Colorado?

Pikes Peak should be at/near the top of your list. We drive up at least once a year and take a picnic lunch with us. We stop at Glen Cove (about halfway up) and take our picnic to an area at the bottom of a 2000ft shear rock cliff. Then at the top, we hike around to many of the small peaks up there. Also, there is Garden of the Gods, and Old Colorado City for western shopping. If you want a serious workout, try climbing the incline in Manitou Springs. The local Olympians find it challenging enough to include it in their training regimen. About 1.5 hours SW of Colorado Springs, you have Royal Gorge. Then you can take the Phantom Canyon Road to Cripple Creek.

Enjoy!