Denver

Invigorating Denver has clear mountain air, 300 annual days of sunshine and seemingly limitless natural-playground possibilities within a stone’s throw of downtown. Situated between the Rocky Mountains to the west and the High Plains to the east, Denver seems to foster energy and inspire activity — which may be one reason its residents are the thinnest of any U.S. city. 

Many use Denver as a base for exploring the surrounding ski and recreation oases like Winter Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, but don’t overlook the host of charms within the city limits. Denver has 100 miles of pedestrian and bike paths. The Denver Performing Arts Complex is the largest of its kind in the world, combining a theater, symphony concert hall and opera house. Numerous excellent microbreweries call the city home. And Lower Downtown, or “LoDo,” the business and historic district, has seen a renaissance of late, with dilapidated warehouses transformed into art galleries, restaurants and nightclubs.