2016-17
A CONCISE HISTORY OF FORT COLLINS WHERE TO TAKE GUESTS OUT TO EAT FORT COLLINS GUIDE FOR OUT-OF-TOWNERS FORGET 14ERS: SMALLER COLORADO MOUNTAINS TO HIKE, CLIMB
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Are you visiting or relocating to Northern Colorado? Whether you’re a local, visiting or relocating, The Group’s Old Town office, a visitor center and relocation office in the heart of Old Town Fort Collins, is a fun and must-see destination for anyone who wants to learn where to LIVE, places to GO, and things to DO in Northern Colorado. Our friendly Ambassadors provide local information on everything Northern Colorado including events, shops and restaurants, directions, and what makes our community unique. High-tech features include walk-up, interactive screens for searching home information and a VR headset to view homes using 360 degree cameras. The showpiece of our office is the Google Earth Liquid Galaxy™, a 96” high-resolution screen that allows you to “fly” the area or anywhere in the world. With nearly 40 years as the Market Leader, we are your source for everything in Northern Colorado. Come see us today.
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Your Northern Colorado Specialists The Bogaards a Mom & Son Team
FOR ALL OF YOUR NORTHERN COLORADO REAL ESTATE NEEDS
Judy Bogaard
Broker Associate/Partner 970.227.1000 jbogaard@thegroupinc.com
Native Coloradoans with over 40 year combined Real Estate Expertise in Northern Colorado working to make your Real Estate experience THE BEST!
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different breed,, better results Anna DiTorrice-Mull Broker Associate/Partner
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970.231.2222
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970.231.6015
amelaragno@thegroupinc.com www.AlyshaMelaragno.com With over 45 years of combined experience in Northern Colorado real estate, we’re pulling for you!
A Father-Daughter Team Mark Goldrich Broker Associate/Partner 970.218.1930 mgoldrich@thegroupinc.com Shelly Goldrich Broker Associate/Partner 970.219.1348 sgoldrich@thegroupinc.com
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HAMMERSMITH STRUCTURES IS A CUSTOM HOME BUILDER and general contractor in Northern Colorado. We specialize in building custom homes, as well as designing and completing extensive remodels of all architectural styles and types.
MARY ANN M I C H E L S
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Six Offices in Northern Colorado Harmony Office 2803 E. Harmony Road Fort Collins, CO 80528 (970) 229-0700
Horsetooth Office 375 E. Horsetooth Road Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 223-0700
Mulberry Office 401 W. Mulberry Street Fort Collins, CO 80521 (970) 221-0700
w w w. t h e g r o u p i n c . c o m Old Town Office 121 E Mountain Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80524 (970) 493-0700
Centerra Office 5401 Stone Creek Circle Loveland, CO 80538 (970) 613-0700
Loveland Office 1401 W. 29th Street Loveland, CO 80538 (970) 663-0700
CONTENTS
17 LIVING 18 A concise history of Fort Collins 23 Northwest: Folks have a ‘little of everything’ 28 Education a top Fort Collins product, employer 30 A look back: Hughes Stadium 39 Northeast: Nowhere to grow but up in Old Town 42 Former feed building has deep history 47 Southwest: ‘Right on the edge‘ 49 Southeast: No need to head downtown
63 EAT+ DRINK
79 ARTS+ LEISURE
65 Where to take guests out on the town
80 Fort Collins guide for out-of-towners
67 Fort Collins’ 15 best patios
82 Pianos About Town returns for new season
68 Secret lunch spots in Fort Collins
84 Lincoln Center 2016-17 season
72 What makes FoCo a beer town
86 Mishawaka changes to stay same
74 11 essential Fort Collins bars
88 As time beats on, what’s next for the Holiday Twin?
102 Forget 14ers: Smaller Colorado mountains to hike, climb
91 ‘Masks’ brings art, community together in annual exhibition
104 Top five Fort Collins hikes, outdoor destinations for kids
76 Your guide to Northern Colorado farmers markets
93 XPLORE 94 Regional network of trails in sight 96 Bike to the breweries 98 5 great Northern Colorado wildflower hikes 100 How to build yourself a back-country survival kit
54 How our streets get their names 59 Four quadrants of Fort Collins 60 City recruits army of ‘tourism ambassadors’ FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 15
President & Publisher Kathy Jack-Romero kathyjackromero@coloradoan.com FYI Executive Editor Kristin Deily kdeily@coloradoan.com Advertising Director Tyler Kidd tylerkidd@coloradoan.com Art Director Erika Moore erikamoore@coloradoan.com Key Accounts Manager
Ryan Young ryanyoung@coloradoan.com
Territories Shane Morris Accounts Manager smorris@coloradoan.com
Ad Services Manager
Matt Varns MattVarns@coloradoan.com
Cover Photo
Austin Humphreys ahumphreys@coloradoan.com
Did we miss something? If you feel we’ve overlooked something in this year’s magazine, please e-mail the information to lhemmecass@ftcollin.gannett.com with FYI in the subject line for inclusion in next year’s edition.
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G ROUP
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1300 Riverside Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80524 Call (970) 416-3991 | Fax (970) 224-7726 ©2014 Coloradoan Media Group. All rights reserved. While every effort is made to ensure that the content of this magazine is accurate at press time, Coloradoan Media Group, its parent company and its affiliates do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.
16 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
LIVING 18 A concise history of Fort Collins 23 Northwest: Folks have a ‘little of everything’ 28 Education a top Fort Collins product, employer 30 A look back: Hughes Stadium 39 Northeast: Nowhere to grow wbut up in Old Town 42 Former feed building has deep history 47 Southwest: ‘Right on the edge‘ 49 Southeast: No need to head downtown 54 How our streets get their names 59 Four quadrants of Fort Collins 60 City recruits army of ‘tourism ambassadors’
LIVING
Fort Collins’ College Avenue is seen in 1908. Coloradoan Library
A CONICSE HISTORY OF FORT COLLINS BARBARA FLEMING Originally published by the Coloradoan
Fort Collins began in 1862 as a military outpost, established to protect emigres heading west. Named for Col. William O. Collins, who had sent troops from Fort Laramie, Wyoming, to staff the camp, Camp Collins was nestled along the Poudre River near Laporte, a popular trading post for trappers and hunters. The cavalry discharged its duties uneventfully for the most part until June 1864, when snowmelt caused the river to overflow, inundating the encampment. This necessitated finding a new location; one was soon chosen a few miles south. The fort remained there until decommissioning in 1867. By then settlers had come, and several former soldiers chose to stay, so a small settlement grew along the river banks. In 1872, the federal government released the military land, whereupon a group of enterprising businessmen created the Agricultural Colony, laying out a new town and selling lots by lottery. Business was brisk, but overall the early 1870s were bleak. Drought and hordes of hungry grasshoppers drove away many farmers and ranchers. A core of believers hung on. Two events saved the town: Being chosen as the site for a land-grant agricultural college and securing a railroad line right through the center of town. The college, 18 Âť FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
Lt. Col. William Oliver Collins. Image courtesy of Fort Collins History Connection.
A condensed history of Fort Collins
LIVING
built. Vast fortunes gleamed in the eyes of investors during a brief oil boom in the mid-1920s that soon ended with nobody much richer.
Scenes from College Ave. during the 1950s and 60s. Coloradoan Library.
which opened in 1879, drew students and faculty while the railroad, huffing into town in 1877, transported goods and passengers. There followed a period of relative calm. All was not perfection: Saloons caused problems, fires destroyed buildings and weather was fickle. Still, prosperity brought people and progress — with trains came the telegraph, with the waterworks came telephones, and with enterprise came electricity. Congregations built churches. Saloons shuttered in 1896. A sugar-beet processing plant, worked by German immigrants, and a thriving sheep industry marked the early 20th century. Civil unrest in Mexico around 1915 led to an influx of immigrants who settled here. The flu epidemic of 1918-19 resulted in construction of a county hospital in 1925, the same year a new high school was
The presence of the college helped our town emerge from the Great Depression reasonably sound. The post-World War II GI Bill enabled veterans to attend college, and many stayed after graduating. Changes happened: Among them, the now-sizable college became a university and prohibition ended. Even so, Fort Collins remained in essence a small town until the 1970s, which saw exponential growth — a trend that was to continue unabated. In 1997 a devastating flood took lives and damaged property, but as they had so often before the people of Fort Collins set about to deal with consequent problems in practical ways. Though challenged by a variety of issues as the city grows, 21st-century Fort Collins is a bustling center of commerce, education, culture and industry, with a robust economy. The lonely little fort beside the river has come a long way.
FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 19
LIVING
TIMELINE: MAJOR EVENTS IN FORT COLLINS HISTORY MARY WILLSON Originally published by the Coloradoan
1873: CREATION OF MODERNDAY OLD TOWN SQUARE.
AUG. 20, 1864: FORT COLLINS IS ESTABLISHED. Col. William O. Collins approved of the area and passed Special Order Number One, which officially designated the area a military reservation. While Abraham Lincoln did not officially approve of the designation until Nov. 14, that August day when the colonel visited “his” camp and approved of its relocation to higher ground is the day remembered as the city’s birthday. The city of Fort Collins actually became incorporated in 1873.
Franklin Avery surveyed and platted the town of Fort Collins, based primarily on what is now known as Old Town. Avery later founded the First National Bank in Fort Collins and helped develop water projects to retain agriculture in Northern Colorado. His decision to plat the town with wide streets to allow for buggies and wagons to easily turn around eventually led to the unattributed adage: “Fort Collins, city of broad streets and narrow minds.” Avery and his wife, Sara, built the Avery House on Mountain Avenue and Meldrum Street, which is now held by the Poudre Landmarks Foundation.
DECEMBER 1907: FORT COLLINS MUNICIPAL RAILWAY BEGINS.
SEPT. 1, 1879: COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE WELCOMES ITS FIRST STUDENTS.
1970: FORT COLLINS EMBRACES BICYCLES.
Colorado A&M became Colorado State University.
The Denver Interurban Railway Company is given the right to construct and operate a system of electric railways along specific streets and avenues in Fort Collins. This became the trolley system, which is now operated by the Fort Collins Municipal Railway.
The land-grant and research university changed its named to Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1935 to reflect its diverse academic programs. In 1957,
20 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
1969: PROHIBITION ENDS IN FORT COLLINS. In 1969, Fort Collins officially ended its designation as a “dry city,” allowing the sale of liquor within city limits, which had been prohibited since 1896. Campus West Liquors opened that same year. Prior to Fort Collins allowing liquor sales, residents drove just outside city limits to “Smitty’s” bar, which sold beer that was 3.2 percent alcohol.
Betty Sears, Bill Sears and Ruth Orr started a petition drive in Fort Collins urging the city to create bicycle paths on the street to decrease traffic and reduce bicycle-car collisions. The first stretch of bike path was completed in fall 1970. Today, the city of Fort Collins is home to 35.62 miles of parks trails and 100 miles of natural areas trails. 1978: HEWLETT-PACKARD MOVES TO FORT COLLINS. The company’s move helped establish the Choice City as a tech hub. HP’s offshoots remain major employers in Fort Collins. 1988: ANHEUSER-BUSCH OPENS IN FORT COLLINS. The beer giant employed about 380 full-time and 120 parttime workers. The brewery has expanded several times since it opened.
MAY 8, 1970, OLD MAIN BURNS TO THE GROUND. Amid a two-day student strike protesting the Vietnam war, about 2,000 anti-war demonstrators marched on City Hall. That evening, a peace concert was held in the old College Avenue gymnasium. Later that night, CSU’s oldest building and its cornerstone structure — Old Main — mysteriously burned to the ground. Fire marshals would later rule it arson. The building, which was built in 1878 and opened in 1879, had been used for a variety of purposes for nearly 100 years. No one was ever arrested for the fire.
1989: THE BEGINNING OF THE BEER BOOM. CooperSmith’s Pub and Brewing opened in Old Town and Odell Brewing Co. started in a converted 1913 grain elevator outside of town — two events that helped launch Fort Collins’ love of microbreweries and set Fort Collins on course to be “the Napa of
Major events in Fort Collins history
LIVING
Beer.”
2001: PAT STRYKER ESTABLISHES BOHEMIAN FOUNDATION According to the foundation’s website, Stryker was inspired to create Bohemian Foundation by a legacy of charitable giving in her family. The foundation’s four program areas of focus are community programs, music programs, global programs and civic programs. NOVEMBER 18, 1991: SUTHERLAND IS RELEASED. Tom Sutherland, the former dean of agriculture at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, was kidnapped by Islamic Jihad members near his Beirut home June 9, 1985, and spent nearly 6.5 years in captivity. Sutherland later said he believed his kidnappers mistook him for the president of the university. After a horrific and tortured ordeal for 2,353 days, Sutherland was released Nov. 18, 1991, arriving in Fort Collins days later. Residents lined the streets of Fort Collins on the route from Harmony Road to CSU and waved yellow ribbons in his honor. A reception was held in CSU’s Moby Arena that drew thousands. 1991: NEW BELGIUM BREWING GOES PUBLIC. After years of brewing Abbey and Fat Tire beers in their basement using repurposed dairy equipment, Lebesch, an electrical engineer, and his wife, Kim, a social worker, take New Belgium Brewing Company public. JULY 28, 1997: SPRING CREEK FLOOD KILLS FIVE The Spring Creek Flood dumped 10 to 14 inches of rain in the central and west parts of Fort Collins. Five people were killed in a mobile home park located near South College and Prospect Road when rushing waters burst through a railroad berm. The city recorded $5 million in damages. Colorado State University suffered extensive damages worth $140 million.
2006: CITY RECOGNIZES HISPANIC HISTORY. The Romero House, the only original adobe home on its original site left in the city, was renamed the Museo de las Tres Colonias. The museum, 425 10th St., honors Hispanics’ heritage in the neighborhoods of Andersonville, Alta Vista and Buckingham. Only four decades prior to the museum opening, several downtown stores displayed signs discouraging Hispanic patronage and employment.
JUNE 9, 2012: HIGH PARK FIRE STARTS. The High Park Fire in the mountains west of Fort Collins erupts, caused by a lightning strike. One person was killed, more than 87,285 acres were burned and 259 homes were destroyed in what is among the worst wildfires in Colorado history. SEPT. 9, 2013: FLOODING WASHES OVER NORTHERN COLORADO. Ten people died in the flooding statewide, including two from Larimer County. The Federal Emergency Management Agency distributed $37.2 million in public assistance — more than $20 million in Small Business Administration business and home loans and $6.8 million in its individual and households program to aid in flood recovery.
FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 21
LIVING
NORTHWEST
Elizabeth Thompson, left, walks through the Oval on the campus of Colorado State University on Wednesday morning in Fort Collins. Eliott Foust/For the Coloradoan
FOLKS HAVE A ‘LITTLE OF EVERYTHING’ ERIN UDELL Originally published by the Coloradoan
Curt Lyons has a story about his neighborhood. It’ll only take a minute, he says. It started with a need for horseradish on Thanksgiving Day. He’d called ahead to Beaver’s Market, the locally-owned grocer nestled off of West Mountain Avenue just past the edge of Old Town, but got a busy signal. He took it mean someone was there, already on the line. So he bundled up and headed out in the snow, leaving his little house off Taft Hill Road and walking the mile-long route to Beaver’s. When he got there, it was closed. He turned around and started walking back when he heard a woman yell behind him. “Oh, are they closed?” she shouted in his direction. He said they were. And then she asked, “Well, what did you need?” After telling her he needed horseradish, she matter-of-factly responded that she had some horseradish at her house. Come on,
follow me, she said. And he did, to her Mountain Avenue home where he met her husband and got his horseradish. She’d been heading to Beaver’s to get carrots. “So we still owe her carrots,” Lyons said with a laugh, adding that the two realized they had mutual friends and even made their connection official: They’re now friends on Facebook. Lyons lives in a community that includes people from all walks of life: those who’ve made their home in the higherend, well-manicured houses of West Mountain Avenue, people living in the smaller, older homes of north Old Town, students studying at nearby Colorado State University and some, like Lyons, who get to enjoy city amenities with a country feel. Lyons has lived at his home between Laporte Avenue and Mulberry Street on Taft Hill Road for three years with his partner, Jennifer Sunderland. The neighboring houses are like his, smaller and built around the 1940s. They are on what used to be the edge of Fort Collins, and boast long, narrow lots often home to expansive gardens and chicken coops. “It’s pretty unique to get acreage anywhere near town,” Lyons said. “When I was younger, I thought living out in the country would be ideal, but I’ve come to FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 23
LIVING
Northwest: Folks have a ‘little of everything’
Matt McHugh and Hannah Ditzenberger enjoy a break from the winter weather on a park swing at City Park on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, Fort Collins, Colo. Brian Smith/For The Coloradoan
“It’s kind of the best of both worlds.”
the conclusion that when you live out of town, you live in your car.” In their current spot, Lyons says he, Sunderland and his daughter, Arwen, can look out at their expansive acre lot, but then hop on their bikes and head to Old Town or walk to shops like Beaver’s. “It’s kind of the best of both worlds,” he said.
NORTHWEST: AT A GLANCE WHAT’S THERE: Colorado State University drives culture and activity in northwest Fort Collins, where the city’s historic Mountain Avenue links bustling Old Town to western urban horse pastures that hold fast to the city’s agricultural roots. WHAT’S COMING: The Fort Collins Music District, near the intersection of Laurel Street and College Avenue, will be a hub for musicians and music-centric businesses and organizations. Oh, there’s also that whole on-campus stadium at CSU that’s part of the university’s recent $1 billion construction boom. WHY YOU’D LIVE THERE: Take your pick of reasons. Easy access to Old Town, the CSU campus and the foothills make northwest Fort Collins attractive on a
variety of fronts. Where else in Fort Collins can you take a summer trolley ride just minutes after biking into town from a trip along the Poudre River?
Indeed, northwest Fort Collins is the best of a lot of worlds.
WHERE TO PLAY: City Park and Sheldon Lake offer year-round activities along Mulberry Street, while Lee Martinez Park offers acres of activity and a link to the popular Poudre Trail. Rolland Moore Park is home to ample fields, a tennis structure and more.
There are the established neighborhoods like Village West, Brown Farm and Avery Park. There are the rolling greens of Rolland Moore Park, the Friday night lights of its softball fields in the summertime. There’s the Sheely District — filled with angular, mid-century ranch homes perfectly preserved like the front of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine cover from the 1950s.
ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS: The Mason Street Corridor through Old Town is packed with entertainment and dining venues, while the CSU campus is home to Moby Arena and the Lory Student Center, two of the city’s largest sports and entertainment venues. Fort Collins’ Lincoln Center regularly brings in national acts.
New student housing complexes line the streets framing Colorado State University’s main campus — a nod to the exponential growth of the state’s land-grant university. Students take to the streets, riding their bikes to class in the mornings and patronizing the local bars and restaurants at night.
24 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
Northwest: Folks have a ‘little of everything’
LIVE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Homes sold (2014): 678 Average sale price: $266,171 Rental vacancy (Q4 2015): 0.4 percent Average monthly rent: $1,077.33
High schools:
City Park, 1500 W. Mulberry St. Lee Martinez Park, 600 N. Sherwood St. Rolland Moore Park, 2201 S. Shields St.
