On Saturday, the state's newest tourist attraction opens to the public in Pueblo. It's where Zebulon Pike first set out to explore Pike's Peak -- a spot on the Arkansas River in Pueblo.

There's nothing exciting about driving the freeway, but if you have to drive 75, there is some pretty good-looking country.

It's kind of hard to believe that anything so beautiful could be so close to Colorado Springs, or any other big city for that matter. But there it is -- Rampart Range.

Our trip to Pueblo takes us through Colorado Springs. Further south, the countryside turns dry and a bit more remote.

The freeway from Denver to Pueblo is loaded with offramps, but not one of them is as primitive as exit 106. Welcome to Porter Draw. There are no services here -- not even a paved road.

But our exit to the historic Arkansas riverwalk in downtown Pueblo is just seven miles away. It is the place where the Arkansas River used to run through downtown, back in the days before the river was diverted in the name of flood control.

The idea behind the historic Arkansas riverwalk was to bring a water attraction to downtown Pueblo, to put some life back into this part of town.

The boats are identical to those on the riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas, and hopes for the project in Pueblo run high. It took three years to build, cost about $12 million. Now all it needs is a little bit of nightlife.

And these landscaped lawns are where those restaurants, clubs, and stores would go. Our lunch stop in Pueblo is a 100-year-old building -- an Italian bar named Gus -- in an old Polish neighborhood, where the featured item is something called a Dutch Lunch.

A heaping platter of fresh Italian bread and plenty of cold ham, salami, cappicola and cheese, and those frosty schooners of beverage.

Driving back to Colorado Springs, to Monument, and off the freeway to Palmer Lake.

This is where fate intervened, as a coal train blocked a fast return to the freeway. So we took the road less traveled and more pleasant. This is the road through Perry Park.

Douglas County Road 105 is a great blacktop two-lane highway. Anytime you can take a road like this instead of the freeway, you're way ahead of the game

This used to be a remote stretch of road, mile after mile of gently curving, well paved blacktop. Not much traffic, not much trouble. But all good things must come to an end.

When you get to Highway 85 in Sedalia, you've got two choices. Make a right turn and go to the factory outlet stores in Castle Rock. Or make a left turn and go back into the metro area. In either case, civilization is closing back in.

The historic Arkansas riverwalk boat tours run seven days a week.

Bill's Travel Notes:

• Plan on a two-hour drive from Denver to Pueblo. Plan on taking even longer if you go during a rush hour in any of the three big cities: Denver, Colorado Springs, or Pueblo. Also, watch out for state patrol radar units, usually stationed south of Castle Rock.

  When you get to Pueblo, take exit 99B, First Avenue, west to the Arkansas River (about a mile or so). The head end of the riverwalk is just across the street from city hall. Right now, there's no night-life, no restaurants, just vendors selling ice cream and hot dogs from carts. My suggestion is Gus' Tavern, near the steel mills. Anyone at the riverwalk office, where the boats dock, can give you directions. The Dutch Lunch is $7.50 for 2, $10.50 for 4.

• Heading north from Pueblo, you'll take I-25 to Monument, where you exit and head northwest. There's a great diner in Monument called Rosie's that's all decked out in what appears to be stainless steel. If you've never been to a diner -- anything more authentic than, say, Gunther Toody's, Rosie's is worth checking out, if only for a malt or shake.

  The road to Palmer Lake is a fun one, not intended for anyone planning to make any great time. The scenery here is amazing.

• At the far end of the town of Palmer Lake, you'll head north on Colorado 105. Very quickly it becomes Douglas County Toad 105, and it's about 20 miles of great fun driving, with scenery to match. Incredibly high and unscalable mountains, the kind that are unscalable to someone as out of shape as I am, are a wonderful sight to behold.

  What makes the Rampart Range more enjoyable, and what makes this stretch of road worth traveling, is the approachability of these hills and mountains. And if you feel like heading for the hills, a left turn at Jackson Creek will get you to Rampart Range Road and a drive south toward Colorado Springs, or north toward Deckers. In either case, you can't go wrong.