I-70 Corridor

Colorado's I-70 mountain corridor is probably the most heavily traveled stretch of scenery in the state. It can be a journey of awe, skiing, outdoors adventure fun, and of course golf. It also can be a parking lot of congestion especially on ski weekends.

The I-70 corridor actually is an all-inclusive destination because it also covers a distance from Golden to Summit County, past the ritzy Vail Valley and on to Grand Junction.

But don't miss it -- stop short of the Vail Valley and head to Silverthorne for The Raven at Three Peaks and don't miss Jack Nicklaus' 27-hole municipal gem in the ski town of Breckenridge and the 36 holes of golf in another ski haven -- Keystone Resort.

The Raven at Three Peaks in Silverthorne, designed by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry, is a remake of the former Eagle's Nest Golf Club. The Alister MacKenzie-like bunkers, some with thick grassy edges, will remind you of the olden days of traditional golf. You might see a moose, and lots of elevation changes.

Breckenridge Golf Club in Breckenridge begins at 9,324 feet in elevation and climbs into aspen groves and fairways lined with lodgepole pines, unforgiving native grasses and sagebrush. The Beaver and Bear Nines opened in 1987 with the Elk opening in 2001.

Keystone Resort is located in the heavenly cool of 9,100 feet and has two courses -- Keystone Ranch Golf Course and the River Course. Here you can tee off in 75 degrees, and the landscape is green and a haven for Colorado's lush wildflowers.

And off the golf course, Keystone Resort and other I-70 destinations have everything a summer on-the-road family would ever want. One can take fly-fishing lessons, hike the nearly 60 miles of trails, go mountain biking, whitewater rafting and attend festivals, films and concerts in a place that has 300 days of sunshine each year.

Dining? Don't miss the Ski Tip Lodge in Keystone. It was not only a stagecoach stop but was used as the very first ski lodge by founders Max and Edna Dercum when the ski lifts opened in the 1940s.

More gourmet dining can be found at the Keystone Ranch Restaurant in the same historic building as the Ranch Golf Clubhouse. It has been heralded as "quite possibly the finest ski resort restaurant on earth" by US News and World Report magazine.