Curtis Casewit - Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Ft. Collins, Cripple Creek & Beyond

Colorado offers a great concentration of adventurous things to do on a year-round basis. This enormous area includes several national parks, national monuments, tribal and state parks, national forests, wilderness areas, and millions of acres for hiking, biking, skiing, rafting, cycling, fishing, and much more.

The state is bisected by the Rocky Mountains; much of the land area sits far above sea level. The abundance of rugged, virtually primeval terrain lends itself naturally to high adventure.

The territory has also been preeminent among spiritual places to the native people. They were the first to live in the area and their ancient mysteries and modern presence are still evident today.

If you really want to experience Colorado - the land, the people, the history, and the adventures - this book is for you.

The nuts-and-bolts information you need to plan a trip is provided, as well as concise details on adventurous activities. Ride a horse, raft rapids, climb mountains, ski world-class resorts or cross-country to isolated huts, climb through ancient Indian ruins, go on a modern-day cattle drive or soar above it in a glider. From easy ventures to more challenging fare, there's enough to fill vacations for years; it's no surprise that many people return to Colorado again and again.

This adventurous conception of Colorado extends into the metropolitan areas. The mile-high city of Denver, for instance, makes a good home base from which to enjoy an hour of parasailing or an afternoon of snowboarding followed by a great meal, theater, and a nightcap in a brew pub before retiring for the night. Just minutes from any one of Colorado's fascinating cities, nature's geology, flora and fauna are more likely to be on display than the work of man. For those adventurers not seeking to leave the civilized world completely behind, Colorado provides the perfect combination. You can navigate bike trails in the foothills or climb Boulder's Flatirons, all within easy reach of every conceivable amenity. From mild to wild, this book provides the specifics you need to create your own adventure.

This state's many interesting towns will entertain and delight. But here we zero in on Denver and its surrounding region, including Boulder, Golden, Idaho Springs, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Greeley, Cripple Creek, Pueblo, Trinidad and more.

In Boulder hippies and yuppies mingle. Add a few thousand college students and you have an eclectic mixture you won't soon forget. But it's probably the outdoors that brings everyone together. Hundreds of miles of trails have made Boulder a mountain biking mecca, while its wide-open fields and flowery meadows instill a sense of tranquility to all visitors.

The sleepy Front Range town of Morrison, just minutes from urban Denver, comes alive when you sit and feel the fresh mountain air in its red-rock amphitheatre. Thousands of people converge on this world-renowned concert venue each year to hear their favorite symphonies, orchestras and rock bands play. Nature has created perfect acoustics - better than any an engineer could design, some say. The Red Rocks Theater is even perfect for famous opera singers like Jessye Norman, who sang here several years ago. Wagner has never sounded better. More commonly, rock and pop acts fill the mountain air with their reverberating tones.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Colorado Springs, with its mighty Pikes Peak, waterfalls and rock formations, also offers the Broadmoor Resort, where you can enjoy every conceivable sport - even skeet shooting. Rock climbing in this area is exceptional. And the booming Colorado Springs Airport is an increasingly popular alternative to Denver International Airport to the north, for travelers seeking lower fares thanks to lower landing fees.

Colorado Springs

Steamboat Springs caters to true cowboys (visit saddle stores here!) and excels in cross-country ski lessons and downhill racing classes.

The record number of students attending the state university in Fort Collins attests to the fact that this community is no longer a cowtown. Lace up your hiking boots and find what Lory State Park has to offer. Read about Ouray, Silverton, and Telluride, which are known as the Switzerland of America. Discover jeep tours that set out into the state's most rugged terrain. Witness young snowboarding daredevils carve dramatic turns on the slopes of Beaver Creek or Vail, Beaver Creek's sister resort, where you can try an Olympic bobsled run. Although this curvy chute is harrowing, anyone with a few dollars can attempt to barrel down the course.

And Colorado's Ski Country USA isn't just for skiing anymore; these areas are alive all summer. Copper Mountain and Winter Park have established themselves as centers for biking, while Breckenridge offers opportunities to shoot the rapids with any number of rafting companies. Look to Aspen to see who and what is in for the season.

This once-isolated region has become incredibly popular in the last few years. It evokes visions of Indians and cowboys, snow-capped peaks, cattle drives, wild rivers, and long sunsets. Colorado has been kept a secret by those in the know. The wide-open spaces beneath clear skies have attracted lovers of the great outdoors for many years.