The great outdoors that most interests Flo Rogers is in Utah: the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which is a marvel of canyons, waterfalls and rugged terrain.

"It's been described as the most remote part of the United States, apart from Alaska. It makes Zion look like Disneyland, in terms of civilization," says Rogers, who grew up on a British isle that measures just 22-by-15 miles. "When I thought about America, this is what I thought about, being able to go to places that were so vast, so wild and so remote."

Since it's a five-hour drive, she prefers going for two- or three-day weekends in the fall. She stays at a lodge in Boulder. A highlight is traveling the winding, canyon-cusped Hell's Backbone Road.