The days after settling on a trip are some of my favorites. There’s an immediate trip to the library to check out guidebooks and hunt out all other sorts of information because when I am going somewhere new, I want to know about my choices, the sights and the lay of the land.

This weekend I am heading to Kalamazoo to hang out with my best friend who is attending Western Michigan University. My research was limited to online sources for this, mostly because the visitor websites I found had plentiful information that will be enough for my day and a half there.

Plans currently include seeing and climbing the sand dunes on the beaches of Lake Michigan, walking around downtown, visiting the art museum and hunting down some Frank Lloyd Wright houses.

Then, in June, Jon and I are heading to Colorado for a wedding and all sorts of outdoor activities and I’m trying to cook up some other things as well. The plan here includes rock climbing at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, sunbathing on and sliding down North America’s largest sand dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park, and climbing Mount Elbert, a Fourteener, the tallest mountain in Colorado and second-tallest in the lower 48. Of course, there are too many things on my radar for this trip. Things like kayaking on an alpine lake, crossing the Continental Divide, art museums, wildflowers and wildlife, and hopefully not being so affected by altitude sickness that I must abstain from microbrews.

Not that I necessarily need any more ideas for either trip, I always like hearing others’ ideas of what their favorite haunts are. Maybe you have a favorite photo spot or hiking trail in the Rockies. Maybe you have a favorite Mexican restaurant or brewery. So tell me, what do you like to do or eat in Kalamazoo or Colorado?