Colorado

Colorado is the quintessential Rocky Mountain state. With more than 500 peaks exceeding the 13,000-foot mark and a statewide “low” point at a lofty 3,000-plus feet, high-altitude activity is the order of the day. Most itineraries focus on Colorado’s world-class skiing, horseback riding, fishing and hiking, as well as rambling among the state’s myriad national monuments and wilderness preserves. Aspen, Telluride and Vail are the upscale centers of winter recreation. For a change of pace from the state’s wealth of outdoor activities, the breweries, ballparks and art districts of downtown Denver combine frontier rusticity with 21st-century urban vigor; nearby Boulder is a lively university town; and in the south-central region, Colorado Springs is home to Western-flavored museums like the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, as well as the United States Air Force Academy.