GOLF COURSES: City Park Nine, 411 S. Bryan Ave Shopping
MAJOR GROCERS: Beaver’s Market, 1100 W. Mountain Ave. King Soopers, 2325 S. College Ave. King Soopers, 1015 S. Taft Hill Road Safeway, 2160 W. Drake Road Whole Foods Market, 2201 S. College Ave.
DINING Highest-rated restaurants on Yelp: Maza Kabob, 2427 S. College Ave. Lucile’s Restaurant, 400 S. Meldrum St. Cafe De Bangkok, 1232 W. Elizabeth St. Snooze, 144 W. Mountain Ave. Dam Good Tacos, 120 W. Laurel St.
BREWERIES Black Bottle Brewery,1611 S. College Ave. C.B. & Potts, 1415 W. Elizabeth St. McClellan’s Brewing Co., 1035 S. Taft Hill Road Pitchers Sports Restaurant, 110 W. Drake Road Three Four Beer Co., 829 S. Shields St.
Great 2015-16 2015 grad. schools enroll. rate .org rating
Poudre Polaris Expeditionary Learning Poudre Community Academy
1,857
73.9 %
5
156
69.8%
8
94
Not 37.5% ranked
Middle schools: 2015-16 enroll.
Great schools .org rating
598
7
324
5
548
4
123
8
2015-16 enroll.
Great schools .org rating
Bauder
553
5
Bennett Cache la Poudre (Laporte) Dunn
494
6
336
6
Blevins Cache la Poudre (Laporte) Lincoln Polaris Expeditionary Learning Elementary schools:
410
10
Irish Polaris Expeditionary Learning
408
6
107
6
Putnam
385
6
Trevor Von Seggern, left, a junior in computer science, speaks to Josh Kloehn, a sophomore in computer science, on the plaza in front of Lory Student Center on the campus of Colorado State University on Wednesday in Fort Collins. Eliott Foust/For the Coloradoan
Eliott Foust
PLAY
LIVING
FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 25
LIVING
Northwest: Folks have a ‘little of everything’
West Mountain Avenue stands as a showcase of beautiful homes whose owners have taken great care. From big to small, and built in different styles, they all seem to fit in a patchwork that just kind of works. In the summertime, stand outside on the sidewalk and you’ll see an almost century-old trolley car drive along Mountain Avenue’s grassy median, kids dangling their hands and sticking their faces from the barred windows. Follow West Mountain Avenue and you’ll find the green spaces of City Park and glittering waters of Sheldon Lake, which is lined by a path frequented by joggers and swimmers who frequent the City Park Pool on hot summer days. Go just a little farther west and you’ll find Lyons’ house. You’ll see the agricultural roots that survived Fort Collins’ growth and the little area in his acre lot where Sunderland grows edible flowers and tends to the chickens. And when they need groceries, they just step out the door and hoof it to Beaver’s, the kind of place where the owner, when asked who his customers are, said, “Oh, we get a little of everything.”
People line the shore of Sheldon Lake as Independence Day fireworks explode over the water on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012, in Fort Collins. Coloradoan Library.
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LIVING
People walk through the plaza in front of Lory Student Center on the campus of Colorado State University on Wednesday in Fort Collins. Eliott Foust/For the Coloradoan
EDUCATION A TOP FORT COLLINS PRODUCT, EMPLOYER ROB WHITE FOR THE COLORADOAN Originally published by the Coloradoan
Beer and high-tech grab headlines, but education deserves a place on any list of Fort Collins’ major products. Colorado State University, Front Range Community College and Poudre School District — along with a handful of charter and private schools not affiliated with PSD — combine to educate more than 60,000 students each year while employing over 11,000 people. CSU, the flagship of the Colorado State University System, reported record enrollment of 32,236 for the 2015-16 academic year, including 27,566 students who study at the university’s Fort Collins campus. That enrollment mark is a 1 percent increase from 2014-15 and continues the university’s
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Education a top Fort Collins product, employer
LIVING
Above: Nina Cherian smiles after she is named the Rocky Mountain High School salutatorian during the school's commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 21, 2016 at Moby Arena in Fort Collins. Eliott Foust/For the Coloradoan Right: Students socialize during lunch at Bethke Elementary School in Timnath on Monday, April 4, 2016. Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan
JIM HAUAN CRS, GRI Broker Associate/Partner MULBERRY OFFICE
march towards an enrollment of 35,000 by 2020, which is the target number in the latest update to the state-mandated campus master plan.
Growing by about 500 students annually, PSD had 29,527 students enrolled as of the official Oct. 1, 2015, reporting date.
CSU reports that its student retention (86.6 percent) and graduation (67.4 percent) rates are also at record levels.
More than 70 percent of PSD students attend neighborhood schools, but the district has school choice options — some of which are becoming increasingly limited because of enrollment growth and relative overcrowding in some schools.
The campus in Fort Collins continues to undergo a renaissance in construction, including a $220 million on-campus stadium set for completion in 2017, the $111 million redevelopment of apartment-life housing at Aggie Village North (2016), a biology building (2017), a chemistry research building (2017), a new medical center (2016), a parking garage (2016), a horticulture center (completed in 2015) and a bicycle and pedestrian underpass of Prospect Road at Centre Avenue (2016). PSD, which educates students in Fort Collins and surrounding communities Timnath and Wellington, has 31 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, four comprehensive high schools, six option (100 percent choice) schools, three alternative high schools, four charter schools and one online school.
The district is moving closer to finalizing a long-range plan to build more schools, which will most likely lead to a November bond election that could be for $350 million or more. The bond would most likely lead to construction of two new high schools — one near Timnath, the other in or near Wellington — and a new elementary school in the southeast corner of the district. The proposed high schools would initially open as combined middle school-high schools. The Larimer Campus of FRCC has about 8,000 students attending classes, including more than 2,000 full-time students during the 2014-15 academic year.
Mobile
970.481.9280 Office
720.221.0700
For All of Your Northern Colorado Real Estate Needs
www.JimHauan.com FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 29
LIVING Pre-game action and tailgating at the Colorado State University versus the University of Hawaii football game at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014.
The first touch-down on Sonny Lubick field.
A LOOK BACK
Above: Arthur Sheely, third from the left, participates in groundbreaking ceremonies marking the start of construction of Hughes Stadium in 1967. Sheely played on Colorado Agricultural College (as CSU was then known) teams coached by Harry Hughes in 1919-20 and was president of the State Board of Agriculture that approved the stadium's construction. Courtesy of CSU Athletics Jim Williams, the athletic director a.k.a J.J. from 1965 to 1968 and oversaw the construction of both Hughes Stadium and Moby Arena.
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HUGHES STADIUM
Hughes Stadium, located 3 miles west of CSU’s campus, has been home to the CSU football team since 1968. The stadium was named after Harry Hughes, Colorado State’s football coach for 31 seasons from 1911 to 1941 and again briefly in 1946. Hughes’ Colorado State teams won 126 games, lost 96 and tied 18. Author John Hirn, in his book Colorado State football Aggies to Rams wrote that “Hughes was known as the dean of American football coaches” during his tenure with Colorado state. Following his retirement as football coach, Hughes remained at Colorado State for 11 more seasons as athletic director and track coach. His former players starting lobbying for the stadium at Colorado State to be named after him as early as 1952. That stadium was finally built in 1967 and the Rams began play there in 1968. The final season at Hughes will be 2016 with the new stadium set to open for the 2017 season.
A look back: Hughes Stadium
LIVING
Above: The first score board of Hughes Stadium, which opened in 1968. Below: Sonny Lubick head coach for the Colorado State University runs as Jamie Amicarella (60) tries to give him a shower at the end of the game against Air Force October 16, 2003.
Colorado State University's Luke Roberts (82) catches the ball for a touchdown as Air Force's Bobby Giannini (11) tries to stop him September 29, 2005 at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium.
CSU fans tailgate outside Hughes Stadium before the Rams take on San Diego State Saturday, October 31, 2015.
An aerial views of Hughes Stadium in it's early days.
CSU athletic director Jim Williams, left, and asistant athletic director Fum McGraw look over a model of Hughes Stadium. Courtesy of CSU Athletics
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LIVING
NORTHEAST
At top, Old Town Fort Collins is lovingly known as the heart of the Choice City and is the center of entertainment. Coloradoan Library
NOWHERE TO GROW BUT UP IN OLD TOWN PAT FERRIER Originally published by the Coloradoan
From venerable Old Town to the city’s burgeoning River District, and from historic Tres Colonias neighborhoods to the largest tract of undeveloped land, northeast Fort Collins is on the precipice of great change. At its core, northeast Fort Collins — east of College Avenue and north of Drake Road — is the center of dining, drinking, cultural, sporting and entertainment venues. Historic buildings in Fort Collins’ original plat are finding new uses as trendy restaurants, coffee shops and offices. Five- and six-story buildings are replacing smaller structures.
With much of downtown already built out, Old Town’s commercial development has nowhere to go but up. A new hotel will soon replace the old Armadillo Mexican restaurant and Iasis Church, while a Michigan company’s plan to raze and redevelop the former Mountain View Tire Co. is working through the city’s planning process. On the fringes of Old Town, Woodward Inc. is changing the face of a former 100acre golf course. With an expected 1,400 workers eventually on site, Woodward will be one of the largest employers in northeast Fort Collins. The company’s expansion is seen as a catalyst for improvements to the city’s popular Brewery Triangle and Lincoln Avenue, which is home to Fort Collins Brewery and Odell Brewing Co. FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 39
LIVING
Northeast: Nowhere to grow but up in Old Town
Above: Andre Provensal, of Denver, plays a public piano in Old Town Square in February. "I came up just to play these pianos," he said. "I kind of have an addiction." Brian Smith/For The Coloradoan Right: The entrance to New Belgium Brewing is shown here on Friday, Feb. 12 in Fort Collins, Colo. Brian Smith/For The Coloradoan
NORTHEAST: AT A GLANCE WHAT’S THERE: Just about anything you want: dining, entertainment, shopping, breweries, Old Town, Old Town Square, Fort Collins Brewery, Odell Brewing Co., New Belgium Brewing Co., Anheuser-Busch, Innosphere, CSU’s Powerhouse Energy Campus. WHAT’S COMING: Downtown hotel, Woodward corporate headquarters, multiple restaurants, offices, Poudre River District improvements, apartments, Lincoln Street improvements WHY YOU’D LIVE THERE: Great dining, entertainment, art galleries and performance venues in a compact, walkable area WHERE TO PLAY: Fort Collins Country Club, Old Town Square, New Belgium, Odell and Fort Collins Brewing Cos., Edora Pool and Ice Center, Northside Aztlan Center, Museum of Discovery ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS: Aggie Theatre, Lyric Cinema, The Artery.
As Old Town grows in size and cachet, home prices are becoming out of reach for younger residents and mid-level earners. Lori Feig-Sandoval and her husband, Danny, moved from Atlanta to Old Town in December after looking at multiple towns throughout Colorado. They loved the walkability and bikeability of Old Town, the front porches where people sit and chat with others walking by, easy access to dining and entertainment, and the city’s commitment to maintaining the character of Old Town. While they paid more than they wanted, “We decided to bite the bullet and pay for the location,” she said. “I like how varied the architecture is. I like that there are smaller houses and that they don’t all look alike and they’re in various stages of renovations.” While housing costs escalate, even housing for CSU students is pushing farther north. Two private, studentoriented housing projects, Aspen Heights, which opened last year, and Capstone Cottages, which has yet to break ground, are bringing more than 1,500 students to the northeast.
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Top: Julia Jungen, 6, from Fort Collins, hangs out on the Old Town Square bear Saturday evening as costumed revelers began celebrating Halloween. Right: Patrick Montgomery, 3, swings on the playground at Eldora Park on Friday, Feb. 12 in Fort Collins, Colo. Brian Smith/ For The Coloradoan
Northeast: Nowhere to grow but up in Old Town
The city is also weighing its options for the Mountain Vista subarea, the only significant undeveloped acreage suited for single-family homes within the city’s growth management area. The 4.5-square-mile area near the Anheuser-Busch brewery is projected to have 8,856 households by 2040, a sixfold increase from 2012 (when it had 1,405).
Long-range plans include a mix of housing types, new schools, 100-acre community park and commercial development, but the city is wrestling with density plans and may opt to decrease the number of homes largely due to the infrastructure and environmental costs such as increased vehicle miles traveled and carbon dioxide emissions.
LIVE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Homes sold (2014): 467 Average sale price: $334,790 Rental vacancy (Q4 2015): 3.6 % Average monthly rent: $810.18
High schools: 2015-16 enroll.
2015 Great grad. schools rate .org rating
PLAY
Centennial
154
24.7 %
Not ranked
Edora Park, 1420 E. Stuart St.
Liberty Common
GOLF COURSES: Fort Collins Country Club, 1920 Country Club Road
DINING Highest-rated restaurants on Yelp: Social, 1 Old Town Square The Colorado Room Wild Boar Cafe, 1510 S. College Ave. Lucky Joe’s, 25 Old Town Square Backcountry Delicatessen, 140 N. College Ave.
BREWERIES Anheuser-Busch Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewing Equinox Brewing Fort Collins Brewery Funkwerks Horse & Dragon Brewing Co. Jessup Farm Barrel House New Belgium Brewing Co. Odell Brewing Co. Pateros Creek Brewing Co. Rally King Brewing Snowbank Brewing
LIVING
313
98 %
9
PSD Global Academy
78
22.7 %
8
Ridgeview Classical
184
89.4 %
9
Middle schools: 2015-16 enroll.
Great schools .org rating
Lesher
754
6
Liberty Common
265
9
Mountain Sage
38
Not ranked
PSD Global Academy
37
8
PSD Options
36
Not ranked
235
9
2015-16 enroll.
Great schools .org rating
Harris Bilingual
327
10
Laurel
465
3
Liberty Common
523
9
Mountain Sage
194
Not ranked
O’Dea
459
9
63
Not ranked
PSD Options
111
Not ranked
Ridgeview Classical
370
9
Riffenburgh
470
9
Tavelli
623
9
Ridgeview Classical Elementary schools:
PSD Global Academy
FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 41
LIVING
The old Northern Colorado Feeders Supply building at 359 Linden St. will be repaired to open Ginger and Baker, a restaurant and bakery, in Fort Collins. Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan
FORMER FEED BUILDING HAS DEEP HISTORY PAT FERRIER Originally published by the Coloradoan
Fort Collins’ historic feed and grain building at 359 Linden St. was built for a specific purpose and underwent many changes in its early years. But it has remained relatively the same since 1917, according to historical documents. Built somewhere between 1905 and 1910 — documents differ on the exact time of construction — it was erected as Poudre Elevator Co., originally owned by Walter Hackett and Albert Breniman, who chose a site close to the railroad to allow for easy loading and unloading of goods. It had a one-story office/retail section facing Linden Street, a 2 1/2 story grain elevator to the west and a one-story hay warehouse west of the grain elevator. Between 1915 and 1917, the
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office/retail section got a small addition that reconfigured the entire office/retail roof from flat to gabled and extended the iconic parapet up as a stepped parapet on the east. The changes were likely made with the sale of the building in July 1917 to the Cooperative Mercantile Co. In 1922, the name of the building changed to the Farmers Elevator and Produce Co. From 1948 to 1952, the building was listed in the Fort Collins City Directory as the Farmers Coop Association. From 1949 to 1979 the building changed hands several times until 1957 when Ivan Madsen bought the building and changed the name to the Feeders Supply Company. Dale Wingate bought the business in
Former feed building has deep history
LIVING
Above: Ginger Graham plans to transform the old Northern Colorado Feeders Supply building in Fort Collins' River District into three restaurants. Ginger Graham plans to transform the old Northern Colorado Feeder Supply into three restaurants. Photo courtesy of Vaught Frye Architects Left: Ginger Graham is seeking tax increment financing from the Downtown Development Authority to assist with the opening of a restaurant and bakery in the location of the old Northern Colorado Feeders Supply building at Willow and Linden St. in Fort Collins. Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan
With its stepped gable roof, the Feeders Supply building “is one of the most charming structures in the district.” 1972 and renamed it Northern Colorado Feeders Supply. The company changed hands again in 1976 when Dennis Nater purchased it and retained the name. The Nater family continued to own the building until mid-2014 when developer Jon Prouty of Lagunitas Inc. purchased the site for $1.1 million and built the Mill House apartments behind it on Willow Street. Prouty continued to look for the right person to buy and renovate the
Feeders Supply building until last year when Jack and Ginger Graham purchased it and began an extensive renovation and addition plan. Northern Colorado Feeders Supply moved the business and continues to operate on Hickory Street. With its stepped gable roof, the Feeders Supply building “is one of the most charming structures in the district,” according to its nomination form to the National Register of Historic Places. FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 43
ADVERSTISEMENT
33 YEARS BRANDING FORT COLLINS Old Town Fort Collins has changed profoundly in the last thirty years. To say it is unrecognizable is only a slight exaggeration of the truth, but there are a few landmarks that have remained the same over the years. Burt’s Logo Apparel has been a cornerstone of Old Town Fort Collins, residing at their current location near the corner of Remington and Mountain since 1989. Before that, they were located near the intersection of Laurel and College Ave, close to the modern day Avogadro’s Number. “We have moved a couple of times over the years, but we have always been here in downtown. We still have the original sign that was outside of our first location on Laurel. It has made it through the years with us,”
“We really want to keep working with our amazing community and our awesome partners here.”
Burt Nunnelee, owner and founder of the company that bears his name, said. The company has always been a family affair, spanning three generations with the current workforce and they plan to continue as a family-run business into the future. After Burt started the company in 1984, his wife Mary Good joined him in 1986 after her plans to work in the wilds of Montana with the US Forest Service didn’t pan out. “I always joke that I could have had a bigtime career if I had just gone to Montana to pursue that job,” Mary laughed. “But love kept
Mary, Burt, Max and Jane stand in front of one of two industrial screen printing presses in Burt’s Logo Apparel’s workshop.
ADVERSTISEMENT
Burt and Mary in front of Burt’s Logo Apparel on Laurel in the early days.
me here. And joining the business has worked out pretty well for all of us,” she said jokingly. Burt’s mother Anna Mae moved to town to join the business in 1990, and is still working part time today at 90 years old. She passed on her work ethic to her grandson, Max, who started with his parents’ business part time while he was still in high school. Now a CSU graduate, he is the lead artist and designer and will take over the business when it is time for his father to step away to pursue a much deserved retirement and his ambitions as a painter. Burt and Mary’s daughter Grace helps out part time as her high school schedule allows, mainly joining the workforce during the summers. Jane, sister to Burt and daughter to Anna Mae, rounds out the team at Burt’s Logo Apparel. She joined the team in 1999 and can be found in the office most days making sure the business runs smoothly. Burt’s is best known for their screen printed t-shirts, which can be seen proudly displayed on many local people, commemorating events or celebrating company and nonprofit organizations from all over the region. In addition to custom screen printed artwork on shirts, Burt’s specializes in embroidery and other branded promotional items from pens to hats to water bottles and everything in between.
