It seems to me, going in either direction would be enough to scare anyone. I can't imagine doing that drive in inclement weather. I did it in the summer was scared the entire time. I always wondered why they didnt put guardrails along the highway.

As for my small town choice, Redstone CO is a great little town. It is about 45 mins from Glenwood Springs. It is an old coal town along the Chrystal River. The owner of the mine built a huge house (or hunting lodge as he called it) called the Redstone Castle. Plus its only another 10-12 miles up the road to Marble CO. They used to offer tours of the marble quarry but when I went through the town last year, someone said they discontinued it several years ago.