Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2020 i 5280 Magazine

Heads Up A new astronomy feature on Colorado’s tourism site stars small towns—and big skies. Colorado’s growth has brought a lot of good: booming industry, bustling cities, countless microbreweries. One downside? Light pollution now muddies our views of the cosmos. Consequently, prime star-spotting locales have become treasured commodities. To guide travelers to these increasingly rare celestial lookouts, seven small towns, including Creede, La Veta, and Crestone, partnered with the Colorado Tourism Office to create an addition to CTO’s website. Colorado Stargazing: Experience the Night (colorado.com/coloradostargazing) premiered in February and provides tools such as moon-phase calendars and a list of events—like the inaugural Sangre Star Festival, a June camp-out in Westcliffe complete with night hikes and lectures from a deep-space photographer and other guests—that enhance tourists’ viewing. The site posts attractions…

SMART TECH At check-in, visitors will be given badges encoded with information about any disabilities they have. As they tour the museum, sensors will recognize data on the cards and trigger effects tailored to that person. When a visually impaired guest steps into the torch gallery, for example, a scanner will prompt audio explanations of the various Olympic torches used throughout history. OPEN PLAY An interactive exhibit allows attendees to play multiple Olympic and Paralympic sports. The Olympic events have been tweaked so everyone can participate (see: widening the 30-meter dash lanes to fit wheelchairs). The Paralympic sports include goalball, a game similar to soccer—except blindfolded players attempt to throw the ball into the net using their sense of hearing. LESS IS MORE For those with limited vision, simplicity is…

When she stepped onto the stage at eTown Hall in October 2018, state Representative Leslie Herod had no idea whose tale she was about to tell. Herod had been given a script seconds before, and as she began to read, the details of Araceli Velasquez’s life were revealed to the audience and the performer at the same time. Herod explained how Velasquez had traveled from El Salvador to America seeking asylum but was handcuffed and put in a cell for days after being detained by customs agents. Today, living in Colorado illegally, Velasquez is in constant fear of being deported. “I walked away really understanding that there are so many different layers to people’s stories,” Herod says, “but also that the laws we put in place affect them.” The performance…

In late summer 2015, retired Grand Lake businessman Kent Roorda decided to build an osprey nest. He’d noticed that the U.S. Forest Service and the local electric company were discouraging mating pairs from nesting atop power poles by erecting tall platforms as alternative spots for the returning raptors to safely hatch and fledge their chicks. The talented craftsman snagged a set of nest-building plans from the Forest Service, thought he could do better, and got to work. He cut a round, four-foot-wide plywood platform and coated it with tough epoxy to better endure Grand Lake’s punishing weather. He installed 20 short upright PVC posts around the perimeter of the platform, weaved willow branches through those posts to anchor the nest, and stitched the whole thing together with tough aluminum wire.…

I got to the Airbnb first, an easy feat considering that I live a little more than a mile away. As my six girlfriends cruised at about 35,000 feet, en route to DIA from as far as the Bay Area and Boston, it was the least I could do to stock our City Park West pad with booze, snacks, and water bottles. (I’m the kind of host who lovingly force-hydrates her guests before plying them with pours of Buena Vista–made Deerhammer whiskey.) Sure, I could’ve invited them to stay with me, but taking care of a half-dozen people at my house—where my husband, son, and dog tend to be—screams un-vacation. Plus, short-term house and apartment rental options via services like Airbnb mean you don’t have to sacrifice the neighborhood experience…

Millennials. Generation Y. Echo boomers. Whatever you call them, people born between 1981 and 1996 are now the largest age demographic in Colorado, making up 24 percent of our state. With numbers like those, it’s likely you either are a millennial or you care about one, so you have a vested interest in keeping them healthy—something that is becoming more difficult now that they’re 24 to 39 years old. That’s where this essential guide for maintaining the model Y comes in. After consulting with physicians and other experts, we’ve mapped out everything you need to know, from health risks to insurance plans, to keep your millennial machine running smoothly for years to come.…

