What to do in Central Colorado, CO

Everyone who’s anyone has played here, from opera singers and orchestras to The Beatles, U2, Neil Young, Coldplay and Jimi Hendrix. Musicians consider the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Denver, to be one of the best venues in the world to play at, with its magical, almost spiritual, atmosphere.

Rocky Mountain National Park is beautiful in the spring with slopes of wildflowers and in the winter with a blanket of pure, white snow. Come here to hike, look for wildlife, see the Continental Divide and appreciate nature.

The rugged landscape of the western states of America has long been central to the region’s reputation as the Wild West and the Garden of the Gods is a stunning example of this terrain. As the low, grassy plains around Denver give way to dense woodlands, a series of rock formations rise dramatically upwards. These phenomenal red rocks are the centerpieces of the 1,367-acre (553-hectare) Garden of the Gods park, a favorite destination for hikers, mountain bikers and other lovers of the great outdoors.

Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain is a 14,000-foot (4,300-meter) high mountain famed for its incredible vistas, high-altitude railroad and opportunities for adventure. It was named after explorer Zebulon Pike, who led an expedition to the area in 1806. Visit the summit of Pikes Peak at any time of the year to gaze across the spectacular Rocky Mountains. The view from here was the inspiration for Katherine Lee Bates' famed poem, America the Beautiful.

Step onto the campus of the US Air Force Academy to discover what goes into the training of the country's elite air force personnel. Every year, the military institution puts hundreds of cadets through a rigorous 4-year academic program.