Retired fat guy with a camera Loc: Colorado

I grew up in Colorado.
The Pearl St. Mall ln Boulder. The Pioneer lnn , in Nederland. The Buffalo herd at I-70 and exit 254. Buffalo Bills grave on Lookout Mountain, in Golden. A water wheel just outside of Idaho Springs. Barr lake has a lot of wildlife including, Bald Eagles. All of the front range mountain towns have a little funkiness. Ward, Gold Hill has a excellent restaurant. Black hawk and Central City have gambling and good all you can eat crab legs buffets. Boulder fall in Boulder Canyon.
Some tips. There is less atmosphere filtering the sun rays, bring and use sun screen. Less air. Your body is going to be working hard to get the oxygen it is used to. Tread lightly with alcohol and pot is legal. Be careful, both can and will turn you into Gumby. Hydrate, drink lots of water.
Most important thing is, have fun.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

You will be missing a lot. It would take far more than a week to see and photograph the neat things in the state. I would just pick one region - like RMNP and the Aspen area, and concentrate on those. At another time visit southwest Colorado - Durango/Silverton, the narrow gauge railroad, Mesa Verde. It is a big state and there is a lot to see.

fyimo244 Loc: Arkansas

If you go to Estes Park go over the mountain and stop at Grand Lake which is a nice town. The views will be spectacular during the drive over and there are Elk walking around in Estes Park daily. I lived in Colorado for 21 years and it's beautiful state.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

I made an auto trip to Colorado and Utah in 2012. My photos of that trip are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/8712554@N02/collections/72157630944299346/. Days 10 through 14 cover the areas west of Colorado Springs. There are several Albums devoted to Leadville and the surrounding area--perhaps they will give you some ideas about what to see and do.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I haven't seen mention of the cog railway up Pike's Peak...

LP

Digital1022 Loc: Holland, PA

Larry
Not sure how much flexibility you have, but if you get over as far as Gunnison, The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a must see. It is deeper than the Grand Canyon and a wonderful area for photography. Crested Butte is also a very nice place for photography. Much more Colorado than Aspen. If you get to Gunnison, then you can go about 40 miles south to Lake City and go up to and over Engineers Pass. If you go over, and down toward Silverton, there are several ghost mining towns that are very photographic. I guarantee a trip over Engineers Pass will be a memory for a lifetime. You will need 4x4 which you can rent in Lake City. My folks had a place in Lake City for 20 years and I have been all over that area. Really good stuff in you have the time.

John

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

October before last I asked a similar question. It had been almost 30 years since I visited RMNP and wanted a refresher on what to see. One responder said forget RM and head to Ouray. Almost great advice. Ouray is well worth the ride but do that and RMNP. My friend and I went there for a couple of days and then made our way up to RM. Ouray sits between two 13,000 ft. peaks (taller than any in RMNP). Driving south from Ouray you see wonderful vistas of tall peaks, lakes, abandoned mine towns. You will end up in Silverton, a real old west town with all dirt and gravel streets. A train runs from Durango to Silverton and back. You need to catch it in Durango to make the loop. If you catch it in Silverton you have to stay in Durango and go back on the train the next day. In Durango you can take a guided jeep tour off road and see things the normal tourist will not see. In RM the Trail Ridge road is well worth the journey. I could never get my friend to repeat the journey but I had a blast! Be sure to visit the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, just outside RM. It is the hotel that inspired Stephen King's book "The Shinning". None of the movie was shot there but King did stay in the hotel while writing a portion of the book. Have coffee and Danish in their lower level breakfast shop -- very nice. Also you may want to have breakfast one morning at Clair's in Estes Park. They have some interesting breakfast options as well as standard fare. Back in Ouray, if you stay overnight there, I would highly recommend River's Edge Motel. Really clean, nice people run the place, good breakfast, and I like the way the room is set up with a sitting area in front of the bed area where someone could watch TV while the other person sleeps. Good luck with your trip and I would like to hear where you ventured and see some shots. I love Colorado.

Train from Durango to Silverton

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Lake between Ouray and Silverton

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Ouray, CO

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gastech1949 Loc: Imperial Beach, CA.

I have rode Durango / Silverton railway twice, beautiful scenery, lots of history. If you are a train buff be sure to do the yard tour. Mesa Verde, Pagosa Springs, Wolf Creek Pass all have excellent photo opportunities. Too many other areas to mention, you could spend a year and not see it all.

duane klipping Loc: Bristow iowa

Stay off the interstate highways as much as possible. Creede is a cool mining town if you go to the Gorge. Another cool ghost town is St. Elmo. Guess it depends on your interests. I try to find the less visited locations as they can be more interesting and less commercialized.

davefales Loc: Virginia

Lots of great suggestions here already. You did not say how much time you have, but you could fill weeks.

If you like museums, do not miss the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

Air Force Academy.

I second the idea of a jeep adventure to the high country above Ouray.

Jeep up to the mining areas above Breckinridge.

If you are not used to altitude, be familiar with the signs of altitude sickness. It can make things miserable. We have skied in Colorado for decades and we can tell our aging bodies react to altitude differently now.

Absolutely beautiful state.

barrybarboza Loc: Southern Arizona

I would also recommend the Silverton/Durango Train Ride, but something off the beaten path is Gateway. Approx. 1.5 hours south of Grand Junction. Beautiful ride getting there. Has been built up by John Hendricks (founder of Discovery Channel). Beautiful scenery and he built a very nice resort. The highlight is an awesome indoor automobile museum, takes you through the ages. Colorado-enjoy!

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

The Western Museum of Mining and Industry near one entrance to the AF Academy is interesting. They have some big steam engines and even run one during the tour. Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/8712554@N02/sets/72157631004992440/

wbauknight Loc: Buda, TX

You might consider Great Sand Dunes National Park. Best time might be late afternoon to sunset so the sun is at your back and some shadows on the dunes. Also found some isolated abandoned houses with open spaces around them that made a good setting for photos.

wbauknight Loc: Buda, TX

You might consider Great Sand Dunes National Park. Best time might be late afternoon to sunset so the sun is at your back and some shadows on the dunes. Also found some isolated abandoned houses with open spaces around them that made a good setting for photos.

davefales Loc: Virginia

Seconding that idea, but you have to drive a bit: http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-450757-1.html