Guanella Pass and Georgetown

Another day, another scenic drive! Our destination lay to the northeast of us, the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway. This road was once an old wagon trail used by miners traveling between the towns of Grant and Georgetown. Gold was what lured folks to the earea, but it turned out to be silver that brought the real prosperity to the area.

The start of the road as we turned of Hwy. 285. There is a turn-off at the creek here, and we pulled into it to stretch our legs...it was about an hour and a half ride to the beginning of the byway.

We didn't stay too long here though...signs on the board warned us of two things...bear frequented the area, and a female mountain lion has been seen in the area with two kits, and was "very aggressive"..no, not a good spot to walk around!

Further up the road we saw a boulder-filled waterfall back in the forest, so we pulled over and took a walk in to explore. It wasn't a free-fall waterfall, but a huge boulder-strewn field coming down the mountainside creating an unending series of small waterfalls.

The ground was soft and springy here, and gnarled roots covered the trail as it wound up and back into the forest...much different from our baked dry, scrubby trails near the campground. It was a very peaceful spot to linger awhile. And no mountain lion warnings :-).

Geneva Park, a large mountain meadow composed of glacial soil deposits.

Wildflowers by the side of the road

At the summit, home to ptarmigans, and supposedly, big-horn sheep...nope, didn't see any, only a black rabbit who hopped away to fast to get a picture!

We then started the descent into the historic town of Georgetown, which started life in 1859 as a mining camp. Several original buildings are still standing, as well as the Victorian style homes. In the early 1950s, the first efforts were made to preserve Georgetown's remaining 19th-century buildings as historic resources. The importance of Georgetown's place in history was given national recognition in 1966 by the Department of the Interior. Through the National Park Service, the towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume were recognized as a National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) and protected to help tell the story of the American West.  Historic Georgetown was formed as a private non-profit organization in 1970 to assist in the efforts to preserve and interpret Georgetown's mining past. While federal, state, and local government and local organizations work to restore landmark sites, most of Georgetown's 200 19th-century structures are privately owned, protected, and preserved by local citizens. Today, Georgetown is a study in history, architecture, and historic preservation in addition to being a living 21st-century community. 

Views of the main business district

Isn't this a beautiful building for a post office?

The historic Alpine Hose No. 2 Firehouse, now hosting the fire museum...it looks so much like the Fire Museum back in our home town of Sag Harbor! I was curious as to how the ages relate to each other, maybe some of the folks back in Sag Harbor can clue me in on how old that building is?

The plaque detailing the historical information of the building

Other neat buildings and architectural details in Georgetown

So, we had a nice drive, walks with beautiful views, a good lunch in a pretty little historic town....what's not to love about this nomadic lifestyle?? Until the next adventure, have a great day :-)!