Colorado Expression Magazine - July/August 2023

Exceptional local chefs serve up good taste

MOUNTAIN MAGIC FESTIVALS

Summertime in the Rockies with food, festivals, music and luxurious locales

Photo Ryan Cox Photography

Photo courtesy of Richard Sandoval Hospitality

WHERE wellness MEETS A LUXURIOUS escape

20-30% OFF INITIATION FEES (THROUGH AUGUST 31ST)

A variety of categories let you tailor your membership experience to whatever calls your name – golf, sports, culinary, or corporate. Fill your social calendar with events and parties, and your social circle with new and beloved connections. Enjoy luxurious accommodations for you and your guests, world-class activities and amenities, and countless exclusive benefits

Explore memberships by calling 719.520.4980 today!

FIND JOY. SEEK PEACE. ACHIEVE REST, REJUVENATION, AND REFRESHMENT.

At Garden of the Gods Resort and Club, Colorado’s Premier Wellness Destination, we want you to embark on an enriching journey. To give you the transformation you seek, we have recently had one of our own. We invite you to experience the newly refreshed Garden of the Gods Resort and Club, where we’ve made significant investments to enhance the guest and member experience, culminating in one beautiful, rejuvenating package.

Beloved by the public, resort guests, and club members alike, the newly renovated Grand View restaurant is ready to welcome you with an elevated dining experience.

When you have a little more time, have a staycation at Garden of the Gods Resort and Club in one of our newly renovated rooms, and unlock every area of the property, from Strata’s spa and salon, member and guest-only Rocks Lounge, Kissing Camels Golf Course, and our award-winning Infinity Pool.

Regardless of what your reason is for visiting, we want you to leave feeling enriched and fulfilled in every way. Balanced, renewed, transformed. Refreshed.

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SHOT IN THE DARK Notable galas, events and fundraisers

ON THE DOCKET Events and happenings around Colorado

CAUSE WORTHY

A spotlight on local organizations sparking change

PUBLIC PERSONA

Kyle Dyer on bringing Major League Baseball to Denver

SIP & SAVOR

Niwot’s newest fnd. Locals only food delivery service. What to buy and what to cook from your local farmers market.

ART SCENE

A modern take on pressed fower art

GETAWAYS

Grab the girls for a South Dakota getaway

GREAT ESCAPES

An antique treasure hunt of epic proportions in Round Top, Texas

COLORADO WEEKENDS

Toasting to Telluride

HEALTH & WELLNESS Mile high skin care

VOL. 32, NO. 4, COPYRIGHT BY WIESNERMEDIA, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PERMISSION TO REPRINT OR QUOTE EXCERPTS GRANTED BY WRITTEN REQUEST ONLY. COLORADO EXPRESSION (ISSN # 1070-5066) IS PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY (6 ISSUES/YEAR) BY WIESNERMEDIA, LLC. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO COLORADO EXPRESSION, 1780 S. BELLAIRE ST., STE 505, DENVER, CO 80222. SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS: (888) 815-1436. UNSOLICITED MATERIALS WILL BE HANDLED WITH CARE, BUT THE MAGAZINE ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR MATERIALS.

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Chef Patrick Balcom of Farow, is all smiles serving regional ingredients.

Story by Irene Middleman Thomas

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Photo courtesy of Farow

TOP: The artistry of pressing local blooms for all to enjoy. LEFT: Hiking to new heights in South Dakota.

Photo courtesy of Travel South Dakota

Photo courtesy of Rachel Parri and Keith Kralik

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Endless Summer

Summertime in Colorado is filled with vivid colors that set the stage for music festivals, mountain getaways, farmers markets and delicious seasonal dishes that I personally can’t get enough of.

In this issue, we celebrate the bounty and beauty of the summer season in Colorado. Like the mountain magic of Vail, Aspen and Steamboat, where you will find unique places to stay, eat and play. Enjoying a bountiful farmers market filled with fresh produce, artisan crafts and so much more is among my favorite pastimes.

We talked with some Colorado chefs who use local ingredients to come up with seasonal dishes. What they can create is really an art.

The Colorado growing season is fairly short, so we are excited to show you botanical art. These local artists have found a modern way to preserve their beauty through pressed floral art that will take your breath away.

