Telluride, Colorado

Telluride is the rare ski town where the old mining main street still sets the tone, in a narrow valley hemmed in by peaks. A free gondola links the town with Mountain Village in a 12-minute ride, so the car can stay parked all weekend while you ski, hike or ride up for dinner. Summer trails start at the edge of town, and the festivals fill the calendar. The catch is cost and altitude. The town sits at 8,750 feet, lodging in festival weeks and ski holidays runs high, and the gondola stops during the spring and fall off-seasons, when much of the town takes a break too.