Burt and Mary in front of Burt’s Logo Apparel today.
The family not only has a long history in the Fort Collins community, they work with some of the biggest and most influential organizations in the region. CSU athletics, the Colorado Eagles, UCHealth, the Fort Collins DBA, and others have been longtime partners with Burt’s. Their gear can also be seen at such great local events as Gnarley Barley, the Old Town Car Show, Colorado Brewers Festival, Fire Hydrant 5K, and the Sharin’ o’ the Green, among many others. While they have had success on a larger scale as well, from apparel for multiple Presidential campaigns to Broncos championship gear, the Burt’s team is most proud of their local impact. “We really want to keep working with our amazing community and our awesome partners here. We are really proud of that local impact, and we are going to continue looking for those community opportunities and develop them whenever possible,” Burt said.
142 Remington Street Fort Collins, CO 1-800-530-2010 burtslogoapparel.com
In addition to screen printing, Burt’s Logo Apparel is set up to do embroidery onsite.
Son Max, currently Burt’s Logo Apparel’s lead designer is set to take over the business from dad, Burt.
46 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
LIVING
SOUTHWEST
Thomas Bernhoff skates the bowl at Spring Canyon Community Park in February. Brian Smith/For the Coloradoan
‘RIGHT ON THE EDGE‘ SARAH JANE KYLE Originally published by the Coloradoan
A collection of car dealerships and small shopping centers outline the southwest edge of Fort Collins. They give way to parks, mountain access and the largely residential slice of life that define this corner of the city. Overlooking the area are Horsetooth Rock and Horsetooth Reservoir, where visitors can hike, play and get a bird’s-eye view of the city. “I think the beauty of this area is you feel like you’re almost out in the country,” said area resident Kim Iwanski. “You’re right on the edge.” Iwanksi and her family have lived in their home near Webber Middle School for almost 11 years. The Iwanskis lived in Ridgewood Hills, a neighborhood off of Trilby Road between College Avenue and Shields Street, for about 5 years prior. She frequently walks the 2.4 miles of trails that wind through the 1,000 acres of mostly untouched land at Cathy Fromme Prairie. Cathy Fromme is home to a wide variety of critters and wildflowers, and offers a glimpse of what Fort Collins was like before settlement.
SOUTHWEST: AT A GLANCE WHAT’S THERE: Front Range Community College, Cathy Fromme Prairie, Spring Canyon Park and a handful of small shopping centers. The area’s access to Fort Collins bike trails and public transportation. WHAT’S COMING: More homes and housing options will likely fill southwest Fort Collins. Construction is also on the books for a new section of the Fossil Creek Trail between Shields Street and College Avenue. WHY YOU’D LIVE THERE: Southwest Fort Collins provides a quiet lifestyle with access to outdoor recreation, with the added benefit of easy access to busier parts of town and several area grocery stores. WHERE TO PLAY: Enjoy 2.4 miles of trails at Cathy Fromme Prairie, connecting to Fossil Creek Trail north to Spring Canyon Park. The 100-acre park is a pretty cool destination on its own, but it also offers access to the Spring Creek Trail, which can connect you to the rest of Fort Collins. Want a little more adventure? Head up to the foothills or Horsetooth Reservoir. ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS: Catch dinner and a show at Midtown Arts Center, 3750 S. Mason St., or stop by Carmike Cinemas, 3636 Manhattan Ave., for a movie and popcorn. FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 47
LIVING
Southwest: ‘Right on the edge‘ Fritz McKillip, 4, makes a mud sundae for his dog Sunny, left, at the popular dog park at Spring Creek Community ParkThomas Bernhoff skates the bowl at Spring Canyon Community Park on Friday, Feb. 12 in Fort Collins, Colo. Brian Smith/For The Coloradoan
The Fossil Creek Trail connects Cathy Fromme to Spring Canyon Park, a 100acre swath of recreation nestled against the foothills. Spring Canyon Park features a more than 2-acre dog park, a bike course, a beloved interactive water feature on a universally accessible playground and more. It’s home to kite festivals, family gatherings and quiet evening strolls. Access to the Spring Creek Trail gives residents a scenic path to enjoy a long bike ride or run through the rest of Fort Collins. For those interested in or dependent on using public transportation, the South Transit Center, 4915 Fossil Blvd., is the southern hub of Transfort bus lines and the MAX service, which carries riders through the Mason corridor to Old Town Fort Collins. Just south of the transit center is Redtail Ponds, Fort Collins’ first permanent supportive housing development. Redtail Ponds was placed in southwest Fort Collins largely for the same reasons residents like Iwanski love the area, she said. Iwanski manages communications for Fort Collins Housing Authority. She said many Redtail Ponds residents enjoy easy access to Front Range Community College and the Harmony library, on the southeast side of the Harmony Road and Shields Street intersection. The area’s accessibility to grocery stores and other household retailers nicely complements southwest Fort Collins’ natural beauty and “outside city limits” feel, Iwanski added. There’s a Walmart market and pharmacy at the corner of Harmony and College. Go just a few minutes north to Target’s original Fort Collins store, 105 W. Troutman Pkwy. Albertson’s is just down the road in the Fort Collins Marketplace shopping center. “That circle around Harmony and College has just about everything you need,” Iwanski sa 48 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
LIVE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Homes sold (2014): 378 Average sale price: $334,282 Rental vacancy (Q4 2015): 1.7 percent Average monthly rent: $1,239.81
High school:
PLAY Community parks: Spring Canyon Park, 3156 S. Overland Trail Cathy Fromme Prairie
DINING Highest-rated restaurants on Yelp: Young’s Cafe, 3307 S. College Ave. Mount Everest Cafe, 1113 W. Drake Road CosmoNoms, 1003 W. Horsetooth Road Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill, 100 W. Troutman Pkwy. Pulcinella Pizzeria and wine bar, 1119 W. Drake Road
Rocky Mountain
2015-16 enroll.
2015 grad. rate
Great schools .org rating
2,017
84.4 %
7
Middle school: 2015-16 enroll.
Great schools .org rating
Global Village Academy
103
Not ranked
Webber
786
786
2015-16 enroll.
Great schools .org rating
378
5
83
Not ranked
Elementary school:
Beattie
BREWERIES
Fort Collins Montessori
1933 Brewing Co., 4025 S. Mason St. Zwei Brewing Co., 4612 S. Mason St.
Global Village Academy
719
Not ranked
Johnson
435
7
Lopez
422
7
McGraw
476
9
Olander
462
6
Werner
538
10
LIVING
SOUTHEAST
NO NEED TO HEAD DOWNTOWN KEVIN DUGGAN Originally published by the Coloradoan
Front Range Community College art student Cynthia Walker and her dog, Mailing, study on the lawn of the Larimer Campus’ Harmony Library on Friday, Feb. 12 in Fort Collins, Colo. Brian Smith/For The Coloradoan
The sprawling quadrant, as delineated by the intersection of South College Avenue and Drake Road, is home to most elements of a modern municipality. The area offers jobs, high-quality schools, grocery stores, restaurants, shopping, medical facilities, churches and housing types ranging from mobile homes to mansions. Its network of streets, when not under construction, is well connected and part of a burgeoning transportation system that includes Transfort bus service and planned expansions of the city’s popular trail system. The area has many recreational opportunities with two golf courses, Fossil Creek Community Park and smaller city parks, and natural areas along the Poudre River and Fossil Creek Reservoir. So why bother going downtown? There are few reasons, said longtime southeast Fort Collins resident Alexander Elkins, unless one has government business such as renewing a motor vehicle registration. “Most of the places I tend to go right now are within walking distance or a short drive,” Elkins said. “I choose to go to closer places.” FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 49
LIVING
Southeast: No need to head downtown Cindy and Rick Wehmeyer walk along a path at Fossil Creek Park on Friday, Feb. 12 in Fort Collins, Colo. Brian Smith/For The Coloradoan
PUBLIC SCHOOLS High schools: 2015-16 enroll.
2015 grad. rate
508
N/A
Not ranked
Fort Collins
1,638
78.2 %
5
Fossil Ridge
1,979
89.6 %
7
Colorado Early Colleges
Elkins, 60, moved into a new house in the Foxstone neighborhood southeast of the intersection of Horsetooth and Timberline roads in 1980. At the time, most of the land to the north and south was farmland and Hewlett-Packard Co.’s complex on East Harmony Road consisted of two buildings. With the city’s growth from 65,000 to 158,000, all of that changed. The farms sprouted houses and stores. Harmony Road was transformed into an employment and commercial center stretching from just west of Interstate 25 to College Avenue. Hewlett-Packard and its corporate descendants expanded their footprints and continue to build. Other major employers, including University of Colorado Health and Intel, have substantial operations along Harmony Road. With the employers have come hotels, restaurants, and diverse shopping venues, such as Front Range Village. Farther west, the long-awaited revitalization of Foothills Mall is expected to serve as a catalyst for bringing change to Midtown Fort Collins while providing more retail offerings. In recent years, some southeast residents have voiced concerns about a 50 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
LIVE Home sales (2014): 676 Average sale price: $394,150 Rental vacancy (Q4 2015): 3.2 percent Average monthly rent: $1,189.98
PLAY COMMUNITY PARKS: Fossil Creek Park, 5821 S. Lemay Ave.
GOLF COURSES: Collindale Golf Course Southridge Golf Course
SHOPPING CENTERS: Foothills Mall, 215 E. Foothills Parkway. Front Range Village, 2720 Council Tree Ave. The Square, 3500 S. College Ave.
DINING Highest-rated restaurants on Yelp: Nyala Ethiopian Cuisine, 2900 Harvard St. Star of India, 2900 Harvard St. Fiona’s Deli, 1001 E. Harmony Road Domenics, 931 E. Harmony Road Spoons Soups and Salads, 4609 S. Timberline Road
Great schools .org rating
Middle schools: 2015-16 enroll.
Great schools .org rating
Boltz
580
4
Kinard Core Knowledge
822
7
1,095
9
28*
5
2015 grad. rate
Great schools .org rating
Bacon
566
7
Bethke (Timnath)
590
10
Kruse
551
9
Linton
481
7
Shepardson
414
8
Timnath
333
7
223*
5
Traut
502
10
Zach
638
10
Preston T.R. Paul Academy of Arts & Knowledge Elementary schools:
T.R. Paul Academy of Arts & Knowledge
Southeast: No need to head downtown
perceived disconnect between their part of town and the rest of Fort Collins. The city government has focused on the vitality of downtown and historic neighborhoods rather than growing southern areas, critics have said. That growth is likely to continue as Kechter Farm, one of the last remaining expanses of open land in the quadrant, is developed by Toll Brothers and other homebuilders. However, some long-planned municipal amenities are coming to the area. Southeast Community Park near the intersection of Ziegler and Kechter roads is expected to be finished by summer 2017. The proposed $14 million Southeast Community Center is expected to be built in 2022-23. Council Tree Library in Front Range Village is a favorite destination for many area residents. If the southeast lacks anything, it might be cultural amenities, Elkins said. However, entertainment options are available, with multi-screen movie theaters at Foothills Mall and near the intersection of Harmony and Timberline roads. While it’s possible to live and work within southeast Fort Collins, Elkins said he knows many of his neighbors commute to jobs in Loveland, Greeley and Denver.
LIVING
Shoppers walk into the new Foothills Mall on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016 in Fort Collins, Colo. Brian Smith/For The Coloradoan
SOUTHEAST: AT A GLANCE WHAT’S THERE: This part of Fort Collins has much to offer its residents, including grocery stores, basic and upscale shopping, schools, medical facilities, churches, employment centers, and myriad recreational opportunities. WHAT’S COMING: Construction on the Southeast Community Park near the intersection of Ziegler and Kechter roads is expected to be finished by summer 2017. The proposed Southeast Community Center is expected to be built in 2022-23. WHY YOU’D LIVE THERE: Easy access to amenities such as shopping and entertainment, plus proximity to Interstate 25 when you want to get out of town. WHERE TO PLAY: Collindale and Southridge golf courses, along with several natural areas and popular city parks, including Fossil Creek Community Park. ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS: If going to the movies is your thing, southeast Fort Collins is the place to be. Multi-screen Cinemark theater complexes are at the Foothills Mall and 4721 S. Timberline Road. The area also features lots of restaurants and bars.
Many of the houses in his quiet neighborhood are rentals. Residents have not been able to make the connection between work opportunities and housing they can afford, he said. “In a way, this is still more of a bedroom community,” Elkins said. FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 51
ADVERSTISEMENT
Experience community life in a new exciting way The Lakes at Centerra offers a unique urban spirit with a variety of amenities for homeowners in Northern Colorado. Home buyers can choose from thirty different innovative floor plans built to fit and satisfy any style and need. This is a multifaceted community created to evolve with multifaceted lives; because at The Lakes, life is different here. This timeless lifestyle community has a unique proximity to the lakes themselves and offers a diverse ecosystem experience. This is where the natural environment and urban density mix into a flow we like to call urban naturalism. The uniqueness of urban naturalism provides connections for homeowners to enjoy the open spaces, winding trails, tranquil waters and natural habitat all right next to shops and entertainment at Centerra. Kari Munson, the Lifestyle Director for Lakes at Centerra, focuses daily on connecting neighbor to neighbor as well as introducing community members to all of the local amenities that are available. “What we are doing really harkens back
to the communities of past generations, where people didn’t go about their lives in isolation, but really knew their neighbors and engaged as a community group. We help to facilitate it, and our residents really enjoy it,” Munson said. The lifestyle community itself is surrounded by the natural beauty of the region, incorporating the lakes from which the community is named into everyday experiences. “When planning the community, we wanted residents to immediately connect with nature when they walked out their door,” Munson said. And the miles of walking trails, great mountain views, and ability to kayak or canoe out on the water right outside ones back door means this vision has
become a reality for residents. Another perk, is the incredible amenities just a few minutes away that comes with living in Centerra. Residents appreciate the close proximity to the fitness club, tapping into top medical services, retail, dining and entertainment options. “The Lakes is a part of the masterplanned community Centerra, and our residents get to take full advantage of those amenities by foot, bike or car,” Munson said. In addition to the variety of amenities available at Centerra, The Lakes boasts incredible amenities of its own. “We have some unique experiences for our residents. We have a fabulous clubhouse, a playground, a great outdoor pool
ADVERSTISEMENT
that is designed to accommodate the full spectrum from small children to lap swimmers, and we even have kayaks and canoes for our residents to check out so they can fully enjoy the lake experience,” Munson said. The other great addition, is a brand new Pre-K through 8 STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) school opening in August which residents will be able to walk to. Munson and her staff help residents get acquainted with each other and their community by creating an ongoing and multifaceted schedule of activities for residents to participate in. The schedule is always changing and includes educational classes, pot lucks, fitness and pool parties – all things residents can expect to enjoy on a regular basis. “We offer something for everyone. We have all ages represented in our community, which makes my job really fun because I get to be creative and find engaging activities that everyone will enjoy. I also connect residents with one another, so they can create their own ventures and groups,” Munson said.
“We aren’t just a place to live, we are a lifestyle community where residents get to make and call their own.”
WHERE LIFE IS DIFFERENT — Experience an active lifestyle community in Loveland, Colorado TO LEARN MORE: visit www.LakesAtCenterra.com or call (970)537-3457 CONNECT WITH US: Visit Facebook.com/LakesAtCenterra 13 MODEL HOMES AND LAKE CLUB OPEN DAILY
While every resident isn’t present at every activity, Munson says she engages regularly with the residents whether they are walking the trails, using the clubhouse or checking out a kayak. “We aren’t just a place to live, we offer a fulfilling lifestyle in a well-designed community where residents get to make and call their own. People move here because of the experience, natural connection and community,” Munson said. For homebuyers seeking an outdoor lifestyle experience with direct connections to nature, recreation trails, lake activities with nearby amenities, where residents enjoy a balanced natural lifestyle that offers something for everyone, Munson encourages them to visit and experience this great lifestyle community, where life is just uniquely different. “We love to have prospective residents come down and experience our community. We invite them to come be a resident for a day and see what life is really like at The Lakes at Centerra. Our entire community is always thrilled to welcome newcomers and bring them into the fold of our life here,” Munson said.
LIVING The street sign at the corner of Hobbit Street and Shields Street is show on Friday, Feb. 12 in Fort Collins, Colo. Brian Smith/ For The Coloradoan
HOW OUR STREETS GET THEIR NAMES MADELINE NOVEY Originally published by the Coloradoan
If you’re like me, then you’ve wondered how street names come to be. Over the years, I’ve driven around Fort Collins telling myself imaginary stories about how someone decided to go with an Ivy League school theme for the neighborhood east of Whole Foods, off of College Avenue. And I’ve painted the picture of a make-believe Tolkien fan who just had to name Hobbit Street, near the intersection of Shields Street and Prospect Road. Today, we’re sharing with you how the naming process really works. The street type dictates the person or group that bestows the name. In the hierarchy of streets, based upon volume of traffic, arterial streets are at the top. These are the big guys in town — think College Avenue, Mulberry Street and Timberline Road. Collector streets, such as Lemay Avenue, connect to arterials. 54 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
There’s a list of potential names for arterial and collector streets. The 73 remaining suggestions have been curated over decades and include the likes of A&M, in recognition of the past name of Colorado State University, and Rattlesnake Jack Brinkhoff, buried in the Manhattan Cemetery near Livermore. “It really runs the gamut ... town founders ... flora, fauna,” said city planner Ryan Mounce. Members of City Council ultimately approve the names of arterial streets. But, as one may imagine, they don’t get to do so frequently because new arterial streets don’t come around too often. Last year, the city asked community members to suggest names for “New Vine,” an arterial stree t that will parallel existing East Vine Drive in northeast Fort Collins. Chief Friday, a leader of the Arapaho in the Cache la Poudre area during settlement, was among con-
How our streets get their names
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tenders. So too was Magic Cyclops, likely thrown into the ring by “one of the tens of fans” the DJ has in the Fort Collins area.
FUN FACTS ❖ You can use the Street Inventory System (http://www.larimer.org/ streets/) to search all existing streets in Larimer County. Are there any records? Montezuma Fuller is the longest name in Fort Collins’ history of street naming, Shepard said, and it’s an alley. ❖ There are rules for everything in life, including the naming of streets. For example, cardinal directions cannot be used, and neither can curse words. Oh, and homonyms (words that sounds alike, such as a dog’s bark and the bark from a tree) aren’t allowed. ❖ Someone once dressed up as Auntie Stone and, while in full character, provided some entertaining testimony for the naming of Auntie Stone Street, in front of Olander Elementary School in Fort Collins, Shepard said. ❖ Not all names make the cut, including the renaming of Ellis Drive to Viking Way (a request made by Lesher Middle School). ❖ Mounce said Shepard wants to call the next collector street that crosses Harmony Road, Melody. Get it? Harmony and Melody? YOUR PICKS We asked on Facebook what you’d name a Fort Collins street, if you could. Some contenders: Bronco Lane, Go Back Home Boulevard, Temple Grandin Way and Lubick Avenue.