If you are looking for a new adventure, consider the outdoor experiences and upscale offerings in South Dakota. I can’t wait to book a girls’ trip to fly-fish in the Black Canyon and relax at one of the many natural spas.

Planning ahead, we have the perfect trip for the ultimate treasure hunter in Round Top, Texas. There, the Round Top Antique Show is a feast for the eyes as unique and big as Texas itself.

Finally, we spoke with a local beauty maven about summer skin care and which clean beauty products go the distance.

Before summer flies by, please do yourself a favor and head outside, devour seasonal foods al fresco, get dirty in your garden and look out under the stars. Before we know it, fall will be here, and the holidays will be nipping at your heels—so carpe diem.

Cheers to an endless summer!

Elizabeth

ELIZABETH HAMILTON Group

Publisher

Colorado Expression , Colorado Homes & Lifestyles , Mountain Living

Photo Jensen Sutta

ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE

The One Gala

The One Gala was held on April 20 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The event featured the custom-designed Wish Tree showcasing a spectacular display of donors’ philanthropy. All proceeds benefit Colorado Ballet.

1 Development director Michael Williams, Amy Height, Colorado Ballet board member Merry Logan, gala committee member Cari Spiecker, gala chair Doug Richards, chief advancement ofcer Karen Sumner 2 Rob Applegate, Colorado Ballet board co-chair Michelle Moorman-Applegate, Colorado Ballet executive director Sameed Afghani, Nicole Frankle 3 Elaine Wang, Tom Malley, gala committee member Cari Spiecker, Colorado Ballet board member Liz Katkin 4 Chief advancement ofcer Karen Sumner, Snahel and Jacqueline Prajapati, Cole Huling 5 Alexandra Wilson, Elliot Smith, Mark Spiecker 6 Development director Michael Williams, fundraiser ofcer Allie Coppeak 7 Fundraiser ofcer Allie Coppeak, Colorado Ballet board member Merry Logan 8 Tom and Lexi Rhodes 9 Colorado Ballet board co-chair Brent and Melanie Backes 10 Gala chair Doug Richards, artistic director Gil Boggs

Photos Caitlin Roth

ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Theatre of Dreams Gala

Central City Opera celebrated its 91st anniversary at the annual Theatre of Dreams Gala held April 21 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Proceeds benefit CCO’s educational programs as well as 27 historic properties in Central City and the Summer Festival.

1 Vp of development Scott Finley, director of marketing Margaret Williams, president and CEO Pamela Pantos, music director & conductor John Baril 2 Pete and Marilyn Coors, board of directors’ members Pam Bansbach, Willis and Dawn Wood 3 Board co-chair Roopesh Aggarwal, Steve and Natalia Baumann, board co-chair Heather Miller 4 Melissa Eickhoff, board of directors’ secretary Sarah Woods, Brian Woods 5 Arlene Johnson, gala chair Howard Janzen, gala chair Susan Stiff, Jan Hammond 6 Interim CFO Don Van Anne, board of directors’ member Ron Engels 7 Scott Parker, Bob Fuller, Kim and Chris Jacoby 8 Richard Koseff, Elizabeth Caswell Dyre, capital campaign cochair Anne McGonagle, Tom McGonagle 9 Gala honoree Nancy Parker, Barb Ferguson 10 Wine pull co-chair James Eckhart Jr., Stephanie Ahle

Photos Caitlin Roth

ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Women with Hattitude Luncheon

This annual whimsical celebration was held at the Seawell Ballroom on May 4. Individuals from across the Denver community joined in for an exciting parade of hats and to celebrate the artistry of women. Proceeds benefit the Women’s Voices Fund at Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

1 DCPA’s Kevin Copenhaver, Jamie Clements and Janice Sinden, president and CEO 2 Michelle and Jeffrey Donovan (of Law & Order), Cleo Parker Robinson 3 Janine Fisher, Dena Pastorini, Donna Giordano 4 Chawn Howard, Vickie Williams, Lucy Laffoon 5 Jessica Mestas and Morgan Powell 6 Denise Snyder, Maria Suehnholz, Arlene Mohler Johnson 7 Jada Fields and Stephinity Salazar 8 Cindy Van Cise and Mimi de Olloqui-Turner 9 Norma Paige, Bee Harris, Marilyn Rhodes

Photos Pamela Cress

ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE

JFS Executive Luncheon

JFS held its 2023 Executive Luncheon on April 28 at the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel. Featured at the luncheon was Michael Lewis, New York Times best-selling author. Proceeds benefit JFS, a nonsectarian, nonprofit human services agency serving Colorado.

