Granby

Granby, in the Middle Park area of Colorado, falls between two well-known communities — Winter Park, with its ski area, and Grand Lake, at the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Even though it's sometimes overlooked as a destination in itself, it's conveniently located in the heart of several major attractions.

In winter, you can head down to Winter Park, or you can ski the nearby SolVista Basin at Granby Ranch, a family-style ski area that makes it easy to keep track of the kids and also caters to telemark skiers. In summer, there's abundant hiking in the nearby Arapahoe National Forest.

Generally less crowded than Grand Lake, Granby offers easy access to the western side of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Not far from Granby are a few of the country's highest-rated guest ranches, where visitors can get excellent horse programs and gourmet meals in elegant ranch settings. They also serve as central locations for everything from hot-spring pools to world-class skiing.