Fields of Dreams
If an invite to have dinner on the farm sounds like a picnic table, baked beans, and dirty-denim affair, rethink that idea. In Colorado, farm-side suppers are staged from late spring through fall, and they are some of the finest, most romantic meals you’ll ever experience. Imagine dining al fresco at community tables, viewing fields that spread toward the horizon, and savoring food that was harvested hours before it lands on your plate. Discover the magic of authentic farm-to-table cuisine.
Star Light, Star Bright
Colorado is blessed with plenty of stunning scenery—including the expansive night sky. Look up at 10 p.m. on July 15 and use this guide to locate constellations, stars, and even some planets.
West of Eden
Turning out tasty, small-batch wines in the West Elks region.
Louisville
Thanks to a booming restaurant scene, Louisville has become more than Boulder’s quirky, small-town neighbor. Here are seven reasons to make reservations now.
Jim Burris, Baseball Legend, 1922-2012
Two Is Better Than One
Chickee’s Lil Kitchen serves Cajun and Mexican in Sunnyside.
Table Hop
Dry-hopping beer—at your table.
Biz: Salary Breakdown
Black Raspberries
By the numbers: blackberries
Breaking with Tradition
Chef Mark Fischer bends the rules with Phat Thai.
Tick Tock
How landing a long-awaited dream job forced me to rethink—but not remake—my relationship with time.
Swimming Hole
Tucked into the mountains of northwest Colorado, Steamboat Lake has everything you need for a quintessential summer weekend.
The Pioneer
Josh Wolkon reflects on 15 years of Vesta Dipping Grill.
The Image Maker
An artist moonlighting as a server left her mark.
Alamo Placita: A Guide
Stop in the Alamo Placita neighborhood just south of Capitol Hill for a respite from the Mile High City’s bustling neighborhoods like Cherry Creek and Highland. There, you’ll find a collection of turn-of-the-century Victorians and bungalows, specialty shops, and casual eateries. The mix lends Alamo Placita an urban vibe that doesn’t overshadow the small-town, community feel of the historic enclave.
Collector’s Paradise
A knickknack heaven on South Broadway.
Scrap Happy
One Denverite’s trash is another’s hip, high-end custom furniture.
Locally Produced
Denver natives start urban farm.
Growth Model
A Boulder woman brings high-tech gardening to the DIY-inclined.
East of Denver
The first novel from Denver author, Gregory Hill.
Second Act
Boulder’s iconic, old-timey radio show finally gets its long-awaited home.
Away We Go
Pack for a getaway in style.
Glory Gone Wild
Hey folks: We know you’re in shape. Now please stop bragging about it.
It Is About The Bike
Bob Roll, a 13-year veteran of professional cycling, now commentates pro cycling’s most renowned races: the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, the Tour of California—and, of course, next month’s USA Pro Cycling Challenge. When he’s not following the buzz of the peloton in Europe’s peaks and valleys, he heads home to Durango, where he’s lived for more than 25 years.
River Banks
Fishing may be the next frontier for Colorado ranchers.
Energy Buzz
Harnessing solar energy in new ways.
Around the Bend
Take on the gravity-defying sport of downhill mountain biking.
Exclusive Preview: Top of the Town 2012
Design Within Reach
City Park’s playground is getting a face-lift.
Canine Care
Get Involved: Morris Animal Foundation.
Busted
Denver’s DUI spots.
Bump, Set, Spike
Wash Park’s volleyball scene.
Outdoors: Breckenridge’s Alpine SuperSlide
Go Now: Sassafras American Eatery
Best Bites: Row 14’s Cherry Wood–Smoked Pastrami
Pizza Biz: Toppings
Hop on: Banjo Billy’s Beer Tours
Best Bet: Five Ways to Cool Down this Weekend
Rant & Rave: Scott Gessler and Medical Marijuana
It’s Coming: Bike to Work Day 2012
Best Bet: Last Chance to See “Chihuly Venetians”
Takeout: Fresh Pasta From DiFranco’s
Wellness: Apparently, You Can Die From Loneliness
MMJ Outdoor Advertising Ban: What’s Next?
This summer, Denver’s City Council could decide to ban all outdoor advertising for medical marijuana businesses in the city.
Discovery: Cidre Bouché at Bistro Vendôme
Wellness: Is Maple Syrup Good for You?
Get Involved: Hit a Home Run Against Hunger
Opening Soon: Hazel’s Beverage World
Outdoors: Hike to the Chicago Lakes
Red Rocks’ Summer Lineup is Finally Worth Seeing
Alfresco: Civic Center Eats 2012
Dispatch From Aspen: Food & Wine Classic
Rockies: Is Change Coming?
The Rockies are on pace for an incredible season—of terrible baseball. What is the team going to do about it?
Biz: Burning Tourism
How to Work Out During Wildfire Season
Beer Buzz: 5280’s Summer Six Pack
Rant & Rave: Coors Field Heat and the Denver Dumb Friends League
Cheap Thrills: Prana’s Opening Gifts
Perfection: Root Down’s Rhubarb Risotto
Cast Your Vote: One Book, One Denver
Photo of the Week: Flipping Out
Get Involved: Restaurants for Refugees
Wellness: The Wash Park Jog
Best Bites: Bittersweet’s Rockfish
Big Fire, Small Moments: Lessons from the Fourmile Fire
Dramas play themselves out during Colorado’s wildfire season.
