Westcliffe is the secret that folks from Pueblo and Colorado Springs would like to keep for themselves. An unassuming mountain town unspoiled by factory outlets and tony designer shops, the little town has a muscular cultural scene, thanks to a California transplant who rejuvenated the town theater, instituted a playwrights’ festival and ramped the stagecraft up to a level that compares favorably to Denver theaters. Go for the upcoming West Mountain Western Days, Aug. 31-Sept. 2, an end-of-summer roundup with lots of genuine cowboys, an excellent fiddling contest and a full schedule of gifted Western swing singers, including Colorado’s Liz Masterson and Texan Jean Prescott. The festival offers Cowboy Church on Sunday, followed by round-robin gospel singing.
Getting there: From Interstate 25 at Colorado Springs, head southwest on Colorado 115 to Florence and south on Colorado 67 to Wetmore. There you’ll jump on Colorado 96 and head west until the road ends.
