Colorado
Prepare for a full on nature experience when you travel to Colorado, home of the Rocky Mountains’ highest peaks. From the youthful and cosmopolitan feel of downtown Denver to the natural splendor of the Rockies and its surrounding ski resorts to the sparsely populated prairie lands with their picturesque buttes and canyons, a visit to Colorado offers an opportunity to marvel at a diverse natural landscape, without sacrificing urban comforts entirely. Come for the national parks, dude ranches, road trips, hot springs, and rodeos. Unplug, unwind and enjoy one of the most beautiful states in the US.
Milk & Honey Tip
See a show at the Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater - it’s the only naturally occurring acoustically perfect arena in the world. Since it first opened in 1941, it’s hosted a wide range of iconic musical performances, from opera to rock, as well as the “Film on the Rocks” movie series in the summer.
Eat
When it comes to iconic Colorado foods, one reigns supreme: green chile. But if you think that green chile is all Denver’s got to offer, you’re really missing out. Head to the legendary Sushi Den for a taste of the daily shipments of fish they get straight from Japan. Safta hosts James Beard award-winning chef Alon Shaya with modern Israeli eats. Don’t miss the fluffy pitas and hummus with lamb ragu. Woodie Fisher - just a block from Coors Field - does new American favorites like burrata, short ribs and flatbreads executed flawlessly.
Play
Colorado is nirvana for beer lovers. Visitors can taste their way along the state’s craft beer trail, which runs through Denver and the mountains, or head straight to Denver for the annual Great American Beer Festival each September. Colorado’s diversity is evident in its annual events. The National Western Stock Show is a huge rodeo and stock extravaganza for wranglers held every January; Native American powwows, including a big gathering in late March, take place yearly in Denver; and several mountain towns, each with its own microculture, host regular celebrations, including the International Snow Sculpture Championships and Ullr Fest in Breckenridge. The Telluride Bluegrass Festival, held high in the San Juan Mountains, is also legendary. Scores more smaller music and food festivals take place around the state throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
Sleep
Dunton Hot Springs [Experiential]
Just across the mountain from Telluride, Dunton Hot Springs Resort is a romantic ghost town, set in an extraordinary alpine valley deep in the San Juan Mountains of the Colorado Rockies. The 13 rustic log cabins are all unique and surprisingly luxe, with heated slate floors and handpicked antiques; guests in the Well House enjoy their own hot springs. Others can soak weary bones in the old bathhouse or under the stars at the source. Join a trail ride into the Rockies or fly-fish along a private stretch of the Dolores; you’ll find every conceivable winter sport, including heli-skiing.
Lumiere
[Boutique]
Lumière with Inspirato combines boutique-hotel good looks with distinctly residential comforts, and its position in the enclave of Mountain Village affords a measure of seclusion from the town, as well as ski-in/ski-out access to the famous slopes. And even when the Lumière is at its most hotel-like, it’s still possessed of a friendly, homey flavor. There’s an old-fashioned concierge desk and Bijou for an après-ski drink or an organic, seasonal bite, but it’s all delivered with an unpretentious light touch. Relaxation, not ostentation, is the name of the game: the terrace’s hot and cold pools and the hotel’s massage and yoga offerings are simply a balm for sore muscles.
Rawah Ranch [Experiential]
This self-styled ‘dude’ ranch and fly-fishing lodge is the real thing: historic Colorado-style cabins in the wild and rugged Laramie River Valley. Rooms here are cozy wooden cabins. All of them immerse you in the comforts of luxury mountain living, with handpicked wooden furniture and furnishings that hark back to the region’s indigenous and wild frontier past. Curl up after a day of adventure around a crackling fire. Swap tales over a Colorado Gin Fizz. And if channeling your inner cowboy leaves you famished, head to the main lodge to feast on wild boar or roast salmon. While it would be easy to just enjoy the silence and natural beauty from your cabin’s porch, the hotel’s location in the Rawah Wilderness Area might just prove too irresistible. There are plenty of outdoor activities to indulge in, from fly fishing in the Big Laramie River to horseback riding and hiking.
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