Telluride, Colorado is encouraging their vacationers and towns people a like to use electric cars, they now have a rental program where you can rent them on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These cars are delivered to your home or hotel fully charged and then you are instructed how to charge them when the battery gets low. It is recommended that the charging be done in the evening when the consumption of electricity is less. It costs approximately 60 cents to charge a completely depleted battery. The cars come in two sizes, a two passenger and a four passenger.

The city of Telluride offers free parking at all meters and in permit only parking areas for all electric cars, so this is perfect for all of your trips around town and even Bridal Veil Falls. It is wonderful when you can vacation and be good to environment at the same time, as so many times we forget to stay green when we are on vacation, and sometimes that is the most important time to remember that as that is when we are visiting our world in nature and our natural resources.

You can find Telluride between Grand Junction, Colorado and Durango, Colorado; it is a quaint mountain village with hot springs close by and magnificent scenery and natural wonders. It has a weekly farmers market , excellent hotels and fantastic camping and outdoor activities, skiing in the winter, fly fishing, river rafting, golfing and fine dining. You can find it all in the cultural mecca.

The really great part of going to a city where they have taken the effort and insight to support going green to the extent of creating a rental car to protect their environment, you know they go the extra length to go green in many other areas. When we find an area like that we need to honor and support them in their efforts. Plan your next vacation to this eco friendly town and enjoy what practicing going green means at its best.

Yosemite National Park, California

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John Muir, one of America's original naturalists supposedly took President Theodore Roosevelt camping in Yosemite to convince the president that our country needed to have designated National Parks. President “Teddy” Roosevelt was so awe struck by his experience camping in Yosemite that he set up the National Parks Service to preserve vast pieces of our country's wild and beautiful territory. Yosemite has deep valleys and waterfalls that are truly magnificent. Yosemite is one of our nation's most regal parks and over 3 million visitors from all over the world come to reign in her glory.

This is an example of just one waterfall within Yosemite National Park.

Half Dome, Yosemite National Park

Denali National Park, Alaska

Denali National Park is home to Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in the United States.

The park itself is about 200 miles south of the Artic Circle. The park wildlife includes Dall (big horn) sheep, grizzly bears, gray wolves and moose. This area is a place where the tectonic plates of the earth continually are in motion and thus earthquakes are a part of the territory. The Alaskan Range actually rises 3 centimeters a year, due to this constant force. In the winter, the temperature in this region can drop to 95 degrees below zero.

 

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park is known for its red rock formations and unusual landscape.

These rock formations are called “hoodoos” and they were craved by melting snow. This sculpting of the rocks took thousands and thousands of years. The entire park has been created by the elements of wind and rain, giving it a memorable terrain. Inside the park at 9,000 feet above sea level, there are 1,500 year old pine trees.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

 

Crater Lake National Park was created when a volcano literally blew its top over 7,000 years ago. Actually the blast was 42 times the explosion of the Mt. St. Helen's in 1980. . Half-a-million visitors descend on this park every year to see this amazing crater and lake. Crater Lake is surrounded by lush evergreen trees and scenic hills, which make it a very popular travel stop. The lake itself may be surrounded by freezing weather, but it only froze once back in 1949. The area typically receives about 44 feet of snow a year. Crater Lake is the 7th deepest lake in the world with a depth of almost 1,300 feet.

Rocky Mountains, Colorado

 

It's no wonder that John Denver wrote a song called “Rocky Mountain High” about these amazing mountains. Over 2 million people visit this inspirational place every year.

The Rocky Mountains offer the visitor a glimpse of the ancient erosion that formed these peaks. The valleys were created by glaciations back in the Cenozoic Era. Animals that call this area home are elk, deer, big horn sheep, coyote, cougars and black bears. The Rocky Mountains are home to much natural beauty and pristine lakes.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

When we think of Yellowstone National Park we all think of the geothermal geyser “Old Faithful.” “Old Faithful” is one of many geothermal geysers in the area. Yellowstone National Park is literally a “hotbed” of geothermal activity and is the location of a “super volcano.” This “super volcano” is called “Yellowstone Caldera” and is still considered to be an active volcano. The geothermal activity is fueled by the active volcanism in this part of the world. Interestingly enough, “Old Faithful” has a sister geothermal geyser that is located in Napa Valley, California.

One of the largest highly elevated lakes is also in Yellowstone Park. Most of the land of Yellowstone is located in the state of Wyoming. Although a small amount of the park drifts into Idaho and Montana,

As you can imagine this region of the world experiences hundreds of small earthquakes every year.

Haleakala Crater and National Park, Hawaii

 

Haleakala sunrise

Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii in Hawaiian means “House of the Sun.” It is 10,000 feet above sea level on the island of Maui. The mountain is actually a dormant volcano and astronauts practiced their lunar landing in the barren crater. There is sometimes snow at the top of this volcano. So you could ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon, that's Haleakala. The volcano is popular with tourists and well-known for its spectacular views at sunrise. Tourists and natives alike rent bikes and take the downhill ride of their life to the bottom of Haleakala.

