We stayed for a week in Buena Vista CO, which is known for the closeness of several 14,000 ft mountains as well as the Arkansas River with lots of rapids.  We took a drive up to Cottonwood Pass one day, which is at the continental divide at 12,126ft.  Wow, I could barely breathe!

The drive up was beautiful, lots of fir and aspens and several lakes.  Lots of people have cabins up there and they looked just like you would imagine!

We also drove along the Arkansas River on the outskirts of town.  There is a dirt road with several campgrounds and places to launch river rafts.  We saw some people rafting down the river which has several rapids.  We also drove through a series of tunnels that were wide enough for one vehicle at a time only.

The whole area is beautiful!  Here are some pictures: