Colorado undoubtedly has some beautiful sights, and this has to be right up at the top of the list. The Royal Gorge Bridge and Park has a few "mottos of their own:" "Think Deep"'; "Goodbye Earth, Hello Sky" and "Everywhere else seems to shallow."

The Royal Bridge is the world's highest suspension bridge, sitting at 1200 feet above the Arkansas River. The views looking out over the bridge are simply sublime.

I had heard that if you get to the bridge - it's actually a theme park - before the main attractions open at 10, you can purchase a ticket and browse around the park. So, I got there at 7:30 in the morning and honest to goodness had the complete park to myself.

There were no other tourists. I walked across the 1/4-mile bridge, took pictures, walked over to the wildlife, up to Point Sublime, which is a lookout over the gorge to view the aerial tram (which wasn't running yet). Then I walked back and drove the car over to see if I had missed anything.

By 9, I had seen everything I could. Since my ticket was good for all day, I was able to go back later in the day and do the rides and attractions I wanted to do. Since the park is more like a theme park, there's something for everyone and a lot for the kids, such as a petting zoo, burro rides, a carousel and shows. The magic show was pretty cool!

The Royal Gorge is located a few miles north of Cañon City. In the town, there is a separate train - the Royal Gorge Train - that takes you on a two-hour ride through the gorge and along side the swift Arkansas River.