 

Downhill on a bike from 10,000 feet above sea level is a rush!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

 

The Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee has a larger collection of tree species than Northern Europe. The Smoky Mountains represent the culture and ways of the diverse life of South Appalachian of the past. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the park way back in 1940 and it was problematic as there were many farmers that lived in the designated park region. It was an emotional loss for many of the people who were forced to relocate, although some were allowed a lease that would extent through their lifetime. The park has a bear population of about 1,500.

 

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

 

It is hard to imagine but the Shenandoah National Park is only 70 miles away from Washington, D.C., our country's capital. This park is part of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. The area has become a popular tourist destination that allows the urbanites to stay in cozy inns and pastoral settings, although wilderness does account for 40% of the park. Shenandoah National Park is full of woodland forests, wildlife and waterfalls.

 

Glacier National Park, Montana

 

Glacier National Park is called “Shining Mountains” to the Native tribes of the region.

The park is aptly named for the rugged terrain that was craved by glaciers millions of years ago. One winter night in 2005, the park was pounded by 8 feet of snow! Just a few days ago, it was announced that due to the volume of snow, a major new road won't be opened in that part of Montana until at least July 4th. Avalanches are creating havoc in the area and delaying the long awaited highway and it is summer!

 

Arches National Park, Utah

 

Arches National Park is home to over 2,000 sandstones arches that have been craved by the wind and the weather for millions of years. The unusual textures and colors make the park very unique and vibrant in some areas. The summer temperatures are over 100 degrees. The winter temperatures are often around 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Redwood National Park

 

Just two hours south of Oregon, hugging the rugged California coast is where you will find the Redwood National Park. The Redwood National park is home to ancient trees which reach heights of 367 feet into the sky. The base of the trees can be as wide as 22 feet. You will not find these extraordinary trees anywhere else in the world.

These trees are about 20 million years old and began with a tiny seed. The damp environment and cool, foggy weather along the Pacific Ocean are the perfect living conditions for this rainforest of fascinating trees.

 

Our National Parks keep the wilderness of our country open and free. Long may they protect the beauty of our natural and most precious spaces!

The place I stayed at was a little hotel that had separate rooms. There were two bedrooms included along with cable and a refrigerator. It wasn't too fancy but I liked the idea that it convenient, economical, safe, and quiet. The place I would recommend anyone going to Colorado Springs is Beverly Hills Hotel. You will find one man who owns this little place. There is a maximum of 12 apartment size rooms and each one has its own parking. There are horses in the far back of the hotel.

There was horseback riding offered but you had to get up early to get on their list. They also closed by 5pm. Don't plan to go out and come back later since they will probably be full or out on a trail.

Up the street towards the back of the horse ranch you will come across parts of Garden of the Gods. There are residential homes around the area as well. The Garden of the Gods runs several miles around. You must drive very slowly as the roads wind around tightly but there aren't too many cars driving around. Many tourists decide to jog or hike through the mountains and from there climb the rocks. This area was so relaxing and was truly healing. Wildlife was all around. I saw Deers crossing roads and Eagles flying around.

You will need to ride up the mountain to Pikes Peek as well. The elevation is so high that I became very dizzy when I reached it. It took a little while before I could get myself together well enough to take pictures. The scenery was absolutely amazing. You could see far away mountains that had some frost on the tops. The air was clean but the clouds were coming in to give some rain. You have to be careful going back down despite the slow speed of the train. You can still get very sick depending on if you have high blood pressure or various other conditions. This ride may not be good for you then. Many tourists take the plunge and hike up to Pikes Peek. There is plenty of wildlife there as well.

If you are looking for a place to take the family Colorado Springs is definitely a place I would recommend. There are economical places to stay and eat. There is plenty to do that doesn't cost very much or anything at all. There are plenty activities you can do with your family that wouldn't cost a dime. You can also take a jeep tour or balloon tour that is offered around town. There are places to rent canoes and rafts as you try to go down some rapids or calm waters. All of these are low priced adventures.

The ski resorts of Colorado, has some of the country's most spectacular and certainly most popular, had a record of 12.53 million visitors during the 2005-06 winter season. Colorado is at the peak of the nation's ski industry, and it is once again maintained as a top ski industry. Colorado ski resorts consist of Arapahoe Basin, Aspen a Highlands, Aspen Mountain, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Buttermilk, Copper Mountain, Crested Butte, Durango (Purgatory), Echo Mountain Park, Eldora, Howelsen, Keystone, Loveland, Monarch Mountain, Powderhorn, Silverton Mountain, Ski Cooper, Snowmass, SolVista, Steamboat, Sunlight, Telluride, Vail Winter Park/Mary Jane and Wolf Creek Ski Area. Those looking for authentic Western ambience where skiers wear cowboy hats on the slopes and cowboy boots in the saloons go to Steamboat Springs. Visitors, who want great ski schools, especially for beginners and the disabled, go to Winter Park and Crested Butte. But you can 't go wrong with any Colorado ski resort. Which one is for you?