Long before joints stiffen and wrinkles deepen, our bodies record the passage of time in subtler ways. “Biomarkers,” bits of physiological evidence in our bodies, emerge when we encounter stress. For example, if you see a mountain lion, fight-or-flight hormones like cortisol and adrenaline flood your system. What helps you in that scenario, though, isn’t healthy over time. Prolonged elevations of those hormones have been correlated with suppressed immune system function, hyperglycemia, even heart damage—and chronic stressors such as job insecurity and financial woes can create the same hormonal response. Just as the buildup of miles wears down your car, that continuous pummeling weathers the body. “Millennials are uniquely exposed to precarious conditions,” says Adam Lippert, a professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Denver. “Their stress response systems…

In baseball, they say legends are born in October. The legend of Coors Field, however, began on April 26, 1995, when it became the first baseball-only stadium built for a National League team since Dodger Stadium in 1962. The story of its success, though, was anything from assured on that season’s opening day. In the early 1990s, the northwest side of downtown Denver was a wasteland of dilapidated, turn-of-the-century brick buildings. Save for El Chapultepec, which debuted in 1933, there was little reason to find oneself west of Larimer Street or north of 17th Street. That is, until Coors Field opened and created demand for nearby bars and restaurants. Condos, apartments, and office spaces soon followed, ultimately spawning neighborhoods with now-familiar names like Ballpark and LoDo and RiNo. In short:…

On June 16, 2019, the Rockies clubhouse was hushed, as if someone had pushed mute on the typical post-game commotion. The team had just lost that day’s game to the San Diego Padres, 14-13. Losses aren’t unusual in a 162-game season. What was unusual was this: Over the previous few days, the two teams had combined to score 92 runs, the most ever for a four-game series in history. The players were processing the loss, yes, but it was the hit parade that had engendered the bewilderment. “I don’t really know what to point to,” said outfielder Charlie Blackmon during a post-game presser. “The hitting was good. I’ve seen pitching be better. It was hot. It was dry.” Everything he mentioned probably played a role, but the Rockies would come…

THE BIG LEBOWSKI The quintessential stoner movie calls for the godfather of hybrids: OG Kush. Says Dayne Garcia, assistant manager at Pure Marijuana Dispensary’s Bannock Street location: “It helps you settle into the couch but also keeps your head in the game”—allowing you to stay abreast of Walter, Maude, and why the Dude has to stay the hell out of Malibu. BRIDESMAIDS If “Help me, I’m poor” is part of your lexicon, you’ve seen this 2011 comedy a few too many times. Add extra slapstick to your fifth—fine, 15th—viewing with the pine-forward Girl Scout Cookies hybrid, says Native Roots Highland store manager Daniel Mc-Beth. “It makes you a bit chattier.” That means quoting along is even more satisfying. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION “Gorilla Glue can kind of plug you in and…

On a January afternoon, Colorado Public Radio (CPR) president Stewart Vanderwilt sweeps his hand apologetically toward the offices down a hallway. “We’re still getting settled,” he says of CPR’s new digs on East 17th Avenue. The 9,000-squarefoot space, in which approximately 50 reporters, editors, and producers work, practically hums with something that’s grown rare in many newsrooms today: optimism. In a state where nearly 20 percent of the newspapers that existed in 2004 have closed and where cuts reduced the Denver Post’s staff by a third in 2018, CPR has grown—fast. Last March, the station purchased local online news site Denverite; a month later, it announced an editor and three reporters focused on climate were coming on board. A dedicated Washington, D.C.–based correspondent was hired in May, and in August,…

PIZZA (& OYSTER) PALACE Cart-Driver LoHi Compared to Cart-Driver’s tiny shipping-container location in RiNo, its four-month-old LoHi outpost is more like a cargo ship. Set in two adjacent spaces that once housed Z Cuisine and À Côté, the warm wood- and tileadorned restaurant makes ingenious use of its second home, with plenty of seating in separate bar and dining areas and the action around the wood-fire pizza oven on full display. Cart-Driver fans can get comfortable and linger over platters of fresh oysters, impeccable pies, and South Italian–inspired small plates—not to mention on-tap Prosecco, still wines from small producers, and amaro-forward cocktails. New to the LoHi food roster are a rich pizza topped with mortadella, ricotta, and arugula and several snacky dishes, from roasted carrots with prosciutto, fennel, orange, and…

