Here are some of the best things in Colorado, as chosen by "The Colorado Guide" authors Dean Winstanley and Bruce Caughey. They agreed on many favorites but differ on a few.
Best lake getaway
Trapper's Lake
At the edge of the Flat Tops Wilderness area in northwest Colorado lies Trapper's Lake. This large, trout-filled lake lies in a fairly remote location, and visitors can rent canoes. Check out the rustic confines of Trapper's Lake Lodge for an overnight stay in one of 16 simple log cabins and a restaurant with a roaring hearth. Call 970-878-3336.
Favorite accommodation
The Cliff House
The overhaul of this historic Manitou Springs structure makes it a perfect destination for a special occasion or a weekend escape. The thoughtful service staff and special amenities such as afternoon tea and a complimentary breakfast add to the experience. Check out the restaurant for an intimate meal with fine dishes and wines. Call 888-212-7000.
Favorite mountain retreat
Gold Lake Mountain Resort and Spa
Fine dining and a full-scale spa characterize this secluded escape. Private cabins on the wooded shore of Gold Lake are furnished with antiques and special touches, including down comforters encased in raw silk. You can soak in lakeside hot pools or venture out on nearby hiking trails. Spa services range from aromatherapy to massage to dual massage (two therapists working on you in tandem). Located a half-hour west of Boulder. Call 800-450-3544.
Special getaway
Hotel Teatro, Denver
River Song, Estes Park
Bruce: Just a few steps from the Denver Performing Arts Complex, this renovated turn-of-the-century building is a show unto itself. The 116-room hotel is beautifully appointed and adorned with costumes and props from past Denver Center Theatre Company performances. Call 303-228-1100.
Dean: River Song in Estes Park, a secluded bed-and-breakfast inn, offers great breakfasts and beautiful views of the adjacent Rocky Mountain National Park. Call 970-586-4666.
Most romantic getaway
Tennessee Pass Cookhouse
The Tennessee Pass Cookhouse near Leadville has to be one of the most romantic and adventuresome dining experiences in Colorado's Rockies. Join your guide for a brief one-mile cross-country ski by moonlight or lamplight through the backwoods of Tennessee Pass near Ski Cooper ski area. The Cookhouse, a gussied-up yurt replete with Oriental rugs, antique furnishings and classical music, provides a welcome destination. Enjoy a four-course gourmet dinner and a surprisingly large beer and wine selection. During daylight hours, the high-mountain view to the west from the cookhouse is simply spectacular. Call 719-486-8114.
Favorite romantic meal
Cafe Alpine, Breckenridge
Inside a 19th-century Victorian-style home on a Breckenridge side street, the chef/owner pays close attention to the details. Expert waiters can tell you about the 250 French and California vintage wines displayed in racks around the lower-floor dining room. The restaurant's eclectic menu changes daily. Entrees may range from Rocky Mountain trout with smoked corn and tomato succotash to a blackened New York strip steak. Call 970-453-8218.
Favorite ski area
Vail/Steamboat Springs
Bruce: Thanks to its wide vistas of white powder in the vast back bowls of Vail, this area has to be tops on my list for a powder binge. You could ski Vail for a week and not take the same route down the mountain twice. Skiers and boarders enjoy the variety of terrain, but after a dump of new snow, the bowls reign supreme. Call 970-476-5601.
Dean: Steamboat Springs is every bit the Colorado resort, with everything a resort has to offer, but it also has the heart of a real town.
Best wildflowers
Crested Butte
July must be the best time to experience mountain wildflowers in Colorado. The best place could be Crested Butte, declared the "wildflower capital of Colorado." Sign up for guided walks and photography workshops and keep an eye out for bluebells, pale yellow columbines, larkspur, glacier lilies and many more varieties. Call 800-545-4505.
Most hidden gem
Rattlesnake Canyon
Located in the remote red rock canyon country west of Grand Junction, Rattlesnake Canyon reminds you of canyon hikes in Utah more so than Colorado. Its claim to fame? The second-highest concentration of rock arches (at least 12) in the world. Rattlesnake Canyon can be reached via a six-mile one-way trail from Pollack Canyon trailhead near Fruita or from a rough four-wheel-drive road that drops down from within Colorado National Monument. Contact the BLM office in Grand Junction at 970-244-3000.
Favorite place for wildlife
North Park
Colorado's largest concentration of moose (about 600) feed along the willow-lined streams and ponds of North Park. While at the Colorado State Forest State Park, stop at the Moose Visitor Center, located along U.S. Highway 14 about 23 miles southeast of Walden; call 970-723-8366. About 8,000 waterfowl visit the 24,804-acre Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge during migratory season. This magnificent, protected wetland habitat is also home to golden eagles, great blue herons, owls, beavers and, of course, moose. Call 970-723-8202.
Most scenic drive
Million Dollar Highway/San Juan Skyway
Dean: Stretching between the small historic towns of Ouray and Silverton, this road winds 3,300 vertical feet up a glacial valley past once-thriving mines to the 12,217-foot summit of Red Mountain Pass.
Bruce: Drive the entire San Juan Skyway. It's 236 fascinating miles that incorporate everything from high alpine terrain to the Colorado plateau.