“O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!”-Katherine Lee Bates atop Pikes Peak

Colorado has so much more to offer than just Denver and skiing. The southern portion of the state is a unique character in and of itself. As a bridge between the Mountain West and Southwestern regions of the United States, the extraordinary section of the state literally coined the term “America the Beautiful.”

Southern Colorado has two main towns, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Colorado Springs is about an hour south of Denver and Pueblo is about 45 minutes from the New Mexico Border. Colorado Springs is the second largest city in Colorado and plays host the US Air Force Academy. It also has one of the largest evangelical Christian communities in the country and is the only part of the state in which recreational marijuana is still illegal. Never less, even without “the Devil’s Lettuce”, Colorado Springs has a lot to offer. The Air Force Academy is cool for anyone interested in planes but most importantly there is the Garden of the Gods, the world’s greatest city park. A magnificent rock formation free and open for the entire world to enjoy, it has none other than Pikes Peak in the background to add to the experience.

Pikes Peak is of course a marvel in and of itself. While only the 53^rd tallest mountain in Colorado, it is by far the most famous. Like Mount Evans, you can drive to the top and there is even a railway (though it is unfortunately under renovation until 2020) that can take you all 14,115. Once you get to the top there is even a gift shop where you can purchase the worlds highest elevation donuts (because dough rises quicker in thin air). Looking down at the Garden of the Gods and the Great Plains for miles below, it is no wonder that Katherine Lee Bates in 1895 from atop such a sight wrote the words to “America the Beautiful.”

Travelling farther south from Colorado Springs will take you to Cañon City and the Royal Gorge, where my rafting trip took place. A trip down here to the Arkansas River and to the old town of Cañon City will evokes feelings of Clint Eastwood and old cowboy films. As fun as it is to look up to the 9,000 ft elevation bridge from an old-style train, the best experience comes from floating on the river itself.

Even further to the south down the Arkansas River is one of the true geographic marvels of North America; Great Sand Dunes National Park. Unlike many of the cactus filled deserts we know in the Southwestern US; Great Sand Dune is perfect for fans of Lawrence of Arabia or Aladdin who don’t want to travel all the way to the middle east should come here. Matter of fact, much of the filming for Lawrence of Arabia and other films including the Ten Commandments and Stars Wars: A New Hope, was done in the national park. There are even certain spots in which you can camp on the dunes. However, going outside of the designated areas is not recommended. If you are wondering why, watch Lawrence of Arabia.

Just a short drive from Great Sand Dune is the town of Pueblo. With one of the largest Mexican-American communities in the United States, the food here is amazing. It also plays host to ruins of the Taos and Zuni people along with Colonial Spanish Architecture. While not in Colorado, if you’ve made it down this far, I recommend continuing your drive for an hour and a half to Santa Fe New Mexico. One of North America’s oldest settlements, its blend of Spanish and Native American culture is truly unique.

The sights of Southern Colorado can clearly show why Katherine Lee Bates felt compelled to write such an iconic song. With all the negativity surrounding the current state of politics in our country, regardless of whatever political views we all may hold, standing atop Pikes Peak and staring off into the spacious skies above and amber waves of grain below that America is truly a special and beautiful country. Regardless of whatever happens, we should all remember those Katherine Lee Bate’s wise words written long ago “America, America, God shed his grace on thee, and crowned thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.”