NOT JUST CHILD’S PLAY So, you have kids in tow; that doesn’t mean you’re relegated to places with a thousand other screaming children. Instead, try these fun-for-the-whole-family activities for every age and budget. DINOSAUR RIDGE Home to the world’s first stegosaurus discovery and more than 300 dino tracks, Dinosaur Ridge’s paved walking and biking trail takes you back in time over about three miles, round trip, from the main visitor center. Even the coolest kids—and kids at heart—will geek out over touching dinosaur bones wedged into sandstone layers and posing with their hands inside giant iguanodon footprints. Free GRIZZLY ROSE FAMILY NIGHT From 6 to 11 every Sunday evening, Denver’s only true honky-tonk is open to all ages. If the live country music, jumbo wings from the on-site Smokehouse Grill,…

You can’t always avoid stress, but one technique for coping with it—and, thus, keeping your millennial out of the shop—is by building community. Studies have long shown that those without close, supportive friendships struggle with stress more than their connected peers; those with higher levels of loneliness were more likely to develop hypertension, for example. And given that many of Colorado’s millennials are transplants—real estate listings company Commercial Cafe named Denver the number one city for echo boomers to relocate to—it’s understandable that the Mile High City’s millennials might be a little blue. In fact, 76 percent of Denver Gen Yers reported feeling lonely in a 2020 Cigna survey. Fortunately, the city also boasts plenty of ways to meet new companions. FOR GAME PLAYERS One way to make friends? Lock…

Professional sports teams across the country have decided the next great business ploy is to create entertainment districts that are an extension of the team’s brand and in-stadium experience. The Rockies’ plan to get in on that game, a 659,000-square-foot mixed-use development dubbed McGregor Square, is currently under construction. Before it opens in January 2021, we take you on a tour of its offerings.…

During the 2018 season, my family—Rockies season ticket holders since the team’s inception—chose section L311 in right field as our perch to watch games. The seats were cheap but had a great view of the whole field, which made them attractive to us. However, the location of our row meant we were also next-door neighbors with the two-story party deck known as the Rooftop. This was not, in my opinion, a selling point. The Rooftop is a can’t-look-away tragedy if you’re a true baseball fan like me. Between—and sometimes even during—innings, the swirl of action there would hold my gaze hostage. Twentysomethings slugging Coors Lights. Tinder dates canoodling in cabanas. A bachelorette party ordering an ill-advised fourth round of cocktails. Nearly every person I laid eyes on appeared to be…

You can call Laura Aldrete a lot of things: an athlete (a competitive high school soccer player, the 52-year-old still moves with grace); an adventurer (Aldrete spent her early 20s traveling and working in Central America and still backpacks here and internationally); a mom (her sons, Alex and Aristedes, are teenagers). But don’t call her a native. “I refuse to use that term,” the executive director of Denver’s Community Planning and Development (CPD) Department says. “I would never want to offend the Native American population by presuming I am the first here, that I am of this land. I also think that there is a presumption that if you are from here, you have more authority than whoever comes into our city, and we want people to come. Besides, everybody…

Sip & Learn Get a lesson with your libations via guided tours of some of Denver’s best drinkeries. BEER WHERE: Great Divide Brewing Co., Ballpark WHY: Established in 1994, Great Divide is a pioneer of both the Mile High City beer scene (hello, Denver Pale Ale) and downtown’s rebirth, which is why we prefer showing off the original location near Coors Field to the shiny new facility in RiNo. Frequent firstcome, first-served tours are just 20 to 30 minutes and guided by the kind of colorful, energetic characters you’d expect to work at a brewery in Denver. Free TIPPLERS’ TIDBIT: Great Divide’s community ties go deeper than just name-dropping the city: Every year the brewery selects a new design from a local artist for its Denver Pale Ale cans. COFFEE…

