Colorado Springs or Flagstaff?

Neither is a place to swim. Both sit well above 1,800m and far from any coast, so the realistic choice is a pool. The water time worth having in Colorado Springs is rafting on the Arkansas River. Flagstaff's best dip is in the cold creek pools of Oak Creek Canyon on the road to Sedona, which fill with families on hot weekends.

The two eat in much the same way: casually, American-style and at their best in a brewery. Colorado Springs has slightly more range, with a formal tier in the Broadmoor's dining rooms. The old brick streets of Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs are pleasant places for a meal.

Flagstaff's own touch is regional, with Navajo frybread and Navajo tacos on menus alongside New Mexican cooking. Its brewery patios are grouped in the walkable downtown and Southside rather than spread across a city.

Both have a short list of sights, and what differs is the theme. Colorado Springs relies on modern American institutions: the aluminium spires of the Air Force Academy's Cadet Chapel and the Olympic and Paralympic Museum. The Fine Arts Center adds Southwestern art, though the sights are spread out.

Flagstaff's list is about the sky and the region's first peoples. The Lowell Observatory is where Pluto was discovered, and the Museum of Northern Arizona holds Hopi, Navajo and Zuni art. A day or two covers the town, and the ancient pueblo sites need separate outings.

A weekend night in Colorado Springs centres on a few blocks of Tejon Street downtown. Sports bars, cocktail bars and a handful of dance spots there fill up with students and young soldiers from the bases. Many of the taprooms close well before midnight, and weeknights are quiet.

Flagstaff's evenings are more of a stroll between brewery taprooms and old Route 66 saloons downtown and in the Southside, all within a few minutes of each other. The university makes it livelier in term time. Clubs are scarce in both towns, and nights end early.

Both are outstanding bases for the outdoors, and the difference is the landscape. Colorado Springs has the bigger single mountain, Pikes Peak, which you can reach on foot, by road or by cog railway. Below it, the red sandstone fins of Garden of the Gods are good for climbing, and the dry trails suit mountain bikers for much of the year.

Flagstaff has volcanic peaks, a huge ponderosa pine forest and remarkably dark night skies instead. Sedona's red rock and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon are both within a day's reach. Skiers do better here too, with slopes about half an hour from town rather than two hours.

From Colorado Springs, day trips lean towards mining history and the big city. Denver's major museums are a little over an hour north and make a full city day. The gold-mining head frames of Cripple Creek and Victor are up steep mountain roads, and the Royal Gorge Bridge is near Cañon City.

Flagstaff's outings reach much further back in time. The Sinagua ruins at Walnut Canyon and Wupatki, the cliff dwellings of the Verde Valley and the Hopi mesas sit alongside the hillside mining town of Jerome, and the historic railway from Williams to the Grand Canyon is a day out in itself. Almost every trip from either town needs a car.

Colorado Springs has more for children within a short drive. Children can hand-feed giraffes at the mountainside zoo, and there are cave tours at Cave of the Winds, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings and a small Christmas-themed amusement park. The downside is the time spent in the car and the strong sun at altitude.

Flagstaff is relaxed and suits curious children, with telescope evenings, dinosaur displays, rope courses in summer and snow play in winter. Its bigger family outings, such as the wildlife park near Williams and the train to the Grand Canyon, are further out.

Flagstaff is the easier of the two to get around in town. Its downtown and Southside are compact enough to walk, a paved trail network makes cycling practical and long-distance trains stop at the downtown station. You still need a car or a tour for the mountain, Sedona and the Grand Canyon.

Colorado Springs is spread along the foothills, and its bus network is thin. Only downtown, Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs are pleasant on foot, so even the zoo and Garden of the Gods mean driving.

Shopping is a minor part of either trip, but each has a speciality. Colorado Springs is the place for Western wear, rock and gem shops and local galleries in the old storefronts of Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs, with outlet stores on the north side. Flagstaff's speciality is Native American craft, from Navajo rugs to Hopi kachina carvings and turquoise jewellery. It is best bought from established dealers or from the artists themselves.

Costs are much the same in both: moderate by American standards, with tipping on every meal and a hire car that most visitors cannot do without. Colorado Springs keeps daily spending down because Garden of the Gods, the canyon parks and most trails are free.

In Flagstaff, room rates jump on summer weekends and in school breaks, when the town fills as the bed base for the Grand Canyon, and park and monument fees add up. Even so, staying there is usually much cheaper than staying in Sedona or at the rim.

Neither has much to plan a trip around, though both can fill an evening. Colorado Springs works on a slightly larger scale, with a Philharmonic season at the Pikes Peak Center and touring bands at the arena and outdoor amphitheatre in summer. Flagstaff's best stage is the restored Orpheum Theater downtown, which hosts folk and indie acts, and in summer there are concerts outdoors among the pines.

Colorado Springs has a real spa tradition. Manitou Springs grew up as a health resort, its naturally carbonated water still flows from public fountains, and a small soaking spa has outdoor tubs facing the mountains. The Broadmoor adds a full resort spa.

Flagstaff has no springs and only a few day spas, so its calm comes from pine air, cool evenings and bright stars. For proper treatments, people drive about an hour down to Sedona.