Once little more than a cow town, Denver today is a city on the rise. Yet, if you drive into the outskirts, within minutes you can revisit an age when the Rocky Mountains were still wild and the people who lived there were true pioneers. When my wife Pat and I longed for the chance to step back in time with our then eight-and-a-half-year-old Anna and three-and-a-half-year-old Melanie, we drove west into the nearby mountains. There, we literally walked in the footsteps of Colorado's earliest settlers, through their homes and workplaces. We crossed a river-carved mountain gorge, soaked in natural, hot mineral waters, and surrounded ourselves with breathtaking views as we tramped along the Continental Divide. One of our favorite stops was a rocky canyon where the girls had the unforgettable experience of feeding wild mule deer by hand. Read on for our weekend itinerary.

Colorado-based writer Howard Rothman, a regular contributor to FAMILYFUN, enjoys traveling throughout the state with his family at all times of the year.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.