1 President and CEO Linda Foster, Lindy Eichenbaum Lent (president and CEO of honoree Rose Community Foundation), Aaron Hyatt, board chair 2 Lee Johnston, Andra Davidson, board member Elise and Brian Barish 3 Bernadette Saccomanno, Holly Prather, Tricia Miller, Jen Nestel 4 Robin Chotin and her son Ross Chotin 5 Sam, Zach and Stephanie Zaitz 6 Gregg Farber and Brent Farber

7 Jamie and committee member Leanna Harris 8 Event chair Cintra Pollack and Kelly Gahan 9 Mayoral candidate Mike Johnston, Ken and Rebecca Gart

Photos Pamela Cress

ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Diamonds in the Ruff Gala

Freedom Service Dogs of America held its 11th annual Diamonds in the Ruff gala on May 6 at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center. The event raised $445,000 to help FSD continue its work to help transform the lives of veterans, children and other people living with disabilities by partnering people with custom-trained assistance dogs.

1 Erika and board member Noel Wickwar with Sundae 2 Ryan and Erin Conley (FSD director of communications) with Acacia 3 Angela and John DellaSalle (board member), FSD President and CEO Chris Nelson, Megan Bruce 4 Amber Chevalier, left, Emily Vasaturo, Nichole Burnett with Rebel 5 Event chairs Blake Finley and Lani Kessler 6 Ronda Gutierrez and Jerry Maglio with Lou 7 Stuart and Kim Weatherwax with Blake and Christian Finley and Lou 8 Luis and Chris Parente with Lou 9 Kari and Daryl Stewart with Bogey

Photos Pamela Cress

ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Luncheon by Design

1 Board chair Sarah Anschutz, Heather Ehret Faircloth, Philae Knight 2 Darrin Alfred (curator of Architecture & Design), Amanda Precourt 3 Brian Ballatore, his sister Jennifer Hardie, Violet Mantell 4 Event chairs Morris Price, Rachelle Folsom, Koya Nyangi 5 DAM director Dr. Christoph Heinrich, and Joyce Tsai, director of the Clyfford Still Museum

Denver Art Museum celebrated Sneaker Culture, the artistry of sneaker design and its evolution from function to fashion, at its annual luncheon held April 26 at the museum.

Photos Pamela Cress

ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Pints & Pinots

Kiwanis Southeast Metro Denver (SEMD) held its signature fundraiser, Pints & Pinots, for Youth Suicide Prevention on May 4 at the AMG Dome. The event benefits Second Wind Fund to help further its mission of connecting youth at risk for suicide with life-saving mental health treatment.

1 Kiwanis SEMD president Melissa Schupp, Keith Schupp, Nicole Abdulgasem 2 Gail Coombs, Marjorie Laird (founder of Second Wind) and Melissa Schupp 3 Mike and Melinda Pedersen, Carey and Tom Newman 4 Teara and Steve Walters, owners of sponsor Deep Roots Winery 5 Chris Weiss, Gail Coombs and Joe Lavigne of Colorado Feeding Kids, and Marjorie Laird 6 Taelor Avalos, Lauri and Troy Hamscher 7 Jerith Gronski and Dave Rich 8 Ward and Diane Swanson

Photos Pamela Cress

Upcoming Events & Happenings

Written By Danielle Yuthas & Lisa Buscietta

Kooza

July 5-Aug. 13, Ball Arena

JULY-

Kooza is a little bit of acrobatics under a big-top-tent and a lot of clowning in the signature style of Cirque du Soleil. Te production brings the circus to new heights on the tallest stage ever designed by Cirque du Soleil. Te fnal act ofers a performance by Laura Kmetko, the only acrobat in the world to do a double fip on one stilt.

