Just over 11 miles from Redstone is the tiny town of Marble CO with 131 full-time residents. The drive along the Crystal River is really gorgeous. The largest vein of white marble in the world was discovered in Marble in 1873. The town was incorporated in 1899 and grew to 1,400 people between 1912 and 1917, when the Colorado-Yule Marble Company quarry and finishing mill were in full operation. The town became a ghost town. In 1990, the quarry re-opened. The local white marble was the marble used for the Lincoln Memorial (41,000 pieces shipped on 600 freight trains) and Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington DC and veteran headstones in national cemeteries.
Stop in at The Marble Hub for coffee or tea before exploring the area. They also have snacks and desserts. The owner, formerly from Cape May NJ, is delightful to visit with! It is a gathering place, community center and visitor information center. 105 W. Main. The historic build started as a millinery shop in 1909 and then became the Marble City State Bank in 1912.
Not to be missed is the Slow Groovin’ BBQ restaurant that opened in Marble in 2011 by experienced restauranteurs, Ryan Vinciguerra and his partner Karly Anderson from Aspen, who left the high-end Aspen restaurant scene for a quieter pace. They have an extensive menu offering a number of meats like brisket, ribs and pulled pork and fish served with their homemade hot sauce and two BBQ sauces, a fruit based sauce and a North Carolina style sauce. I loved the slow-cooked brisket with cornbread, slaw and baked beans. The sauces were excellent. It has indoor and outdoor seating, great servers and great views of Marble. I love finding small gems like this, so it is well-worth the drive to enjoy the ambiance and food. They are open from May to October. 101 W. 1st.
I recently went back for the second time and loved the pulled pork sandwich on the outdoor terrace.
There is a small historical museum, Beaver Lake, a beautiful mountain lake, and a few local galleries. To really explore the area outside of town including the town of Crystal and the famed Crystal Mill from 1892, you need a Jeep or other 4 wheel drive vehicles as the terrain is very rough. Guided jeep tours can be arranged or it can be reached by foot, mountain bike or horseback.
You can also take marble carving classes through the Marble/marble Symposium.
Make sure to stop in at the at The Marble Gallery, at 620 W. Park St., featuring marble sculptures. There are also wood carvings, jewelry and pottery.
