It is going to be a gorgeous weekend so you may want to take advantage of some great hiking trails and restaurants that are located just outside of Denver, in the town of Evergreen. There are so many hiking trails to choose from and click here for a great website that will give you more detailed info about all of the trails and how to get there. One of my favorite things to do this time of year is head up to Evergreen to go hiking and then go to downtown Evergreen and go to the the Little Bear Saloon. If you like a good burger, live music and a great dive bar, then you’ll love the Little Bear! This is honestly one of the best dive bars in Colorado. The live music is great and one of Denver’s most popular bands, Opie Gone Bad, is playing this Saturday. It’s sure to be a fun afternoon/evening at the Little Bear. If dive bars aren’t your thing then you may want to try the wine bar across the street, the Creekside Winery. Here you can enjoy a great glass of wine and cheese plate while sitting out of the flower box filled balcony that looks out at the river. Or BeauJo’s Pizza is just down the street from the winery and they also have a wonderful patio overlooking the river.

Whatever you decide to do this weekend, enjoy and be safe. Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

Loving life in Denver!

Kim Beethe Byers

September 4-5 :: 2010

There is a LOT going on in Denver this Labor Day weekend but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t entertain the idea of getting up into the hills.  Head up to the mountains to experience Gourmet on Gore, a open-air tasting of food, wine, beer & spirits.  Hosted on September 4th & 5th in Downtown Vail Village on Gore Creek Drive from 11AM to 6PM.

The event is open to the public and there is no admission.  Sample sizes of the wine, spirits and food will be offered at reasonable prices so you can get a taste of all that you want.  Live Jazz music by local artists will be playing throughout the two days. Come hungry and ready to explore world-class wines, spirits & beers paired with gourmet food from local eateries through the Vail Valley.

Hope you enjoy your long weekend wherever it takes you in Colorado!

Loving Denver Life,

Vali Hooker

If you’re in Denver this weekend and are interested in trying something new, you may want to check out the Metaphysical Fair at the Denver Merchandise Mart, September 3rd – 5th. They will have plenty of what you may expect at a metaphysical fair…palm readers, tarot card readers and psychics available to give you your own psychic reading. You will also be able to get a photo of your aura while you enjoy listening to live music throughout the weekend fair. There will also be demonstrations on tai chi, yoga, belly dancing and much more.

There are a lot of interesting workshops available such as “Manifesting Money”, “Personal Experiences from the Other Side”, “How Not to Take on Other People’s Energy” and “How Can I Find My Soul Mate with Palmistry” and there are many, many more. Admission is only $5.00 so check out the website for additional information as well as date and time for all of the various activities. Good luck!

Loving life in Denver!

Kim Beethe Byers

This weekend is the calendar day that signifies the end of summer for many – Labor Day.  But summer isn’t officially over for three weeks after Labor Day and we are lucky enough to have beautiful weather in Denver so that we can continue to enjoy the warm, sweet days.

Labor Day is often a time for many to get out of town but if you are planning to stay in town for the weekend take your family down to the Denver Zoo for the Bunk with the Beasts Family CampOUTS.  It’s an outdoor sleepover at the Denver Zoo that includes a cookout dinner, private tours of the zoo after hours, campfire treats and stories and sleeping in a real safari tent.  The upcoming Bunk with the Beasts is Saturday, September 4th and you can register online for $65/person.

Photo: Scorpions and Centaurs via Flickr

Bunk with the Beasts is offered throughout the year and the location (indoor/outdoor) and theme of the evening will depend on the time of the year.  Summer brings CampOUT Bunks and the rest of the year the Denver Zoo makes use of the Gates Education Center for the evening events.  Bunk events are for children 6 years and older and some Bunk nights are family nights and others are kids-only sleepovers.  Denver Zoo has all the details and be sure to pre-register for the event.

Loving Denver Life,

Vali Hooker

Fire spinning at Confluence Park

Every Sunday and Thursday night for the rest of the summer, as the sun sets, a group of dancers and drummers gather at Confluence Park to play with fire aka fire spinning. They start off by warming up with glow sticks and hula hoops and then switch to the fun stuff, the fire props which include staffs, swords and fire whips and it is usually accompied by a drum circle. 

Fire spinning is quite popular on tourist filled beaches, circus acts and the Burning Man Festival but you don’t see it very often in Colorado. As you can imagine, the fire department is quite reluctant to give permits for the fire spinning so this is currently the only public venue that Denver fire spinners have. It’s free and a lot of fun to watch so go check it out!

Loving life in Denver!

Kim Beethe Byers

Buy Local Art Sept. 4 -11

Do you like bikes? Do you like local Art?  Artcrank combines the two – Art for Bike People by Local Artists AND it’s affordable.  Original and unique.

