Royal Gorge Park
Near Cañon City, Colorado

This stretch of the Arkansas River draws quite a few rafters and kayakers.  It won't take long before you see some drifting by.

You'll also notice an old wooden pipeline clinging to the side of the canyon.  The 30 inch redwood tube carried Cañon City's water supply for more than 70 years.  The line was abandoned in 1974, but pieces of it still remain.

There's a busy population of hummingbirds at the bottom of the canyon.  You'll find them gathered around a feeder near the incline station.

After traveling back to the top of the gorge...

...you'll find another record-breaking attraction: this aerial tram ride.  The gondola makes the 4/10 of a mile trip every 15 minutes or so.  This is the world's longest single span aerial tram.

If you're afraid of heights, you might hesitate to ride the tram, but you'd be passing up some great views if you skip this attraction.

Aboard the tram, an unenthusiastic teenager will tell you a little history of the bridge, the park, and the gorge.  He will also point out JFK Mountain, a formation that looks a bit like John F. Kennedy lying in repose.

It's easy to take your own postcard-quality picture from the observation deck, at the south side of the gorge.

Also on the south side, there's a small animal park (the Wapiti Western Wildlife Park), that's home to a few elk, bighorn sheep, and this rare white American Bison.

None of the creatures seemed very energetic during my visit.

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