Photo courtesy of OSA Images

JULY 7-16

Crested Butte Wildflower Festival

Crested Butte

Crested Butte’s 10-day festival to advocate for wildfower preservation and appreciation includes 300 educational events ofered by more than 60 instructors of photography, birds and butterfies, botany and geology. Outdoor activities include hikes of varying difculty, yoga, Jeep tours and garden tours. Visit the website for the full program guide. Reminder: Do not pick the fowers!

crestedbuttewildfowerfestival.org

13

An event dedicated to taco tasting might be the best way to spend a Tursday evening all summer. All-youcan-eat tacos from more than 60 local eateries will be competing for Top Taco in the categories of traditional, creative and vegetarian. Te area’s best mixologists and mezcals will vie for Top Cocktail to complete the pairing. A VIP Experience is available.

toptacofest.com

Photo courtesy of Crested Butte Wildflower Festival

Top Taco Westminster City Park

JULY

Drums Along the Rockies

Canvas Stadium, 751 W. Pitkin St., Fort Collins

Drums Along the Rockies, one of the Rocky Mountain region’s most-anticipated summertime music attractions, ofers an evening of marching music pageantry showcasing the precision, passion and power of eight of America’s elite drum and bugle corps as they compete during their annual summer national tour en route to the Drum Corps International World Championships. A Colorado tradition since 1964, Drums Along the Rockies features Colorado’s own Blue Knights. drumsalongtherockies.com

JULY

28-30

Underground Music Showcase Broadway

Discover new favorite bands among emerging artists during Denver’s largest music festival. Broadway will boast hundreds of shows spanning intimate indoor venues and outdoor stages at the epicenter of indie for the threeday event. Headliners include Jamila Woods, Emmit Fenn and Crumb. undergroundmusicshowcase.com

JULY

Madonna: Celebration Tour

Ball Arena

A four-decade retrospective, Madonna’s Celebration Tour will dazzle Denver this summer. Te Material Girl is on a 35-city world tour that includes one night at Ball Arena, with special guest Bob the Drag Queen, among others. VIP options are available.

madonna.com/tour

JULY

29

Heritage Fire

Snowmass Village

Te favors of this live-fre outdoor culinary event, featuring whole animal cookery, will blaze through Snowmass on its 14-city tour. More than 20 of the country’s top chefs will prepare heritage-breed beef, pork, fsh and rabbit using locally sourced ingredients against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. Sommeliers, distillers, breweries and barkeeps will round out the all-inclusive evening of eats. VIP and general admission tickets are available. Be sure to cast your vote for Best Bite of the Day.

heritagefretour.com

Photo Drums Along the Rockies

Photo Ricardo Gomes

Photo courtesy of Heritage Fire and Sam Ferguson

C.A.S.T. for Kids

Chatfield

Reservoir

Tis frst-time fshing event will provide children ages 6-18 with disabilities the opportunity to spend the morning fshing and boating with their families and volunteers. C.A.S.T. stands for Catch a Special Trill; partners of the event are the Daniel Bros. Memorial Fund and Pacifc Seafood. Spread the positive message that children with disabilities can accomplish anything!

castforkids.org/event/chatfeldreservoir

Leadville Boom Days

Leadville

4-6 AUG.

Experience the Old West and some modern fun in the historic silver-mining town. Festivities include a car show, motorcycle events, burro race, costume contest, pie-eating contest and more. Cash prizes will be awarded to those fexing their skills in the drilling and mucking contests. Te parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday with historian Janice Fox as this year’s grand marshal.

leadvilleboomdays.org

11-12

Breckenridge International Festival of Arts

Breckenridge

Music, dance, art, flm and family entertainment will be celebrated throughout cultural venues, public parks, trails and open spaces in picturesque Breckenridge. Resident artist Circa Contemporary Australian Circus will host a workshop and perform, along with other mainstage performances including an evening with Fran Lebowitz, Schick Machine and Exuberant Moderns: A Gallery Guide to the Modern Concert Stage. Interactive programming is free with registration and includes a skateboarding and jazz jam session, yoga on the Blue River each day, a craf tent and nature and art hikes. Tis event is hosted by Create Breck.

breckcreate.org/bifa

LuluPawlooza

Harmony Equine Center, 5540 E. Highway 86, Franktown

AUG.

