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4-day Itinerary by Kenneth Wajda

Day 1: (Train/Bridge/Buckskin Joe)
7:00 a.m. - Sunrise walk at Tunnel Drive.

8:00 a.m. - Breakfast/coffee downtown Cañon City or Florence at an outdoor café.

9:00 a.m. - Train ride on Royal Gorge Route

11:30 a.m. - Explore Buckskin Joe frontier town/lunch.

2:30 p.m. - Tour Royal Gorge Bridge.

6:00 p.m. - Dinner at Cañon City restaurant.

8:00 p.m. - Live entertainment, music, dinner show, theatre, etc in Cañon City or
Florence. (Check The Cañon Beat arts and entertainment guide)

Day 2: (Gold Belt Tour)
7:00 a.m. - Breakfast/coffee in Florence or Penrose (or outdoors at Brush Creek
Reservoir)

8:30 a.m. - Drive Gold Belt Tour north: Red Canyon Rd.

9:00 a.m. - Stop at Red Canyon Park. Explore rock formations and spires.

10:00 a.m. - Drive Gold Belt Tour north: Shelf Rd. to Victor. (Stop to explore along the
way.)

12:00 p.m. - See working gold mine in Victor.

12:30 p.m. - Eat lunch in Victor or takeout lunch. (Alternative: Side trip to Cripple
Creek)

1:00 p.m. - Drive Gold Belt Tour south: Phantom Canyon Rd. to Florence. (Stop to
explore along the way.)

3:00 p.m. - Visit art galleries and explore antique shops in downtown Florence.

6:00 p.m. - Dinner at a Florence restaurant.

8:00 p.m. - Concert (blues, bluegrass, jazz, folk, swing) at Cañon City ballroom or other
local venue. (Check The Cañon Beat arts and entertainment guide)

Day 3: (Wildlife Watching and Rafting OR Rockies Hike/Bike)
7:00 a.m. - Wildlife watching along Arkansas River at Bighorn Sheep Canyon, Texas
Creek area.

8:30 a.m. - Breakfast at eatery along Rt. 50 near Texas Creek/Cotopaxi/Coaldale.

10:00 a.m. -Drive east on Rt. 50 to Canon City and go rafting on the Arkansas River.
OR
Pack lunch. Drive west on Rt. 50 to Hayden Creek Access to Hike/Bike.

10:30 a.m. - Rafting in the Arkansas River through Royal Gorge or Bighorn Sheep
OR
Canyon.Hike/Mountain Bike Rainbow Trail, Bushnell Lake Trail or Stout
Creek Trail. (Bike rentals available in Cañon City)

12:30 p.m. - Lunch along river/trail.

2:30 p.m. - Drive back to Cañon City. Watch for wildlife along river.

3:30 p.m. - Browse Cañon City's art galleries, boutiques, shops.

6:00 p.m. - Dinner at Cañon City or Florence restaurant.

8:00 p.m. - Live entertainment, music, dinner show, theatre, etc in Cañon City or
Florence. (Check The Cañon Beat arts and entertainment guide)

Day 4: (Bishop's Castle and Westcliffe Shopping OR Sangres Hike)
7:00 a.m. - Pack breakfast and enjoy along the scenic Arkansas Riverwalk in Cañon City.

8:30 a.m. - Wildlife watching and scenic drive south on Oak Creek Grade/Rt. 143 to
Silvercliffe. Turn east on Rt. 96. Turn south on Rt. 165 to Bishop's Castle.

10:00 a.m. -Tour Bishop's Castle (an amazing structure which is being built by one
man).

12:00 p.m. - Drive north on Rt. 165 to Rt. 96. Go west on Rt. 96 to Westcliffe.

12:30 p.m. - Lunch at Westcliffe eatery with spectacular views of the Sangre de
Cristo range of the Rockies.

2:00 pm. - Browse Westcliffe's art galleries, boutiques, shops.
OR
Drive south on Rt. 69 and turn west onto Schoolfield Road which ends
at the Alvarado Campground and the trailhead parking area. Take a short
hike up Venable Lakes Trail or Comanche Lake Trail. (If you want to get to
either lake, it's an all-day hike. You'd need to be on the trail early.)

4:00 p.m. - Drive Rt. 69 north to US 50 east to Cañon City. Watch for wildlife along
the route.

5:30 p.m. - Dinner at a Cañon City restaurant.

8:00 p.m. - Late coffee/ice cream break at Cañon City eatery and movie in restored,
historic downtown theatre.
OR
Concert (blues, bluegrass, jazz, folk, swing) at Cañon City ballroom or other
local venue. (Check The Cañon Beat arts and entertainment guide)