Copper Mountain: Lift Off the Season

Snow – it’s the stuff boarders and skiers dream of – and it has arrived in Colorado’s mountains, where the slopes are getting ready for business. To celebrate the end of Colorado’s snow fast, Copper Mountain ski resort will host its sixth annual Lift Off festival Nov. 5-7 to mark the opening of the 2010-2011 … Read more

Green Machines: Air-Friendly Ways to Get Around Denver

Protecting Denver’s air quality is a priority for government officials, who have come up with some creative ways to help Denver’s “brown cloud,” which is caused mostly from motor vehicles. Denver is more prone to the pollution because of its thinner air and its location in a valley. Here are some ways you can take … Read more

Wray, Colorado: Home of the Little Dance on the Prairie

They’re called greater prairie chickens for a good reason. These plump, 2-pound relatives of the grouse live in the tall-grass prairie and supposedly taste like chicken. Once hunted for food, the population of these ground-foraging birds has diminished so much, the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the species as “vulnerable.” Most of the … Read more

Taste of Vail: Wine and Dine

Snow? What snow? Foodies focusing on Enzo Fargione preparing a signature dish indoors at the Vail Marriott seemed oblivious to the huge white flakes piling up on the slopes at one of the best ski resorts in the world. Skiing would happen later; now we were all ears and eyes as the celebrated Italian chef … Read more

Colorado Scenic Byways: Trail of the Ancients

On an arid, sage-studded plain, ancient towers stand like sentinels. Cliff dwellings nestle in alcoves in deep canyon walls. And symbols etched on rocks perplex modern wayfarers. These and other priceless vestiges of prehistoric communities grace the Trail of the Ancients Scenic and Historic Byway. Situated in southwestern Colorado, the 114-mile route forms a semicircle … Read more

Second Life: All Things Renewable

The line of spoon rests looks like modern pieces of blown glass art. The abstract shapes and not-too-polished surfaces suggest each piece is a handcrafted masterpiece. Then I notice the Mountain Dew logo. The spoon rests are, in fact, a second life for glass that formerly existed as soda and beer bottles. Heated and molded … Read more

Vail Lacrosse Shootout: A Sport for All Ages

From professional teams to Little League, the sport of lacrosse is exploding in Colorado. Two pro teams — Colorado Mammoth and Denver Outlaws — fill the calendar back to back from January through August. Kids are learning to play as young as 5; and in the spring, both boys’ and girls’ teams dominate fields at … Read more

Snow Play: Without the Skis

Colorado has the good fortune of a “perfect storm” of conditions for winter sports enthusiasts. Mountainous terrain coupled with just-the-right-latitude brings us abundant winter snow, and that famed 300 days of sunshine per year make it all the more fun. It’s no surprise that we refer to the stuff as champagne powder — it’s light … Read more

Southwestern Colorado’s New Venture: Agri-Tourism

Organic. Sustainable. Local. These buzzwords have taken on a new emphasis in southwestern Colorado. With a $50,000 grant in hand, the local tourism folks set out to establish a whole new genre for travelers – agri-tourism. Families looking to educate their children about the real world could find no better venue than the Great Sage … Read more

A Yurt for the Night: In Colorado’s Snow Country

Like diamond dust sprayed on black velvet, shattered particles of light glisten in a crystalline winter sky. Overhead, the Milky Way spills a swath of creamy luminescence that flows through the celestial hemisphere. Stars glimmer with galactic intensity, undimmed by the glare of civilization. I stand mesmerized by the spectacle so seldom seen by city … Read more