With the Rocky Mountains and the famous Route 66 both passing through New Mexico, there are some obvious attractions to explore, and that's before you consider taking a day out to explore Roswell to look for UFO wreckage, or Los Alamos (where the atomic bomb was developed). The other major towns are the capital Albuquerque (home of an amazing hot air balloon festival), and the tourist hotspot Santa Fe up in the mountains. Santa Fe is an artistic centre, and there are many museums and galleries to explore, as does nearby Taos. Santa Fe has a lot to recommend it, there's the art scene, the scenic beauty of this city at 7,000 feet, and then there's the diversity of the arts, food and people themselves. It has a very small, compact downtown, which is easy for a family to walk around, and a host of film festivals, art festivals, wine festivals and other special events throughout the year.

A trip to Crested Butte is far from a one-size-fits-all package. In the winter Crested Butte is known as “the last great Colorado ski town,” and in the summer it is the wildflower capital of Colorado. Mount Crested Butte boasts some of the best backcountry skiing, and as host of the US Extreme Ski Championships and the X Games, it also leads the state in teaching first-time skiers. There are runs for every skill level and family friendly.