Bike posters are designs by 57 local artists, each selling 30 for $30.  They will run out so go early to ensure you get your pick.  The show kicks off of Saturday, September 4th and runs through September 11th.  It will be held in Denver’s River North Arts District (RiNo Arts District) at the Lisa Kowaiski Gallery.

:: OPENING NIGHT ARTCRANK PARTY ::

September 4th, 2010  1pm to 11pm
Lisa Kowalski Gallery
2762 Walnut St.
Denver, CO 80205

Live Music :: Bike Photo Booth :: Fashion Show :: Bike Frame Painting

Loving Denver Life,

Vali Hooker

The rugby pitch at Infinity Park

It’s rugby season and in case you didn’t know, the city of Glendale has one of the premier rugby stadiums in the United States, Infinity Park. In simple terms, rugby is a full contact team sport that originated in England in the 19th Century. It’s somewhat similar to American football because they are both team sports, played on large fields with an oval ball, there is a lot of running and sometimes kicking the ball but the similarities end there.  Rugby is fun, fast paced game that is definitely worth checking out and as the players say… ”give blood, play rugby”! The Glendale Raptors are lucky to call Infinity Park “home”. There are men’s and women’s teams and also a youth league. I recommend checking the schedule and going to watch a game… I know you’ll enjoy it! 

Aside from the rugby stadium, there is also an events center and sports center at Infinity Park and it’s becoming one of the hot spots in Denver. Infinity Park now hosts a lot of events including fireworks during the 4th of July, free concerts and this Monday they will show the last free, outdoor movie of the season. Gates open at 7:00 and admission is free. Bring your picnic basket and a blanket and enjoy watching the last movie of the summer will be Twilight.

Loving life in Denver!

Kim Beethe Byers

August 28th 1-5PM

:: TOMORROW ONLY ::

As a midcentury modern home owner and enthusiast this event is close to my heart. The second annual Arapahoe Acres Home & Garden Tour is August 28, 2010 from 1-5PM.  Buy tickets online today for $20 or $25 at the door and for $30 you can have a guided tour.

Arapahoe Acres is the first post-World War II residential subdivision listed as a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places. Twelve private residences in the Arapahoe Acres Historic District will be open for the public to tour for one afternoon only and that’s tomorrow.  Proceeds for the home tour will help Charles Hay Elementary School build a learning landscape, including a community/school garden.

The unique architectural compositions and the interior designs inspired by mid-century & contemporary elements are only exhibited in a handful of Denver neighborhoods.  It’s such a treat that the owners open their doors for a peek at the interiors. You can bet I’ll be one of the first people in line tomorrow afternoon when the doors open.

Loving Denver Life,

Vali Hooker

Photo: Benson Kua via Flickr

Yesterday a good friend had us over for a dinner filled with fresh picks from his own garden.  Juicy zebra tomatoes and basil, mixed lettuce in the salads, rainbow carrots and sweet beets filled our plates.  What a delicious way to enjoy the Colorado Summer!  If you would like a taste of some of Colorado’s local produce and want to pick it yourself then here are some of the farms and orchards nearby:

Berry Patch Farms Organic in Brighton, CO. Pick your own red Raspberries, strawberries, basil, carrots and flowers.  There is also a fresh produce stans full of other fruits and veggies.  August is peach season, Western Slope Peaches (Freestone).

May Farms In Byers, CO.  Does not allow pick your own but they do have a fresh farmers market and garden with fruits and veggies that are picked daily.  Weekends in October are a festive time with hay rides, a barrel train, the corn maze & pumpkin patch.  The pumpkins are on vine and you can pick those.

Ya Ya Farm & Orchard (organic) Longmont, CO.  U-pick-it Apple Orchard in Boulder County with macintosh, cortland, Macoun, Jonathon, Crispin, Wold River, Ginger Gold, Red Delish and Liberty varieties.  September is Colorado apple season and Ya Ya requires advance reservations for picking. Ya Ya also offers nighttime hay rides and camp fire for groups, advance reservations required.

Delicious Orchards (organic) Hotchkiss, CO. U-pick fruits: Cherries, peaches, apples, apricots, pears and nectarines.  Have you heard of Big B’s Fabulous juices?  Well, this is the place it is pressed, in the North Fork Valley.

Colorado offers a large selection of other u-pick farms & orchards that require a bit of a drive outside of Denver but what a great excuse to get out and see more of Colorado.  Many of these farms and orchards are open everyday but some are only open on the weekends so be sure and call ahead before you go.   Happy picking!

Loving Denver Life,

Vali Hooker