[mjohnson]

Either east from BC then over the pass just past Copper Mountain to Leadville, then down to the Great Sand Dunes, or go west on I-70 to Glenwood Springs for (duh) the springs and down to Aspen and over Independence Pass or you could stay further west for Ouray, Silverton and Durango. That path, beyond scaring the crap out of timid drivers/passengers, will take you through "Georgia Okeefe" country which was also the inspiration for Chuck Jones' Roadrunner cartoons.

Of course, a visit to Los Alamos is required (I'm now in the tourism-industrial-complex here). Bandolier Nat'l Monument is not quite Mesa Verde but it is very similar.

Over 25y of commuting to school in Golden CO and family in Ft Collins I feel like we've taken every short-way, medium-way and long-way from N NM to CO. There are no poor choices besides I-25!