In the end, Suniga emerged victorious — named for Lee Suniga, a prominent local migrant worker who broke down racial barriers. City Planner Ted Shepard said public testimony on behalf of Suniga was “very moving and uplifting.” Developers name the streets within neighborhoods and submit potential monikers as part of the city’s development review process. Beer lovers, for example, may dream of living in Hartford Homes’ Timbervine development, under construction at Timberline Road and Vine Drive. Initially, the company wanted to name the streets after actual beer names, playing off of the lifestyle imagined for the neighborhood located near Old Town and the breweries. “My personal favorite would have been Easy Street,” said Landon Hoover, president of Hartford Homes. However, the company discovered that there exists another subdivision in Larimer County that’s yet to be built but that uses those types of names. Thus was born Saison, Stout, Shandy, Pint, Lager, Lambic, Mackinac, Bock, Trappist and Sour streets. Houses haven’t yet gone up at Timbervine, but Hoover said they’ve enjoyed a few laughs with interested residents as they’ve talked about the names. Hefeweizen would have been fun, Hoover joked, but imagine spelling that for the pizza guy.
Brian Smith/For The Coloradoan
FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 55
The brewery patio, with it’s beachside atmospohere is a popular place to unwind after the day, often featuring live music and always featuring beautiful views.
High Hops Brewery has come a long way in the few years they have been in operation. The more things change, though, the more they stay the same.
ADVERSTISEMENT
FAMILY “We are still a family run business,” owner Pat Weakland said on a recent weekday afternoon in his taproom, which was already bustling ahead of happy hour. “It has always been family and friends who make this place run. My son is the head brewer, my wife is the brains of the operation... it is very important to us,” Weakland said. The Weaklands founded High Hops in 2008 as an online source for whole plant high altitude hops, a unique offering at the time. The farm, and those high altitude hops, are the foundation of the brewery, which came a bit later as a result of Pat and Zach — aforementioned head brewer — developing their home brewing hobby onto a larger scale. The rest, as they say, is history. High
Hops Brewery has grown exponentially year after year, now boasting a large taproom, a bigger patio, a small outdoor music venue, liquor store sales across the country, and a production line that is about to take off. “We have really invested in production, and right now we are focusing on that. We want to make ourselves accessible outside of Northern Colorado. We recently expanded our distribution to the east coast, and we are going to start producing at a much higher rate. We have been operating at about 10 cans per minute on the line, and we recently purchased a new canning line with the ability to produce 120 cans per minute,” Weakland said. While production is expanding and the
ALL TYPES OF BEER FOR
40 Taps
Look for us at your liquor stores & bars! 6461 Hwy 392, Windsor CO • (970) 674-2841
ADVERSTISEMENT
AFFAIR
footprint is growing, the popularity at the Windsor brewery has not slackened one bit. The taproom and patio have more than doubled in size since their inception in 2012, and they are still frequently packed by local enthusiasts, especially on days they tap their small batch brews. “Firkin Hump Days on Wednesdays has been a tradition since we opened, and we won’t be stopping anytime soon,” Weakland said. “We usually have a packed house, especially when we tap favorites like our Blueberry Wheat. And our Habanero Honey is the new powerhouse. People love it.” The locals aren’t the only ones who have shown love for the High Hops brews. Many of their different beers have won medals in national and international competition, and Weakland
is particularly proud of the decorated Dr. Pat’s Double IPA. “This beer is kind of representative of the way we do things. We always strive to be better, and this beer is on its eighteenth recipe. We are seeking perfection, but along the way it has won a lot of awards.” On plans for the future, Weakland is enigmatic, but describes the approach as “pedal down,” and promises the changes to be exciting. As High Hops grows, the insistence on high quality and the familyrun atmosphere keep the business on the right track. “We have been lucky to do what we love with the help of good people. We have come a long way, and continue our venture with the help of our great staff, and all our supporters,” Weakland said.
ALL TYPES OF PEOPLE Live Music, Year-Round every Friday and Saturday! For a full list of our events, visit HighHopsBrewery.com Facebook “f ” Logo
CMYK / .ai
Facebook “f ” Logo
CMYK / .ai
facebook.com/HighHopsBrewery
With an expanded production line, High Hops brewery is bringing more of their popular beers to market. Look for High Hops Brewery varieties at your favorite liquorstore or bat.
LIVING
FOUR QUADRANTS
6P 6P Sunday, Sunday,March March20, 20,2016 2016 coloradoan.com coloradoan.com Fort FortCollins CollinsColoradoan Coloradoan
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OF FORT COLLINS
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Fort Collins Coloradoan coloradoan.com Sunday, March 20, 2016 7P
C O L L I N S IN F O C U S
ghborhoods Northeast W Douglas Rd
NORTHEAST
Home to Old Town Square, this area put Fort Collins on the map.
E Douglas Rd
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Home to Old Town Square, this area put Fort Collins on the map.
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1
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Richards Lake Rd
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87
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Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewing Equinox Brewing Fort Collins Brewery
25
Old Town Square
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14
New Belgium Brewing Co. Odell Brewing Co. Pateros Creek Brewing Co. Rally King Brewing
Colorado State University
Snowbank Brewing
E Prospect Rd
nd Park
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Read more about northeast Fort Collins on Page 9.
Edora Park
E Drake Rd
87
Southeast
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25
E Horsetooth Rd
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Warren Lake
E Harmony Rd
Home to the city’s largest shopping centers and a bustling Harmony Corridor, Fort Collins’ heavy tech influence can be felt as the city stretches its legs southeast. Home sales (2014): 676 Average sale price: $394,150
SOUTHEAST
Rental vacancy (Q4 2015): 3.2 percent
Front Range Village
Average monthly rent: $1,189.98
Home to the city’s largest shopping centers and a bustling Golf courses Corridor, Fort Collins’ Collindale Golf Harmony Course Southridge Golf Course heavy tech influence can be felt Shopping centers Foothills mall, 215 E. Foothills Parkway. as the city stretches its legs Front Range Village, 2720 Council Tree Ave. southeast. The Square, 3500 S. College PLAY
Front Range Community College
Community parks
Fossil Creek Park, 5821 S. Lemay Ave.
Fossil Creek Park
287
Ave.
E Trilby Rd
DINING Highest-rated restaurants on Yelp
Fossil Creek Reservoir
2. Star of India, 2900 Harvard St. 3. Fiona’s Deli, 1001 E. Harmony Road
392
E County Rd 30
1. Nyala Ethiopian Cuisine, 2900 Harvard St.
Read more about northeast Fort Collins on Page 11
E County Rd 30
FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 59
LIVING
Michael Murphy, owner of Magic Bus Tours, serves beer samples to Ronda Haun, left, and Kathy White of Wyoming at Equinox Brewing on Friday, March 18, 2016. Murphy has completed the Visit Fort Collins tourism ambassador program. Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan
CITY RECRUITS ARMY OF ‘TOURISM AMBASSADORS’ ADRIAN D. GARCIA Originally published by the Coloradoan
The Fort Collins tourism bureau draws dozens of new recruits each month to its Certified Tourism Ambassador Program. The program launched in fall 2014 trains realtors, shuttle drivers and other residents to grow the city’s $120-million tourism industry by enhancing visitors’ experiences.
together to bring more business here... In some cases, that would mean changing our attitudes from negative to positive. It implies that we all meet the challenge of sending out positive messages, to everyone, always,” program reading materials state.
“Literally every single person in Fort Collins impacts that visitor experience,” said Cynthia Eichler, president of Visit Fort Collins. The Certified Tourism Ambassador Program creates a cohesive, positive approach for residents to work with visitors.
Fort Collins resident Mary Backes went through the program in 2015. The driver at Green Ride Colorado was trained to offer tips on where to go in Old Town, what trails to try and other information that could be helpful to the more than 1 million visitors who flock to Fort Collins annually.
The one-day program focuses on the history and core attractions of Fort Collins and Larimer County, resources to help visitors, ways to exceed customer expectations and the impact of tourism on the community. Participants, in effect, act as force multipliers delivering Visit Fort Collins’ message about the city’s positive attributes.
Even though Backes has lived in Fort Collins since 1972, the program showed her aspects of the city she never knew before, including information about ghost tours and breweries. She’s been able to pass that knowledge on to passengers she hauls from the Denver International Airport to Fort Collins.
“Think of the potential impact that you and your fellow ambassadors could have working
“Before you know it, you have a busload of people talking about Fort Collins,” Backes said.
60 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
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City recruits army of ‘tourism ambassadors’
Experience the Northern Colorado Food and Drink Community in a new way
Advanced Access and Exclusives
Michael Murphy, owner of Magic Bus Tours, tells a tour group about their next stop on a brewery tour on Friday, March 18, 2016. Murphy has completed the Visit Fort Collins tourism ambassador program. Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan
inspiring front-line hospitality employees and volunteers to turn every visitor encounter into a positive experience.” Visit Fort Collins is the first group in Colorado to offer the program. “It’s surprising the program has not proliferated to other parts of Colorado like it has here in Fort Collins,” said Michael Murphy, owner of Magic Bus Tours. Murphy went through the ambassador program in 2015.
Event Savings “It’s important for people to enjoy themselves when they come up to Fort Collins. Tourism brings money into the county and city, and it also reflects well on Green Ride when we know about the areas we service.”
Tastings and Classes Sign up today for an Eat+Drink Membership at offers.coloradoan.com/ eatdrinkmembership
62 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
Since November 2014, Visit Fort Collins’ ambassador program has attracted 306 people from Green Ride Colorado, Colorado State University, Odell Brewing Co. and other Northern Colorado organizations. Each participant pays $30 to go through the class taught by Visit Fort Collins staff. The fee helps offset the $4,500 to $5,000 it costs Visit Fort Collins annually to license program materials from the Tourism Ambassador Institute. The Arizona-based Institute works with dozens of tourism bureaus including larger metros like Baltimore, Cincinnati and Houston to boost regional tourism “by
“As a tour guide, people are asking me questions all the time. The program taught me things that I may not have otherwise been versed in,” he said. “My hope is by making the visitor experience more positive that when visitors leave they will share their positive experience with friends and families and encourage more people to visit.”
CERTIFIED TOURISM AMBASSADOR PROGRAM Visit Fort Colins’ Certified Tourism Ambassador classes teach participants about the importance of tourism, the history of Fort Collins and ways to improve visitors’ experiences. The classes are typically offered twice a month in Fort Collins. The next CTA program is scheduled 8:30 a.m. to noon April 12. Visit Fort Collins charges $30 per participant for class materials and to offset the cost of the program. To sign up for the class or get more information, visit visitftcollins.com/cta.
EAT+ DRINK
65 Where to take guests out on the town
68 Secret lunch spots in Fort Collins
74 11 essential Fort Collins bars
67 Fort Collins’ 15 best patios
72 What makes FoCo a beer town
76 Your guide to Northern Colorado farmers markets FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 63
64 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
EAT+DRINK
CRay Harvey, a bartender at Ace Gillett's Lounge in Old Town, pours a New York Apple Old Fashion into an chilled martini glass Friday Dec. 13, 2013. Coloradoan Library
WHERE TO TAKE GUESTS OUT ON THE TOWN JACOB LAXEN Originally published by the Coloradoan
With more than 400 restaurants in town, there’s likely an option for all comers. If you’re looking for some inspiration, here are a few dining and drink suggestions you might want to check out.
Breakfast Snooze an A.M. Eatery (144 W. Mountain Ave.) is a perfect spot to get your brunch on, offering flavored pancake flights, numerous eggs Benedicts and an extensive morning cocktail list ... Lucile’s Restaurant (400 S. Meldrum St.) is known for its New Orleansstyle doughnuts, called beignets, along with a CajunCreole breakfast menu that can fill you up for most of the day ... Silver Grill Cafe (218 Walnut St.) is a Fort Collins staple known for its giant cinnamon rolls, fresh-squeezed orange juice and breakfast specials ... The Kitchen (100 N. College Ave.) serves food all day, but the farm-to-table bistro’s brunch menu is the most affordable and loaded with farm-fresh options paired with build-your-own bloody mary and mimosa menus.
Lunch Colorado Room (642 S. College Ave.) is all about slider-sized “Sammys,” offering pork, beef, bison, chicken and veggie versions ... Maza Kabob (2427 S. College Ave.) is one of Fort Collins’ top-rated restaurants on social media sites, serving up authentic Afghan food including grilled meats and an eggplant dish that will make you rethink the vegetable ... Choice City Butcher & Deli (104 W. Olive St.) serves its sandwiches in FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 65
EAT+DRINK
Where to take guests out on the town
Aria Drexler of Fort Collins was the first person to receive pancakes from the new Fort Collins Snooze A.M. eatery Saturday, April 17, 2010 at the restaurant's 144 W. Mountain St. location in Old Town. Coloradoan Library
butcher paper, and specializes in Reubens, offering five different varieties along with an extensive craft beer list ... FoCo Cafe (225 Maple St.) specializes in farmfresh soups and salads, and has garnered national attention as a nonprofit restaurant model pioneer, asking customers to pay what they are able for their meals.
Dinner Ace Gillett’s Lounge (239 S. College Ave.) has live jazz music and offers an array of small plates and flatbreads that everyone can rotate ordering and sharing ... Rare Italian (101 S. College Ave.) isn’t your normal Italian restaurant, making its own pasta and dry-aging many of its meats ... Jay’s Bistro (135 W. Oak St.) has long been a Fort Collins institution and recently won a local charity chef competition, as it specializes in grilled meats, soups and salads, and small plates ... Austin’s American Grill (100 W. Mountain Ave. and 2815 E. Harmony Road) has locations on both sides of town and a American-style menu with a little bit for everyone, including rotisserie chickens that greets customers with inviting smells.
Vegetarian/Vegan friendly Tasty Harmony (160 W. Oak St.) operates a vegan bakery and has a menu offering everything from mock fried chicken to vegetarian Mexican dishes ... Restaurant 415 (415 S. Mason St.) isn’t completely meatless, but offers an array salads and 66 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
pizzas featuring local vegetables ... Rainbow Restaurant (212 W. Laurel St.) has operated since 1976 and explores different cultural cuisines from Middle Eastern to Mexican and Thai.
Pizza Beau Jo’s Pizza (205 N. College Ave.) is known for its thick, “Colorado-style” crusts and has a variety of specialty pies ... Totally 80’s Pizza (1717 S. College Ave.) will take mom and dad back to their college-aged years with its 1980s memorabilia that includes a life-size Arnold Schwarzenegger statue ... Panhandlers (1220 W. Elizabeth St.) is one of the oldest pizzerias in town and offers pan-style pizza both by the slice and the whole pie.
Beer New Belgium Brewing (500 Linden St.) is debuting a new beer garden and expanded taproom this weekend with live music, food trucks and beer specials (new CSU graduates even get free tasters) ... Odell Brewing (800 E. Lincoln Ave.) will have food trucks all weekend and has one of the town’s top patios ... Fort Collins Brewery (1020 E. Lincoln Ave.) rounds out the Beermuda triangle (it’s close to both Odell and New Belgium) and also has a full kitchen, using many of its beers as ingredients ... Budweiser Biergarten (2351 Busch Dr.) is a bit of a drive from Old Town, but has a great patio and a full menu, also using beer as a regular ingredient, if domestics are more your thing.
EAT+DRINK
FORT COLLINS’ 15 BEST PATIOS JOSIE SEXTON Originally published by the Coloradoan
From sprawling rooftops to secret gardens and hidden alleyways, there are over 50 options for outdoor dining and drinking in Fort Collins. In order to suss out the best, we asked Coloradoan. com readers, who cast more than 2,000 votes from as far as Vietnam and Bulgaria (though more than half of the votes were from Colorado).
bi-level patio fitting for the country club-types.
next to the Old Town bungalow-turned-restaurant.
games and the best beer companion: food trucks.
11. The Backporch Cafe 1101 E. Lincoln Ave.
5. Illegal Pete’s 320 Walnut St.
More Fort Collins patios
Find a hidden garden oasis, not unlike your grandma’s house, among a well-trafficked intersection and a construction site.
Fort Collins’ newest and topvoted rooftop includes its own second-floor bar and comes partially shaded.
10. Equinox Brewing 133 Remington St.
Here are your picks for the best Fort Collins patios:
One neighborhood Biergarten, bitte.
15. The Moot House 2626 S. College Ave.
9. The Mainline 125 S. College Ave.
This Midtown Fort Collins haven hardly feels like it’s located beside busy South College Avenue.
The most centralized Old Town rooftop, for optimal people-watching.
14. Restaurant 415 415 S. Mason St.
8. Austin’s American Grill 2815 E. Harmony Rd.
With a front, train-facing patio and a back secluded one, there’s an outdoor setting here for everyone.
Newly canopied and misted, a south-side option for fans of the downtown restaurant, which also has a hot corner patio.
13. Blue Agave 201 S. College Ave.
Sunken Old Town street dining with table-top fire pits? Yes, please. 12. C.B. & Potts Collindale, 1441 E. Horsetooth Rd.
A view of 160 green acres and 18 holes comes with this
7. Cafe Vino 1200 S. College Ave.
More fire pits, plus a privacy fence, community table and secret garden vibe. 6. Rainbow Restaurant 212 W. Laurel St.
As close to home as it gets,
4. CooperSmith’s Pub & Brewing 5 Old Town Square
In the heart of Old Town Square, this double-sided patio offers street-level people watching from Fort Collins’ original brewpub. 3. Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant 143 W. Mountain Ave.
Fort Collins’ third-best patio is romantic and secluded and includes a water feature, like Casa Bonita, only classier. 2. Avogadro’s Number 605 S. Mason St.
The runner-up for Fort Collins’ best patio includes an outdoor concert stage, ample shade and a private gazebo. 1. Odell Brewing Co. 800 E. Lincoln Ave.
The patio voted best in Fort Collins is sprawling over multiple levels, with fire pits, a live music stage, corn hole
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, La Luz Mexican Grill, Zwei Brewing, The Boot Grill, The Mayor of Old Town, Crown Pub, Tony’s Bar, Road 34, Tap and Handle, Noodles & Co., Nick’s Homestyle, Silver Grill Cafe, The Kitchen, Canyon Chop House, RARE Italian, Island Grill, Pappy’s Corner Pub, Mo Jeaux’s, Lucky Joe’s, The Rustic Oven, Jay’s Bistro, Paddler’s Pub, The Forge Publick House, Trailhead Tavern, Washington’s Sports Bar & Grill, Vern’s, Wild Boar Cafe, Vincent’s, The Hideout, Fort Collins Brewery, CopperMuse Distillery, Compass Cider, Colorado Room, Dungeons & Drafts, East Moon Asian Bistro, FoCo Cafe, Enzio’s, El Burrito, New Belgium Brewing, Snooze, Pateros Creek Brewing, Snowbank Brewing, A-B InBev Biergarten, Tres Margaritas, Ryan’s Sports Grill, Enzio’s, Horse & Dragon Brewing, Canino’s, The Bling Pig, Cafe Bluebird, The Laboratory, Pueblo Viejo, The Pickle Barrel, The Egg & I, Swing Station
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SECRET LUNCH SPOTS IN FORT COLLINS JOSIE SEXTON Originally published by the Coloradoan
Stale lunchtime routine got you down? Each of these five Fort Collins locales offers a different atmosphere and unique menu for a midday meal overhaul. From white table cloths to car engines running, we hope you’ll find a new favorite on our list and not be too disappointed if we’ve outed your old one.
