian head dresses, buffalo heads and light | | | | caves as a sacred place of healing. The old gunslinger |
| fixtures made from elk horn. | | | | Doc Holiday may have hoped to find confirmation in |
| Minturn's main street is Route 24, aptly named the | | | | that Indian belief when he came to Glenwood Springs |
| Top of the Rockies Highway, which leads off I-70 | | | | afflicted by tuberculosis. If so, he was disappointed. |
| just west of Vail. Its the most scenic route to take | | | | His grave is now a tourist attraction. |
| on the first leg of the trip to Aspen. | | | | But most visitors come to swim and bathe in the hot |
| South of Minturn, Route 24 begins a sharp ascent. | | | | water pools, or try to sweat away tensions and |
| Off to the right is the 14,005 foot high Mount of the | | | | stiffness in the caves. |
| Holy Cross. The 1,500 foot cross, created by natural | | | | After drying off, we start on a fast 60-mile drive |
| crevices in the face of the mountain, can be seen | | | | back to Vail via I-70. For the first 12 miles, we follow |
| high on the northwest side of the peak. | | | | the Colorado River as it courses through the scenic |
| Continuing toward Leadville, we came into a high, | | | | Glenwood Canyon. The stream is swift here and |
| level valley nestled between mountain ranges. Here is | | | | endowed with challenging rapids with names like |
| the site of Camp Hale, where the 10th Mountain | | | | Maneater and Tombstone. With those names, its not |
| Division trained on skis and snowshoes before | | | | surprising that it's a popular stretch of the river for |
| engaging in bloody combat in World War II. Robert | | | | rafters and kayakers. |
| Dole trained at the camp. So did the founders of the | | | | We halt for a late supper in the Gas House, a popular |
| Aspen and Vail Ski Resorts. | | | | restaurant in Edwards, 15 miles west of Vail. Frequent |
| From Camp Hale, the highway begins its ascent to | | | | guests include Frank Gifford and Kathie Lee, who |
| the Continental Divide and Tennessee Pass, 10,424 | | | | have a house nearby. Then its back to our b&b |
| feet above sea level. Fifteen minutes away and six | | | | for a night's long sleep. |
| feet higher is Leadville, which describes itself as North | | | | |