Don’t miss this signature fundraiser for the Dumb Friends League on Aug. 19. Te event kicks of at 4 p.m. with horse demonstrations, cocktails and a chance to visit with adorable, adoptable pets followed by dinner and a live auction. Guests can dance the night away to the music of Super Diamond, a Neil Diamond tribute band. Help support animals in need!

ddf.org

Photo courtesy of C.A.S.T for Kids

An evening to beneft the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Hyatt Regency Denver

Black-tie, 5:30 p.m.

Featuring an intimate performance by Grammy winning hit-maker David Foster and star of stage and screen Katharine McPhee. Foster will also serve as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies.

Additional entertainment will be announced soon! Scan

The Butterfly Ball

Omni Interlocken Hotel, 500 Interlocken Blvd., Broomfield

Te Butterfy Pavilion invites you to attend the Butterfy Ball, a gala that includes a magical stroll through the Monarch Menagerie with 400 live monarch butterfies. Enjoy a champagne welcome, cocktail reception, silent and live auctions, seated dinner and dancing. butterfies.org

Morgan Adams Concours d’Elegance

Centennial Airport

Te Morgan Adams Foundation presents its 20th annual Concours d’Elegance on Aug. 26 at Centennial Airport. Tis event brings together some of the fnest vintage and modern aircraf, automobiles and motorcycles in the Rocky Mountain Region. Enjoy exotic and classic street and race cars alongside custom private jets while you enjoy a walk-about feast with samples from some of the area’s fnest restaurants. Proceeds beneft the Morgan Adams Foundation, which provides the best available research and therapeutic options to children in the Rocky Mountains who are diagnosed with cancer.

morganadamsconcours.org/event-details

Photo courtesy of The Butterfly Pavilion

SEPT.

Fill a Plate for Hunger

ReelWorks, 1399 35th St., Denver

We Don’t Waste will host the 12th annual Fill a Plate for Hunger, featuring a cocktail hour, a multi-course dinner and live and silent auctions. Chef Troy Guard of the TAG Restaurant Group designed the menu, which will be crafed by celebrated local chefs. Proceeds will go toward recovering and distribution of food to those in need in the Denver community. fllaplate.org

SEPT.

Flock Party

Denver Zoo

Mark your calendars for the Denver Zoo’s 2023 Flock Party, a colorful, casual and all-inclusive evening featuring festive food and drink, live entertainment and exclusive animal experiences, all for the beneft of the beloved animals. Te Denver Zoo invites you to come and shake a tailfeather for a good cause.

denverzoo.org/events/fock-party

Colorado’s biggest night for pollinator conservation.

Saturday, August 19, 2023

6:00 p.m. • Omni Interlocken Hotel

ButterfyBallColorado.org

Photo courtesy of We Don’t Waste

Photo courtesy of The Denver Zoo

Shining a light on nonpro ts making an impact

COLORADO PET PANTRY

The year was 2013, and Eileen Lambert was a volunteer dog trainer at the Dumb Friends League. She loved what she was doing but grew concerned by the number of people coming in to relinquish their pets.

“Tese weren’t cases of the pet being a bad ft,” Lambert says. “Tese were people very sad to be in a position where they had no other choice but to give up a beloved dog or cat. Tey just didn’t have the money for pet food or supplies, veterinary care or rent. I sat with that for a while and realized while I couldn’t fx the housing crisis or perform veterinary care, I did have pet food in my cabinets—stuf my dogs didn’t like or couldn’t eat—that I could give to someone who needed it.”

And so began the Colorado Pet Pantry.

“Originally it was just me,” Lambert says. “But then I started asking friends, neighbors and local retailers if they could donate. I just wanted to help the people in the north Denver community where I lived at the time; I never imagined that Colorado Pet Pantry would become the statewide thing that it is today.”

Ten years later, with the help of some 750 volunteers and a handful of paid employees, Colorado Pet Pantry conducts monthly pet food giveaways at 102 locations throughout Colorado. “We mostly partner

with human food banks and set up in their parking lots so that people pick up their own food and then stop by with us for their pet’s food. We also partner with agencies like Volunteers of America, Meals on Wheels and Mercy Housing that distribute our pet food directly to their clients.”

