I don’t need a “scenic byway” designation to tell me a road is pretty, just like I don’t need a “vista point” sign to tell me where to take my pictures. But when you’re rounding the curve of a gorgeous Colorado road and one of those little rectangular scenic byway signs pops up with the wildflowers on the shoulder, well, there’s something exciting and comforting about that. In my travels, I’ve sometimes targeted one of Colorado’s 26 Scenic and Historic Byways, planning an entire trip around the Highway of Legends, for example — but just as often, I’ve found myself on a scenic byway by accident, and then let the story behind that road help inform my trip.