Start your excursion of America’s Alps in the town of Durango, nestled in Colorado’s southwestern corner. In the winter, the tourist has their choice of five different ski resorts  within an hour’s drive. In the summer, there is an almost inexhaustible number of activities in and around the community, including hiking, backpacking and mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking and golf. Rail fans will love riding the Durango & Silverton Railway, one of the last two remaining lines of the old Denver & Rio Grande narrow gauge railroad. Powered by steam locomotives and featuring both open cars and antique rail coaches from a century ago,  this is an actual operating railroad that during the winter is the only manner to get in and out of Silverton to the north.

Traveling over the San Juan mountains, on the “Million Dollar Highway”, along the Rio de las Animas Perdidas, literally meaning “River of Lost Souls”, you will run into most historic mining towns that consist of Silverton, Telluride, Ouray and Ridgway.  At Montrose, you will want to cut over to the east on U.S. 50, skirting the southern edge of Gunnison National Forest in order to go to Gunnison and Salida, which is home to one of the oldest whitewater kayaking events in the country, the FIBArk Race, which is the “weekend that Salida comes out to play,” held in June during the spring runoff.

It is tough to choose one place in Colorado’s mountain country that stands out over the rest but the Rocky Mountain National Park and nearby Estes Park in the north central part of the state are definitely front runners. Take advantage of neighboring cabin rentals, or stay at the historic Stanley Hotel, where writer Steven King got the inspiration for The Shining. Founded by a settler from Missouri in 1859, Estes park is located along the Big Thompson River, and is the gateway to the national park located just a few miles west.

You can travel the length of U.S. 34, the Trail Ridge Road, which has the distinction of being the highest uninterrupted highway in the country. This vivid drive will take you to an elevation of over 12,000 feet above sea level and some of the most colorful mountain scenery in North America, if not the world.

Of course, Colorado is the West, and that means cattle drives and horses. Well, the great cattle drives are long over and were primarily in the plane eastern section of the state, but you and your family can experience a little of it at one of the area’s many “dude ranches”. Even with the great quantity of highways and  jeep trails, there’s no better method to see this part of Colorado than from horseback.

Canada’s department of ecology, Environment Canada, has categorized British Columbia into six separate ecological zones, each of which presents hikers a unique experience. Of course, as hiking and other styles of outdoor recreation has increased in popularity, so have the number of vacation rentals and Canada bed and breakfasts through the province. Lodgings at a range of prices from as low as $24 (CDN) per night may be had in even the most remote vacation destinations.

If you are interested in an all inclusive resort that is really a pampering experience, consider Cathedral Lakes Lodge near Penticton in south-central British Columbia.  Hiking trails at 7000 foot elevations can lead you to any one of seven unspoiled mountain lakes where the trout fishing is excellent.

Ecotourism is just one interesting hiking opportunity that is widely accessible in British Columbia. These are tours, typically taken on foot, in which the public have the chance to trek to a number of the more ecologically vulnerable regions including the coastal clement rainforests that stretch from the Alaskan panhandle to northern California and the delicate sub-arctic taiga and boreal plains.

Sponsored by the province’s municipal governments and non-profit organizations, these ecotours are handled in a manner so that participants leave a minimal impact on the region while having a chance to enjoy native flora and fauna in a pure state. Because so much of British Columbia is unspoiled by people, hikers will have a chance to see many sorts of wildlife that have become rare in the more heavily populated U.S.

If you are scouting for a variation from hiking in British Columbia’s picturesque mountain country from one of the region’s cabin rentals, you might also take into account agritourism. As is the case in Washington and Oregon to the south, British Columbia is an important agricultural center, particularly in the southern and eastern segments of the province.  Agritours give hikers a chance to see and even participate in the workings of sustainable farms in a few of Canada’s most diverse farmlands. 
 

One of the first areas you run across driving westward out of Philadelphia is Lancaster County and the Amish Country, and there’s no shortage of information on seeing these gracious folks and their farms but the Pennsylvania Dutch country contains a great deal more, including the Dutch Wonderland Theme Park and the American Music Theater. Beautiful historic romantic travel inns are all through this colorful area. 

One thing is sure, you will not have any trouble booking vacation cabin rentals, since Lancaster County has an abundant source of vacation rentals ranging from primitive to deluxe at the area’s various fine inns.  For a different kind of romantic experience, check out Mechanicsburg. Nestled just north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, this historic community offers a variety of activities that will appeal to him as well as her.

For him, there’s the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing, which contains exhibits of totally restored race cars from the first days of competitive road racing as well as different displays.  Afterwards, she will like a day at the Revalations Day Spa, which provides not only lodging but also a hot springs, massage, and mud bath for couples.

Halfway between Philadelphia and Lancaster is Chester County, which comprises most of Pennsylvania’s rustic Brandywine Valley. The individuals who reside here have been vigilant about protecting their historic heritage. As a result, as you travel through the area, you will come across a number of charming small towns that date back 250 years and more. Deciduous forests, rolling pasturelands, covered bridges over brooks and streams and more await your arrival.

More active couples who really want to visit Pennsylvania ought to check out the Allegheny Passage C&O Passage, which offers over 300 miles of off-road cycling paths winding from Pittsburgh all the way across the Keystone State and into Washington D.C. This is another part of a budding set of connections of old rail lines that are being transformed into bicycling and hiking trials that are fairly flat and hard-packed with crushed limestone and gravel. For couples who are energetic and have the time, there’s no better or more leisurely way to view the romantic Pennsylvania countryside.