Colorado

You might immediately think of the Rocky Mountains when you think of Colorado, but there are lots of other sights to see in this western state.

But speaking of the Rockies, the Rocky Mountain National Park is definitely the corner-stone of tourism in the state and should not be missed. You can drive through the park on the Trail Ridge Road, giving a whole new meaning to the word "highway". At 11,000 feet, you can see just about forever. The park is laced with hiking trails for walking or horseback riding, or conquer some of the mountainous areas with a little rock-climbing.

At the other end of the state, you can see a whole new landscape at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The park name says it all! There are enormous natural sand dunes where you can go walking, as well as other trails through their wetlands and creeks. You can take a walk down to the Zapata Falls when you want to wash off all that sand. This is a great park for 4-wheeling too.

Though many of the great Colorado sights are natural, you can see some man-made history at the Mesa Verde National Park in the south-west corner of the state. There are hundreds of buildings and homes carved right into the sides of the cliffs, made by the Anasazi people nearly 800 years ago. Guided tours will take you all through the settlement, but there are a few independent hiking trails if you want to go your own way.

When you're done with the great outdoors, there are some cities in Colorado you might want to visit as well. Aspen is famous for its skiing and it has a great deal of "star appeal" as well, with plenty of famous residents. Denver, Colorado Springs and Durango all have something to see as you pass on through too.