What do you think of when you hear the word “Elitch?” Elitch Gardens is part of the fabric of Colorado. It's a summer rite of passage. Standing too long in the line for a ride, the bland food, the nodding lifeguards in the waterpark, if you know--you know. But the story behind the REAL gardens and the woman who spent her life fighting to keep the gates open is an inspirational tale many of those who have lived here their whole lives in this state have never even heard, until now.