OUR PICK: Highland Haven Creekside Inn

If you had a treehouse when you were a kid, it probably couldn't hold a candle to this one in Evergreen - Highland Haven Creekside Inn's newly completed Tree House suite.

Features of the above-ground main level include:The Tree House was built to be green, using sustainable materials and meeting Energy Star's highest rating. The accommodation has won second place in the 2010 national design competition sponsored by the 2010 SIP (Structured Insulated Panels) School Design Symposium.- Stairways lined with a rare collection of treehouse art.- A canopied king-size bed flanked by aspen logs.- A wet bar with teak root sink, LED glass shelf lighting and quartzite stone tile work.- A luxurious bathroom featuring a petrified wood vanity sink and pebble path leading to a two-person steam shower.A climb to the second story reveals a spa cupola anchored by an infinity-edged Jacuzzi with "champagne" microbubble technology. From the tub, you can enjoy the multicolored, stained-stick paneling on the 15-foot peaked ceiling, along with an aspen mobile created by a Colorado artist. Sixty-five yards of caramel sheers and unspoiled views of towering pine trees complete the scene.- A custom tile and iron fireplace.- Antique stained glass reclaimed from a Denver mansion.- A showpiece chandelier spark-ling with Swarovski crystals.Joy Harper, The GazetteCreated by owners Gail Riley and Tom Statzell, the 850-square- foot Tree House is built atop 21-foot-high, 36-inch-diameter cedar log structures.Rates for Highland Haven Creekside Inn's Tree House are $475 per night Sundays-Thursdays, and $550 per night Fridays and Saturdays.The Highland Haven, celebrating 32 years of continuous operation, earned a coveted Fodor's Choice award for being an industry leader in service, quality and value. The inn was also named one of the Top 10 Most Romantic Inns of the Year by www.iloveinns.com, one of the nation's Top 10 Most Romantic Cottages by Sunset magazine, and Best Bed and Breakfast by Mountain Living magazine.For reservations, information and directions, call 1-800-459- 2406 or visit www.highlandhaven.com.It's the award-winning inn's most extravagant new accommodation - the first freestanding addition in its 32-year history, offering a combination of luxury, romance and nature nestled between two 60- foot blue spruce trees."As a kid growing up in Indiana, I was always climbing up in the oak trees, swinging from grape vines and being my happiest taking in nature," Riley said. "The Tree House would be as romantic as an iconic childhood getaway. We knew our guests, new and old, would love it. It would cast a secretive spell on a generation of adults, truly living up to its motto, 'Taking Romance to New Heights.'"Located 30 minutes west of Denver, the inn is known for its exceptional breakfasts and features 18 rooms, suites and cottages, each distinctly appointed in "Colorado chic" decor.

Joy Harper, The Gazette