Aspen Grille 1101 Central Ave. Mall on the CSU campus Where else can you get a three-course lunch with amuse bouche for less than $15? Tucked away in Colorado State University’s Lory Student Center, the student-run Aspen Grille is the experiential curriculum component for our town’s aspiring chefs, sommeliers, brewers and restaurateurs. To be fair, the restaurant doesn’t always offer a tasting menu for lunch. On Friday, though, guest chef and Food Science and Human Nutrition graduate student James Musetti will be preparing a menu that includes warm spinach salad, roasted pork belly ramen and chocolate mousse, all for $13. If you watch the website, the Grille does this sort of lunch treat on occasion. Otherwise, go any Tuesday through Friday while school is in session for an appropriately upscale and cozy environment, impeccable student service and creative food at reasonable prices. 68 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
The money you pay keeps the student project running. Find more information and make a reservation on the Aspen Grille’s website.
Fort Collins Food Co-operative 250 E. Mountain Ave. For a healthy but quick bite downtown, head to the Food Co-op for hot burritos and sandwiches, seasonal soups, veggies and spreads. The Food Co-op prepares these dishes daily in-house, using breads from Ingrained Bakery and La Creperie, as well as local meats and produce. Classic sandwich lovers can enjoy the bagel with lox or roast beef roll-up, with additions such as kale and horseradish. Vegan, vegetarian and organic-conscious eaters will have many options to choose from; when the Food Co-op says “Hippie Rueben” and “Phood Co-op CheezStake,” they’re certainly not talking about real bacon or actual cheese. Lunches are served Monday through Friday, togo or on the sidewalk patio, weather permitting.
La Campechana In front of Auto Trends, 1235 N. College Ave. On chilly winter days, cars are lined up, parked but running, outside the Auto Trends
Running Head Here
on North College Avenue. Their drivers are waiting inside for traditional Mexican street food, courtesy La Campechana.
lined with awards and newspaper writeups — but the accolades are starting to gather dust.
The food truck, named for its owners’ home state, Campeche, Mexico, has been operating for more than two years in Fort Collins. Specialties include tacos, tortas, burritos, quesadillas and enchiladas typical of the region.
Go Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday during lunch for fastest service.
Tacos are sold at $1.50 each and can be filled with a range of meats from carnitas to lengua, or tongue. A little lime squeeze and a swig of Topo Sabores soda, and you’re good to go. Find it running from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week in front of the Auto Trends.
Saigon Grill 755 S. Lemay Ave. Take a cue from the New Belgium staff and head to Saigon Grill to warm up with a bowl of piping hot pho. The umami-filled Vietnamese noodle soup is the ticket here, served in three size options for manageable lunchtime eating, and with a number of meat, seafood or vegetarian fillings for every palate. This might not be a secret spot to you — the tiny restaurant’s entrance wall is
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The Colorado Room 642 S. College Ave. This time last year, The Colorado Room opened on South College Avenue, sandwiched inconspicuously between retail stores, and, as one coworker put it: “I thought they sold Colorado gear.” Well, they do and don’t. The Colorado Room does feature Fort Collins artists in its display cases and across the walls on for-sale canvases, but mainly the restaurant/bar serves up tasty comfort food in a mountain-lodge-like atmosphere. Cheese curd poutine and fatty pork sliders loaded with coleslaw are a couple of the house specialties. You can combine them at food truck prices and with the benefit of a cozy indoor setting. Game days are busy, but the lunch hour usually provides quick turn-around and open seats. FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 69
ADVERSTISEMENT
m o o R p Ta e d i R Everyone in Northern Colorado knows that we are home to one of the legendary AnheuserBusch breweries, with the added distinction of being the home of the World Famous Budweiser Clydesdales west coast hitch. The Biergarten north of Fort Collins also boasts the best views of the Front Range of any tasting room in town, and there are fun activities going on almost every night of the week. ■ Tickets are $5, and include
a round trip to and from the Biergarten PLUS a beer voucher.
■ The Trolley runs
12-6pm every Saturday and Sunday.
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■ The Biergarten features
■ The Trolley runs round trips
a full menu as well as a full beer list.
from Old Town Square to the Biergarten.
ADVERSTISEMENT
So it comes as no surprise that there is so much excitement about the new trolley operated by NoCo Party Bus running from Old Town to the Biergarten on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6pm. The trolley makes the Biergarten safely accessible, allowing visitors to enjoy the famous brews and gorgeous views without having to worry about driving back to town.
The trolley itself was inspired by St. Louis, home of AnheuserBusch. The 1996 trolley is on a bus chassis, and was in operation in St. Louis prior to moving to its new home in Fort Collins, even running to the original Anheuser-Busch brewery there. After making the big move, the trolley has had lots of work to ensure it is in top condition for its new role. The exterior is a bright blue and red, and the interior features custom woodwork (complete with cup-holders!) and a fabulous sound system. The bus is also BYOB, so you can enjoy a frosty refreshment on your way to your destination.
Check out TapRoomRide.com to book a reservation! FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO ÂŤ 71
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WHAT MAKES FOCO A BEER TOWN JOSIE SEXTON
Originally published by the Coloradoan
The Colorado University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business and The Colorado Brewers Guild in August published their own economic impact report, focusing on craft beer in Colorado. While they did not provide county-specific data numbers don’t break down by county, the state picture shows a growing craft beer scene, where economic impact was up 44 percent from 2013 to 2014, nearly 1,000 beer-related jobs were added and more than 50 new breweries opened. Fort Collins’ Freedom’s Edge was the only brewery that closed in Colorado in 2014, according to The Brewers Guild, while three more opened in the city. With no signs of stopping, the Coloradoan asked local craft beer industry leaders to describe what
made Fort Collins start — and what makes it keep on — brewing.
Water The city of Fort Collins has senior water rights and is geographically situated to be a first user of the Poudre and Big Thompson rivers. Without limestone present, water quality is high, featuring low levels of calcium bicarbonate, and a clean slate for brewing. “We are the first users of water on this watershed, and the same thing goes for our new brewery in Asheville, North Carolina. (...) It’s so nice to be in a community where the municipality takes (water) seriously, and they understand that our livelihood is based on that; not only ours but other industries’ as well.” — Katie Wallace, New Belgium assistant director of sustainability
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New Belgium Brewing Company conducts 11 tours per day, and they're usually booked in advance. Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan
What makes FoCo a beer town
“It’s a perfect canvas.” — Kirk Lombardi, co-owner and brewer at Zwei Brewing
Access The 128-year-old Master Brewers Association’s Rocky Mountain division was started by big Colorado breweries, including Coors and Budweiser. Now large companies and microbreweries alike swap information at the quarterly meetings. “From an early point, I got to meet other brewers from that scale (MillerCoors, A-B InBev) on down.” — Kirk Lombardi
Tastes Fort Collins’ first craft breweries worked to adjust the local palate so that now multiple generations have become accustomed the taste of craft beer and expect more of it. We found a more sophisticated palate in Fort Collins because you had Odell and New Belgium that had been here for a long period of time. You had people kind of growing up in that, so they were willing to take a chance on us. — Brad Lincoln, Co-owner of Funkwerks and the forthcoming Jessup Farm Barrel House
The early breweries Started in between 1989 and 1991, CooperSmith’s Pub & Brewing, New Belgium Brewing Co. and Odell Brewing Co. were the first to bring craft to town after a law changed in 1988, allowing breweries to make beer and sell it from their own tap room. “You have to give credit to them for producing intriguing products ... That really was the seed.” — Kirk Lombardi
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“Right off the bat, they became a high-quality place to be and celebrate our community, as opposed to just being businesses here.” — Linsey Cornish, head brewer at Horse & Dragon CSU’s Brewing Science course and Fermentation Science major The 10-year-old undergraduate course and two-year-old undergraduate degree program have churned out dozens of trained graduates into the local and national brewing workforce. “Now that that course is an actual program, we’re going to see more and more students coming out of that and into the industry.” — Linsey Cornish
The culture From bike paths to hiking trails and river rafting, the outdoorsy nature of Fort Collins residents just begs for a low-key alcoholic beverage to be paired with it. And so homebrewing has risen to the level of respected sport, supported by the camaraderie of a 1,500-memberstrong Liquid Poets Society. “Without the culture, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing; the homebrew culture behind (the brewing industry), access to Colin (Westcott) at (homebrew shop) Hops & Berries ... I was able to learn on a scale much different than if I was in a non-brew town.” — Matt Kriewall, co-owner and brewer at Rally King “We have an outdoor culture here, and beer goes great with all those adventures... (Beer) fits really well with our small-town, fun-loving community. I’d love to say that beer is a part of the reason why we have such a great community.” — Linsey Cornish
Bottles proceed along a conveyor belt after being rinsed at Odell Brewing Company Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, in Fort Collins, CO. Coloradoan Library
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Above: Hugo Caballero Jr. pours a King Margarita at La Buena Vida on Tuesday, in Fort Collins. The giant drink will be available this summer. Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan Right: Social barkeep Raffi Jergerian uses a torch to smoke peach and Earl Grey tea on Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, as he works at the new Old Town Fort Collins restaurant and bar. Coloradoan Library
11 ESSENTIAL FORT COLLINS BARS JOSIE SEXTON Originally published by the Coloradoan
I have friends who swear by the Friday night dance floor at Island Grill, one who prefers to start or end the night sitting alone at Trailhead and another who waxes poetic about the way Sliders always smells like standing water.
mances and pinball, and this cozy three-floor setup stands apart, literally and figuratively, on the south end of Old Town’s bar district.
Which is to say, the taste for certain bars over others is a very personal one.
You’ll find more than 200 wines in the Cafe Vino cellar, and twice-weekly opportunities to start trying them at both tastings and pairing dinners. A consistently good tapas-focused menu and a vibe that says you’re sitting in someone’s mother’s living room make this the perfect place to grab some girlfriends and share a bottle.
Here is my list of Fort Collins’ best bars by category. To preface, aside from a few standouts, you won’t see many restaurants represented (that’s its own list), or any alcohol makers (I left breweries off; they’re a whole other category.) And know that every watering hole I chose here was for two equally important reasons: They served good alcohol and they did it in a memorable setting.
Beer bar: Tap and Handle In an age of who can tap the most beers, Tap and Handle keeps their list ambitious but not over-the-top. Their 74 handles plus bottles are carefully chosen by owner and craft beer aficionado Jeff Willis. Throw in beer dinners, tastings, tap takeovers, regular live band perfor74 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
Wine bar: Cafe Vino
Cocktail bar: Social Also recognized by Wine Spectator for its list of 150 bottles, Social first and foremost stands apart for its menu of spirits and inspired craft cocktails. Tempting as it is to go back for the standards — G&T or Lavender Sour — don’t forget to check the menu or with your bartender for the latest seasonal offering. Feeling adventurous? Try the Dirty South, with sage spirit, Bloody Mary mix, lemon, habanero bitters, Creole spice and smoked sea salt. And, whenever possible, sit at the bar for a better view of all
11 essential Fort Collins bars
the smoking and zesting, as well as some perfectly personalized recommendations.
Pub: The Forge Nestled away in Old Firehouse Alley, The Forge is the type of place you can go to find your book club or a MeetUp group or just some random lumbersexual-types sitting at the bar after a long day of home brewing. With its creaking wood benches and relative isolation, it’s the perfect spot to get lost for a couple hours in a great beer and hopefully even better conversation. Just remember to bring cash and eat beforehand. And if you love the bar but wish you could also have a meal there, try the Forge’s full-kitchen sister joint in Loveland, The Laureate.
Margarita bar: La Buena Vida Last year, the family owners of Los Tarascos set their 20-something son loose on a second concept in south Fort Collins. With a pared-down menu and a sprucedup drink list, the youthful new La Buena Vida is worth a visit, even if you already have your go-to Fort Collins Mexican food and margarita spot. And if you’ve grown accustomed to those boozy house margs at Los Tarascos (remember, three’s the limit), try ordering from the “New Generations” list, with jalapeño, cucumber and celery varieties.
College+ bar: Road 34
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says “Make pour choices.”
Whiskey bar: William Oliver’s No one cares that they’re sitting in the middle of a strip center at William Oliver’s Publick House. This is the place that brought back the phrase “I’m going to the pub and then grocery shopping” into the Fort Collins vernacular. With it came other throwbacks, like the bacon pint, the bottomless cereal bar and the Chicago-style hot dog. Winter is the best time to come for whiskey tastings, classic whiskey cocktails and Hot Toddies. And, in the case of the latter, you can even call it a trip to the pub, the pharmacy and the supermarket. See? Errands finished.
Dive bar: Town Pump Come to the Pump for a burning tequila shot at the start of the night, a glass of burning moonshine in the middle of it or a handful of burning, booze-soaked cherries at the end. You get the drift. I’ve never found the staff here especially accommodating or friendly, but that kind of adds to the charm of a hole-in-the-wall that’s been around since before Prohibition. There are no credit cards and probably no space to sit down, but precisely for these reasons, you should walk in and order something you haven’t downed since freshman year of college: a Jell-O shot.
Perhaps the ultimate cliche of a Fort Collins bar on paper, Road manages to avoid that trap in practice by balancing the titles of bicycle shop and bar with an ease that borders on “We don’t give a damn.” In fact, the owners care a lot about the Campus West neighborhood; they’ve brought to us The Bar(cade) across the street, Jaws Sushi next door and, most recently, Three Four Beer Company around the corner. The original Road 34 remains the anchor of the businesses, reminding us of the power, albeit trite, of bikes, bands and beer in Fort Collins.
Music venue/bar: Downtown Artery
Community bar: Pour Brothers
New bar: Surfside 7
The guys behind Pour Brothers know community. After years in the hookah lounge business, they opened a bar that has singlehandedly brought regular nightlife back to Linden Street. Largely designed by a local woodworker and welder, the space is complete with a free photo booth, it’s home to game nights including bar-wide Cards Against Humanity and it regularly hosts NoCo nonprofits, offering up a portion of its drink sales as donations. Did I mention that for every meal sold, including the classic grilled cheese and tater-tots, another one is donated to the Food Bank for Larimer County? And to think that the sign over the door simply
After a move and a remodel, the new Surfside 7 is having the best possible kind of identity crisis. The jukebox swings from Chuck Berry to Bowie to Jay-Z. The dress code starts at Rockabilly and progresses all the way forward to modern hipster. The decor is surprisingly clean, space-age and sort of mid-century, and the pizza slices are still two hand-widths and oh-so-satisfying. Table service was almost nonexistent, but the bartenders were so nice and the prices so reasonable, they all but made up for it. If you haven’t found your bar in Fort Collins, come find yourself at this one or at least come help it grow into itself, whatever that may be.
After opening late last year, the Artery has become one of the best parties in this city. With musical acts ranging from EDM to ’90s DJs to acoustic duos, there’s a little something for everyone. You may feel a little old or young depending on the night, but usually the crowd at the Artery is multi-generational, dipping in and out of the intimate music hall and airy cafe, sipping on wine or craft beer and usually brooding over something seriously artistic in the bar area.
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EAT+DRINK
YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO FARMERS MARKETS JACOB LAXEN Originally published by the Coloradoan
The outdoor farmers market season is upon us. While the peak season of freshly picked produce is still months away, one Northern Colorado farmers market has already gotten started. “The dedicated vendors have been out for the dedicated customers,” said Nan Zimmerman, organizer of Drake Road Farmers Market that debuted for the season April 16. The other Northern Colorado markets are scheduled to follow suit soon, as vendors offer a variety of different products in addition to fresh fruits and vegetables. This summer will feature a local market five days a week — Mondays and Fridays are the only days without one scheduled. There will be an additional Saturday farmers market in Loveland this year, organized by the same vendors of the Tuesday market in the Hobby Lobby parking lot. The Tuesday market will also continue. Here’s your summer-long guide to Northern Colorado farmers markets, including each spot’s starting date:
Saturday markets Drake Road Farmers Market Where: 802 W. Drake Road, Fort Collins When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., started on April 16 Among the vendors: Mushroom Haus of Loveland grows its own mushroom fungi in addition to fresh produce. Morning Fresh Dairy of Bellvue sells farmfresh milk, chocolate milk and Noosa yogurt. Turtle Mountain Tea of Fort Collins sells kombucha tea, Korean kimchi and German sauerkraut. More information and full vendor list: www.drakeroadfarmersmarket.com
Larimer County Farmers Market Where: 200 W Oak St., Fort Collins (inside the Larimer County Courthouse parking lot) When: 8 a.m. to noon starting May 14 Among the vendors: MouCo Cheese Co. of Fort Collins sells award-winning soft-ripened cheeses. Cafe Richesse is a Fort Collins roaster that imports some of its coffee from a family
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farm in Brazil. Bones du Jour of Fort Collins caters to your pets, selling gourmet dog treats. More information and full vendor list: larimercountyfarmersmarket.colostate.edu/ index.shtml
Loveland Farmers Market Where: 3133 N Garfield Ave. (inside the Hobby Lobby parking lot) When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting June 4 Among the vendors:C&R Farms of Palisade offers tree-ripened fruit, including peaches, apples, pears, cherries and. Apricots. Papa Joe’s of Loveland sells raw honey. Sweet European Treats of Berthoud bakes European-inspired baked goods and offers different jellies and jams. More information and full vendor list: www.fortcollinsfm.com
Sunday markets Fort Collins Farmers Market Where: Parking lot of Ace Hardware, 1001 E. Harmony Road When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting May 1
Native Hill Farm produce is on display during the Larimer County Farmers' Market Saturday, May 23, 2015, in Old Town Fort Collins, CO. Coloradoan Library
Among the vendors: Great Harvest Bread Co. of Fort Collins sells fresh-made whole grain baked goods. Horsetooth Hot Sauce of Fort Collins offers hot sauces, barbecue sauces and bloody mary mixes. Agustina’s of Fort Collins has homemade salsas and tortillas. More information and full vendor list: www.fortcollinsfm. com
City of Loveland Farmers Market Where: 700 S. Railroad Ave., Loveland (Pavilions 1 and 2 at Fairgrounds Park) When: 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. starting June 26 Among the vendors: Zippity Zoo Barnyard of Loveland sells Hazel Dell mushrooms among other fresh produce. Hoffman Farms of Greeley has farm-fresh eggs. Wagon Wheel Smokehouse of Berthoud is selling jerkies as one of 10 new vendors to the market this year. More information and full vendor list:www.cityofloveland. org/index.aspx?page=686
Your guide to Northern Colorado farmers markets
Tuesday market
Ault sells apple and pear varieties.
