Royal Gorge Bridge and Park
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We spent the morning at Royal Gorge Bridge & Park in Cañon City, Colorado, tickets in hand and ready for the full experience: gondola ride, bridge walk, and the short film.
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Before we even made it to the parking lot, we pulled up to a cinematic scene. A group dressed in coordinated gold tops and long dark skirts stood with the mountains rising behind them, filming what looked like a Christian music video. They were singing in another language and then broke into “Hallelujah.” It was an unexpected and beautiful surprise.
I was most looking forward to the gondola ride, but the 40+ mph winds had other ideas. The gondola was grounded, and prepaid tickets don’t come with refunds. So we crossed the bridge and caught the 17-minute park film. Between the wind and the chill, it felt more like a survival challenge than a scenic stroll.
Still, the bridge is impressive. Built in 1929, it stretches 1,260 feet across and towers 956 feet above the Arkansas River. It held the title of world’s highest suspension bridge until 2001 and remains the highest in the United States. And in case you’re wondering — no, you can’t fish from it. There’s a very clear No Fishing sign.
We grabbed lunch town. After that…I went to prison. I won’t be disclosing my alleged crimes. I maintain my innocence. I did time at the Museum of Colorado Prisons. The museum is housed in a former women’s correctional facility that opened in 1935, right next to the still active Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility. Iron bars. Tiny cells. A real gas chamber used in executions, including Colorado’s last in 1967. It’s eerie and intense, and definitely not your typical afternoon activity.
The exhibits cover more than 140 years of prison history in Colorado: inmate-made weapons, contraband, escape attempts, and stories from both sides of the bars. You walk the same halls inmates once did, just with the added bonus of leaving when you’re done.
One thing that resonated a statistic the lady at the front desk shared: there’s a direct correlation between 3rd-grade reading proficiency and future incarceration rates. When reading levels go up, imprisonment rates drop about two decades later. The museum also highlights inmate art programs, where participants saw recidivism rates drop significantly. Some of the artwork on display was genuinely impressive. Creativity and education can have impact, even behind bars.
From wind-whipped bridge to prison bars, Cañon City packed a lot into one day.
I was most looking forward to the gondola ride, but the 40+ mph winds had other ideas. The gondola was grounded, and prepaid tickets don’t come with refunds. So we crossed the bridge and caught the 17-minute park film. Between the wind and the chill, it felt more like a survival challenge than a scenic stroll.
Still, the bridge is impressive. Built in 1929, it stretches 1,260 feet across and towers 956 feet above the Arkansas River. It held the title of world’s highest suspension bridge until 2001 and remains the highest in the United States. And in case you’re wondering — no, you can’t fish from it. There’s a very clear No Fishing sign.
We grabbed lunch town. After that…I went to prison. I won’t be disclosing my alleged crimes. I maintain my innocence. I did time at the Museum of Colorado Prisons. The museum is housed in a former women’s correctional facility that opened in 1935, right next to the still active Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility. Iron bars. Tiny cells. A real gas chamber used in executions, including Colorado’s last in 1967. It’s eerie and intense, and definitely not your typical afternoon activity.
The exhibits cover more than 140 years of prison history in Colorado: inmate-made weapons, contraband, escape attempts, and stories from both sides of the bars. You walk the same halls inmates once did, just with the added bonus of leaving when you’re done.
One thing that resonated a statistic the lady at the front desk shared: there’s a direct correlation between 3rd-grade reading proficiency and future incarceration rates. When reading levels go up, imprisonment rates drop about two decades later. The museum also highlights inmate art programs, where participants saw recidivism rates drop significantly. Some of the artwork on display was genuinely impressive. Creativity and education can have impact, even behind bars.
From wind-whipped bridge to prison bars, Cañon City packed a lot into one day.