Beaver Creek Gets Dog-Friendly
Eat Healthy: Cinnamon-Grilled Peaches
The Conversation: Urbanites and Farmers Connect on Common Ground
High Park Fire: Update
Outdoors: Hiking Forsythe Canyon Trail at Gross Reservoir
Controversial Tuition Change at Metro State
Metro president Stephen Jordan explains the school’s new tuition program for undocumented students.
Biz: Is Skiing Worth the Cost?
New Obsession: 34° Sweet Crisps
Education: The Real Cost of Achievement
Rant & Rave: Dentists
Beer Review: New Belgium’s Tart Lychee
Product Spotlight: FashionForwardMaternity.com
Beauty: Summer Essentials
Editor’s Notes: Church and State Optics, CarolAnn Wachter, and More YSL
Trend: Americana
Frontier Stays
Escape to Colorado’s backcountry cabins.
Best Bet: Disc Golf at the High Plains Challenge
Concussions and the NFL: A Former Bronco Speaks
Former Denver Bronco Dave Studdard has joined a growing list of retired NFL players who have filed concussion-related lawsuits against the league.
Photo of the Week: Back to the Future
New: Boom Yogurt Bar in Lowry
Hangouts: The Desk
Petitioners: No Touching!
Wellness: Take It Outside
Grant: Kenosha Pass
This bucket-list hike west of Bailey, Colorado, is part of the epic Colorado Trail—but offers a mild stroll through winding groves of aspen.
Boulder Eats: H BurgerCo
Beer Buzz: Boulder SourFest
The Craving: Trillium’s Gazpacho
Sports: The MLB Draft Begins. Who cares?
Today is the first day of Major League Baseball’s draft. If you’re a Rockies fan, it’s a little hard to get excited.
Beer Review: Odell’s Pond Hopper
Rant & Rave: Parking Meters and Tootsies, The Nail Shoppe
Politics: Beer Me, Beer Me Not
Order This: Barolo’s Uovo Ravioli
Getting to Know the TEDxMileHigh Presenters (Part Two)
Photo of the Week: Repo Men
Remembering Jerry Krantz
A jazz lover riffs on the passing of Jerry Krantz, El Chapultepec’s owner.
Best Bet: USA Senior Men’s Club Rugby Championships
Take-Out Steal: Domo’s Bento Box
Getting to Know the TEDxMileHigh Presenters (Part One)
Sweet Stuff: Charlie’s Ice Cream Social
Wellness: The Diet for People Who Don’t Diet
Politics: Reading the Tea Leaves of Colorado Politics
Floyd Ciruli has been polling in Colorado for nearly three decades. We asked him for his opinions on the state’s biggest topics.
Outdoors: Hike to a Waterfall in Telluride
New: T|aco Opens in Boulder
Mix It: Spicy Mango-Cilantro Sangria at Cuba Cuba
Rocky Flats’ Legacy: A Q&A with Kristen Iversen, Author of “Full Body Burden”
Fresh Take: Rioja’s Mango Caprese
Beer Review: Left Hand’s Smoke Jumper
Sports: Pulling the Plug on the Mtn.
Politics: Colorado’s Purple Power
Beauty: Best SPF Products for Summer
Sip Local: Colorado Wine Week
Photo of the Week: On the Road
Fireside Feast
Camping season is upon us, and no matter where you’re headed, or for how long, it’s easy to load up on local foodstuffs. Here are some of our favorite Colorado eats fit for the campground.
Get Involved: The Women’s Wilderness Institute
The Craving: Cafe Bar’s London Dip
Owner Revamp: Organic Dish
Wellness: Banning Tanning? Not Yet.
The Bet: Can a 5280 Staffer Beat Future Olympian Missy Franklin?
Senior staff writer Robert Sanchez challenged the world’s best female swimmer to a race. Seriously.
Rockies: At Rock Bottom (We Hope)
Top Dentists 2012
We teamed up with topDentists to locate Colorado’s 598 best dentists. A healthy smile is just a click away.
Golden Girl
Missy Franklin likes texting, dancing in her basement, and having sleepovers with her friends from Regis Jesuit High School. She also happens to be the best female swimmer in the world and is poised to take home multiple medals from the London Olympic Games this summer. Meet the new face of American athletics.
Go Play Outside
The very best hiking, camping, paddling, fishing, climbing, mountain biking, and road cycling within two hours of Denver.
The Insider’s Club
Food & Wine comes to life in the form of an Aspen restaurant.
Kitchen Prep
Did You Know? The secret behind Big Night.
By the Numbers: Lucile’s Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam
By the numbers: How many pounds of rhubarb does Lucile’s use to make strawberry-rhubarb jam?
Biz: Are Coloradans Paying Too Much at the Pump?
How to Make Banana Boats
Roasting marshmallows over a fire used to be our favorite camping ritual—until associate art director Dana Pritts taught us to make ember-baked banana boats.
Pleasantville
The Wooden Table is simple and unpretentious—sometimes to a fault.
Outdoors: Stroll Around Rocky Mountain National Park’s Lily Lake
Keep On Truckin’
Forget Santa Fe. Continue on to Albuquerque, where you can while away three pleasurable days in the desert.
