24 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
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Boulder, CO
· Local history
At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, where Boulder Creek rushes down from the Continental Divide, a different kind of gold fever took hold in 1858. It wasn't the precious metal alone that built Boulder, though that was…
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Hotel Boulderado
· 0.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time at the Hotel Boulderado, a Boulder landmark since 1909. Local architects Redding & Sons designed this grand hotel, which opened its doors on New Year's Day. Imagine the excitement as guests arrived to…
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McKenzie Well
· 2.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming spot sparked a gusher of black gold that changed Colorado forever. In 1901, the McKenzie Well, or McKenzie #1, struck oil. This wasn't just any oil strike; it led to the discovery of the Boulder Oil…
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Salina School
· 6.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine learning in this one-room schoolhouse in a former mining town dating back to the 1870s! You're approaching the Salina School, a testament to early Colorado life. Built around 1875 or 1876, this humble building…
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Gold Hill, Colorado
· 8.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Get ready to step back in time! Gold Hill isn't just a pretty mountain town; it was the site of the first major gold discovery in what would become Colorado. Back in 1859, prospectors found gold here, sparking a rush to…
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Kullgren House
· 9.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine life as a coal miner in the late 19th century at this former boarding house. The Kullgren House, built in 1896, stands at 209 East Cleveland Street in Lafayette. It was home to Andrew Kullgren from 1896 to 1919.…
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Miller House (Lafayette, Colorado)
· 9.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming house is a testament to Mary Miller, the woman who literally put Lafayette, Colorado on the map. Miller arrived in Colorado in 1863. More than two decades later, after discovering coal on her land, she…
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Lafayette House
· 9.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder what it was like to live in a booming coal town? This unassuming house on Simpson Street holds a piece of that history. Built around 1900, the Lafayette House opened as a boarding house, offering a place for…
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Switzerland Trail
· 10.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine a train chugging along these very hills, connecting remote mining towns! That was the Switzerland Trail, originally a narrow-gauge railroad. Around the turn of the 1900s, the Greeley, Salt Lake and Pacific…
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Longmont, CO
· 13.8 mi
Longmont, Colorado, owes its existence to a deliberate plan. Unlike many towns that sprung up organically around a mine or a railroad junction, Longmont was the brainchild of the Chicago-Colorado Colony, an intentional…
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Eldora, Colorado
· 16.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Welcome to Eldora, or as the locals still call it, Happy Valley! This mountain hamlet transformed from a bustling gold mining camp to a beloved ski destination. Gold was discovered here in 1875, and a town quickly…
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Gold Miner Hotel
· 16.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here, you've got to see this! This isn't just any hotel; it's a direct link to the Colorado gold rush. Back in 1898, when Eldora was booming with miners hoping to strike it rich, this hotel was built. Imagine…
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Eldora Historic District
· 16.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time in this historic district, once a bustling mining camp known as Eldorado Camp. In the late 1800s, gold fever struck, and Eldora, originally called 'Happy Valley,' boomed as miners flocked here hoping…
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Westminster Castle
· 17.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Known locally as "The Pillar of Fire," this historic landmark stands out on the Colorado horizon. Construction of Westminster Castle, originally intended to house Westminster University, began in 1893. However, the…
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Bowles House (Westminster, Colorado)
· 17.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder who brought the railroad to Westminster? It might just be the guy who built this house. That's the Bowles House, built around 1871 by Edward Bruce Bowles and his wife, Mahala. Bowles came to Colorado as a…
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Astor House (Golden, Colorado)
· 18.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time at this 1867 stone hotel, a relic from Golden's early days as a bustling frontier town. The Astor House was built in 1867. It was known by several names, including Castle Rock House and Hotel Boston,…
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Central City/Black Hawk Historic District
· 19.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Hold on tight; you're about to drive through a place once called the Richest Square Mile on Earth! This is the Central City/Black Hawk Historic District, a preserved window into Colorado's gold rush days. Back in the…
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Ammunition Igloo
· 19.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming mound of earth and stone holds a secret: it's an ammunition bunker from World War II. Back in 1940, as the world braced for war, this igloo-shaped bunker was built at Camp George West. Its thick stone…
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Central City - Richest Square Mile on Earth
· 19.6 mi · Historical Marker
The first major gold strike in Colorado, where John Gregory's 1859 discovery in Gregory Gulch launched the Pikes Peak Gold Rush and built a mining town that called itself the Richest Square Mile on Earth.
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Buffalo Bill's Grave & Museum
· 19.6 mi · Historical Marker
William F. 'Buffalo Bill' Cody, the most famous showman of the American frontier, is buried atop Lookout Mountain near Golden, Colorado, a site he chose himself for its commanding view of the Great Plains and the Rocky…
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Teller House
· 19.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over for a drink, and maybe catch a glimpse of a ghost! The Teller House is more than just a historic hotel; it's a place steeped in legend. Built in 1872, the Teller House quickly became a lavish social hub in…
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Central City Opera House
· 19.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over for a second and imagine the echoes of arias and applause! This isn't just any building; it's the Central City Opera House, a place that once pulsed with the energy of Colorado's gold rush era. Built in 1878,…
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Colorow Point Park
· 19.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here for a second! This tiny park packs a punch, offering a breathtaking view and a connection to a powerful Ute leader. Colorow Point Park is named for Chief Colorow, a prominent figure in the Ute Nation. He…
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Camp George West Historic District
· 19.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine soldiers training right here, preparing for duty. Camp George West, established for the Colorado National Guard, was a crucial training ground, especially for rifle practice. While artillery practice was…