DENVER (KDVR) — Driving across Interstate 70 or to southern Colorado can take hours, but luckily there’s plenty to see along the way.

Whether you’re looking to stretch your legs during a long drive or see some of Colorado’s quirkiest attractions, these are some fan-favorite places to stop while on the road.

Colorado’s favorite roadside attractions

FOX31 turned to viewers and asked on Facebook, “What are your favorite roadside attractions?” Here are some responses.

Kit Carson County Carousel

Just off I-70 in Burlington lies the Kit Carson County Carousel, the only antique carousel in America that still has the original paint on the scenery panels and animals, according to the website. The wooden carousel was carved between 1885 and the 1930s, and it’s still operational.

Sasquatch Outpost

The Sasquatch Outpost in Bailey is a museum just off U.S. 285 that one FOX31 viewer called “cute and quirky.” It’s a spot that’s “dedicated to solving the mystery,” according to the website. The shop shares Sasquatch sightings and research for newbies to seasoned “Squatchers.”

Bishop Castle

The structure that lies along Greenhorn Highway started with an empty plot of land and a 15-year-old with a vision. Sixty years later, Jim Bishop crafted a castle all by himself. According to the family, Bishop handled each stone in the castle around six times before putting it in its final place.

UFO Watchtower

If you’re heading to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, you’ll likely pass by the UFO Watchtower where many have reported sightings of strange objects in the sky. If you have time, leave a personal item at the watchtower and look up at the sky.

Tiny Town Railroad

Tiny Town Railroad is an over-100-year-old kid-sized village in Morrison that was originally built to entertain Denver-Leadville stage coach station George Turner’s daughter, according to the website. The town is just off U.S. 285 where you’ll find a jail, gas station, church, railroad and homes all shrunken down to fit a kid.

Glenwood Springs

One viewer mentioned on Facebook that they liked to stop by the hot springs in Glenwood Springs while driving along I-70. There are many hot springs in Glenwood Springs, including two that are among the best in the country, according to USA Today.

This is one of many stops viewers liked along I-70 heading to and from the mountains. One viewer mentioned the “Sleeper House” which is a spaceship-looking historical landmark that can be seen from the highway in Golden.

Meanwhile, others mentioned that any nature in Colorado was an attraction worth pulling over, like buffaloes near I-70 or the top of Fremont Pass looking at Sheep Mountain.

Joe Rogan has said that the reason he and his family moved around Colorado—before leaving altogether—was because his wife was pregnant.

Rogan tied the knot with former model Jessica Ditzel in 2009, whom the podcaster shares two teenage daughters with—Lola and Rosy. He also adopted Ditzel’s daughter, Kayja Rose—whose father is reportedly the late singer Keven “Dino” Conner—the same year.

The UFC commentator is known for sharing his opinions on his popular podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, whether it’s his concerns with social media or mocking Jill Biden for supporting President Joe Biden, but Rogan usually keeps quiet about his personal life. However, during Thursday’s episode of his show, the 56-year-old spoke with comedian Sam Tallent about his decision to move from Denver, Colorado.

Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Rogan for comment Tuesday.

“Colorado had a shot at you, man,” Tallent said before Rogan asked him: “Did it?”

Tallent continued: “I remember when that happened, when you moved up to Boulder for a minute.”

“Blame it on my wife; she got pregnant. When she got pregnant, we had to go back but yeah, I was planning on just going Buck Wild in Denver. That’s—that was my plan,” Rogan responded.

Tallent said it would have been valuable to Denver to have Rogan in that city, before Rogan added: “Well, we could always do a Mothership there one day.” This refers to Comedy Mothership, which is Rogan’s comedy club and bar that he opened in Austin, Texas.

In 2008, Rogan and Ditzel moved to Gold Hill, Colorado, but eventually decided to move from Colorado altogether. They returned to Southern California four months later when Ditzel found out that she was pregnant. During a previous episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan told guest Dan Carlin that they left Colorado because of its high elevation.

“I was there for four months. We planned on living there for a year, then maybe permanently. But, along the way, my wife got pregnant and we were at 8,500 feet above sea level. And it was just, it’s brutal,” Rogan said.

“They say that Colorado in general, like around the Denver area, has a very high rate of premature births and low birth weight because of the lack of oxygen.”

The family settled down in Bell Canyon, California, for several years before they decided to purchase a home on Lake Austin in Austin, Texas in 2020.

Rogan has previously spoken about the family’s eventual decision to move to Texas. During his appearance on the Oil and Whiskey podcast, Rogan was asked why he decided to leave California.

“You know, I was, like, a lot of my friends were very skeptical because I was saying early on in the pandemic, I’m like getting the f*** out of here. I mean this place is going to s***. And they’re, like, ‘It’ll be fine. It’s gonna turn around; it’s just everything’s crazy right now,’” he said.

“I go ‘Things don’t get better, man. They don’t get better under this government. They don’t get better under these people. Like, they’re clamping down on rights, they’re clamping down on our ability to do things.’ I’m like ‘I’m gonna get the f*** out of here.’”

Rogan also revealed how happy he was with the decision to move, saying: “Austin is a f****** great town! The people are cool as hell; the food’s amazing; and it’s a great live music scene. It’s just a great place to live and for comedians.”

DENVER (KKTV) – CPW reported that they suspect the exotic Patagonian Mara seen in Colorado is an abandoned domesticated pet.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported that a Patagonian Mara was recently seen in a park in Lakewood. They believed that the Patagonian Mara may have been an illegal domesticated pet that was abandoned by its owners.

They said they are continuing to search for the Patagonian Mara. CPW hopes they can find it and put it in an “appropriate institution” to be properly cared for.

Following the exotic animal sighting, CPW wanted to remind pet owners to never release unwanted pets into the wild as it poses risks to the pet and the community.

Whether a native or non-native species, domestic animals typically cannot fend for themselves in the wild, causing risks in finding food and shelter. Releasing domesticated pets into the wild can also introduce new diseases, parasites and dangers for wild species.

CPW says that unwanted pets can be surrendered to local shelters, or owners can contact animal control for other options. To surrender exotic wildlife, owners need to contact CPW’s office for further directions.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife asks anyone who experiences a Patagonian Mara sighting to report it to 303-291-7227.

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