A visit to Durango will give you a big juicy taste of everything I love about Colorado. Like all of my favorite places in the Rockies, it’s a relatively small town full of people who really enjoy living there. In fact, most of them know they could make more money and live more cheaply elsewhere, but they just can’t bear the thought of leaving. Why? Here are just a few of the reasons:

Durango is rimmed by glorious mountains and boasts its own world-class ski hill, Durango Mountain Resort, also know as Purgatory. It offers everything from never-ever lessons to off piste snowcat skiing and snowboarding in a family friendly atmosphere.

Durango is also blessed with a large high country lake. Nearby Vallecito Lake is popular year ’round for fishing, boating, hiking, horseback riding and hunting. At 8,000 feet, it’s a cool retreat during the dog days of summer. Camping and cabins are available for those who’d like to spend some time there.

The Animas River runs right through town and offers waters mild enough for inner tubing and canoeing or wild enough to challenge the best kayakers. Numerous local rafting outfitters offer half day and full day trips and the Whitewater Park hosts events throughout the season who those who prefer watching.

Mountain biking rules in Durango. Just close your eyes and imagine rolling through meadows lush with wildflowers and surrounded by the snowcapped peaks of the San Juan range. There are nearly 2,000 miles of single track in the area and it truly doesn’t get any better than this.

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When visiting the Central Rockies in Colorado, one usually has to go near or through the town of Vail.  Summer and winter activities abound here and therefore attract many a visitor from Denver and beyond.  I know that when I think of Colorado cuisine, elk, venison, trout and buffalo come to my mind but that is only the tip of the iceberg.

Vail amongst other neighboring mountain towns has global influence when it comes to dining and cuisine as well as its’ residents and visitors.  Vail and Beaver Creek come together to provide the valley guest luxury home rentals and amenities second to none. 

Culinary imagination is unleashed in a variety of ways when ingredients are the focus of attention.    European influence is fairly easy to find in the mountains of Colorado.  From gazpacho and veal sweetbreads to escargots and grilled lamb, the French have made a nice home in the central Rockies.

Seafood in the mountains typically is not mentioned together in the same sentence so restaurants go the extra mile to obtain fresh seafood and execute a beautifully prepared dish.  From Ahi Tuna to Dungeness crab dining establishments can really compete with the port towns of the surrounding coastal world.

Mountain fare is represented very well in Colorado to say the least and must be experienced among the other cuisine styles.

Beaver Creek which is just west of Vail brings the same type of culinary sophistication to the plate as well.  From Foie Gras to fresh Maine lobster the variety of cuisine covers all of the bases.

In addition to Aspen’s famous in-town mountain, Ajax, there are 4 other world-class peaks within 20 minutes on a frequent free shuttle. One lift ticket enables you to ski all 4 of them in one day, if you so desire.

Ajax is Aspen! Board the gondola from the center of town and you are whisked to the Sundeck,  where you can see for miles and miles across fabulous snow-covered peaks. The slopes can be tough for less advanced snow sliders, since there side hills, double fall lines and more bumps than many of us can handled. But do it once, anyway, just so you can say you did. If you’re an advanced skier, you’ll be in heaven and wonder why all mountains don’t give you the challenges you crave.

Aspen Highlands is the favorite of the old timers and downvalley locals.  The incredible bowls are extreme and require a hike, which keeps the wanna-bees away.  The trees are most definitely steep and deep and the intermediate trails have plenty of character and personality to keep you interested.

Snowmass is a behemoth,  with something for everyone, so it’s a great place for a group with diverse skiing abilities. Most families and intermediate skiers will remember this as their favorite mountain, but experts should get a taste of Snowmass, too. There are plenty of challenges in the trees and cliffs.

Buttermilk is where the X Games are held. It has an insane, several mile long terrain park and you can watch the huckers form the base. It also has, without a doubt, best terrain for learning to ski and snowboard. Buttermilk will make you feel like a ski god, so don’t pass it by.

See live Aspen web cams for all four mountains.

Read about Aspen Ski Packages.

We all know skiing can be very expensive. Even those of us who live in Colorado ski towns often have to scramble around to secure reasonable prices on our own turf. Some destinations have reputations that lure families and groups with incredibly affordable deals.

However, some of the more famous resorts, like Aspen, have the opposite reputation. It is considered glamorous and glitzy and the prices reflect it. It’s at the end of the road and can be difficult to get to, as well. But Aspen does offer some of the absolutely best skiing in the entire world and everyone who skis owes it to themselves to splurge on a ski vacation in Aspen at least once.

The trick is to find an Aspen ski package that rolls a flight, lodging and lift tickets into an affordable deal. However, the leg of the trip from Denver International into the Pitkin County Airport is rarely discounted. So think about finding a cheap flight to Denver and taking a van shuttle for a very scenic drive across the Continental Divide to the Roaring Fork Valley.

Read more about the four Aspen ski mountains here.

They didn’t name it it WINTER Park for nothin’! This place is the poster child for winter…and not just any winter, either. We’re talking a classic Colorado Rocky Mountain winter. That’s what you get when you visit Winter Park - at least in the winter. And winter means snow. Lots and lots of snow. So much snow that if you don’t get out there and embrace it, revel in it, maybe even wallow in it, you could get more than a little crazy with cabin fever.

There’s the skiing, of course, on Denver’s favorite slopes at the Winter Park Ski Area. Or cross country or snowshoeing or sledding. Ah, did I hear sledding? Not that tame pastime you remember, but motor sledding - snowmobiling! Yeeeeehaw!

Winter Park and snowmobiling were made for each other. Even if you’re not sure you’ll like it, take a quick 1 hour guided tour and find out. It’s long enough to get a feel for it and not too long to suffer if you hate it.

Another option is a 2 hour tour to the Continental Divide. Absolutely awesome views at 12,000 feet, as well as untracked powderfields just for you.