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Imagine a place in Colorado where the mountains are so beautiful and the winter conditions are so perfect, you would think you're in another country. Well, good thing you don't have to think too much because there is a quaint little town in the Centennial State that has all of that.
Travel + Leisure put the spotlight on Ouray, Colorado -- a Southwestern town that's home to only 1,000 people as of the 2010 Census. If you take Highway 550, eventually you dip into a valley full of pine trees and sheetrock.
"It feels really wild, like you've gone through a time portal," Nate Disser, owner of San Juan Mountain Guides, tells writers. "There's a sense of grandeur up there that's almost unrepeatable in other mountain ranges."
The publication has compared the quaint town to the ski villages in the Swiss Alps, except you don't need a passport to travel there! Disser says all you need is a pair of skis and a "willingness to connect with nature," according to the website.
Speaking of skiing, they recommend you head over to the neighboring town of Silverton to check out the Silverton Mountains. With over 2,000 acres available on the land, less than 100 people are there most days.
"It's the same size as a ski resort, with only a fraction of the skiers," as Travel + Leisure describes. It even has one chairlift. But that's not all you can do on the mountain. You can enjoy a single-run heli-drop tour -- if you're willing to spend $1,190 per person.
Then, there are the luxury and comfy lodges, hotels, and resorts in Ouray, such as the impressive Red Mountain Alpine Lodge. This accommodation offers ski passes, rooms with memory-foam mattresses, and even has a live-in chef, according to writers.
One of the best parts of Ouray is the amazing hot springs -- perfect after a long day of wintry activities. You can check out the family-friendly Ouray Hot Springs, which offers five different bathing areas, a lap pool, and even waterslides and inflatable obstacles courses for kids. Other amazing options include Wiesbaden Hot Springs Spa and Orvis Hot Springs.
If you want to read more about what Ouray has to offer, click here.