We are so blessed to live where we live. Colorado is a beautiful, prosperous state.

Today is Colorado’s birthday, so to celebrate we’re going to share some interesting facts:

• Colorado’s name came from the Colorado River, which the Spanish explorers named Rio Colorado because of its red color.
• Colorado is called the “Centennial State” because it was admitted into the Union in 1876 – yep, that’s 100 years after the nation’s birthday!
• Colorado is only one of three states with no natural borders (a natural border is composed of natural formations like rivers, mountain ranges or deserts). The other two are Wyoming and Utah.
• Colfax Avenue in Denver is the longest continuous street in America.
• Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the United States at 10,430 feet
  elevation. Because there were many “silver” named towns at the time, the founding
  fathers suggested Leadville.

• Colorado is home to 54 14,000-ft mountain peaks, more than any other state in the
  United States.
• The longest set of dinosaur tracks discovered to date is in Picketwire Canyon near
  La Junta in southeastern Colorado. Some scientists believe the footprints reveal
  these dinosaurs were herding animals.
• A golf ball flies on average ten percent farther in Colorado than other states because of the altitude. It flies evenfarther at higher altitudes (above 7,000 feet).
• • In Fruita, the town folk celebrate ‘Mike the Headless Chicken Day.’ Seems that a farmer named L.A. Olsen cutoff Mike’s head on September 10, 1945 in anticipation of a chicken dinner – and Mike lived for another 4 years without a head.
• The highest point in Colorado is Mount Elbert at 14,442 feet.
• The Stanley Hotel, in Estes Park, has a long list of celebrities and heads of state that have stayed at the luxurious 1909 hostelry, which was also said to be the inspiration behind author Stephen King’s novel “The Shining.”
• The World’s First Rodeo was held on July 4th, 1869 in Deer Trail.

• The highest suspension bridge in the world is over the Royal Gorge near Canon City. The Royal Gorge Bridge spans the Arkansas River at a height of 1,053 feet.
• Boulder is home to herbal tea maker Celestial Seasonings, located on Sleepytime Drive, where factory tours and tea tastings are the norm.
• The Kit Carson County Carousel in Burlington dates back to 1905, making it the oldest wooden merry-go-round in the United States. It is the only wooden carousel in America that still has its original paint.