The western US State of Colorado has a diverse landscape of arid desert, river canyons and snow-covered Rocky Mountains, which are partly protected by Rocky Mountain National Park.
Elsewhere, Mesa Verde National Park features Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. Perched a mile above sea level, Denver, Colorado's capital and largest city, features a vibrant downtown area.
Vail, a small town at the base of Vail Mountain, is located within White River National Forest.
The town is a gateway for winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding focussed on the Vail Ski Resort.
As a summertime destination it offers golfing, hiking with Gore Creek that runs directly through the town centre popular for fly fishing, .
Among the annual events staged in Vail include the :
- GoPro Mountain Games (10 to 13 June 2021)
- BRAVO! Vail music festival (starting 24 June 2021)
- Vail Dance Festival (starting 30 July 2021) Vail Craft Beer Classic (24 June), and
- the new Vail Wine Classic (starting 12 August 2021).
Aspen, in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, is a ski resort town and year-round destination for outdoor recreation.
It's also known for high-end restaurants and boutiques, and landmarks like the Wheeler Opera House, built in 1889 during the area's silver mining boom.
The Wheeler-Stallard House is a local history museum set in a 19th-century, Queen Anne–style home, while the Aspen Art Museum displays contemporary artworks.
The town has 20 new galleries and boutiques with accommodation including the Aspen Street Lodge and the Little Nell Hotel.