Diamonds in the rough

8 Ways to Enjoy the Rivers of Colorado

So, you’ve probably heard: This year will not be the best year to tame the bucking, bruising beasts that are Colorado’s famed whitewater rapids. A historically low snowpack and an early runoff mean that river recreators and outfitters must manage their expectations, prep for an early season and call this “the year of family rafting” to support a milder season. Which means one thing: Hit...

These are not the drones you’re looking for

On Monday, May 14, a corporate jet flying 8,000 feet over Cherry Creek nearly collided with an unknown object. The pilot called air traffic control to report that something that looked like a small aircraft passed him going the other way. It didn’t show up on radar and, had it hit the jet, could have resulted in a tragedy. While the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating this...

Think outside the funnel cake

You can find food at festivals and fairs. You can find fried dough, fried onions, fried Snickers, fried cheese, fried Twinkies, fried potatoes and fried pickles. You can find burgers, hotdogs, popcorn and peanuts in the shell. Bored yet? We were. Until we went hunting for the least funnel cake-like food served at local summer events: Peaches Where: Lafayette Peach Festival The best...

Reaping the harvest

Four years ago, farm dinners were an emerging trend. The idea of the celebrity farmer was still a glimmer in the foodie eye, and chef-owned farms were a novelty. Several harvests later, a majority of local farms host foodie events, and farm dinners have become one of the hottest tickets in town. In fact, Meadow Lark Farm Dinners is one of the hardest Boulder County reservations to get. With no...

Faces of summer: The farmer

If you’ve been to the Boulder or Longmont farmers markets since they were founded in the mid-1980s, you’ve most likely seen John Ellis, better known as Farmer John. After 60 years of farming, Ellis isn’t even close to retiring. His involvement in Boulder doesn’t stop at founding the farmers market: He’s also participated in county fairs and the Yesteryear Farm & Home Show for...

Faces of summer: The beer guy

After 15 years of homebrewing in Colorado, what initially started as a joke is becoming reality. John Frazee is this summer’s beer guy to watch for. Louisville’s Gravity Brewing, which is set to open in July, focuses more on the science of making a delicious, one-of-a-kind beer. With opening around the corner and the stress of building the brewery, one main concern for the civil engineer is...

Faces of summer: The camp counselor

For 22 years, Jojo Morrison has given every summer to Colorado Mountain Ranch Summer Camp. Beginning as a kid lapping up the sunshine in the beautiful mountain enclave and now as the camp counselor watching over all those kids, the Gold Hill native hasn’t really decided when she’ll walk away from the beautiful camp grounds to a regular 9 to 5. But in the meantime, she’ll live vicariously as...

Summer fashion: Neon Forest

Florescents are big this summer…but not the head-to-toe neon of the ‘80s. “With anything trendy, the key is to incorporate it in moderation,” said Liz Finkelstein, owner of and fashion consultant at Mile High Style. She styled the two outfits shown here, giving each florescent touches. “In both the day (top) and night (bottom) outfits, I played with the florescent theme, choosing the...

Not your typical summer festivals

12th Annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival When: July 28–29 / Where: Sloan’s Lake Park, Denver Watch as 48 teams compete in a 250-meter race paddling as fast as they can down the lake. The festival also includes Dragon Land for the young ones, breakdancing for the teens and countless exhibits for the whole family. 4th Annual Pagosa Renaissance & Pirate Festival When: July...

Diamonds in the rough

You don’t have to be a golfer for long to realize the truth behind the old saying that the game is nothing more than a good walk spoiled, even if you’ve never walked 18 holes in your life and wouldn’t dream of playing a round without the convenience of a cup holder in an electric cart. You still get the idea, that no matter how high-tech your clubs or expensive your private lessons, there...

The trending topic of the election season: Your opinion

Remember Mitt Romney out there in Fort Lupton chuckling in a reporter’s face about what an ignorant boob she was for asking him questions about civil unions and medical marijuana? “Don’t you have anything of significance you want to ask?” he sneered. Well, excuse all of us who’ve been hearing our voices echo off the walls of Big Government for decades on issues like these and...

Spring cleaning

As many things do, the recent popularity of juice cleanses started with celebrities. Salma Hayek, Gwyneth Paltrow and Blake Lively often accessorize with smart-looking bottles of murky liquids. All the pretty girls carry brightly colored juices through the streets of New York and LA, and they’re caught on camera by lurking paparazzi. That’s how juice got famous. This revolution’s...

