Bodelwyddan Castle Hotel, North Wales
monaco-denver.com
colorado.com various mountain activities. I joined a group for a treacherous drive in a Jeep up the mountain to see the remnants of the mines, built when the town thrived in the Old West.
But hang on to your belongings – my new phone came off second best when it flew out of the car and down a ravine.
At night the town comes alive with bars buzzing with people and live music. I had a pleasing pan-seared Colorado striped bass and crab dish at La Marmotte before hitting the bars.
Live music is a feature at the exquisite
Hotel Telluride, where local musicians with cowboy hats entertain in the foyer.
While in the area I recommend a stop-off at the little town of Fairplay, said to be the inspiration for the cartoon hit South Park. It’s also worth the drive to the Colorado National Monument to marvel at the sheer canyons.
My amazing trip was bookended by two nights in Denver, the Colorado capital. The city is booming. Its restaurant scene is one of the hottest in the US and if you love craft beer, it has more than 100 breweries. The state has also legalised cannabis, so many tourists head to the Mile High City for a smoke.
Take a bike ride with Mile High Bike Tours around town to see all sides of this impressive and trendy place. (milehighbiketours.com, about £39pp)
The renovated Union Station is also worth a look. I spent the evenings drinking craft beers and ate some divine pasta at Rioja, near the station.
What a way to end. There was nothing rocky about my Rocky Mountains trip.
Apart from those first few terrifying moments on the downhill bike ride.
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