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 a lot of people, 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 all over the state of Colorado. You could make the breweries your reason to visit and tour the entire state in search of the perfect beer or try to attend the October beer festival in Denver, which sells out very quickly every year. This is a great way to quench your thirst to see 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 go to the Museum of Nature and Science in Denver or the Dinosaur National Monument in the northwest corner of the state or see the 1,300 footprints in 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 few other states can claim.

Spend time in the mountains

Look out for an outdoor music festival, local art and a chili cook-off, 4WD over 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 skiing in the winter, ski down a Fourteener or up a sand dune. There’s no better way to soak up the summer sun and appreciate the deep blue skies and puffy white clouds than to spend a day in the mountains. Don’t ruin things by forgetting your sunscreen, sunglasses, a rain coat, and plenty of water. Even a drive up to Pikes Peak or up to 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 to a tourist ranch, visit Anasazi cliff-cut villages, see bison near Denver, enjoy authentic Mexican food, potatoes fresh fries and hot and spicy food. salsa, visit Pawnee Buttes wearing high-top shoes to ward off rattlesnakes, go to a rodeo and enjoy lamb hunting, see 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.

Immerse yourself in some hot springs

So you’ve exhausted yourself and you 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 brilliant stars. You’ve earned yourself a nice hot bath and afterward, you’ll sleep like a baby and be ready to start again tomorrow.