Rocky Mountain Mile High
Join Fast Lane Travel, Inc. this summer for another of our Colorado Rocky Mountain High adventures. We begin in Colorado Springs at the Cliff House Inn in Manitou Springs. Enjoy an exhilarating drive above the alpine tree line to the summit of Pikes Peak and a special visit to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
We next stay four nights at the fabulous Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa in Western Colorado, where we will make daily excursions from this lovely base. One day includes our famous and fun Photo Rally. We’ll also drive the Million Dollar Highway, part of the San Juan Skyway, where the vistas are absolutely jaw-dropping. We’ll visit the “Antler Guy” in McCoy and thrill to one of the most scenic roads in Colorado, Hwy 134, while enjoying two nights at the luxurious and scenic Ritz Carlton Bachelors Gulch.
All accommodations, gourmet meals, cocktails and beverages, luggage van, car washes, premium gasoline, taxes and gratuities are included per itinerary. You are driving your own Porsche – or any other car you might want to bring. We’ve had Mercedes, Lexus, Mustangs, Ferraris etc. All are welcome!
Don’t miss out on all the fun – sign up today!
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Luxury accommodations
- Gasoline
- All Meals with Wine/Beer, Cocktail Parties
- Drive guides
- Gratuities and entrance fees
- Walkie-talkies on the road
- Parking fees and daily car washes per itinerary
- Who’s Who booklet
Itinerary
DAY 1 - Arrive in Colorado Springs
Wednesday, July 10th
- Arrive in Colorado Springs
- Check in to Cliff House Inn in Manitou Springs
- Welcome Cocktail Party and Dinner at Cliff House Inn
As always, we recommend that you arrive a day early (on Tuesday, July 9th 2024), if possible, so you have a little more time to relax and enjoy the area. Ask about our early arrival package including room, dinner and breakfast.
After arriving in Colorado Springs today, drive to nearby Manitou Springs, nestled at the foot of Pikes Peak. Check in to the quaint Cliff House Inn. We’ll meet for a Welcome Cocktail Party followed by a wonderful dinner at the Cliff House.
DAY 2 - Colorado Springs and U.S. Air Force Academy Visit
Thursday, July 11th
- Breakfast at the Cliff House Inn
- S. Air Force Academy tour with lunch
- FREE afternoon
- Cocktails and dinner at the Cliff House Inn
Following breakfast, we will depart from the hotel for a short drive to the U.S. Air Force Academy. We will enjoy a special tour of the campus including the stunning Cadet Chapel and newest building on campus, Polaris Hall – the Air Force Academy’s Center for Character and Leadership, as well as several other buildings on campus. After a quick lunch, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy in the Colorado Springs area. Perhaps you may want to visit the Garden of the Gods or the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
This evening, we will meet again for cocktails and a delicious dinner at the Cliff House Inn.
DAY 3 - Colorado Springs – Day trip to Pikes Peak
Friday, July 12th
- Breakfast at the Cliff House Inn
- Morning drive to Pikes Peak
- Lunch at The Winery at Pikes Peak
- Free afternoon
Dinner, drinks and entertainment at the Edelweiss German Restaurant
Enjoy a delightful breakfast at the hotel in preparation for the first of our many spectacular Rocky Mountain drives. We’ll depart from our hotel after breakfast and embark on the 19-mile scenic journey above the clouds to the summit of Pikes Peak! We’ll encounter some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world as we wind our way through an alpine wonderland to the 14,115-foot summit. We will provide supplemental oxygen for those of you not used to the higher elevation.
We’ll stop at The Winery at Pikes Peak for lunch after our descent, and the rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy. This evening, dinner will be reminiscent of our European TREFFEN© tours – we’ll depart from Cliff House Inn by motor coach to enjoy a superb meal including German beer and wine at the Edelweiss German Restaurant. Bring your Lederhosen and Dirndl!
DAY 4 - Drive to Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa (~ 330 Miles)
Saturday, July 13th
- Breakfast at Cliff House Inn
- Drive US Route 50 to Gunnison, CO
- Lunch at Garlic Mike’s in Gunnison
- Cocktails and dinner at Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa
Enjoy another delightful breakfast at the Cliff House Inn. Please remember to check out and have your “large luggage” ready to load into our luggage van. As we drive west along US Route 50, we will parallel the Arkansas River, going through beautiful Big Horn Sheep Canyon to Salida and crossing the Continental Divide at Monarch Pass at an elevation of 11,312 feet. We’ll stop in Gunnison for lunch at Garlic Mike’s before continuing on to the western edge of Colorado and the stunning Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa. We’ll check in and relax in this lovely red rock area resort before dinner. Tonight, we’ll enjoy a welcome cocktail party and dinner at Gateway Canyons.
DAY 5 - Day Trip to Durango & the Million Dollar Highway (~ 385 Miles)
Sunday, July 14th
- Breakfast at Gateway Canyons Resort
- Drive to Durango and return on Rt. 550 – the Million Dollar Highway
- Lunch at the historic Strater Hotel, Durango
- Cocktail party in the Cottonwood Grove
- Cowboy Dinner at Gateway Canyons Resort
Enjoy a delightful breakfast at Gateway Canyons Resort and get prepared for one of the most exciting adventures that Colorado has to offer. We’ll first drive to Durango, located in the Animas River Valley surrounded by the San Juan Mountains. We’ll enjoy lunch at the historic Strater Hotel, built in 1887 and one of the West’s iconic hotels.
