Notes from the Front Range: Over the River
Web Exclusive: Mommy Club Map
Need a sitter? Want to know what’s best for teething? Need advice on daycare? Don’t pick up another baby book. Join a mommies group, where like-minded peers chat about the wonders and challenges of new motherhood. Denver’s mommies clubs are divided principally by interest and location. Here, an easy to use map of our favorites. Bonus: Keep reading for links to local mommy blogs.
Red Alert
Bark beetles are killing off Colorado’s pines. Can we cope with the devastation?
The Mommy Club
Where do urban moms turn to divulge their deepest fears and greatest challenges? One group of Denver women is turning to each other—and in the process redefining what it means to be a mother.
River Deep, Mountain High
Fed by glacial lakes and snowmelt from our awesome peaks, Colorado rivers are some of the most wondrous in the world—and unrivaled destinations for summer adventurers. But our riparian playground is not just for paddlers. We’ve mapped 15 unforgettable river getaways, from the luxe and lazy to the edgy and extreme.
Where to Buy (Even) Now
Sure, things are tough around Denver, but good options exist—if you know where to look. We’ve found 14 neighborhoods offering safe bets in a shaky market. Plus, real estate insiders dish on up-and-coming areas where deals abound.
Magic Ingredient: Applesauce
Rediscover this well-rounded snack.
Reading, Writing, and Raddichio
Denver students plant, grow, and eat their lessons.
In My Kitchen: Rachel Woolcott, Aix Restaurant
When Rachel Woolcott takes a break from her busy schedule as owner and chef of Aix Restaurant and Wine Bar, she experiments with recipes and entertains friends at home.
Lost in Translation
Discovering the gordita.
Local Label
Denver’s Ollie Sang brings sass and class to the national fashion scene.
Powerbrokers-Ladies Who Launch
How four Denver Latinas are breaking into the old boys’ network.
Back For More… Sabor Latino
A Highland staple gets another taste.
In My Kitchen
When Rachel Woolcott takes a break from her busy schedule as owner and chef of Aix Restaurant and Wine Bar, she experiments with recipes and entertains friends at home.
Reviews: Alto Restaurant
Successful New American cuisine served with a side dish of live music.
Life According To… Troy Rarick
Great Outdoors: Craggy Calendar
The Boss
Leah Daughtry is a single African-American woman, an evangelical pastor—and she happens to be the CEO of the upcoming Democratic Convention Committee. You got a problem with that?
Web Exclusive: Behind the Scenes at the Natural Sounds Program
With 72 percent of National Park visitors seeking audible peace, the National Park’s Natural Sounds Program is out to stop the roaring jet thunder from muting a calling jay. Listen here to the sounds the program aims to protect.
Getaways: Fantasy Island
Environment: The Sound of Silence
Karen Treviño, director of the National Park Service’s Fort Collins-based Natural Sounds Program, is on a mission to restore our wild soundscapes.
Web Exclusive: 2007 World Series Slideshow
As the Rockies begin their post-World Series season, baseball enthusiasts wonder if this season will see another stirring playoff run. Relive the excitement of the 2007.
Falling Into Place
After fielding a lousy product for years, Charlie and Dick Monfort found themselves at the helm of a pennant-winning baseball team last October, after the Rockies went on their improbable tear. Was it dumb luck or part of the plan?
The Most Important Political Race That No One’s Talking About. Yet.
While Colorado and the rest of the country have been focused on Obama, Clinton, and McCain, Republican Bob Schaffer and Democrat Mark Udall have been quietly laying the groundwork in their campaigns for Colorado’s open U.S. Senate seat. Though their political philosophies couldn’t be more different, both men are following remarkably similar strategies. Here, we trace the 10 steps Schaffer and Udall are taking in what promises to be one of the most fiercely contested races in the country.
A Home in the High Country
Whether you’re a weekend cowboy, reclusive artist, fly-fishing freak, wannabe vintner, or hardcore ice climber, here are 10 mountain towns you can actually live in.
Web Exclusive: Of Canines and Convicts Slideshow
At the Territorial Correctional Facility in Cañon City, convicts learn responsibility through a dog-training program. Watch the hardened criminals deftly instruct, discipline, and care for their dogs.
Of Canines and Convicts
A one-woman army and a handful of unwanted dogs may be the best hope of rehabilitation for Colorado’s ever-growing prison population.
Our Pet Obsession
Nearly 3 million Coloradans own a Fluffy, a Fido, or a Flounder. Yes, we love our pets in the Centennial State. To celebrate that affection, we present our 2008 pet guide—a look at the best pet paraphernalia Colorado has to offer.