Loveland Farmers Market
More information and full vendor list: www.fortcollinsfm.com
Where: 3133 N Garfield Ave. (inside the Hobby Lobby parking lot)
Thursday markets
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting June 7
Wellington Farmers Market
Among the vendors: Reliable Big Game Processing of Fort Collins sells elk, bison and beef summer sausages. Sunray Natural Farm of Fort Collins offers herbs and spices. Tortilla La Esmeralda of Greeley makes tamales, chips, salsas and tortillas. More information and full vendor list: www.fortcollinsfm.com
Wednesday market
Where: 3815 Harrison Ave. (Centennial Park) When: 4-8 p.m. starting June 2 Among the vendors: Memphis Ranch Meat Company of Carr raises bison meat. Ingrained Bakery of Wellington sells baked goods. AMaize’n of Fort Collins sells freshly popped kettle popcorns.
Fort Collins Farmers Market
More information and full vendor list: www. wellingtoncofarmersmarket.org
Where: Parking lot of Ace Hardware, 1001 E. Harmony Road
Estes Valley Farmers Market
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting June 15 Among the vendors: Royal Crest Dairy of Longmont sells farm-fresh milk. Homestead Ranch of Fort Collins offers goat milk, goat cheese, goat meat and soaps made out of goat milk. Masonville Orchards of
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Where: 107 MacGregor Ave., Estes Park (Bond Park next to the public library) When: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting June 2 More information: www.facebook. com/EstesValleyFarmersMarket
True Spoke coffee's Aaron Anderson pours a sample cup of coffee for a customer Saturday, April 18, 2015 at the Drake Road Farmers Market in Fort Collins, CO. Coloradoan Library
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Jay & Silent Bob Get Old
Russian National Ballet Theatre
Photo by Amy Guip
Broadway, comedy, concerts, dance, children’s shows… we’ve got it all!
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Whose Live Anyway?
Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live
970.221.6730
Ticket Office hours: 12-6 p.m., Tues - Sat 417 W. Magnolia St., Fort Collins, CO
ARTS+ LEISURE 80 Fort Collins guide for out-of-towners 82 Pianos About Town returns for new season 84 Lincoln Center 2016-17 season 86 Mishawaka changes to stay same 88 As time beats on, what’s next for the Holiday Twin? 91 ‘Masks’ brings art, community together in annual exhibition FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 79
ARTS+LEISURE
A walker strolls through the Oval at CSU on a rainy Saturday morning, May 9, 2015, in Fort Collins, CO. Coloradoan Library
FORT COLLINS GUIDE FOR OUT-OF-TOWNERS ERIN UDELL Originally published by the Coloradoan
Colorado State University This is obvious around graduation time seeing that you’ll already be on campus at some point, but try taking your visitors on a campus tour. Walk them through the Oval, take them to your least favorite lecture hall or cross College Avenue to show them the University Center of the Arts and the university’s Annual Flower Trial Garden.
cool pictures. For more information and a map, visit the Larimer County website.
The Mish
We have 17 of them, so you might as well check a few out. Hit up a tasting room or grab a beer and take it out on a patio at one of the many craft breweries in our growing scene. Check out a map of Fort Collins breweries in the Northern Colorado Brewery Guide.
Mishawaka Amphitheatre has been a part of the Poudre Canyon for nearly a century. And now, instead of just being a community dance hall, you can go grab some food at its restaurant or catch a band playing on its amphitheater overlooking the Poudre River. Thursday night open jams take place at 8 p.m. and the venue’s concert season opens 6 p.m. Saturday with Bonnie Paine and Daniel Rodriquez (of Elephant Revival) and Caribou Mountain Collective, who play at 8. You can also enjoy an evening with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood Sunday, with doors opening at 5 and the show starting at 6.
Horsetooth
Local restaurants
You can make a day of it by adventuring the trails in Horsetooth Mountain Open Space or just drive by Horsetooth Reservoir for some quick sightseeing and
There’s no doubt you’ll eat out with friends and family in town, so make a point of hitting up some popular local spots. Grab a coffee at Alley Cat Coffeehouse. Get
The breweries
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Fort Collins guide for out-of-towners
ARTS+LEISURE
People walk around the the Avery Building, located at 100 N. College Ave, in Fort Collins, Colo. on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. (Brian Smith / For The Coloradoan)
Left: Beer taps line the wall behind the bar at Tap and Handle Wednesday, March 30, 2016. Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan
movie theater on the western side of town (and the only one in Larimer County). The Holiday Twin shows movies on two screens May through September and is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights until opening to seven nights a week May 25, weather permitting.
The ‘A’
breakfast at Silver Grill Cafe, Lucile’s or Cafe Bluebird. Try a casual lunch at Choice City Butcher & Deli, Obee’s, Cafe Mexicali or Jim’s Wings. Or grab a slice at Pizza Casbah or sushi at Nimo’s.
The bike library If there’s one thing to know about Fort Collins, it’s that we love our bikes. So for out-of-town guests, let them get the full experience by renting bikes from the Fort Collins Bike Library and taking them around town. You can go online and easily reserve bikes for you and your crew at $10 a piece.
Holiday Twin Drive-In and The Lyric On those nights when you’ve eaten your fill and can’t think about another craft beer, try a movie instead. Fort Collins has two great offerings with the Lyric Cinema Cafe, an independent theater in Old Town, and The Holiday Twin Drive-In, a drive-in
It’s a time-honored tradition to hike the Fort Collins foothills to get to the “A” — a letter A painted on the side of the hill for the Aggies, CSU’s former mascot. It’s easy, fun and gives its hikers a good view of the city and Horsetooth Reservoir.
Old Town OK, also an obvious choice, but worth a spot all the same... Show visitors just how charming Fort Collins can be with Old Town’s quaint shops and abundant eateries. And, though Old Town Square in currently under construction, it’s still worth it to walk through our Oak Street Plaza and Old Town alleys.
Underground Old Town Show your guests a different side to the Choice City with local tour company Fort Collins Tours, which takes brave souls into Old Town’s haunted history and underneath its streets for weekend night ghost tours. If you’re not one for small spaces or adventure, try the company’s family-friendly historic ghost tour or Old Town brewery tour. Visit www. fortcollinstours.com for more information. FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 81
ARTS+LEISURE Gale Whitman paints the first piano of the season for Pianos About Town at Old Town Square on Thursday, May 19, 2016. Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan
PIANOS ABOUT TOWN RETURNS FOR NEW SEASON ERIN UDELL Originally published by the Coloradoan
82 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
At our first meeting, the piano at the southeast side of Old Town Square was less than impressive. Basic and brown, it looked like something that had been sitting in a church basement for years. But, while unpacking her paints and brushes on a splattered drop cloth nearby, local painter Gale Whitman saw something else. First it had to be primed, going from brown to white. Then the sky came, and then the grass and clouds. And, almost two weeks later, when Whitman packed up her brushes for good, the piano was officially done — now a slice of a sunny day, covered in multi-colored hot air balloons. Whitman’s piano, which was painted for all to see under the “Art in Action” tent in Old Town Square, was one of eight recently rolled out of hibernation in downtown Fort Collins. Over the course of the year, local artists will paint 13 pianos in total for the annual Pianos About Town program, a collaboration between Bohemian Foundation, the city’s Art in Public Places program, and the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority.
Pianos About Town returns for new season
A beloved interactive art installation, Pianos About Town started in Fort Collins in 2010 and has, since then, employed 40 local artists to paint 67 pianos. Of the pianos set to grace the alleys, corners, and squares of Fort Collins this year, designs will include an homage to Fort Collins with a mix of the city’s landscape and the Colorado flag design, a trippy deep space
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and the city’s South Transit Center. Some local businesses have also been known to essentially adopt the pianos, protecting them for the elements. “We’re excited to usher in another season of Pianos About Town,” Bohemian Foundation’s Music Programs Director Tom Scharf said in a news release. “The
... designs will include an homage to Fort Collins with a mix of the city’s landscape and the Colorado flag design, a trippy deep space design, and the image of two mermaids inspired by the artist’s daughter and her best friend. design, and the image of two mermaids inspired by the artist’s daughter and her best friend. Pianos used in the program are donated by community members and then moved, cleaned, tuned and prepped for painting in a space in downtown Fort Collins. Each artist dedicates two weeks to painting their piano downtown, weather permitting. Once finished, the pianos are entered into a rotation of Pianos About Town locations. Locations are generally kept secret to honor the program’s spontaneity, but vary from spots in Old Town to the Jessup Farm Artisan Village, Colorado State University’s Lory Student Center
program aims to bring together visual art and music on a public platform. We have wonderful things happening with music and art in Fort Collins. Pianos About Town is just one of many programs that showcase Fort Collins’ active creative communities.” The program’s pianos will be shuffled through the Pianos About Town location rotation Tuesday. Around 10 pianos are currently in the rotation. At the program’s peak this summer, there should be about 20, said Liz Good of the city’s Art in Public Places program. Whitman’s piano is on display near Jazz Alley in Old Town.
Gale Whitman paints the first piano of the season for Pianos About Town at Old Town Square on Thursday, May 19, 2016. Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan
FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 83
ARTS+LEISURE
LINCOLN CENTER 2016-17 SEASON ERIN UDELL Originally published by the Coloradoan
The Lincoln Center announced its 2016-17 season lineup Friday, bringing back several series of Broadway hits, dance performances, music and more. The center’s series include the Showstoppers Series, Anything Goes, Dance, the Imagination Series and Classical Convergence Series. Package tickets are on sale now and tickets for single shows will be available August 10. For more information, or to buy available tickets, visit LCtix.com.
Showstoppers Series Showstoppers pricing ranges from $39 to $68 per show and are $20 for discounted, but limited, “Big Deal” tickets. Dec. 1-3: “Rent,” the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning rock musical, which follows the lives of seven struggling artists and is written by Jonathan Larson, returns to the Lincoln Center on its 20th anniversary tour. Jan. 12-14: “Once,” a celebrated musical and winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards and the 2013 Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Theater Album, tells the story of an Irish musician and Czech immigrant brought together through music. April 27-29: “Pippin,” a hit Broadway musical and winner of four 2013 Tony Awards, brings acrobatics, magical feats, and music from the composer of “Wicked” to the Lincoln Center stage. The musical tells the tale of a young man at a crossroads, wondering whether to follow in the footsteps of his father or strike out on his own. 84 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
"Once," a celebrated musical and winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards and the 2013 Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Theater Album, tells the story of an Irish musician and Czech immigrant brought together through music. Courtesy of Lincoln Center and Joan Marcus
Anything Goes Series Anything Goes pricing ranges from $24 to $27 per show, and $15 for students and “Big Deal” tickets. Oct. 9: “The Capitol Steps”
Classical Convergence Series Classical Convergence pricing ranges from $10 for students per show to $22 for regular tickets. Sept. 20: Duo1804 Oct. 12: Dalí Quartet Nov. 11: Paul Huang
Feb. 9: “One Man Star Wars”
Feb. 2: Cantus: No Greater Love Than This
April 13: “Che Malambo”
March 1: Third Coast Percussion
Dance Series
March 26: Sir James Galway
Dance Series pricing ranges from $30 to $33 per show, $16.50 for students and $15 for “Big Deal” tickets. Oct. 1: “MOMIX: Opus Cactus” Feb. 15: “Russian National Ballet Theatre: Swan Lake, and Complexions” March 22: “Complexions”
Imagination Series Imagination Series pricing ranges from $11 to $16 per show. Oct. 29: Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live
May 5: Borromeo String Quartet
Additional Shows Sept. 22: “An Evening With Pat Metheny” Sept. 29: “Whose Live Anyway?” Oct. 15: Colbie Caillat Nov. 10: The Summit: The Manhattan Transfer Meets Take 6 Dec. 13: “Jay & Silent Bob Get Old” Dec. 20: Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”
Feb. 25: Illstyle & Peace Productions
Jan. 22: The HillBenders present “Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry”
April 8: Next Generation Leahy
March 8: Art Garfunkel
FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 85
ARTS+LEISURE Mishawaka Amphitheatre offers shows along the river. Or you can stop in for food and drink. Coloradoan Library
MISHAWAKA CHANGES TO STAY SAME ERIN UDELL Originally published by the Coloradoan
100 years ago, 25 miles from Fort Collins on a road newly-chiseled out of the mountains by convicts, Walter Thompson saw something no one else did. He’d gone on a motorcycle ride up the newly-opened Poudre Canyon Highway in February 1916 — a day that felt more like June, he wrote in his account of the trip. About 13 miles up the canyon, he found himself in a riverside spot surrounded by pine, spruce and cedar trees. “A wonderful spring gushed from the mountain side and rippled like sweet music as it worked its way over the rocks into the river,” he wrote. “I found myself with a longing to stay there.” Within 48 hours, the Fort Collins music shop owner had begun pursuing the 160 acres of government-owned mountain
daughter of a Shawnee chief who fell in love with a white fur trapper. He called it Mishawaka.
A new era One century later, Thompson’s vision still stands as a sort of social center of the Poudre Canyon. The site’s ownership has changed hands over the decades and was most recently sold in 2010 to Fort Collins culture booster Dani Grant and her husband Matt Hoeven, who also own Chipper’s Lanes. Grant, recalling the history of the Mishawaka, said Thompson and his wife, Alma, who were both musicians, created the inn as a community center with a house band, square dances and potlucks.
“It is one of the most incredible places to see music in the country and while, you know, maybe it wasn’t being run at its highest and best use, it’s still this place that people loved.” land. He homesteaded the place he’d fallen so in love with — spending seven months out of the year away from his wife and two daughters. After three years of tireless and lonely work, his riverside retreat was finished, complete with cabins, a general store, dance pavilion and apple orchard. Formerly of Indiana, Thompson named his new resort after a town he used to live in. According to legend, it got its name from a Native American princess, the 86 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
“It always had music as a part of it,” Grant said of the 950-capacity music venue whose stage — built against the backdrop of the river in the 1970s — has attracted artists such as Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Ziggy Marley, Atmosphere and The Lumineers. Before this season, Z2 Entertainment took over as the talent buying agency for the Mishawaka in an effort to diversify the venue’s lineup, typically heavy with jam band and bluegrass acts, Grant said.
The Mishawaka is for everyone, and should be able to appeal to everyone in the community, she said. This year’s lineup has hip hop group EPMD, country singer Ryan Bingham and up-and-coming indie-rock band Lord Huron shining through as departures from the norm. The concert season opened with local “newgrass” band Head for the Hills and California’s folk blues Chris Robinson Brotherhood. While live music has almost always been a part of the Mishawaka, former owner Jim Corr made the changes that made the Mishawaka a destination for touring bands. Now 68 and living in Fort Collins, Corr and his wife poured their lives into the business. After owning it for a summer, Corr decided to clear the apple orchard and build the venue’s stage by hand with rough cut lumber at the urging of area musical staple Rod Seeley. The next summer, Seeley came back with his band, “and that was the beginning of the Mishawaka,” Corr said, adding that the 1970s was the first time the Mishawaka started booking real acts. Corr said he even got help from legendary music promoter Barry Fey, who brought The Rolling
Mishawaka changes to stay same
Stones and Elton John to Fort Collins. “Looking back it was all a blur,” Corr said of the 20 years he spent owning, managing and renovating the Mish.
‘A labor of love’ Starting in the late 1990s, Robin Jones — then the owner — talked about selling the legendary venue, with a Denver Post article speculating on whether the summer of 1999 would be the Mishawaka’s last. The U.S. Forest Service had showed interest in buying the Mishawaka, razing its structures and replacing it with a launch for rafters and kayakers. At the time, Jones wanted to free himself up to build a 10,000-seat amphitheater off of Trilby Road. But he couldn’t agree with the forest service on a sale price for the Mishawaka. An appraisal of the venue came in at $575,000, about a quarter of what he thought the land was worth. It remained a music venue and restaurant, however, for the next 10 years, until Jones — embroiled in legal issues after being arrested for growing and selling marijuana out of the Mish and his Bellvue home — seriously pursued the sale.
Grant said Jones called her about it in July 2010. “He said, ‘I’m serious, let’s talk,’” she said, adding that she had first entertained the idea of buying the Mishawaka around 2005 or 2006 after spending more time at the venue for her local music nonprofit, SpokesBUZZ. Grant said an unnamed financial backer ultimately came through to help with the purchase and the deal was done in December 2010. “This place is known nationally,” Grant said. “It is one of the most incredible places to see music in the country and while, you know, maybe it wasn’t being run at its highest and best use, it’s still this place that people loved.”
Community centered Sitting at the Mishawaka restaurant on a misty weekday morning, there are only two or three people. In the off season, it’s typically open on weekends, but a few weeks ago it opened for its seven-day-aweek summer schedule. It’s quiet, with occasional sounds from the kitchen acting as background music to the sight of the rushing river outside.
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Framed and signed pictures of local bands and national acts — even one of Chuck Norris — line the walls. “If they’re on the wall, they’ve been here,” a bartender says from across the restaurant. Hovering near the bar, staff members talk about the regulars that come in and point to a spot on the wall where a letter from High Park firefighters was once framed. Back in 2012, when the fire burned so close to the Mishawaka that you can still see the scorched rocks just across the river, firefighters stood on its porch with hoses battling the blaze. They saved it and left the letter signed, “Long Live the Mish.” Grant says after almost losing the venue to the High Park Fire, she received so many calls, letters and emails that showed that even after almost 100 years, the Mishawaka was still the communitycentric place Walter Thompson envisioned. “They said, you know, ‘I met my wife there when I was at CSU,’ or ‘I remember the first time I went up the canyon and found the Mishawaka,’” she said. “That’s when Matt and I realized we don’t own this place,” she added. “It’s not ours, we’re just the caretakers.” FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 87
ARTS+LEISURE
AS TIME BEATS ON, WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE HOLIDAY TWIN? ERIN UDELL Originally published by the Coloradoan
In 1979, a Utah pilot looking for an investment across state lines flew his plane to the Fort Collins foothills. Wes Webb bought and sold small aircraft, but he also owned several drive-in movie theaters in his home state at the time. Looking for a way to justify writing his plane off on his taxes, he looked for another property to snatch up outside of Utah. So, after a friend told him about a potential sale, he landed in Fort Collins to see a man about a drive-in, the Holiday Twin Drive-In to be exact, which had been on the rural western edge of Fort Collins for 11 years, originally called The Starlight. “The guy said, ‘What I really want is just your airplane,’” Webb’s wife Stephanie Webb said, adding at that time the plane was probably valued at between $50,000 and $70,000. So he made the trade. One less airplane for one more drive-in – a sprawling 22acre plot of undeveloped land originally called The Starlight and nestled at the base of the foothills. It was the last drivein Webb purchased and the only one he hasn’t sold. And after 37 years of ownership, and almost 50 years in business, the Holiday Twin has held its own, weathering the multiplex indoor theaters of the 1980s, overcoming the politics of movie buying and riding the wave of surging sales as nostalgia cements the country’s surviving drive-ins as indispensable relics of roadside America. 88 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
Set to open for its 48th season this month — a March 25 opening was foiled by a surprise spring snowstorm — the Holiday Twin remains the only drive-in theater in the area, one of six left in Colorado and one of 348 left in the country, according to the National Association of Theater Owners. But the question always lingers: How much longer will we have the drive-in? When will we stop being the exception and start being the rule?
