La Prensa San Diego Staff

Our weekend adventure to Colorado began at Gate 32 of San Diego International’s second terminal. Takeoff was scheduled for 8 a.m., but our excitement was sky high long before boarding began.

Thanks to an invitation extended to La Prensa San Diego’s staff, we flew to Chevrolet’s 2018 Crossover Road Show, an opportunity for media to experience first-hand what new innovations the Detroit-based automaker is bringing to market this year.

Upon arriving at Denver International we were greeted with a 2018 Chevy Traverse, the vehicle in
which we would set off on our planned adventures
during our three-day trip.

Our first stop for the weekend was the Crossover Road Show, held at the Stanley Marketplace – a trendy shopping and dining center built into an old airplane hangar – in the suburb of Aurora. Here, we sampled local eats such as tacos by local fave Comida and frozen treats from Mary’s Creamery while learning about the innovative technology and updates made to Chevrolet’s flagship crossover model.

Afterward, we set off for Glenwood Springs, a tranquil mountain town known for summertime raft rides and wintertime ski action.

The 190-mile trip to our destination was full of amazing sights. We were treated to dramatic views of pine-covered peaks, canyons cut by the Colorado River, and vast valleys as we cradled around the curves of the Colorado countryside in our Traverse.

Our first extended drive was a comfortable one, as the Traverse cabin features leather seats, front passenger and back passenger air condition controls, and very ample leg room. Having a silent radio in the middle of the mountains was not an issue on our road trip, as the vehicle is equipped with a high-powered antenna capable of providing a reliable radio and wifi connection anywhere.

We arrived in Glenwood Springs in the twilight hours, with the sunset painting nimbus clouds a pastel pink and Grand Avenue’s neon signs coming to life.

As a small town packed with tourists, parking in Glenwood Springs gets a little tight. However, our Traverse was very easy to maneuver into a restricted parking spot. Front and back bumper cameras allowed us to see how much space we had to work with as we parallel parked.

While the highlight of any outdoor destination is often enjoyed during the daylight hours, a balmy night in Glenwood Springs is the perfect time for a stroll down its charming streets, which are lined with outstanding eateries. We enjoyed new-American restaurant Slope and Hatch’s take on designer tacos – generously packed with short rib birria and barbecue brisket topped with escabeche coleslaw.

With temperatures still in the 80s at night, we felt the need to have some “Rocky Mountain water” (in moderation and with a designated driver, of course) to cool off and kick back. Doc Holliday’s Saloon, a watering hole straight out of the wild west, seemed like the right place for a pour. This bar in the entrance to town features ice-cold beers, tasty bar eats, and memorabilia belonging to wild west gambler Doc Holliday, who resided in Glenwood Springs.

The next day we got another taste of history by visiting the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. This park is located on a mountaintop which overlooks Glenwood Springs from over 1,000 feet and is accessible only by cable tram.

While the park has a couple attractions such as children’s rides, a speedy alpine coaster, and an extreme mountain swing, the main draw are its two caves, the King’s Row Cave and the Fairy Cave. Both feature ancient geological formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and sentinel stones.

After our cave adventure, we umped back into the Traverse and headed for a white water rafting tour on the Colorado River.

Glenwood Canyon Rafting, located two miles south of town, took us upstream to our departing point in Shoshone. As first timers on the rapids, we were amazed by the power of the river and the striking height of the surrounding canyons. On the smooth parts of our downstream voyage, we saw wildlife such as bighorn sheep, Canadian geese, yellow marmots, turkey vultures, golden eagles, and many more.

Soaking wet, we called it a day and prepared to hit the road once again come sunrise.

After a quick breakfast we set off for Buena Vista, where we would zipline through evergreen pines and round boulders at an elevation of 11,000 feet above sea level. Our zipline circuit consisted of six lines – the longest measuring a quarter of a mile – on which reached top speeds of 50 miles per hour. Although there was a slight delay in our takeoff due to rainy weather, we got to appreciate the ever-changing highlands climate.

Having completed our final scheduled activity, we set off for Denver to catch our flight home.

Although the road was full of curves and hills, steering through these in our Traverse was very easy and responsive. The vehicle’s V6 engine allowed us to zoom up steep inclines and fared well with gas efficiency.

While driving though Denver en route to the Airport, we noted the great safety features the Traverse comes with, such as front bumper alerts – which let you know when the car in front suddenly slows down – and blind spot sensors on side view mirrors.

Our adventure through Colorado came to an end after we pulled into the airport to return our Traverse and board our flight.
Finding new roads on the Chevrolet Traverse on this Colorado adventure lived up to our expectations and more. With mile-high hopes of returning to the Centennial State, we boarded our flight, knowing there is still more to explore.