The Southwest Colorado Region seems to put visitors under a spell. This region's beauty transfixing the eye in an endless metamorphosis of colors and shapes. Blue crags jut between grassy meadows and plunge down to rolling white rapids. Brush-stubbled mesas yawn open, creating impossibly deep stone canyons.

Hot springs bubble up, with steam flaring, from sources unseen. Just after sunset, distant ridges turns soft and gray, silhouetted against the purple and pink skies.

The human landscape is as dramatic as the topography. Not even lifelong residents have unraveled all of the region's mysteries. Ghost towns and abandoned mines litter the San Juan Mountains, while on the high flats of the Colorado Plateau, nameless ruins bear witness to an ancient civilization.

Mesa Verde National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, and the Anasazi Heritage Center make this area an archaeologist's dream.

The towns of Colorado's Southwest Region march to their own rhythm. People are always on the move by biking, hiking, running, climbing, flying, boating, even occasionally working ... yet nobody is in a hurry.

Telluride, Silverton, and Ouray,the divine trinity of the San Juans, pair stunning physical beauty with high culture, making them attractive retreats for starving artists and CEOs alike.

Down the hill, Durango offers Western congeniality, with just a hint of rebellious frontier spirit. And funky, friendly Crested Butte embodies the individualist ethic of the West.

Spend a few days in these upbeat towns and you'll be convinced that anything is possible.