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 year, these birds use their camouflage feathering to hide in the prairie grass where…

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 from Teatro Goldini in Washington, D.C., playfully prepared risotto gorgonzola with candied red beets.…

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 curving from the Four Corners (where Colorado borders Utah, Arizona and New Mexico) northeast…

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 into a flattened shape with a cratered head, items that easily could have been…

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 high schools and recreation parks around the state. Avid players from grade-schoolers to grandpas…

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 and sparkly, and some folks declare they get a buzz from it. All of…

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 Plain region of Colorado, the southwestern corner of the state known more for its…

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 dwellers and condo-confined skiers. I would linger longer, but nature screams a reminder of…

Central City: Sample Opera in Small Bites

Opera is one of those things — those things you wish you knew more about but don’t. Some (I?) wish we knew more about our town’s sports team, or the latest episode of the hit show everyone talks about at the office each morning. I might wish I knew, but am not willing to put in the effort. I do know about opera, but many do not. Fortunately, Colorado’s…

Tasty Brews: Denver International Beer Competition Winners

Denver has an ongoing love affair with beer. We like to drink it, we like to make it and, heck, we even like to celebrate it in all its hoppy goodness So it was with great fanfare that the winners of the 2011 Denver International Beer Competition were announced on May 2, 2011. Some 19 certified beer judges participated in the blind tasting of more than 180 domestic and…