USA - Rockies
The Place
The Rockies present a remarkable panorama of sweeping, colorful vistas, towering heights and ranches that stretch as far as the eye can see. Big cities surprise you by their very existence after all the splendour of the wide-open spaces. Theodore Roosevelt called it "scenery that bankrupts the English language." And it's all free, these shimmering blue lakes, scenic roadways, parks, forests, recreation areas and wondrous rock formations. Want more? There are the thrills of rodeo, of skiing on choice mountain slopes, of ballooning over snowcapped mountains, of whitewater rafting down a rushing river, not to mention the abundance of opportunities for fishing, sailing, camping and backpacking.
Today you'll find the Rockies as compelling as when Lewis and Clark first came this way early in the 19th century on their famous expedition to unlock the American West. On the heels of that pair of explorers and their retinue were the fabled mountain men, fur traders, prospectors in search of gold and silver, cattle barons and land barons, cowboys and ranchers, copper kings, prophets and visionaries of one sort or another.