How things have changed “In 1979, Fort Collins, as you know, was a pretty small town,” Stephanie Webb said. “There wasn’t a house, there was nothing west of Shields. It looked like this was a great place for the drive-in.” And while that’s the case for most driveins across the country, those once-undeveloped areas have started being closed in on by sprawling growth and tempted to sell because of soaring land values. A small strip of land directly to the south of the Holiday Twin remains the last undeveloped stretch in the area — land across Overland Trail west of the theater includes CSU’s Hughes Stadium and the city-owned Pine Ridge Natural Area — but it won’t stay that way for long. Colorado Springs-based development company The Landuis Company, through its entity Lorson South Land Corp., purchased the 18-acre parcel that starts south of the drive-in’s driveway and extends to Drake Road back in July for $1.4 million.
FORT COLLINS’ DRIVE-IN HISTORY The Fort Collins area had, at one point, three drive-in movie theaters. In the mid-1960s, the Pines Drive-in opened south of Fort Collins on the west side of Highway 287 near County Road 30. It closed in the mid1980s. The Holiday Twin Drive-In opened as The Starlight in 1968 and The Sunset Drive-In used to be located on Stuart Street near Indian Hills Circle.
It’s currently in the process of being annexed into the city, with a planning and zoning meeting to consider it on April 7. Called Mountain’s Edge, the subdivision will include 51 single family homes directly abutting the existing single family homes to it’s east and 21 multi-family dwellings, with plans to build nine units per acre, according to a conceptual review application for the project and president of The Landuis Company, Jeff Mark. It will also include a park on its southern side. “That’s probably the biggest threat we’ve ever faced, is that piece,” Stephanie Webb
As time beats on, what’s next for the Holiday Twin?
ARTS+LEISURE
Coloradoan Library
security staff of nine, keeping the crowds safe and keeping noise down in the area is a top priority. Mary Kinney, who’s west Fort Collins home backs up to the drive-in’s land, has lived there since 1986 and said she’s never had a problem with it. “If we didn’t like it, we’d move,” she said. “We were here first, but in this day and age, that’s neither here nor there,” Webb added. “You know, we all have to get along.” Above: Sam Woffort, left, and Benjamin Nortey, both 5, find a comfortable seat on the bed of a pickup as the sun sets and the previews begin at the Holiday Twin Drive-In. Coloradoan Library Right: The site of the Holiday Twin in 1966, two years before it was built as the Starlight Drive-in. The Archive at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
said. “We’ve always had the luxury of no houses on either side (of the road) so on Saturday nights, when we’re playing the hottest movies of the summer, all three of those lanes are full of cars, plus the cars go all the way down to Drake and sometimes even further (waiting to get in).” “Now, if you take that piece of ground and make it a neighborhood, with traffic coming in and out, houses and that whole piece is cornered by idling cars waiting to come into the drive-in...can you see the unintended consequences that would happen for us?” Webb continued. “I do not in any way begrudge someone develop-
ing their property. I’m all for it. But I also recognize that the writing’s probably on the wall for the drive-in.” Mark, of The Landuis Company, said he has no concerns over the close proximity of the drive-in, except maybe for potential noise issues. Webb says she and Wes work hard to make sure the Holiday Twin is a good neighbor. Sandwiched on three sides by housing developments, she said they consistently turn down requests for groups or organizations to use the land during the day for different events. And with a
The sentimental side As development continues on the city’s west side, Webb says she and her husband have had offers from developers. Some are serious, others aren’t. The most recent one was back in 2010 for $3.5 million. But they’ve turned them down and, since then, Webb says, it’s been fairly quiet. Wes Webb originally bought his driveins as investments — “big pieces of ground that make money,” Stephanie Webb said. He then intended to sell them as the land appreciated, which it did. When Stephanie and Wes got married in 1997, they owned six drive-ins: five in Utah and the Holiday Twin. In two summers, they sold three, one of which was in Ogden, Utah. On its closing weekend, Stephanie Webb said her husband was bombarded as car after car came in and stopped to talk to him. “People crying, people telling him stories of their childhood, people begging him to change his mind,” Stephanie Webb said. “Well, it was done... But he came home after that and he said to me, ‘Whatever ends up being the last drive-in with be the drive-in I don’t sell.’ And I said, ‘Why’s that?’ and he said, ‘Because I don’t think I can go through this anymore.’” FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 89
ARTS+LEISURE
As time beats on, what’s next for the Holiday Twin?
Fort Collins’ drive-in history The Fort Collins area had, at one point, three drive-in movie theaters. In the mid1960s, the Pines Drive-in opened south of Fort Collins on the west side of Highway 287 near County Road 30. It closed in the mid-1980s. The Holiday Twin Drive-In opened as The Starlight in 1968 and The Sunset Drive-In used to be located on Stuart Street near Indian Hills Circle. Webb also said she asked her husband which one he thought would be the final hold out. “I think it will be the Holiday Twin,” he responded. And it did. Out of six, in the early 2000s, Webb’s last purchase became the last one left. “And I said to him in 2002, ‘That’s it, they’re all gone but the Holiday Twin,’” Stephanie Webb said. To which her husband replied, “I know, I guess the community of Fort Collins will tell us when it’s time to sell.”
“I like to tell the story that over a martini, Wes made a bet with him,” Webb said. “He said to him, ‘Give me a picture that you’re giving to the indoor houses — a first-run picture — and I bet you I can beat your indoor houses.’” “So the guy said, ‘well, you know, I’ll try it.’ He said, ‘We’ve got this new film coming out called ‘Top Gun’ and we’ll see what it can do.’” The movie, which was released in the summer of 1986 and became the highest grossing film of that year, proved Wes Webb right. He brought in more ticket sales than Fort Collins’ indoor theaters combined. “Now we get everything we want,” Stephanie Webb said. “We can be picky, which is fun.” But, back in the 1980s, times were still tough. Cable television cut into the market and they had lost their appeal for most. The Holiday Twin Drive-In was on the market for a time, but the price was never good enough to sell, Stephanie Webb said.
“Wes, he just laughs because he'll have people come up and say, ‘I came here when I was six years old and you were in the box office and now my kids are six years old.’” “And, so far, they’ve never told us it was time to sell,” she said. In their hey day, drive-ins were marketed as a cost-effective, family-friendly outing where you could just come as you were. Kids in pajamas, smokers and moms in curlers were all welcome to see a movie from the comfort of their own car, according to a 2003 article in the former US Airways Attache magazine. And in the wake of the war, with, “a rising car culture and baby boom,” the number of drive-ins exploded. But times changed. In the 1980s, there was a move from drive-ins to indoor multiplexes and drive-ins had to fight for top-run films. Since drive-ins made up such a small portion of box office proceeds, film companies treated them accordingly and they were generally stuck with lower-tier and raunchy movies while indoor theaters got first-run pictures. Stephanie Webb recalls when that turned around for the Holiday Twin. At a convention for theater owners, Webb said her husband met the western representative for Paramount Pictures. 90 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
A labor of love “Behind every drive-in you’re going to find one person driving it, you know, keeping it there,” he said. Now with first-run movies that run anywhere from weeks to months, hundreds of cars fill the lots in front of both screens on a given summer weekend night for the Holiday Twin's double features, complete with the 50s-era cartoon of dancing pickles and hot dogs at intermission time — "if I didn't play the hot dog thing, there's be a riot," Webb joked. "It's nostalgic," Webb said. "It's a sense of community." "Wes, he just laughs because he'll have people come up and say, 'I came here when I was six years old and you were in the box office and now my kids are six years old.'" "We understand that people love the drive-in and we know that this is a piece of Americana that can never come back," Webb added. "Once it's gone, it's gone. We're not going to build another Holiday Twin."
ARTS+LEISURE
Guests enjoy Eat+Drink's first Palate-Pleasing Pairings presented by The Group Inc., Real Estate at the Fort Collins Museum of Art on Tuesday, April 12, 2016. Erika Moore/The Coloradoan
‘MASKS’ BRINGS ART, COMMUNITY TOGETHER IN ANNUAL EXHIBITION ERIN UDELL Originally published by the Coloradoan
There’s a CSU fan in sunglasses, a woman wearing a headwrap, a skeleton with antlers, and faces painted like dreamy landscapes and starry night scenes, wrapped in different textures and painted different colors. Not one is alike. “That’s the thing that’s so wonderful, when you see all the masks in one place,” Fort Collins Museum of Art Executive Director Lisa Hatchadoorian said of the museum’s biggest annual exhibition and fundraiser, “Masks,” which ran this year from April 1 to May 6. “Over the years it’s changed and morphed from a fundraiser to both a fundraiser and a community event,” Hatchadoorian said. This year marked the exhibit’s 12th, and another year of collecting masks that all start the same way: as blank, white, ceramic masks. They’re then painted, penciled, drawn on or altered in any way — transformed completely by artists across Northern Colorado. This year, there were 206 masks submitted by 216 artists. The masks are sold as part of the museum’s in-gallery silent auction, which raises funds for the museum’s signature fundraising campaign of the year. Masks sell, on average, anywhere from $50 to $500, Hatchadoorian said, calling the $500 to $1,000 range “rare territory.” Last year, the exhibition, through silent and live
auctions, gala proceeds and sponsorships, brought in $153,000 for the museum, according to Hatchadoorian. Also last year, a mask made by local artist and graphic designer Bob Coonts sold for $7,000, shattering the previous record. Beyond the thousand-dollar masks, there are the ones that will sell for $50. You don’t have to be a working artist, or have formal training to submit a mask by any means. “Obviously, for the fundraising part, (“Masks”) gives us a third of our operating costs, but also just on the community level, it really kind of throws open the door of the museum to really cultivate the creativity in our community,” Hatchadoorian said. Halfway through the exhibition’s one-month run, the museum hosts a gala celebration to pay tribute to the person selected as the “Masks” honorary chair. This year, that was Michael Powers, whose association with FCMOA started in the 1980s when he was a part of the group that worked to rescue the former downtown post office building — now home to the museum — from being demolished. The grand gala, called “Carnevale di Venezia,” took place April 22, 2016 at the Embassy Suites Hotel and conference center in Loveland. FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 91
Providing a legacy of service to the Fort Collins community since 1966.
fcgov.com/recreator
Auxiliary aids and services are available for persons with disabilities. V/TDD: Dial 711 for Relay Colorado.
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94 Regional network of trails in sight 96 Bike to the breweries 98 5 great Northern Colorado wildflower hikes 100 How to build yourself a back-country survival kit 102 Forget 14ers: Smaller Colorado mountains to hike, climb 104 Top five Fort Collins hikes, outdoor destinations for kids FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO ÂŤ 93
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REGIONAL NETWORK OF TRAILS IN SIGHT
People enjoy a break from the winter weather on the Poudre Trail near Old Town on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, in in Fort Collins, Colo. (Photo by Brian Smith / For The Coloradoan)
JACY MARMADUKE Originally published by the Coloradoan
What was once a patchwork of isolated trails is in the home stretch of truly becoming a regional network connecting Fort Collins to Loveland and Greeley. It’s just a matter of time — and money — before cyclists and pedestrians will be able to travel between Northern Colorado’s three major cities without taking to the streets. Three regional projects are in the works, in varying stages of completion: A 2.2-mile addition to the Colorado Front Range Trail will connect Fort Collins’ eastern portion of the Fossil Creek Trail to the Loveland Recreation Trail when it’s finished in late 2016. The 4.4-mile Long View Corridor Trail will connect Fort Collins’ western portion of the Fossil Creek Trail with the Loveland Recreation Trail when it’s finished in summer or fall 2017. 94 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
Regional network of trails in sight
The Poudre Trail will connect Fort Collins to Greeley when its three remaining gaps are filled, but it’s unclear when that will happen. The Poudre Trail runs 39 miles with 5 to 6 miles of gaps along the way. If Larimer County can bridge those gaps, the Poudre Trail would be the longest paved trail in Northern Colorado, Larimer County natural resources specialist Jeffrey Boring said. “It comes down to access and safety,” he said. “In practice, the trail is two separate trails, an eastern portion in Fort Collins and a western portion in Greeley. The idea is to unite it as one trail. It could be a tourist destination and the backbone of a larger trail system.” Two of the gaps — one just west of Interstate 25 at Arapahoe Bend Natural Area and one east of the interstate from Stonefly Drive in Timnath to River Bluffs Open Space near Windsor — run across private land, so partners need to negotiate with landowners. The other gap is more difficult because the trail would need to pass under Interstate 25. The plan is to raise and widen the interstate’s Poudre River Bridge so the trail can wind underneath it, but the Colorado Department of Transportation missed out on a hoped-for federal grant. “We’re working with all the partners involved to keep this project a priority,” Boring said. “The big challenge there is funding.” Raising the bridge is estimated to cost as much as $30 million. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has designated the
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Poudre Trail as a “16 for 2016” priority project. It’s considered part of the Colorado Front Range Trail, an effort launched in 2003 to create a multipurpose trail from Wyoming to Mexico. The “16 for 2016” designation doesn’t come with any funding, but Great Outdoors Colorado, the nonprofit that invests lottery proceeds in state parks, trails and nature, has earmarked $10 million for these projects based on applications. As for already-funded trail projects, construction on the Front Range Trail section connecting Fort Collins to Loveland will begin this summer. The paved, shared-use trail will run from Fossil Creek Trail at Carpenter Road near Lemay Avenue in Fort Collins to Boyd Lake State Park in Loveland. The project is projected to cost more than $1 million: $450,000 comes from a Colorado Department of Transportation grant, $350,000 from a Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife grant, and the rest will be split among Fort Collins, Loveland and Larimer County. Construction of the Long View Corridor Trail will take longer and cost more because it’s double the length. It will cost $3 million to build; two-thirds comes from two grants, with the rest of the cost split among Fort Collins, Loveland and Larimer County. The paved, shared-use trail will connect Fossil Creek Trail east of Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area and the Larimer County Landfill to a new natural area at the northeast corner of 57th Street and Taft Avenue in Loveland.
A girl rides her skate board on a trail next to the pond in Fossil Creek Park Tuesday afternoon Aug. 12, 2014. Coloradoan Library
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Bikes are lined up at Odell Brewing Company Thursday, May 5, 2016. Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan
BIKE TO THE BREWERIES STEPHEN MEYERS Originally published by the Coloradoan
The quintessential Fort Collins day trip combines two of the city’s biggest loves: bikes and beer. With 20 craft breweries and more than 30 miles of bike trails, a Fort Collins brewery tour by bike is a perfect pairing. Here’s how to plan your self-guided bike tour. But proceed with caution: The tour is best enjoyed on a weekend without a festival filling up the heart of Fort Collins. First: The bike Don’t have a bike for your friends and family who are visiting? No problem. The recently launched Fort Collins Bike Share will hook you up with a ride. Visit the Fort Collins Bike Share headquarters at the Downtown Transit Center, 250 N. Mason St. There, chat with Bike Fort Collins staff who will provide you a map of Fort Collins’ bike trails, and you can get a helmet. Bikes are provided by Zagster, and can be checked out using the smartphone app. 96 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
BIKE BREWERY TOUR TIPS CHUG THAT WATER: You’ll be exercising and drinking beer, two ingredients for dehydration. Avoid drunkenness by pounding the water between beers. THIS ISN’T A SPRINT: The goal isn’t to squeeze in as many brewery visits as possible into one tour. You’re not at a college party. Pace yourself. RIDE SAFELY: Be aware of bicycle DUI laws, and be conscientious to avoid collisions and crashes. Be alert, and obey all traffic laws. Ready for your next adventure? Try a route along the Mason Trail, stopping by Black Bottle Brewery, 1933 Brewing Co., and Zwei Brewing.
Bike to the breweries
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You can also check out a bike at the bike-share stations at New Belgium or Odell Brewery Purchase a day pass for $7. Once you’ve purchased a pass, you may take unlimited free 30 minute trips between bike-share stations. Trips over 30 minutes are $2/ hour, with a maximum daily fee of $18. Next: The classic route With so many breweries in town, there are many routes you can take — hitting three to four breweries at a time. Whichever route you choose, plan for about three to four hours and 3-6 miles of biking. The go-to brewery route hits three of Fort Collins’ most notable and popular spots: New Belgium Brewery, Odell Brewery and Fort Collins Brewery. These three, located within 1 mile of each other, offer a good sampling of beer and an easy, scenic bike ride connected via the Poudre Trail. New Belgium: Home of Fat Tire and one of the largest craft breweries in the country, New Belgium is a must for your out-of-town guests. The brewery just opened its new beer garden and tasting room earlier this month. If you want to take a 90-minute brewery tour, book up to two months in advance at www.newbelgium.com/Brewery/tasting-room/ visitus/tour-calendar. Odell: From New Belgium, ride your bike down Linden Street where you hook up with the scenic Poudre Trail that follows the Poudre River. The Poudre Trail connects with Lincoln Avenue, where you’ll ride on the street for 3/4 mile to Odell Brewery, home to one of Fort Collins’ best patios and a robust taproom. Fort Collins: After indulging in the large selection at Odell, ride the short 1/4 mile to Fort Collins Brewery, your final destination. Here, lunch awaits at the brewery’s tavern, offering a full menu of sandwiches and burgers (try the Cuban), soups and salads and big plates. You’ll need the food before your journey home.
A beer is on display at Fort Collins Brewery, which on Monday celebrated the debut of its new canning line. A beer at Fort Collins Brewery. Coloradoan Library
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5 GREAT NORTHERN COLORADO WILDFLOWER HIKES STEPHEN MEYERS Originally published by the Coloradoan
Seeing wildflowers along the trail is one of the joys of hiking Colorado trails during the summer. With a wet spring and healthy snowpack, this season’s wildflower season should be a spectacular show, especially in the mountains. The show is already underway at area trails like Horsetooth Falls and Pawnee National Grasslands. Tundra-area wildflowers will really start to popping in late June and July. For one of the best displays in the state, head to Crested Butte on the Western Slope this summer. There, you’ll find rolling fields full of beautiful wildflowers. Closer to home, you have many options to see wildflowers, from Lory State Park to the Poudre Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Park. Here are five of the top local places to view wildflowers and their stellar color display.
Well Gulch Nature Trail Why go: Good for families, this 1.5mile loop is an easy hike, lush with vegetation. You’ll find wild rose, boulder raspberry, penstemon, evening primrose, spiderwort, western wallflower, lupine and lots plenty more here while enjoying the soothing sound of the creek and small waterfall along the trail. For more fun in Lory State Park, do the popular 98 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
hike to Arthur’s Rock at 6,780 feet. You’ll find many more wildflowers dotting the 1.7-mile trail. Prime time: June Where: Lory State Park. Take Overland Trail north to Larimer County Road 50E (Bingham Hill Road). Go west on Bingham Hill Road to County Road 23. Turn left and go 1.4 miles south to Larimer County 25G. Take a right and drive 1.6 miles to the Lory State Park entrance. Follow the road south until you see the sign for the trail. $7 for daily pass
Ouzel Falls Why go: On the southwest corner of Rocky Mountain National Park, this easy 2.7-mile trail has flower power from late June through August with nearly 80 different wildflowers, including wild rose, calypso orchid, harebell, penstemon, columbine, Indian paintbrush and locoweed. This hike is a must-do, regardless of wildflowers, anyway as you’ll get to see three beautiful waterfalls, including Copeland and Ouzel Falls and Calypso Cascades. Prime time: Mid-July Wildflowers grow along the Well Gulch nature trail at Lory State Park Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014. Coloradoan Library
5 great Northern Colorado wildflower hikes
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Wildflowers grow along the Well Gulch Trail in Lory State Park Wednesday, May 25, 2016. The trail follows along rock walls and wetland area for 1.5 miles. Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan
Where: From Estes Park, head south on Colorado Highway 7 about 14 miles to the Wild Basin Entrance Station to Rocky Mountain National Park. From the entrance station, drive another 2 miles inside the park to the trailhead. $20 for daily pass.