In addition, Colorado Pet Pantry has an emergency assistance program that allows pet parents in dire need of one-time access to pet food outside of a regularly scheduled giveaway. Applications for the emergency relief must be flled out in advance on the Colorado Pet Pantry website, coloradopetpantry.org.

Colorado Pet Pantry’s $800,000 annual budget covers the cost of warehouse space in Englewood, storage unit rentals across the state, and the use of trucks to move the donated food to distribution points. In the past 12 months, “We’ve distributed enough food to provide 6.9 million meals for 115,000 pets,” Lambert says, adding: “Our need now is astronomical because of infation, rising rent and utility bills, increases in the cost of egs and other groceries, and the end to the temporary increase in SNAP benefts that were given during the COVID pandemic. I’m glad we are able to help, but I’m concerned about how high the need is getting.”

Te greatest need is for dry cat food and litter. “Since most of our clients are feeding pets they’ve had for some time, we really don’t need puppy and kitten food,” Lambert explains. Nothing goes to waste, though, as Colorado Pet Pantry donates any puppy and kitten food it receives to the 100 animal rescue organizations it works with.

Donations of food and treats can be made at over 100 veterinary clinics, pet food stores, grooming salons and dogie day care sites. A complete list can be found on the Colorado Pet Pantry website. •

Story Joanne Davidson

ABOVE: Colorado Pet Pantry’s founder and executive director Eileen Lambert with Charlie and Lola.

Photos courtesy of Colorado Pet Pantry

Colorado Pet Pantry | Denver Botanic Gardens | Roundup River Ranch

COLORADO PET PANTRY coloradopetpantry.org

Over the course of her lifetime, Joanne Davidson has been a pet parent to nine dogs, all of whom were rescues. Whenever her current two visit their veterinarian, Joanne drops a bag of kibble in the Colorado Pet Pantry donation bin.

Shining a light on nonpro ts making an impact

DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS

Story Joanne Davidson

For an event whose roots run deep in old Denver society, Fête des Fleurs distinguishes itself by elevating its beneft for Denver Botanic Gardens to new heights while maintaining the elegance and traditions established in 1984 when such social scene icons as Katie Stapleton, Bea Taplin, Susan Sheridan, Barbara Baldwin and Marion Woods were heavily involved.

In its 39th year, the Fête des Fleurs will be held on Aug. 25, with Lindsay Morton Gaiser, president of the Andrisen Morton men’s clothing boutique in Cherry Creek North, serving as chair. Her co-chair is Mariell Kiernan, founder of Rev Food & Bev Consulting.

Gaiser is a native Denverite whose family has reveled in the splendor of Denver Botanic Gardens for generations. “We have always enjoyed the gardens and what it adds to our great city,” she says. Gaiser recalls frequent visits with her family when she was a child, and how it was a logical move to become a supporter of it when she reached adulthood.

Te theme for this year’s event centers on Impressionist painter Claude Monet, his lily pad artwork and his iconic gardens in Giverny, France. Gaiser is reluctant to reveal much in advance—the element of surprise, and all—but promises exciting new specialty cocktails, a themed menu and spectacular foral displays.

Cocktail hour will be held around the gardens’ lily pond; the dinner that follows will take place in locations both indoors and out. Afer dinner, the scene shifs to the Freyer-Newman Center for dancing to the Jerry Barnett Orchestra. (Te Freyer-Newman Center is a gallery on the DBG grounds that houses the Helen Fowler Library, the Sturm Family Auditorium, an herbaria, classrooms and the School of Botanical Art & Illustration.)

Tickets start at $450 each. Sponsor tables for 20 guests range from $15,000 to $30,000; other sponsor levels begin at $4,000 for a table for eight. Proceeds go to the gardens’ education and outreach programs.

Fête des Fleurs is unique in that there are no speeches (other than brief welcoming remarks), awards, paddle-raisers or live auction bidding. Guests, however, are encouraged to participate in Text-to-Give, a campaign where gifs of any amount can be made up to one week afer Fête des Fleurs 2023 concludes.

