Colorado - The Centennial State

Official Motto: “Colorful Colorado”

Suggested Motto: “Highest State in the Nation”

Two Truths and a Lie

• Colorado is home to many, many magnificent peaks, including Mount Elbert, the tallest peak in the 48 contiguous states. This mammoth of the Sawatch Range reaches 14,440 feet above sea level.

• Colorado Springs is home to the U.S. Olympic Training Center, but the state actually declined the opportunity to host the Olympic Games back in 1976. A cadre of citizens opposed the cost and environmental impact of hosting and blocked public funding.

• Nederland, Colorado has a “cryogenic mausoleum” preserving a Norwegian man who never even lived there. (It’s actually just a Tuff Shed, regularly stocked with dry ice.) The town supports and even celebrates this oddity with a festival called Frozen Dead Guy Days.

The Recipe - Rocky Mountain Merengues

Colorado has no official state foods. The state has some iconic staples like fried testicles and Palisade peaches, but none lent themselves to cookies easily. Merengue is a combination of egg whites, sugar, and air. The mixture is piped into peaks then baked low and slow to create airy confections that are naturally gluten and fat-free. Since Colorado is home to stunning mountains, fabulous ski resorts and has the nation’s thinnest population, these seemed a good choice.

Merengues are by nature very sweet so I balanced that with streaks of extra-dark chocolate and instant espresso powder. I also put in a drop of peppermint essential oil from Rocky Mountain Oils.

These turned out so well! The texture was just like a toasted marshmallow - crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. The flavor was just like a drive-thru peppermint mocha, mostly sugar with notes of chocolate, mint, and coffee.

Want to experience Colorado for yourself? Then Teresa recommends ...

Colorado is great, lots of people know this so it can be a bit crowded, but still, it is worth the trip. My favorite hikes have involved Longs Peak and the Hessie Trailhead (shown below). I love Rocky Mountain National Park. All the mountain towns are delightful to visit. I find downhill skiing expensive and death-defying so I usually road trip in the summer. To read about a pioneer’s journey to Colorado, check out “The Quick and the Dead” by Louis L’Amour. It is a classic Western with bits of wisdom, some hackneyed dialogue, and a quick no-nonsense plot.

Time for the whole truth

At an elevation of 14,501 feet, Mount Whitney, located in California, is the tallest mountain in the Lower 48.

(By the way, you can click on any of the 2 truths and a lie statements to visit the source of the trivia)