5 Epic Reasons You Should Want to Visit Colorado

If you enjoy admiring a plethora of epic natural scenery, you will want to visit Colorado and experience everything this beautiful state has to offer. It’s the home of the Rocky Mountains and with more than 1,000 peaks that are at least 10,000 ft tall, it’s no surprise to hear that Colorado has the highest elevation of any state across the nation.

But Colorado is more than just a haven for awe-inspiring panoramic landscapes. In fact, this is just the start and we are delighted to welcome Taylor and Daniel from Travel Outlandish who we are collaborating with to introduce a few more reasons why Colorado should be on your radar if it isn’t already.

I have been fortunate to explore several parts of Colorado, including Denver which has quickly risen to near the top of my favorite US cities but what else is there to experience in the Centennial State? Let’s see what Taylor and Daniel think!

Introduction

While travelers often skip over the central states during a US adventure, we can promise you that Colorado is always worth the trip. Where else can you experience 190 inches of snow and 300 days of sunshine a year? With unmatched outdoor culture, a hint of weirdness, and super fun cities to explore, it’s a wonder that the Centennial State isn’t on more people’s radar.

Outdoor Culture

Colorado is a complete natural paradise for those of us who could do without beach days. You can head to Aspen or Vail for world class skiing, Rocky Mountain National Park for elk spotting or Sand Dunes National Park to experience a surreal desert landscape all within the same state.

Whether you’re into snowboarding, kayaking, camping out, or just lazing amongst natural beauty, Colorado makes it easy for anyone to love spending time outside.

Offbeat Experiences

Growing up with field trips to the palace of kitsch – Casa Bonita – and family outings to Frozen Dead Guy Days, Colorado is definitely where I fell in love with all things outlandish. There’s plenty of serious fun to be had, but Colorado never takes itself too seriously!

If you visit with an open mind and a sense of humor, you could find yourself on a naked bike ride or munching Rocky Mountain oysters with some good company.

The Very Best Beer

The West Coast may have a reputation as the best coast for craft beer, but any Colorado native will tell you the truth. All it really takes is a trip to Denver Beer Fest to know who does IPA best. You won’t want to miss a brewery tour at Avery or Breckenridge Colorado Craft followed by a beer (or four) in the tap room.

Not into craft beer? Colorado is also home to the world’s biggest brewery — Coors Brewery — where you can sip light beers and learn all about large-scale production.

The Fourteeners

Sure, you can travel thousands of miles to scale Everest & Kilimanjaro, but in the unassuming state of Colorado, you can get your fair share of adventure with just a long weekend to spare.

Colorado has 53 peaks that climb past the 14,000ft mark (aka “Fourteeners”). Join a club of true outdoorsmen and adventurers by climbing a Fourteener during your visit.

Modern Cities

While the best part of Colorado cities is their proximity to the outdoors, there are plenty of reasons to make your vacation an urban adventure, too. Denver is a sufficiently awesome capital city, offering the perfect mix of style and grit.

In nearby Boulder and Fort Collins, you can enjoy cultural events, bars, and walking streets that far exceed your expectations from a college town. Like other cities, you can dine in inspired restaurants, explore public art, and catch a music festival, but the big difference about Colorado is that you’ll have a place to park and some spare change at the end of it all.

Visit Colorado – Our Thoughts

I have been fortunate to visit Denver on a couple of occasions and both times I was able to experience the different conditions that typify Denver living. The first time was in the heart of summer when the weather was perfect while my recent visit was a mixture of a Colorado snowstorm and freezing cold conditions.

Denver is a very walkable city and although my recent visit was predominantly work related, I did find some time to get out and take my very own self-guided walking tour of the Mile High City. If you love architecture, you will certainly appreciate the Colorado State Capitol Building while a short distance from here is the other end of the architectural spectrum with the Denver Art Museum which offers a much more modern design.

Take a stroll down the 16th street mall which is the heart and soul of the central business district or if you are worn out from walking around, why not hop on the free bus service that takes visitors from one end to the other making stops at almost every block.

Union Station is located at the end of the 16th street mall and from here you can explore other parts of Denver, including the Mile High Stadium, home of the Denver Broncos (perhaps you will be fortunate to see John Elway or Peyton Manning on your journey exploring the stadium!) or perhaps head out of the city and visit other parts of the state.

Denver is perfectly located to explore the Rocky Mountains. Just a short drive outside of the city and you will be surrounded by gorgeous alpine scenery. This is a part of Colorado that I can’t wait to explore with Heather. We love natural scenery, so having the opportunity to drive through the Rocky Mountains and visit places like Aspen and Vail are certainly high on our agenda.

On the other side of the state, Heather and I briefly passed through the towns of Durango and Cortez following our visit to Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. We drove from Moab to New Mexico and passed through the southwest corner of Colorado. This area is famous for being home to the Four Corners Monument which marks the point where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet.

Summary

Colorado is famous for many reasons. The Rocky Mountains, Denver, amazing craft beers and much more. I’m sure you will be inspired to take a trip to Colorado after reading this post and even if you are not, I know we are! We would like to reiterate our appreciation to Taylor and Daniel for sharing their opinions and experiences on Colorado.

In addition to their website highlighted above, you can also follow Taylor and Daniel on their travels via the following social media networks:

Twitter – @TravelOutlandish
Facebook – Travel Outlandish
Instagram – Travel Outlandish

Have you visited Colorado? Do you prefer to explore rural environments like the Rocky Mountains or would you be intrigued by the highlights of Denver?

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