“Fête is a very quiet event, where people can give at their leisure,” Gaiser says. “We want the evening to be one where we can reunite with friends at the end of summer, kick of the start of school, and ease into fall.”

Te plan obviously works, as proceeds from the previous year hit a record $500,000. “We’re always pleasantly surprised by the generosity of our guests. Tey, like us, know what an asset the gardens are to our great city, and they’re happy to support it.” •

FÊTE DES FLEURS botanicgardens.org

Joanne Davidson always looks forward to covering Fête des Fleurs, frst for Te Denver Post and now for Colorado Expression

TOP: Wine and dine in the gardens. This year, the lilypond will set the stage for the Claude Monet themed evening. BOTTOM: CE’s own Hillary Locke Mujica, along with Duane Mujica, Coco Smith and Ryan Smith, were all smiles at the 2022 Fête des Fleurs. The ladies are part of the 2023 committee.

Photo courtesy of Denver Botanic Gardens. Photo © Scott Dressel-Martin

Photo courtesy of Hillary Locke Mujica

ROUNDUP RIVER RANCH

Situated on 125 bucolic acres alongside the Colorado River in Gypsum, Roundup River Ranch is a literal slice of heaven for the children with grave or serious illnesses who take part in one of the six camping sessions that are ofered every summer.

At the end of each weeklong camp, youngsters between the ages of 7 and 17 whose lives revolve around doctors’ appointments, chemotherapy, dialysis, special diets, pills, shots and hospital stays leave Roundup River Ranch as “gigling, laughing, conspiring, arrow-shooting, horseback-riding, art-creating kids,” according to its website. Adds Jennifer Clark, the camp’s manager of marketing and communications: “Tey go home with new friends and a sense of belonging.”

During their stay, kids can also paddle a canoe, gaze at the stars through a telescope, experience the thrill of ziplining, sit around a campfre while

making s’mores and singing camp songs, or use their hands (not forks) to stuf their mouths with spaghetti—something few parents would allow at home.

Te doctors and nurses who staf Te Depot, Roundup River Ranch’s fully equipped on-site medical facility, are prepared to handle routine, urgent or emergency situations. Te medics trade their scrubs and lab coats for tutus and Superman capes in an efort to get away from the sterile situations to which the kids have become accustomed.

Each camp session is tailored for those with similar or related conditions. For example: Session No. 1 this summer was for kids with moderate to severe asthma, lung disease or celiac disease; the last will be for those with cancer, brain tumors, acquired immunodefciency, bone marrow transplants, blood disorders or sickle cell disease.

Shining a light on nonpro ts making an impact

Story Joanne Davidson Photos courtesy of Roundup River Ranch

Tere are also weekend retreats for the entire family.

Special efort is taken to make each camper comfortable with his or her medical needs. “If a camper is out boating, the medication he or she needs is delivered to them out on the water,” Clark says. “If someone needs to eat at a certain time, we adjust the meal schedule so everyone eats at that time.

“Parents know their kids are going to be well taken care of while they are at camp,” Clark adds. “And the campers themselves develop deeper connections and understanding when they see they’re not alone—that others are going through the same things they are.”

In addition to the on-site sessions, outreach manager Maria Salm or a member of her team brings camp to patients at Children’s Hospital Colorado by using the hospital’s Seacrest Studio to broadcast a camp activity to screens in their rooms.

Founded in 2006 by Alison Knapp and a group of prominent Vail Valley residents, Roundup River Ranch is part of the SeriousFun Network, a global community of camps that late actor/philanthropist Paul Newman started in 1988. Today, the SeriousFun Network has independently funded camps in some 50 countries on fve continents.

Stays at all SeriousFun Network camps, including Roundup River Ranch, are ofered at no charge to participants.

Following fve years of fundraising, board development and construction, the frst camp session was held on July 6, 2011. By summer’s end, 241 kiddos had completed their one-week stays. Clark estimates that this summer, approximately 400 will participate.

Eighty percent of the campers reside in Colorado, with some 50 percent from the metro Denver area. Many are referred by their doctors, but parents, guardians or individuals can apply directly to Roundup River Ranch.

