You’re never far away from nature in Colorado. The state is awash with National and State Parks protecting a landscape that ranges from vast prairies to the Rockies, to the tallest sand dunes in North America. Even in the state capital, Denver, the Rockies can be seen lingering on the horizon, luring travellers away from the city.
Despite its heavy winters, Jetlife product manager Nikki Beszant points out that Colorado is a real year-round destination and the locals often boast of the 300 days of sunshine each year.
“Colorado is a fantastic state that takes in the ‘real America’, offering the best in western adventure, Native American history, four National Parks, great shopping and delicious cuisine,” she says.
Denver
The so-called ‘mile-high city’ or ‘gateway to the Rockies’ will be most visitors’ first point of call. Both United Airlines and British Airways fly direct from the UK.
Denver’s a very clean and cosmopolitan city with a lively arts scene. It’s home to a wide range of museums and galleries, including the striking Daniel Libeskind-designed Denver Art Museum, which houses a modern art collection and an interesting Native Indian history exhibition. Music venues attracting big acts include the Red Rocks Amphitheatre just outside of town.
The locals are a healthy bunch and unlike many US cities, Denver is well-geared for pedestrians, and hundreds of miles of bike trails ring the city. Walking tours are a great way to get to grips with its rich past; suggest Attraction World’s Denver Highlights tour – a snip at £13 per person. Or suggest clients make like a local and hit a Rockies (baseball), Broncos (American football) or Nuggets (basketball) game.
Shops are clustered around Larimer Square, while wannabe cowboys and cowgirls should mosey on down to Rockmount Ranchwear in the LoDo district, which along with Larimer Square is home to much of the city’s nightlife.
Accommodation comes from big names such as Hilton and Sheraton, as well as smart boutique offerings such as Hotel Teatro and The Curtis with its funky modernism. For a stately historic hotel, suggest the Oxfordor the Brown Palace.
Active
White-water rafting is popular between May and late August, with lots of options across the state. A good spot near Denver is the Poudre River near Fort Collins, about a 45-minute drive. If overnighting, the quaint, centrally-located Armstrong is the pick of the hotels.
Colorado is well known for its excellent skiing and ‘champagne powder’ snow. Aspen may be the best-known resort, but there are 26 ski areas in the state. Most are easily reachable from Denver, such as the Crested Butte, Breckenridge and the relatively new resort of Silverton.
A good base for year-round activities is the resort town of Steamboat Springs, a short connecting flight or a three-hour drive from Denver.
Steamboat’s excellent ski runs (and intimidating looking ski jumps) loom over the town, and in the summer it’s a great base for hiking and mountain biking. Staying options include a Sheraton and the Grand Hotel, which has a spa and outside pool area. The massive five-bedroom penthouses go for about $3,000 in the peak season, but can be had can be had for as little as $500 out of season.
The area around Steamboat is also home to a number of guest ranches, pre-bookable through operators such as Ranch America, where guests can stay for a week and learn about ranching and help out with tasks. A good option for a short visit is Dutch Creek Guest Ranch, where activities include horse riding in the stunning scenery, or sledding in the winter.
There’s also a restaurant and a bunch of simple, but sweet wooden cabins to stay in. And at the nearby Dig This! Attraction, visitors can act like big kids while making the earth move in bulldozers and diggers – great fun.
Hot springs
After a tough day of outdoor action the state’s many hot springs offer some cheap and cheerful welcome relief. The rustic and scenic Strawberry Springs is a popular option, and great for a soak beneath the stars, while Steamboat’s Old Town Hot Springs boasts water slides.
Colorado also features the world’s largest natural springs at Glenwood Springs, where visitors can also go rafting and check out the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.
Flydrives
A flydrive holiday, as offered by operators such as Jetlife Holidays, is a great way for visitors to explore the state’s parks, highways and byways. The drive through the Rocky Mountains National Park is stunning and takes in the highest continuous paved road in North America. Suggest clients stop off at the stately Stanley Hotel, in the town of Estes Park.
The reputedly haunted hotel is where Stephen King got his inspiration for his book The Shining, although the famous movie starring Jack Nicholson was filmed elsewhere. Pre-bookable ghost tours are a popular option.
Another good option is to head for the Royal Gorge Bridge near Cañon City, the highest suspension bridge in the US. A flydrive is also a great way to check out major attractions in the neighbouring states like Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park.
Colorado by train
Colorado’s historic railroads offer a great way to explore the state and get a handle on its rich past, from the Wild West to mining towns dating from the boom times of the Gold Rush.
The historic mining town of Durango in the southwest, for example, is served by the narrow gauge Durango to Silverton line. Durango is also a good base for exploring the Mesa Verde National Park, where visitors can find the spot where four states meet and explore the area’s cave dwellings.
Other great options include the Royal Gorge Route and the Cumbres and Toltec line, which offers a steam train experience in the Southern Rockies. Visitors can also take a very scenic, three-hour train ride up the side of Pikes Peak. The cog railway, the highest in the US, offers dramatic views.
And if your clients fancy finding out if there is still any gold in them thar hills, recommend they visit one of the old mining towns such as Central City or Cripple Creek where they can tour an operating gold mine or have a go at panning for gold.
Sample product
Crystal Ski is offering seven nights’ accommodation in the three-star Village Hotel in the ski resort of Breckenridge, Colorado, from £849 per person, including British Airways flights from Heathrow to Denver, transfers, lift pass, and ski/board hire. crystalski.co.uk, 0871 231 2256
Collette Worldwideoffers an 11-day Trains of the Colorado Rockies tour. Prices for the trip departing May 20 2010 start at £1,799 per person based on two sharing, including flights from Heathrow with United Airlines, three and four-star hotel accommodation and most meals. colletteworldwide.com, 0800 804 8700
United Vacations has a 13-night flydrive tour of Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota, which starts and finishes in Denver, taking in landmarks such as Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park and the Crazy Horse Memorial. The tour leads in at £1,365 per person, from May 15 2010 onwards, including United Airlines flights from Heathrow to Denver, 13 nights (room only) in three-star hotels, fully-inclusive car rental, tax and car insurance. uvagents.co.uk, 0844 499 0222
