Say "Colorado" and most people will begin to tell you stories about bare-bone rock-climbing, body odor in the car after back-to-back days of camping and hiking, and the first time they dared to ski the back bowls at Breckenridge. Of course, they wouldn't be wrong. But just yesterday I discovered the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch -- something quite at the other end of the spectrum from bouldering and scabby knees. Nestled in a golden Aspen forest, the Ritz-Carlton manages to show off the brute wilderness of the Colorado outdoors and simultaneously promote the kind of luxury one might enjoy at a lazy seaside resort in Bora-Bora. The staff enjoyed working there -- their greetings and smiles were not insincere -- and they made every effort to respond to our needs. Who can possibly complain about the location either? The ski lift is so close to the lobby, you could practically roll off one of the leather couches and onto a ski slope. Stunning views from almost every angle showed the Rockies ablaze in a fire of yellow aspen trees. If the clouds had let up during our brief stay, I'm sure the views of the mountains through a clear sky would have been all the more stunning. My comment as we drove away? "Now... this is a place I would love to get married at."