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Fuel-frugal routes

Tourism need not cost a mint, despite car size

Janet Simons, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 9, 2007 at midnight

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It was the pain at the pump felt 'round the state.

The statewide average price for regular gas hit an all-time high of $3.34 a gallon in May. The pain has dulled to an ache as prices have dropped since then, but that's cold comfort to summer travelers.

Here's a guide to traveling that can take you out from Denver and back again on a single tank of gas. The U.S. Mint downtown is our start/finish point in each route.

We consulted with the folks at Colorado AAA to discover a terrific one-tank trip for each of three vehicles: a midsize hybrid, a family sedan and a roomy SUV.

The auto: Midsize hybrid Toyota Prius

• Projection: 547.4 miles on an 11.9-gallon tank of gas

• Cost of a fill-up: About $36.77 (11.9 gallons at $3.09 per gallon)

The trip: 475.2 miles traveled to and from Great Sand Dunes National Park

• The route: 158 miles south from Denver on Interstate 25 to exit 52, to Walsenburg.

60 miles west from I-25 to the turnoff for Great Sand Dunes National Park.

19.6 miles from the turnoff into the park.

Reverse route to return to Denver.

What to see along the way:

• Castle Rock: Factory outlet stores

• Colorado Springs: Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods, Olympic Training Center, Pikes Peak

• Pueblo: Arkansas Riverwalk Park, El Pueblo Museum, Pueblo Greenway and Nature Center, Colorado State Fair (Aug. 24-Sept. 3)

• Fort Garland: Fort Garland Museum and Visitor Center. In 1862, Colorado Union troops marched from here into New Mexico to defeat Confederates from Texas at the Battle of Glorieta Pass, known as "the Gettysburg of the West."

• Great Sand Dunes National Park: Hiking, backpacking, bird watching, fishing, wildlife viewing, mountaineering, bicycling, camping

The auto: Family sedan Chrysler Sebring

• Projection: 405.6 miles on a 16.9- gallon tank of gas

• Cost of a fill-up: About $52.22 (16.9 gallons at $3.09 per gallon)

The trip: 348 miles traveled to Steamboat Springs via I-70 and U.S. 40, back via Colo. 131 and I-70

• The route: 42 miles west from Denver on Interstate 70 to exit 232, onto U.S. 40 to Empire.

117 miles northwest on U.S. 40 to Steamboat Springs.

73 miles south on Colo. 131 to Wolcott.

116 miles east on I-70 from Wolcott to Denver.

What to see along the way:

• Winter Park: Alpine slide, strolling, shopping, dining

• Steamboat Springs: Historic downtown district, river rafting

• Edwards: Riverwalk strolling, shopping, dining

• Vail: Strolling, shopping, dining

• Silverthorne: Factory outlet stores

• Dillon Reservoir: Boating, bicycling, hiking, picnicking, fishing

• Georgetown: Georgetown Loop Railroad

• Idaho Springs: Indian Hot Springs; Argo Mill, Mine and Museum tour

The auto: SUV Chevrolet Trailblazer (all-wheel drive)

• MPG: 14

• Projection: 308 miles on a 22-gallon tank of gas

• Cost of a fill-up: About $72.38 (22 gallons of premium - manufacturer's recommendation - at $3.29 per gallon)

The trip: 257.5 miles from Denver to Dillon, then back to Denver via Hartsel and Colorado Springs

• The route: 68.2 miles west from Denver on I-70 to Dillon.

54.7 miles south from Dillon to Hartsel on Colorado 9.

64.6 miles east from Hartsel to Colorado Springs on U.S. 24.

70 miles from Colorado Springs to Denver on I-25.

What to see along the way:

• Idaho Springs: Indian Hot Springs; Argo Mill, Mine and Museum tour

• Georgetown: Georgetown Loop Railroad

• Dillon Reservoir: Boating, fishing, hiking, bicycling, picnicking

• Silverthorne: Factory outlet stores

• Breckenridge: River rafting, gold mine tour

• Fairplay: South Park City Museum, an authentic full-size replica of a Colorado gold-rush boom town

• Florissant: Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

• Colorado Springs: Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods, Olympic Training Center, Pikes Peak

• Castle Rock: Factory outlet stores

About our estimates

Mileage is for 2007 models and is combined city and highway from the Web site; you can get comparable information for your vehicle there.

Mountain driving generally burns more fuel than other highway driving, and most people will get off the road for side trips, which also burn fuel.

While our trips allow for a small cushion, there's no guarantee that one tank of gas will get you to your destination and back. Please watch the gas gauge, especially on the way home.

Improving mileage

There are two ways to improve your car's gas mileage. There's the safe way, which includes accelerating gently and maintaining a steady speed.

Then there's the way that could easily get you killed, which includes tailgating semis to reduce wind resistance, rolling through stop signs and overinflating tires.

We're going to assume you want to live long enough to spend the money you'll save through improved mileage and focus on the former.

• Read your car's owners' manual. It might have a section on gas mileage that will tell you something you didn't know.

• Inflate tires to the proper pressure. Recommended tire pressures usually are posted on the driver's side door frame. Don't use the inflation level marked on the tires; that's the maximum, not the recommended level. Check pressure when you've driven less than a mile and your tires are still cool.

• Check your air filter. A dirty air filter can reduce mileage by as much as 10 percent.

• Drive at a steady pace. Avoid stop-and-go traffic, anticipate lights and use the cruise control on road trips.

• Don't speed. According to Colorado AAA, each 5 miles per hour you drive over 60 mph is the equivalent of paying an additional 20 cents a gallon for gas - more when the price of gas is high.

• Remove roof racks. They increase drag and reduce mileage.

• Combine trips. Several short trips from a cold start use more gas than one long trip covering the same distance.

Paying beyond the pump

The least expensive gas in the country usually is found in Southern states, because they're near the refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. State gasoline taxes tend to be low in that region, too, according to Eric Escudero, who tracks gas prices for Colorado AAA.

The country's highest price almost always is found in Hawaii, because, like almost every other commodity there, it must be shipped in.

Because of refinery problems in Texas, Escudero said, most of the highest gas prices currently are found from the mountain states to the West Coast.

High property values also add to the cost of gasoline, said Escudero, noting that New Jersey's gas price is often in the bottom 10, whereas neighboring Connecticut and New York are likely to be in the top 10.

"Gas stations have to pay for their property, too," Escudero said.

Which cars take flex fuel?

E85 fuel is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Although it's usually less expensive than regular unleaded, according to the Colorado AAA, prices can be volatile and mileage with E85 is at least 15 percent lower than mileage with gasoline.

Only 22 stations in Colorado offer E85, and only one in Denver proper - at Alameda and Broadway. For a list of stations, go to the Web site.

General Motors makes 16 vehicles that run on E85. That's one more than made by Ford, Daimler Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan combined. If your car takes E85, it will be marked on the inside of the door over your gas gauge. For a complete list, go to .



or 303-954-2547

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