One of my favorite things to do is curate Colorado itineraries for friends and family when they come to visit. It started back in the ’90s, when my family moved here while I was in elementary school. I would send handwritten invitations back to Michigan, encouraging friends and relatives to come out. I’d promise them views of the majestic Rocky Mountains from a west-facing seat at our dinner table, and I’d tuck in a little nugget of fool’s gold I’d picked up from a mountain town gift shop to entice them West. (Hey, I heard gold drew a lot of people west in our state’s early days). My marketing slogan? “You can’t spell Colorado without ‘rad.’”

All these years later, I still love inviting people to visit — from relatives to friends I meet while traveling. There’s something about mapping out

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