Expense Account Itineraries When the boss is paying, opt for the following stay, sip, and sup combos—no car necessary. Stay: Real brass keys let guests into the 50 hipster-chic rooms—cheeky contemporary artwork, Bluetooth speakers that look like gramophones—at the Ramble in RiNo 1 elevator ride Sip: Celebrated New York City export Death & Co runs the lobby bar, where mixologists craft innovative drinks sorted into categories like Boozy & Honest. When it’s warm, sip rosé on the patio, aptly named the Garden (pictured). 0.3 miles Sup: Reservations are required well in advance at 18-seat Beckon, Denver’s first chef’s-counter-only restaurant. Dishes vary with the seasons, but expect eight Scandinavian- and Californian-influenced courses and house-made bread. Stay: The mountain-luxe Crawford Hotel occupies the upper floors of century-old Union Station, the buzzy epicenter…

MYTH 1 You’re eating for two; bring on the buffet. REALITY Studies led by Dr. Dana Dabelea, a professor of epidemiology and pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, show a mother who is overweight before pregnancy (or who gains too much weight during) can increase the baby’s susceptibility for obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life, though more research is needed to understand why. Excessive weight gain is also associated with gestational diabetes for mom, which sometimes crops up during the second trimester and can cause early labor and increase the likelihood of high blood pressure and preeclampsia during pregnancy, plus an elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. Consult an obstetrician about proper caloric intake. MYTH 2 The internet has all the…

OCTOBER 16, 1992: Construction crews break ground on Coors Field. APRIL 26, 1995: The Rockies beat the New York Mets in the team’s first game at the stadium. JULY 7, 1998: Coors Field hosts the MLB All-Star Game. WINTER 2002: Coors Field engineers install a humidor. The room keeps game balls at 50 percent humidity, which helps them retain moisture and stops them from soaring farther. JULY 2, 2003: Thirty-two people are injured when a three-story escalator malfunctions at the stadium. One woman has her lower leg amputated due to the incident. OCTOBER 27, 2007: The Boston Red Sox defeat the Rockies 10-5 during the first World Series game at 20th and Blake streets. APRIL 4, 2014: The Rooftop bar opens in the right-field stands, taking the place of 3,500…

The scuttlebutt of the offseason was that the Rockies may have been willing to trade superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado. Those rumors left many Rockies fans experiencing déjà vu. In the team’s 27-year history, it’s employed five perennial MVP candidates (Arenado included). Just one, Todd Helton, played his entire career with the team, while the other three—Larry Walker, Matt Holliday, and Troy Tulowitzki—were shipped out of town. Here, we plot the trajectories of those players’ careers with the Rockies and consider whether Arenado could be the next great athlete to become a former Rockies player. LARRY WALKER 1995 The right fielder finishes seventh in MVP voting and leads the Rockies to their first playoff appearance during his first year with the team. March 1999 Walker inks a six-year, $75 million…

ARTS & EXHIBITS APRIL 3–MAY 1 Masks It takes artists years to perfect their mediums, be it painting, sculpting, or photography. For this quirky exhibit, though, Front Range creators will eschew their favored materials and instead turn white, ceramic masks into full-blown works of art. Visitors will get to see 215 pieces decorated by artists with various backgrounds. Multimedia artist Tyra Brown plans to use gold leaf to create a face rising out of the ashes, local painter Bob Coonts’ design will look like a pig; and Douglas Case’s version uses smooth stones to form the head of a fairy-tale troll. Wed-Sun, times vary. Museum of Art Fort Collins, 201 S. College Ave., Fort Collins, 970-482-2787, moafc.org. Ticket prices vary. APRIL 24–AUG. 30 Nari Ward: We The People At first…

PRICE KEY (Average Entrée) $ UNDER $10 $$ $11 TO $15 $$$ $16 TO $25 $$$$ $26 AND HIGHER Want More Dining Options? Visit our online listings at 5280.com/restaurants. SYMBOL KEY NEW Indicates a restaurant featured in 5280 for the first time (though not necessarily a restaurant that has just opened). 25 BEST Indicates inclusion in our annual list of Denver’s best restaurants, released each October. These selections are at the discretion of 5280 editors and are subject to change. A 25 BEST 12 at Madison $$ Congress Park / New American With a menu offering 18 small plates meant for sharing (plus one large-format dish meant to feed two to four people), Jeff Osaka’s cozy restaurant is ideal for dining with a small group. Reservations accepted. 1160 Madison St., 720-216-0190.…