Colorado Rockies vs Nashville

The Colorado Rockies pack big mountain scenery within easy reach of a lively city, which makes them perfect for a long weekend. Start in Denver, the Mile High City, where food halls, breweries and green-chile-smothered everything have turned neighborhoods like RiNo, LoHi and Union Station into a serious food scene. Just 30 minutes west, Red Rocks Amphitheatre sits between towering sandstone slabs and is one of the world's most famous places to see a concert, or simply to climb the stairs at sunrise. From there the mountains take over: Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park climbs past 12,000 feet above treeline, and the old mining towns of Idaho Springs and Georgetown, plus the gateway town of Estes Park, make charming bases. With more time, head to Breckenridge, Vail, Glenwood Springs' hot springs pools, Aspen's Maroon Bells and the red rocks of Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs. Plan ahead: Rocky Mountain National Park requires timed-entry permits in summer and early fall, the Maroon Bells need a shuttle or parking reservation, and the altitude is real, so drink plenty of water and take the first day easy.

Nashville is built for a weekend. On Lower Broadway, neon-lit honky-tonks have live bands playing from late morning until well past midnight, usually with no cover, and the next great songwriter might be on stage at noon. A block away, the Ryman Auditorium, the 'Mother Church of Country Music,' offers daytime tours and some of the best acoustics in the country at night. Walk the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge over the Cumberland River at sunset for the classic skyline view, and fuel up on Nashville hot chicken, fried crisp and dusted with cayenne at whatever heat level you dare. Weekend mornings belong to brunch: grab a table in walkable 12 South, laid-back East Nashville or the sleek Gulch, then wander their murals and boutiques. Stay longer to tour the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, catch a show at the Grand Ole Opry, sip wine at the Belle Meade Historic Site and spend a day in Franklin, a charming Civil War-era town 30 minutes south. Spring and fall bring mild weather and packed music calendars, but Music City delivers year-round as long as you book shows and hotels early.