If you’re traveling to the state of Colorado for the first time and don’t want to spend hours trying to find the most fun things to do, here are five essential things to focus on that are hard to duplicate in any other state. . Many of these activities don’t involve long lines or crowds, and they don’t have to cost a lot.

visit a brewery

Move over Milwaukee and St. Louis, we’re talking about small breweries located throughout the state of Colorado. You could make breweries your reason to visit and traverse the entire state in search of the perfect beer or try to attend Denver’s October Beer Festival, which sells out fast every year. This is a great way to quench your thirst for seeing Colorado. Just don’t spend all your time indoors.

See Dinosaur Footprints or Bones

Many of the dinosaur skeletons you see in museums around the world originated in Colorado. Whether you’re heading to the Museum of Nature and Science in Denver or Dinosaur National Monument in the northwestern corner of the state or seeing the 1,300 footprints at Picketwire Canyonlands south of La Junta, you can design your visit around dinosaurs alone. There are also tracks west of Denver along Dinosaur Ridge. This is an experience that few other states can claim.

spend time in the mountains

Look out for an outdoor festival of music, local arts and a chili cook-off, 4×4 across Engineer Pass for spectacular views of mountains and wildflowers, hike to a waterfall, take a hot air balloon ride, fish, kayak or raft, mountain bike down a mountain used for winter skiing, ski down a Fourteener or sand dune. There is no better way to soak up the summer sun and appreciate the deep blue sky and puffy white clouds than to spend a day in the mountains. Don’t screw things up by forgetting your sunscreen, sunglasses, a rain coat, and plenty of water. Even a drive up Pikes Peak or Mount Evans is a great way to spend the day and see some wildlife without using up all your oxygen.

do something western

Visit a ghost town, pan for gold, take a trip on the Durango and Silverton steam train, go on a vacation ranch, visit Anasazi cliff-hewn villages, see bison near Denver, enjoy authentic Mexican food, papas fresh fries and hot and spicy food. salsa, visit the Pawnee Buttes in high-tops to protect yourself from rattlesnakes, go to a rodeo and enjoy lamb hunting, see the Red Rocks Amphitheater or the red rocks at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. Just don’t try to do all these things in one day. Colorado is the eighth largest state and the mountains mean you don’t travel in a straight line.

Dive into some hot springs

So you’re exhausted and need a massage. There’s nothing better than a soak in hot springs, many of which have accompanying spas. The best experience is one outdoors with winter snow falling on your face or a summer breeze cooling the night with a sky full of sparkling stars. You’ve earned a nice hot bath and afterward, you’ll sleep like a baby and be ready to start fresh tomorrow.