Denver

year-round destinations

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

(http://www.redrocksonline.com). In Morrison, Colorado on the western edge of Denver, this is a gorgeous outdoor concert venue set in a red sandstone paradise. There's a great view of Denver below. From Igor Stravinsky's North American debut of his 'Rite of Spring' at the park's opening in the '40s to the Jethro Tull, Grateful Dead and Phish riots of the '70s, '80s and '90s, Red Rocks's history is quirky and storied. It was also a stop on The Beatles famous British Invasion tour of America. But if you pay and visit Red Rocks only during a concert, you're seriously cheating yourself. Check out the Rock and Roll Museum at the top of Red Rocks, eat in the restaurant, hike the red sandstone and scrub oak trails for their scenic beauty and wildlife. It is illegal, however, to climb on the rocks themselves. If you can't bear to leave after the show, book a room or stay in a campground next to the amphitheater.

Travelers in Colorado often use Denver as a home base for forays into the neighboring mountains, to places like Rocky Mountain National Park.

Boulder is a laid-back university town about 25 minutes northwest of Denver. Snow-capped mountains can be seen for miles from the town.

Winery tours

Visit a Front Range or mountain winery, or even the vineyards themselves in Colorado's Wine Country. Various Wine Trails have been organized by the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board (http://www.coloradowine.c...), a promotional entity funded by the state. The Wine Trails can be driven or biked.

Fort Collins ← Thornton ←	N  S	→ Centennial → Colorado Springs
Grand Junction ← Golden ←	W  E	→ Aurora → Hays
END ←	W  E	→ Sterling → Big Springs
Grand Junction ← Lakewood ←	W  E	→ Brighton → Sterling
Rocky Mountain N.P. ← Boulder ←	W  E	→ Aurora → Phillipsburg
Steamboat Springs ← Lakewood ←	W  E	→ Aurora → Limon
Greeley ← Brighton ←	N  S	→ Englewood → Colorado Springs
Fort Collins ← Lafayette ←	N  E	→ Aurora → Limon

winter sports

For skiiers and snowboarders, winter is the best time to visit Denver. Hordes of people fly into Denver International Airport each season on their way up to the ski capitals of Summit and Eagle counties, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper Mountain, Keystone, Loveland Basin, Arapahoe Basin, and Breckenridge, Winter Park; a little further away are Steamboat, and Aspen. You can find information on resort shuttles at the desks in DIA's main terminal.

There are many ski resorts about 1 1/2-2 hours west of Denver along I-70, but weekend traffic to them can be very slow, especially in inclement weather. Steer clear of the crowds by skiing during the week or planning your trip outside the busy season Thanksgiving to New Year's. There are also plenty of mountain trails for snowshoers and cross-country skiers, which are generally free. You can also take the RTD (http://www.rtd-denver.com/) Ski-n-Ride service from Boulder to Eldora Ski Resort west of Boulder, which is the only resort with scheduled bus service.