Magic Ingredient: Eggs
The sunny-side of free range.
In My Kitchen: 39 Degrees Sky Hotel
As the head mixologist at the Sky Hotel’s 39 Degrees, Aspen’s hippest après-ski lounge, Denis Côté practices the work-hard-play-hard lifestyle with a twist—you’ll find him busy behind the bar in the evenings, and playing hard in the hills during the day.
See Jane Run
The White House Project inspires women to plunge into politics.
History
Life According To…
Notes From the Front Range
Second Nature
In an exclusive preview from our March issue, meet a local family that is raising a little girl born in the wrong body.
Web Exclusive: Green Home
Read about CU’s “solar decathlon” experience and find additional resources that will help you green up your home.
Your Home, Only Greener
What Denverites really need to know about their homes’ eco-problems, plus 52 doable, practical, local solutions for an environmentally friendly dwelling.
Moving On
Last year, a tornado decimated a small Colorado town and one unfortunate family. Now the residents of Holly are slowly rebuilding their homes and lives the only way they know how—by looking ahead instead of revisiting the past.
Web Exclusive: Holly Slideshow
Last March, a tornado tore through Holly, a tiny Hamlet in southeastern Colorado. Gus Puga and his family were particularly hurt. The tornado ripped apart their house, throwing Puga, his wife Rosemary, and their three-year-old daughter into a tree. Rosemary quickly died from injuries sustained in the trauma. Now, Puga, as a single father, and the residents of Holly are trying to get on with their lives, but the slow pace of change is complicating their efforts to put the past behind. Our slideshow gives you an intimate look at the town and its most devastated survivor.
The Softer Side of Spring
Fashion’s current love affair with the dress and skirt spills over into spring. Celebrate the season’s pervasive romance with fl oaty gowns, gauzy cocktail attire, and softly structured dresses.
Web Exclusive: Recipes
Ever wondered whether you can replicate a delicious restaurant meal in your own kitchen? Now you’ll get the chance. Check out these favorite recipes from some of Denver’s hottest chefs to see how your own kitchen chops stack up.
Best Restaurants
The definitive list for dining in Denver, including the top 40 restaurants, the sweetest places to brunch, and the swankiest spots to nosh at the bar. Plus, your most pressing dining questions answered.
Magic Ingredient: Camembert
A local take on a French staple.
In My Kitchen: Alex Gurevich, Limon, Cafe Bisque, and Arvada Grill
As the owner and executive chef for Limón, Café Bisque, and his latest restaurant, the Arvada Grill, Alex Gurevich is always on the run. Still, he makes a point to sit down for healthy family dinners several times a week with his wife and two children.
Flix on the Fax
Returning locals bring the old-fashioned film experience back to Denver.
Web Exclusive: Interview with Little Rock Nine pioneer Carlotta Walls-LaNier
A half-century after being part of one of the most pivotal moments in the Civil Rights Movement, Carlotta Walls-LaNier recounts her place in history. Listen to her describe her experiences in this extended podcast.
Life According To… Carlotta Walls LaNier
An interview with Little Rock Nine pioneer Carlotta Walls-LaNier.
The Gift of Gil
Scores of Denverites have opened their lives to an autistic man named Gilbert Carpinelli with the hope of helping him out.
Getaways: Spiritual Sedona
Love Colorado Style
Here on the Front Range, the conventional wisdom is that the couple that plays together stays together. But is it true?
Web Exclusive: Slideshow of Ahimsa Horses
Final Roundup
Despite increasing public pressure to ban the practice, thousands of Colorado’s horses will end their lives not out to pasture but on foreign dinner plates. Unless some determined rescuers—and their unlikely allies—can save them.
Magic Ingredient: Beef
When other crops are under snow, you can still buy Colorado-grown meat.
In My Kitchen: Chris Myer, Lodo Restaurant Group
As the owner of the Lodo Restaurant Group, 43-year-old Chris Myers is no stranger to a busy kitchen. But with two small children at home, Chris and his wife, Patty, a native of Mazatlán, Mexico, look for healthy and simple solutions that fit their busy schedules.
Notes from the Front Range: Blue Hour Sky
Getaways: 72 Hours in Jackson Hole
This Man Thinks You’re Fat
Michael Karolchyk has built his unorthodox fitness brand by offending nearly everyone. He calls himself the health conscience of America, but is he really trying to help you, or is he more interested in helping himself?
