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Ticking off a list of things you “must do” in a place is so passe.

These days, travel is more about immersing yourself in new places and surrounding yourself with interesting people.

There are plenty of places to do that in Colorado.

Downtown street with colorful building facades and mountainous background

Historic buildings in downtown Telluride, Colorado.Credit:iStockphoto/Getty Images

It did for me.

Read on for the 10 towns I recommend visiting in the summer.

But Snowmass Village stands firmly in its own identity.

A picturesque street in Telluride, Colorado, with mountainous scenery in the background and lined with shops and cars

Downtown Telluride, Colorado.Getty Images

Don’t miss the free guided hikes with naturalists from theAspen Center for Environmental Studiesthrough the fields of wildflowers.

GetYourGuidehas various tours in Denverfrom culture to naturethat are great for solo travelers.

Beyond the national park, join Native American guides for tours ofUte Mountain Tribal Park.

A river bending through a town near a mountain at sunset, trees and structures visible along the riverside

The Colorado River runs beside the town of Palisade.Getty Images

Person riding a bike in a grassy area beneath idle ski lifts at a mountain resort

Summer in Snowmass Village.Getty Images

A town surrounded by trees with mountains in the background under a cloudy sky

The town of Buena Vista, Colorado, seen from a hiking trail across the Arkansas River.iStockphoto/Getty Images

The Denver Art Museum building with its angular design and a rock sculpture in front, lawn and trees in the foreground

The Denver Art Museum’s Frederic C. Hamilton Building.Arpad Benedek/Getty Images

Sign for Dinosaur, Colorado, gateway to Dinosaur National Monument

A sign welcomes visitors to Dinosaur, Colorado.Getty Images

A wooden bridge leading to a small lake surrounded by trees and mountains in the background

Sprague Lake at sunrise, in Grand Lake, Colorado.Marco Isler/Getty Images

Cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, nestled under a rocky overhang surrounded by natural vegetation

Mesa Verde National Park, near Mancos, Colorado.Moment RF/Getty Images

Aerial view of Fort Collins, Colorado, showing buildings, trees, and mountains in the background

Fort Collins, Colorado, seen from above.marekuliasz/iStockphoto/Getty Images

Street view of Leadville, Colorado, with traffic lights, historic buildings, and a visible American flag

The historic main street of Leadville, a Colorado mining town.Getty Images