The western slope of Colorado has been named one of the 25 best places to travel in the world in 2017.

What do the western slope of Colorado, Havana,Cuba, Madrid,Spain, the western Balkans, the Scottish Highlands, and southern Utah all have in common? They are all on Gear Patrol's list of 25 best places to travel in 2017.

At first glance, western Colorado looks a bit out of place on a list of places that includes exotic destinations such as Hawaii, Indonesia, Japan, and Russia. But, a closer look at the criteria for inclusion on the list tells us our backyard belongs on the list.

Gear Patrol's criteria is pretty simple - "locations containing unknown adventure." Western Colorado certainly fits the bill.

The magazine, in it's portrayal of western colorado, says "an off-roaders paradise comes of age."  It is clearly eyeballing the off-road opportunities for bikers, hikers, horse back riders, and four-wheelers but it also mentions the food and wine culture of the Grand Valley. Bin 707 Food Bar, Gateway Canyons Resort, Smith Fork Ranch at Crawford, and Dunton Hot Springs in the San Juan Mountains are mentioned as great destinations on the western slope.

Of course, their list barely scratches the surface of outdoor adventures that awaits on the western slope. They never quite got to the Grand Mesa, Rifle Gap, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison just to name a few of our crown jewels.

More From Mix 104.3