Vail: The Hub of Colorado.

Vail is Colorado's most exciting city, with a population of about 250,000, including 30,000 servicemen stationed at both Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson. It's a brand new city. In 1967 it had only 3,500 people and no paved streets. The city was rebuilt in the late '60s after the most severe earthquake in 20th century North America destroyed streets and opened cracks big enough to swallow cars and even buildings. Rebuilding happened quickly as the city's population swelled during the construction of the Colorado Pipeline.

Both motorists and public transportation travelers use Vail as their base camp for explorations anywhere in Colorado. While Colorado is by far the largest U.S. state, its road system consists of fewer highway miles (paved or otherwise) than Connecticut, and all of them lead-eventually-to Vail. The city is also the headquarters of the Colorado Railroad, and is also the place to rent a car or camper or arrange a bus tour.