Cub Lake/The Pool loop Why go: To get the full beauty, do the entire 6.2-mile loop where you may see up to 80 wildflower species. Calypso orchids will bloom in June; look for them one-quarter mile east of The Pool. Wood lilies can be found at the beaver ponds in early July. Yellow pond lilies can be seen on Cub Lake in July. On your way to Cub Lake you’ll hike through terrain scarred by the 2012 Fern Lake Fire. Prime time: Mid-June-early July Where: From the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station, go 0.1 mile west to Bear Lake Road and make a left. Follow Bear Lake Road 1.2 miles to Moraine Park Road and turn right (look for signs for Moraine Park Campground). This road follows the north side of Moraine Park for a half-mile to another junction. At this junction, turn left (south) toward the Fern Lake and Cub Lake Trailheads. Cub Lake Trailhead is about 1.2 miles from this point. Spaces are limited. $20 for daily pass.
Ute Trail Why go: Another Rocky Mountain National Park gem, this 4.5-mile trail along Trail Ridge Road is located at 11,000 feet and is one of the best tundra wildflower hikes. It includes alpine forget-me-nots, wallflower, phlox, sandwort and old man on the mountain. Prime time: Mid-July Where: From the Beaver Meadows Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, continue on U.S. Highway 34 (Trail Ridge Road) for 17 miles to the Alpine Visitor Center. $20 for daily pass.
Blue Lake Why go: This popular hike near Cameron Pass in the Roosevelt National Forest boasts nearly 100 wildflowers along the trail, including larkspur, fireweed, geranium, goldenrod and paintbrush. The lake is as beautiful as the wildflowers. Enjoy the scenic canyon drive along the Poudre River. Prime time: Mid-June-late July Where: Take U.S. Highway 287 north for 10 miles to Colorado Highway 14. Take Highway 14 west for 53.3 miles to the Blue Lake Trailhead parking lot on your right. Free. FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 99
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HOW TO BUILD YOURSELF A BACK-COUNTRY SURVIVAL KIT STEPHEN MEYERS Originally published by the Coloradoan
You’re cold, hungry, dehydrated and lost. Are you prepared to survive a night in the Colorado backcountry? Larimer County Search and Rescue manager Don Davis shares his go-to tips for winter recreation preparation. From what to pack in your survival kit to what to do if you’re lost and how to build a shelter, Davis has you covered. But before you even leave home, wear and pack the correct clothing and bring your survival kit, tell someone where you are going. “Searches become much more difficult if no one knows where you are supposed to be,” Davis said. Let someone know the route you’ll be taking and when you expect to return. With today’s social media, there’s no excuse for not telling people where you’ll be, Davis said. Do a quick post on Facebook or Twitter, or send a text to a friend.
Survival kits Even if you’re going out for a one-hour hike, snowshoe walk or cross-country ski tour, you need to be prepared to spend the night. According to LCSAR, the average time it takes to find a lost person in Larimer County is 12 hours. “It’s best to be prepared for a minimum of 24 hours. This means extra food and water, and you have to adjust your kit based on where you’re going and the seasons,” Davis said. There are five elements to a survival kit: shelter, fire, water, signal and food. In addition, you’ll need first-aid supplies. Shelter: Purchase a sheet of 4 millimeter polyethylene plastic at the hardware store, cut it into a 100 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
How to build yourself a back-country survival kiT
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10-foot by 10-foot section, and you have the beginnings of a bare minimum shelter, Davis said. With 50 feet of parachute cord and a knife, you’ll be able to construct a diverse shelter for the changing conditions. Building a shelter to protect yourself from wind and snow is your first step if you’re lost. For a winter kit, bring a snow shovel. Fire: A good fire-starting kit should include strike-anywhere matches, fire starters like lighters or flint and steel, and materials for tinder. For your tinder, Davis suggests one of the oldest tricks in the book: several cotton balls coated in Vaseline. The Vaseline (petroleum jelly) is flammable and makes the fire burn longer. They should light with just one spark. Dryer lint also makes good tinder. Water: You can live only about three days without water. Though that mountain stream may looking inviting, you don’t want to drink raw water. Purifying water is key. Bringing the water to a rolling boil for about 3 minutes is the most certain way of killing all microorganisms. Pack a small metal cup or pot to use for boiling. Fortunately during winter, snow is a great resource. Find fresh, clean-looking snow for the safest results. Portable water micro-filtration systems and iodine tablets are also options. Hot liquid in a thermos goes a long way for warming up your spirits and body. Signal: Signaling devices like a whistle, signal mirror and flashlight are all good
IF YOU’RE LOST If you become lost, remember an acronym favored by the Wilderness Emergency Response Institute — STOP: stop, think, observe, plan. STOP: Hug a tree. It’s easier for rescuers to find you near your original line of travel. Count to 10, drink some water or eat a little food. You’ll gain a fresh perspective to help you better assess your situation. THINK: Where were you when you were last certain of your location? Can you navigate back to that point? Can you hear or see helpful landmarks like a road or trail? OBSERVE: Put your senses on full alert. Picture in your mind all of the distinctive features you spotted as you came to your current position. PLAN: If you are with others, talk over a plan. If not, it can be useful to say the plan out loud as if you were explaining it to someone else. Draw attention to yourself through noise or signals. Pull out your survival gear, build a shelter, build a fire and wait, if necessary.
options to have in a pack. And a cellphone. Hang glowing light sticks from your camp. A fire’s glow also serves as a signaling device. For what it’s worth, helicopter pilots who aid search and rescue missions say they can easier spot people wearing multi-colored clothing. Regarding cellphones: Charge it on the way to the trailhead, try calling or sending a text to someone once you arrive at the trailhead and then turn it off. If lost, attempt to call 911. You may not have service, but law enforcement, using cellphone forensics with data from your phone carrier, can triangulate your location using cellphone towers that your phone has pinged. Food: Davis’ big rule is to not eat anything you have not brought with you. Identifying wild edibles is incredibly difficult, Davis said. Many wild berries and mushrooms will make you really sick. When packing food, take enough for the day, and then some. Pack things you like to eat. “You don’t have to go crazy on this backpacking stuff if you don’t like to eat it,” Davis said.
Making camp in the snow There are several different shelters you can build, whether you’ve planned on camping while on a backcountry skiing trip or are stranded for the evening. Before building a shelter, here are some considerations: ❖ Is there natural wind protection? ❖ Is there a good water source nearby — or will you need to melt snow? ❖ Is the site free of avalanche danger? ❖ Is the area safe from falling trees and branches? ❖ Are there landmarks to help you find the camp in the dark or a snowstorm? ❖ Where will the sun rise? A sunny spot will help you warm up faster.
First aid and more: A simple first-aid kit is a must, as is a compass (if you know how to use), GPS and map. Add such items like tweezers (for tick and splinter removal), sunscreen, lip balm, blister protection (apply when you put on boots), flashlight or headlamp. Duct tape is always useful. If you’re on medication, bring it. During the winter, hand warmers are a good addition.
Davis suggests building a snow trench, easier to build than a snow cave or igloo. Using your snow shovel, tarp and parachute cord, you’ll be able to build a shelter to withstand the elements. ❖ Dig the snow trench so it’s long, wide and deep enough you can lie down or sit up without touching the ceiling or walls. ❖ Cover the trench with pine boughs, tree limbs, or your skis and ski poles, and a tarp. You could also use large snow blocks angled to form a long, peaked Aframe roof. Source: Larimer County Search and Rescue
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XPLORE A group of hikers joined Xplore reporter Stephen Meyers for a hike to Clark Peak in State Forest State Park. At 12,951 feet, Clark Peak is the highest point in Jackson County. Stephen Meyers/The Coloradoan
FORGET 14ERS: SMALLER COLORADO MOUNTAINS TO HIKE, CLIMB 102 » FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO
STEPHEN MEYERS Originally published by the Coloradoan
You’ve done Grays and Torreys. And Quandary and Bierstadt and even attempted Longs Peak. We get it. You’re obsessed with Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains. But you do know Colorado has peaks other than the fourteeners, right? The fourteeners get all the love, but “12ers” and “13ers” are just as beautiful and offer just as challenging — or if not more so — hikes than their taller brethren. In Rocky Mountain National Park alone you’ll find 79 peaks higher than 12,000 feet. Ditch the fourteeners and climb these five Colorado peaks instead.
Forget 14ers Smaller Colorado mountains to hike, climb
Clark Peak
Range’s Mount Chapin, Mount Chiquita, Ypsilon Mountain, Fairchild Mountain, Hagues Peak and Mummy Mountain.
Elevation: 12,951 feet. Distance: 3.7 miles one way.
RMNP: 25 ways to enjoy Rocky Mountain National Park
Difficulty: Moderate-difficult. Trailhead: From Fort Collins, go north on U.S. Highway 287 to Colorado Highway 14. Head west on Colorado 14 for about 81 miles to Jackson County Road 41. Follow JCR 41 for about 2.2 miles to a sign for Jewel Lake. Take this road 1.5 miles to the parking area. If you have a four-wheel drive vehicle, you might be able to go for another 1.5 miles to the upper trailhead. Fees: $6 for a daily pass. Why go: Because it’s the tallest peak in Jackson County. This lonely peak in the Rawah Range of the Medicine Bow Mountains offers unparalleled views of the area and a killer ascent that will get the lungs pumping. Ruby Jewel Lake is gorgeous and you’ll see Columbines along the trail.
Distance: 5.8 miles one-way. Difficulty: Moderate to difficult. Trailhead: From Estes Park, take Colorado Highway 7 south about 9 miles to the Longs Peak Ranger Station. Turn right and follow the road to the parking lot. The parking lot fills quickly, so get there early.
Elevation: 12,889 feet. Distance: 4.8 miles one way. Difficulty: Moderate. Trailhead: From Estes Park through the Beaver Meadows entrance of the park, and continue on to Trail Ridge Road. Continue west on Trail Ridge Road for 22 miles to the Poudre Lake trailhead.
Elevation: 13,425 feet.
Why go: Arguably one of the park’s best alpine hikes, Mount Ida also enjoy relative solitude on the west side of the park. The climb is also well-marked most of the way, making this an easier summit climb. Enjoy expansive views of the tundra and the Never Summer Range.
Distance: 8 miles one-way.
Pagoda Mountain
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult.
Elevation: 13,497 feet.
Trailhead: Lawn Lake trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. From Estes Park, go west on U.S. Highway 34 through the Fall River entrance for several miles to the turnoff to Fall River Road. The Lawn Lake trailhead is at the first parking lot on the right once you turn onto Fall River Road.
Distance: 7.6 miles one way. Difficulty: Difficult.
Fees: $20 for day pass; $80 for annual National Parks pass.
Elevation: 13,281 feet.
Mount Ida
Fees: $20 for day pass; $80 for annual National Parks pass.
Mummy Mountain
Mount Lady Washington
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Why go: Lawn Lake is a worthy day hike; continue on the bruiser of a trail for even better summit views. The approach up the western slope of the mountain is a Class 2/Class 3 scramble, while the southeastern approach is mostly a Class 2 walk-up. If you’re really ambitious, try “Mummy Mania.” On this killer of a hike starting at Chapin Pass trailhead and ending at Lawn Lake trailhead, you’ll summit the Mummy
Trailhead: From the junction of U.S. Highway 36 and Colorado 7 in Estes Park, go south on Colorado 7 for 12.5 miles to Wild Basin Road. Turn right and head west for 0.3 miles to the turnoff to Rocky Mountain National Park’s Wild Basin. Take a right and drive 0.1 mile to the park kiosk. The trailhead is north of the kiosk. Fees: $20 for day pass; $80 for annual National Parks pass. Why go: This hike is not for the inexperienced, so there’s a great chance you’ll find solitude atop this hard-to-reach peak. It includes route finding, bushwhacking and scrambling to access this pyramid-shaped mountain deep in the heart of the park.
Mount Ida. Coloradoan Library
Fees: Free. Why go: Adjacent to Longs Peak, Mount Lady Washington is one of three trail peaks that form the Chasm Lake cirque (Longs Peak, Mountain Lady Washington, Mount Meeker). You’ll reach the peak from the Chasm junction on the Longs Peak trail. Views from the summit are extraordinary. There’s no better place to see the Diamond of Longs Peak.
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Cameron Mitchell, 23 months, checks out a turkey at The Farm at Lee Martinez Park on Thursday, February 18, 2016. Valerie Mosley/The Coloradoan
TOP FIVE FORT COLLINS HIKES, OUTDOOR DESTINATIONS FOR KIDS STEPHEN MEYERS Originally published by the Coloradoan
Fort Collins boasts dozens of natural areas and open spaces and Lory State Park, all offering great opportunities take the tykes for a stroll outdoors. As the weather warms, streams will start running and wildflowers will start popping. Animals will scurry about through the wilderness, capturing your children's attention and their imagination. File away this story, as these five destinations are worthy of a visit any time of the year:
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Well Gulch Nature Trail Where: Take Overland Trail north to Larimer County Road 50E (Bingham Hill Road). Turn left and go west to County Road 23. Turn left and go 1.4 miles south to Larimer County Road 25G. Take a right and drive 1.6 miles to the Lory State Park entrance. Follow the road south until you see the sign for the trail. Distance: Easy, 1.2-mile loop Hours: 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. (year-round dawn to dusk) Fees: $7 for a daily pass Facilities: Restrooms, water and information available at the Visitor Center Pets: Yes, on leash Why go: With all the moisture we've had this winter, this foot-only trail ought to be stunning in the spring. A creek parallels the trail, attracting migrating birds and butterflies, and this might be the best wildlflower hike in the area. Check out the several interpretive signs, pointing out the different life zones along the trail. Children can learn botany, geology and animal life during the walk. For a longer hike, try Arthur's Rock Trail, which is a park favorite. Information: (970) 493-1623 or http://cpw.state. co.us/placestogo/parks/Lory
CSU Environmental Learning Center Where: Go east on Drake Road. About 1 mile after passing the intersection at Timberline, turn left on Environmental Drive. The road will cross a one-lane
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bridge and turn sharply to the south. Before making the sharp turn south, take a left on the gravel road (you will see the ELC sign), crossing the railroad tracks. Distance: Easy, 1 mile one way Hours: Dawn to dusk Fees: Free Facilities: Restrooms, picnic tables, bike rack at the ELC Pets: Not allowed Why go: Nestled along the Poudre River, the Environmental Learning Center features self-guided nature trails that meander through the cottonwood riparian forest, where you can catch glimpses of waterfowl and shorebirds. It's a perfect place to pack a picnic. Deer hang out in the area, and the trails hook up to the Poudre River Trail, so you could bring the bikes for a pleasant ride along the river. The big draw here is the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program's raptor cages at the ELC parking lot. Here, you can see eagles, hawks, turkey vultures and owls. The kids will love that. The ELC hosts educational programs throughout the year, including summer day camps for kids. Information: (970) 491-1661 or www. csuelc.org
Coyote Ridge Natural Area Where: Take Taft Hill Road south of the Larimer County Landfill for 1 mile. The Coyote Ridge Natural Area parking lot is on your right. Distance: Easy to moderate, 2.3 miles of trails Hours: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fees: Free Facilities: Restrooms at the Coyote Ridge Natural Area cabin, 1 mile from the trailhead. Pets: No Why go: The trail gets hot in the summer, so early spring is a prime time to visit Coyote Ridge, which winds through the prairie and switchbacks and up the foothills. Check out the 1/4-mile Hidden Clues Trail, an interpretive loop about 1 mile into the open space. The interpretive loop is wheelchair accessible. The city will make arrangements for groups or people with limited mobility to have vehicle access to the accessible trail loop. Look for wildlife, such as mule deer, especially in the morning or evening, as well as prairie dogs, rabbits and hawks. You might even catch a glimpse of a coyote. Information: (970) 416-2815 or www. fcgov.com/naturalareas/finder/coyote.
The Farm at Lee Martinez Park Where: 600 N. Sherwood St., Fort Collins. From Old Town Fort Collins, head west on LaPorte Avenue. Turn right on North Sherwood Street. The farm is located on the park's west side. Distance: Easy, 1 mile one-way Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Fees: $3 for ages 2 and older; 10-day admission $24 Facilities: Restrooms, picnic tables, picnic shelter and water at the park Pets: Yes, on leash Why go: Take your bikes, or walk along the Poudre Trail to The Farm, where kids and adults can pet and feed farm animals and take part in interactive hands-on activities. Kids can take pony rides at certain times during the year, and The Farm really puts on a show in October, with hayrides and pumpkin patches. Information: (970) 221-6665 or www. fcgov.com/recreation/thefarm.php.
Bobcat Ridge Natural Area Where: 10184 W. County Road 32C, Loveland. Take Harmony Road west, which turns into County Road 38E. Follow County Road 38 E to Masonville. Go left (south) at the Masonville Mercantile onto County Road 27. Follow County Road 27 about 1 mile to County Road 32C. Head west about 1 mile to the Bobcat Ridge parking lot. Distance: Several trails, including Valley Loop (4-mile loop); Ginny Trail (5.4 miles); D.R. Trail (3.4 miles); Powerline Road (1.5 miles) and Eden Valley Spur (1.3 miles). Hours: Dawn to dusk, daily Fees: Free Facilities: Restrooms, covered pavilion, horse trailer parking Pets: Not allowed Why go: The red rock cliffs and grassy valley are home to elk, wild turkey and even mountain lions, and the natural area hosts a series of educational programs for kids. Nature Nuggets is one of several free educational programs provided by the city of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department. The programs teach youngsters (and their parents) about animals and ecology and many of the programs are hosted at Bobcat Ridge. The natural area is also a popular location for skygazing programs. There are also several historic homestead sites. Information: (970) 416-2815 or www. fcgov.com/naturalareas/finder/bobcat FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO ÂŤ 105
There's a place where mother nature's got it all together She knows just when to let wild flowers bloom Some-how she always seems to know exactly what she's doin' And The Lord saw fit to furnish elbow room. Colorado by Merle Haggard
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:
Downtown
valid at ove 150 locationsr
Fort Collins Gift Cards Restaurants-Shops-Retail-Drinks-Salons-Art-Gifts-Sporting Goods-Much More -Spas-Galleries-Entertainment
Gift Cards can also be purchased at the Group and The CSU Ramzone in downtown or online FYI: YOUR GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO « 107
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