Telluride, CO

Telluride has a way of getting under your skin. It’s got heart—real heart—the kind that you want to save for a rainy day. There’s beauty everywhere you look: jagged peaks, old streets, weathered faces in the bar at the end of the day. But what really makes it stick with you is the community. People here look out for each other. They share stories, powder days, and a drink when the sun drops behind the San Juans.

It might just be my favorite place on this strange, beautiful planet.

And when the snow’s coming down sideways and the San Juans are buried in that deep, forgiving powder. Setting lines with a few good friends, lungs burning, laughing like idiots in the cold—that’s about as close as life gets to perfect. In my book, that’s the way to live.

When not skiing, try-

Eat: Cindybread- Walk in, grab a coffee, and order a fresh hot sticky bun. When they’re warm, they’re ridiculous

Drink:The Buck aka Last Dollar Saloon = locals and no pretense

Music: Blues and Brews in the fall is a festival worth your time

Film: Mountain Film Festival in the spring is incredibly inspiring