Colorado is located in the western United States and has long been dubbed the "Centennial State" in recognition of its admission to the Union in 1876, exactly 100 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Much of Colorado is mountainous as the state is dominated by the southern range of the Rocky Mountains.
In fact, Colorado is the state with the highest average elevation; no other state lies so high above sea level. No part of Colorado is lower than 3,000 feet in elevation, which means that visitors staying in vacation homes in Colorado will truly be able to experience the famous "Rocky Mountain high" once immortalized in song.
Colorado is not entirely composed of mountains, however. Deserts are also a common geographic feature, as are alpine forests. Colorado contains several national parks and monuments such as Dinosaur National Monument, so named because of the wealth of prehistoric fossils that have been found in these lands.
Another popular spot for tourists to visit is Four Corners, the only place in the United States where four states join together at right angles. The exact point has been surveyed and marked such that visitors can stand simultaneously in Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Colorado, as long as they strategically position their feet. Four Corners during the summer is also a place where native craftsmen come to display their wares. As such, it provides excellent shopping for the tourist who wants to acquire authentic Native American woven blankets or jewelry.