After lunch, we’ll head north to drive one of THE most incredible roads – the Million Dollar Highway, part of the San Juan Skyway. Forget about your standard driving safety measures like guardrails and shoulders, there aren’t any on this stretch of road, so swerving off the road is not advised! From Durango, through Silverton and Ouray, to Ridgway, the highway delivers jaw-dropping vista after vista.
This evening, we meet for cocktails in the cottonwood grove on the grounds of Gateway Canyons Resort. Dinner tonight will be a special treat – a cowboy dinner that you’ll never forget!
DAY 6 - FREE Day at Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa
Monday, July 15th
- Breakfast at Gateway Canyons Resort
- FREE morning
- Lunch at Gateway Canyons Resort
- FREE Afternoon
- Cocktails and dinner at Gateway Canyons Resort
Breakfast is at your leisure this morning. Today you may relax and enjoy the many amenities that Gateway Canyons Resort offers. Surrounded by the vast lands of the Uncompahgre Plateau, Piñon Mesa and La Sal Mountains, you’ll find endless outdoor activities and adventures to explore – hiking, mountain biking, off-road touring, horseback riding, exploring a working ranch, archery lessons, interpretive tours via UTV or Jeep and more. Or perhaps you’d like to indulge in the spa amenities, relax by the pool or just enjoy the beautiful and peaceful grounds. Lunch will be whenever you wish. And, as usual, we will meet in the evening for cocktails and another delicious dinner at Gateway Canyons Resort.
DAY 7 - Fast Lane Travel’s Fun Photo Rally (~ 180 Miles)
Tuesday, July 16th
- Breakfast at Gateway Canyons Resort
- Drive to Grand Junction and Colorado National Monument
- Fun Rim Rock Drive Photo Rally
- Lunch at Spoons Bistro & Bakery, Grand Junction
- Cocktails and Photo Rally Banquet at Gateway Canyons Resort
Enjoy a wonderful breakfast at the beautiful Gateway Canyons Resort. We’ll meet briefly after breakfast to remind everyone of the “rules” of the Photo Rally! We will then drive north to Grand Junction and the Colorado National Monument for the USA-version of our acclaimed Photo Rally. The drive up to the Colorado National Monument is impressive; with a four-mile serpentine drive along canyon walls that brings us to the top. Massive boulders on both sides of the road lead to Rim Rock Drive, twenty-three miles of breathtaking views. The road winds along the rim and lets us enjoy panoramas of great rock sculptures, canyons and distant valleys.
After we descend from the Colorado National Monument, we’ll enjoy lunch in Grand Junction at Spoons Bistro & Bakery. Be sure to turn in your score sheets to Peter before lunch! Following lunch, you might want to take a sweet detour to Enstrom’s Toffee & Confectionery in downtown Grand Junction – maker of THE best Almond Toffee!
After lunch, you may return to Gateway Canyons Resort at your leisure, perhaps exploring Grand Junction first or returning to the Resort to enjoy its many amenities. Dinner tonight is our Photo Rally Banquet including the awarding of “valuable” prizes at the Resort.
DAY 8 - Drive to Bachelors Gulch (~ 238 Miles)
Wednesday, July 17th
- Breakfast at Gateway Canyons Resort
- Drive to Avon, Colorado along Route 133 between Delta and Carbondale
- Lunch at Slow Groovin’ BBQ, in Marble, Colorado
- Cocktails and dinner – Ritz Carlton Bachelors Gulch
Enjoy your last breakfast at the beautiful Gateway Canyons Resort. We’ll then load the luggage van, check out and head to Delta, Colorado where we join Colorado Route 133, a scenic route that runs between Delta and Carbondale, Colorado. We will pass through several western towns and see awesome views of the Maroon Bells, two peaks in the Elk Mountains separated by less than a mile. Following lunch in Marble, Colorado, we continue to the Ritz Carlton Bachelors Gulch.
This evening we gather at the WYLD Terrace Bar for cocktails, followed by dinner at the fabulous Ritz Carlton Bachelors Gulch.
DAY 9 - Day Drive to Kremmling (~ 160 Miles)
Thursday, July 18th
- Breakfast at the Ritz Carlton Bachelors Gulch
- Drive to McCoy, CO; visit with the Antler Guy, Alan Butts
- Drive the scenic Colorado Highway 134
- Lunch at Grand Old West Restaurant in Kremmling
- Return drive via Leadville, Twin Lakes
- Cocktails and Farewell Dinner – Ritz Carlton Bachelors Gulch
We depart the Ritz Carlton for our drive to Kremmling, mostly on magnificent country roads. We will stop for a brief visit in McCoy with Alan Butts, the “Antler Guy,” who creates jewelry, whistles, lamps and more astounding things from antlers. From McCoy, we take beautiful Hwy 134 to Kremmling; you’ll see ranches, barns and horses along this scenic drive. After lunch in Kremmling at the Grand Old West Restaurant, we will return to the Ritz Carlton by way of historic Leadville and the scenic Twin Lakes area.
Tonight, we will gather on the terrace of the Ritz Carlton for cocktails before enjoying a fantastic Farewell dinner at the Ritz Carlton Bachelors Gulch.
DAY 10 - Depart Colorado (~ 200 miles to DEN)
Friday, July 19th
- Breakfast – Ritz Carlton Bachelors Gulch
- Depart for home or drive back to Denver International Airport (DEN)
Enjoy your final breakfast this morning at the Ritz Carlton Bachelors Gulch. Please remember to check out of the hotel before your drive home or to the Denver Airport. We hope you enjoyed our Rocky Mountain High PORSCHE Fest in the USA!