Crazy for colorado
The beautiful, mountainous state of Colorado boasts some of the most healthy and wealthy residents in the USA, as well as attracting millions of tourists each year with its wholesome, outdoorsy lifestyle...
Although Colorado has traditionally been seen by Brits as a travel rather than an emigration destination, this is changing fast.
Those who adore outdoor sports will fall in love with Colorado - the Rocky Mountains provide a haven for hikers, skiers and snowboarders and the state is set against a backdrop of towering peaks, sparsely populated plains and crystal rivers.
Certain areas of the state have become well known for their celebrity connections and skiing. Telluride, which became a boomtown when prospectors struck gold in 1858, is now home to Hollywood royalty Tom Cruise and his wife Katie Holmes.
Butch Cassidy carried out his first robbery in Telluride 1889, and the town's wild-west style attracted thousands of hippies and drug barons.
Then, when the ski dollars started to pour in, the town underwent something of a renaissance and now millionaires share street space with down and outs left over from the legacy of Telluride's time as a mining community.
As the town is some way from Colorado's capital Denver and not easily accessible from an airport - the nearest is Montrose, a 67 mile drive away - it has kept modern development at bay to a certain extent. Many of the speculative investors and developers looked to Aspen instead, leaving Telluride just under the radar.
Most of the Brits who choose to emigrate to Colorado choose Denver, which is the most populous city and offers a great lifestyle - with cosmopolitan attractions such as art galleries and restaurants juxtaposed with all of the skiing and walking you could possibly want in stunning surroundings.
Other large centres include Colorado Springs, Alamosa, Grand Junction and Pueblo and many of the cities lie at the foot of the Rockies to protect themselves from the state's extreme weather - boiling sun in the summer and heavy snow in the winter.
Altitude is another concern - Denver is one mile above sea level, so oxygen is sparse and can initially cause altitude sickness, which is something worth taking into consideration if you are thinking of making Colorado your new home.
The state has become particularly popular with young families looking for a healthy and safe place to raise their children and also with people of retirement age, who are drawn by the mountain air and walking available.
Colorado is also home to a wealth of wildlife, including bears, lions and moose, which all roam free in the state's plentiful forests and mountainous regions.
When camping, you must be sure to store all food and toiletries in lockable bins or put them into sacks and hoist them high up into the trees to stop the bears smelling them and coming to your campsite.
Whilst the cost of living in Colorado is fairly low, the state's inhabitants are amongst the wealthiest in the USA. Per capita personal income is around £30,000- putting the state at number eight in the list of America's richest states.
Picture by Idle Type