Hidden patios

In the summer—oh, let’s just be honest, in spring and fall as well—a seat on one of Boulder County’s lovely patios is prime real estate. The hottest of patios attract crowds at lunch and they stay until close, making visitors wonder out loud, “When do these people work?” Patios are definitely a part of the Colorado culture. And this year, we take you off the beaten path, through a...

More than fireworks

While there will be no shortage of options to enjoy the Fourth of July, one that really stands out is the festival atmosphere that’ll be lighting up Waneka Lake all day long and well into the night. Starting at 4 p.m., the small-town fair blossoms into an Independence Day extravaganza, featuring plenty of food and beer concessions, pony rides, bounce houses, face painting, balloon sculpting and...

In memory of Jerry Krantz

I was 17 years old, and LoDo was nothing more than a collection of warehouses, derelicts and drunks, the seedy part of Denver avoided by tourists and locals alike. There were only a couple of reasons to be in this area back then: score some illicit substances, head over to Muddy’s Café or check out who was playing at El Chapultepec. Sometimes, all three in an evening. Back then, we...

Food challenge: Basil

Emily Arnold has Italian roots. She learned to cook from her parents, who learned to cook from their parents. As many Italians do, her culinary education came from the traditions of red sauce, mozzarella and dough. But I did not know this when I called Arnold, owner of Parkway Sports Grille in Erie, to give her her ingredient: basil. Parkway sits up the road from the Yellow Scene office...

Eatery news: Tid-bits and trends for BoCo foodies

Openings/Closings Big Choice Brewing, a 2,500-square-foot brewery and tap room, opened in Broomfield. / Azteca opened on Briggs Street in Erie in the space previously occupied by Delicioso (and countless previous Mexican restaurants). / Miller’s Grille took over the spot previously home to Tutti on South Public Road in Lafayette. / La Revolucion Taqueria Cantina took over the Cactus Wheel...

Summer festival shenanigans

Summer festival season is here, and with my crew, that used to mean that you couldn’t let your guard down until the sweet corn was out of season. It was the summer of 1993 and I was headed to Telluride for the Bluegrass Festival. The motley crew of usual suspects that appear there annually like a bad patch of poison ivy have mellowed considerably over the years. Johnny Rev, Doc, Teton Ron...

Small but mighty

If a rising tide lifts all boats, Leslie and Steve Kaczeus are riding a tsunami of beer. The couple took the brewing plunge this year and decided to join the Boulder County craft-brewing fray by opening a nanobrewery in Niwot. Tucked into a 1300-square-foot space about a 9-iron shot south of the Niwot Tavern at 79th and Niwot Road, BootStrap Brewing is set to open its doors mid-summer. The...

The month in review, May 2012

Actor Mark Ruffalo lauded Erie mothers who formed the anti-fracking group Erie Rising, and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney visited Northern Colorado to deliver a stump speech to oil and gas workers. In his continuing effort to prove he’s the nerdiest Congressman ever, Rep. Jared Polis compared Romney to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine character Gul Dukat, a reptilian looking...

A not so certain climb

The dictionary defines “quandary” as “a state of perplexity, or uncertainty, especially as to what to do; dilemma.” Quandary is also one of Colorado’s most well-known 14ers, particularly due to its reputation as an “easy” 14er. I have been gunning for the summit of a 14er since I moved here; however, I had only managed to bag a bunch of 13ers in the Indian Peaks. I am not trying...

Missing the music

There was a time when summers were made up of sun-drenched days spent standing zombie-like in front of a stage. They would leave me tired, dehydrated, foot-sore and alive with the music and lyrics from countless big-name and non-name musicians. Crowds of melting pot proportions sang, danced and partied to the anthems of summer. Only at a huge music festival can you see Dave Mathews, Devotchka and...

Legal ease

Consider this list of notorious newsmakers: CU professor Ward Churchill, anti-tax crusader and convicted tax dodger Douglas Bruce, “Balloon Boy” parents Richard and Mayumi Henne, the Hell’s Angels, Boulder critic and City Council stripper Seth Brigham, the Rainbow Family and Nazis. What do they all have in common? They’ve all been represented in court by attorney David Lane of the law...

How to predict a drought

No major rivers flow into Colorado, meaning that all of the water used here—for everything from filling the swimming pool to watering the lawn—comes from the mountain snowpack. But what if, like this year, the normally snowiest month of March is a dud? In that case, we’re likely headed for a drought. As of mid-May, the statewide snowpack was only at 12 percent of its historical average...