Perfecting Pleasantville
In many ways, Cherry Creek North represents the best of Denver. So why are the neighborhood’s leaders so consumed with making it even better?
Back to the Future
One Hilltop couple proves that, sometimes, all your home needs is a little face-lift.
A Time to Change
A milestone birthday. A major promotion. A hectic life as a caregiver, wife, mother, and volunteer. Patti Bennett needed a big change, fast. Here, her stunning transformation, plus our experts’ best makeover advice that anyone can use.
Web Exclusive: A Time to Change
You’ve read the story of how 5280 helped Patti Bennett get her new look. Now see her thoughts on how the transformation went and how she sees her “new” self.
Magic Ingredient: Eggplant
In My Kitchen: Charlie Papazian, founder of Denver’s Great American Beer Festival
The founder of Denver’s Great American Beer Festival, master brewer Charlie Papazian, and wife Sandra share their passion for home brew.
Where Has All the Flour Gone?
With gluten allergies abounding, we’ve got the goods on cooking without wheat.
Web Exclusive: Three Cozy Recipes
Whip up soulful grub in your own kitchen with recipes from Snooze, Mezcal, and La Sandía.
Chips Barry: Water Wrangler
Denver enjoys some of the nation’s cleanest drinking water, thanks to Hamlet “Chips” J. Barry III, manager of Denver Water for the past 17 years. Here, the 64-year-old Denver native and Theodore Roosevelt look-alike expounds on family, global warming, and water usage in the West.
Getaways: Prowling the Perimeter
Biking a 100-mile epic around Utah’s White Rim loop.
Art and Culture: Indian Revolution
For curator Nancy Blomberg, Indian art isn’t about tradition, it’s about innovation.
10 More Can’t-Miss Colorado Drives
Immerse yourself in Colorado’s stunning fall splendor.
The Face of Hunger
Colorado is the 16th-wealthiest state in the nation. So why are so many of our neighbors still having trouble putting food on the table?
House Beautiful
What is Colorado style? Surely not the antler-heavy, Lincoln-log and wagon-wheel clichés they use up at the mountain resorts. True Colorado style is more complex. Its influences a nod to our past (the bungalows, mining shacks, cowboys), and its innovation a nod to our urban sensibilities—a style we at 5280 refer to as rustic contemporary. And what better way to illustrate this than through products made right here in Colorado? From a forged-steel and saddle-leather chair to an alpaca-fleece throw pillow, we found 26 incredible designs for your home, all made by Colorado artisans. Plus, we introduce you to three interior designers defining what’s “next” in Mile-High style.
Fall Fashion Slideshow
Fall Fashion, an inside look at a 5280.com exclusive.
Unbridled
This fall, prim and proper meets wildly glamorous as natural hues mix with high-sheen fabrics.
Catch Them Before They Fall
Leaves crunch underfoot. The first whiffs of smoke drift from a far-off fireplace. Autumn has arrived in Colorado—and there’s no better time to take a drive into the mountains. Here, four can’t-miss routes covering nearly 250 miles of fall splendor.
Magic Ingredient: Tomatoes
These aren’t your grandma’s heirlooms.
In My Kitchen: Dave Carter, National Bison Association
July is National Bison Month, so we checked in with the executive director of the National Bison Association for insider tips on the best ways to find and serve up buffalo meat.
Illusions and Grandeur
From fresh and gauzy for day to shimmering darks for evening, spring’s split personality captures the best of both worlds.
Getaways: A Tasteful Retreat
Vail’s Savory Inn dishes up more than just relaxation.
A Dying Breed
Nobody’s Hero
Reservists and National Guardsmen returning from Iraq are guaranteed to get their civilian jobs back. But is Uncle Sam really looking out for our troops? Not in Colorado. Just ask Jim Vigil
The First Food
Before Palisade peaches and Rocky Mountain oysters, there was wild sage, piñon nuts, Anasazi beans, and buffalo. A guide to cooking with native foods.
The Darkest Star
James and the Giant Jihad
At his Colorado Springs-based mega-ministry, Focus on the Family, James Dobson has constructed a well-oiled, well-financed, high-tech political machine.(Part two of two)
Top of the Town – Places
And on the Eighth Day, Dr. Dobson Created Himself
James Dobson launched his evangelical empire, Focus on the Family, and became the most influencial Christian in America. He’s lectured millions of parents on how to spank their children and advised President George W. Bush on how to spank the Supreme Court. How did the once lonely son of a preacher man rise to such heights? It’s no miracle.
Final Cut
Double Vision
Strike a Pose
A Night Out for all Creatures
