6. Colorado(TheCentennialState)
Motto: Nil sine Numine( Nothing without Providence)
Admission Date: 8/1/1876 as the 38th state of the USA
Capital: Denver
Governor: John Hickenlooper | Lt. Governor: Joseph Garcia
Current Population: 5,187,582
Ethnic Breakdown
White - 81.3%
Black - 4.0%
Asian - 2.8 %
Alaska Native & American Indian - 1.1%
Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander- 0.1%
Hispanics & Latinos - 20.7%
Biracial & Multiracial - 3.4%
Other race - 7.2%
7.
8.
9. In the late 1980s, John Hickenlooper left the oilfields of
Western Colorado to open the state's first brewpub. He
business grew and revitalized popular neighborhood in
present-day Denver and gradually joined Denver's civic life.
With encouragement of friends he ran for Mayor of Denver
in 2003. He served as the Mayor of Denver for about 8
years before seeking election for Governor of Colorado.
Once again the people around him encouraged him to run
for Governor of Colorado and he gained much support
winning by 51 percent.
10. Before elected as the Lieutenant Governor of Colorado,
Joseph Garcia or better known as Joe Garcia served as the
President of Colorado State University at Pueblo,CO. While
President of Colorado State University at Pueblo, he served
as co-chair of the Governor's P-20 Education Task Force,
helping develop a education reform agenda. Joe also served
as one of three Colorado commissioners on the Western
Interstate Commission on Higher Education(WICHE), he is
now the chair of that organization.
11.
12. U.SAirForceAcademy
United States Air Force Academy is located near Colorado Springs.The United States Air
Force Academy was established in 1954 by President Eisenhower. Since 1954, the
academy has trained 33,000 men and women who have graduated from this prestigious
school. The motto is "To educate, train, and inspire "
Directions|North of Colorado Springs Metro and south of Denver. Enter the Academy from
the North Gate entrance. Exit off I-25 at exit 156B.
13. TheHangingLake
The Hanging Lake is located East of Glenwood Springs in Glenwood Canyon. It
is one of the most recent addition to Colorado's Natural Landmarks receiving its
designation in 2011 after missing it in 1980. Along with 6 other designations from
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, a Colorado Native, the 72-acre site in the White
River National Forest is one of 13 landmarks in Colorado. The designation is
reserved for sites with outstanding biological and geological resources.
Directions|Access to the trailhead is only possible for I-70 eastbound traffic. For
westbound travelers, exit at milepost 21 and turn around going east to the
Hanging Lake exit.
14. GardenoftheGods
Garden of the Gods is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In the 1850s, two surveyors from
Denver City came upon this area of sandstone formations. It contains 20 breathtaking sandstone
formations sculpted by erosion. Formations began forming over 320 million years ago. Two of
the most well known formations are Balanced Rock and Kissing Camels. Balanced Rock sits
upon another rock, looking as if it will fall on the road. Kissing Camels formation looks as its
name implies, two camels kissing each other.Hiking is a popular activity at the park.
Directions|From I-25 in Colorado Springs, take exit 146 and head west on Garden of the Gods
Road. Follow to its end ("T" intersection) at 30th Street; turn left (south) and go about 1.5 miles.
The visitor center will be on the left and the park entrance on the right.
15. ChimneyRock
Chimney Rock was once home to an Ancestral Puebloan Indian Village overlooking
the Piedra River. With excavation beginning in the 1920's, the archaeological site now
covers 3,160 acres of the San Juan National Forest. Two trails lead up to excavated and
undisturbed sites. Every 18.6 years, the "Northern Lunar Standstill" takes place. At
Chimney Rock, the moon appears to rise between Chimney Rock and Companion Rock
when viewed from the upper mesa near the Great House. The cycle lasts 30 months.
Directions|Located about 43 miles from Durango and 17 miles from Pagosa Springs,
Colorado. Take U.S. highway 160 east from Durango or west from Pagosa Springs to
Colorado highway 151 and turn south. The entrance is 3 miles further, on the right.
16. Bent'sOldFort
Bent's Old Fort was built in 1833 by William and Charles Bent and Ceran St. Vrain. It
was owned by the St. Vrain Company's expanding trade empire. Located near La Junta
and Las Animas. From 1833 to 1849, it was the only major white settlement on the
Santa Fe Trail from the Mississippi River to Mexico. Settlers stopped for supplies,
wagon repairs and trade. During the Mexican War in 1846, the fort served as a staging
ground for Colonel Stephen Watts Kerney's "Army of the West." In 1849, the fort was
abandoned due to disease and disaster.
Directions| The Fort is accessed via US Highway 50 and Highway 194.
From La Junta: US Highway 50, take Highway 109 north 1 mile to Highway 194, then
east on Highway 194 six miles to the fort.
From Las Animas: US Highway 50, take Highway 194 west 13 miles.
17.
18. Colorado was the 1st place explored by the Spanish | In 1541, Spanish explorer
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado reached Colorado. Before then, he decided to send his
men out in different directions in search of gold. The group led by Pedro de Tovar
traveled to the Colorado Plateau. While, Garcia Lopez de Cardenas led his group to
become the first Europeans to see the Grand canyon.
19. In 1682, French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle,
sailed along the Mississippi river, claiming the entire basin that
included present-day Colorado for France. He named it La
Louisiane after the French King Louis XIV.
Colorado was claimed by the U.S. as a part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
20. In 1859, George Andrew Jackson found gold along Chicago Creek in Colorado.Jackson's
discovery launched the first mining boom in Clear Creek County, changing the region
and state of Colorado forever. A monument was unveiled in Idaho Springs, Colorado in
1909 to celebrate Jackson. It was re-dedicated in 2009 to commemorate the 150th
anniversary of Jackson's strike and the Colorado Gold Rush.