Currently, a $27 million capital campaign is being promoted to fund construction of three additional cabins and expansion of programs. Some $20 million has already been raised, with full funding expected by the end of 2024. Campaign donations can be made directly on the ranch’s website. •

OPPOSITE: Kids being kids, making memories by paddling canoes at Round Up River Ranch. LEFT: Campers enjoying a summertime favorite, making s’mores over an open fire. TOP: No matter the difficulties these kids face each day, their time at Round Up River Ranch serves as a reminder that they are all just normal kids and simple joys like learning a new skill brings much confidence.

ROUNDUP RIVER RANCH

8333 Colorado River Road, Gypsum 970-524-2267

roundupriverranch.org

Shining a light on nonpro ts making an impact

Joanne Davidson is a frequent contributor to Colorado Expression

Age: 55

KYLE DYER

During her years as a television anchor and reporter, Kyle Dyer became quite adept at distilling mountains of information into 30- or 60-second spots for the morning or evening news. Years later, that skill would serve her well when she would embark on the bigest story of her career: creating When Colorado Went Major League, an hour-long documentary that chronicles the arduous process of establishing Denver and Coors Field as the home of the state’s frst Major League Baseball team, the Colorado Rockies.

Starting last February, when Neil Macey and former State Rep. Kathi Williams hired Dyer and Julie Andrews, her partner at Kyle Dyer Storytellers, to make the documentary, Dyer has conducted dozens upon dozens of interviews, sifed through mounds of newspaper clippings and legal documents, digitized tapes from the Denver Public Library, and reviewed architectural drawings, photographs and television news footage—all of which had to be distilled into a cohesive, 60-minute piece.

Dyer describes the documentary as an “inspirational, educational and engaging story about our community. I wrote it, Julie handled the creative side, and Milkhaus, an esteemed documentary producer here in Denver, put all the pieces together.”

When Colorado Went Major League premieres July 13 at a McGregor Square screening for “everyone who has been a part of bringing MLB to Denver.” It airs on 9News the following weekend. PBS12 will host a screening and panel discussion as well. In addition, Dyer says the documentary can be shared with “any venue, club or organization throughout the state that has a screen. Tere’s no charge because this isn’t a commercial project; it’s a gif to the community.”

Dyer recently took a break from her work to talk more about the documentary and her television career.

THE DETAILS

Marital status: Married to Chris West

Children: Josie, 20, studying architecture at the University of Virginia; and Eliza, 18, who’ll study sports media at Butler University starting in August.

Job title: Owner of Kyle Dyer

Storytelling and executive producer/host of PBS12’s Colorado Inside Out.

Hometown: Bethesda, Md.

Education: Bachelor of science in journalism from the University of Maryland

Website: kyledyerstorytelling.com

Are you a baseball fan?

I am! On one of my interviews with Kathi Williams, she told me that when you think of football or basketball the thing you remember is who made the touchdown or the half-court shot. But with baseball, your memory is of who you were with. And that is so true.

Who did you interview for the documentary?

Everyone from political fgures like Tim Wirth, Roy Romer, Wellington Webb, Federico Peña and John Hickenlooper to civic leaders like Pete Coors, Dick Robinson, Ray Baker, Dick Monfort, Linda Alvarado and Charlie Woolley. I also spoke with Alan Roach, who’d been the voice of the Colorado Rockies from 1993 to 2006 (and is still with the Avalanche and Rapids), and some of the former players, like Vinny Castilla, Andres Galarraga and Eric Young. Young told me how

Story Joanne Davidson Photos courtesy of Kyle Dyer

TOP: Dyer on the field with former State Rep. Kathi Williams and Denver businessman Neil Macey, both whom played important roles in getting MLB to Denver. OPPOSITE LEFT: Julie Andrews, principal of JSA Video Production and director of photography Dave Klein in the Rockies’ locker room. OPPOSITE RIGHT: Dyer interviewing Eric Young.

much he loved his time in Denver; he said the people made him feel like a Hall of Famer.

Does any interview stand out?

Every single person we interviewed—from ticket-sellers who’d been with the team since day one to the owners and MLB ofcials—brought their A game and told some great stories.

What led you to become a television news reporter?

I’ve always liked to know what’s going on and to share stories with people.

Please trace your TV career:

I started out working behind the scenes in Washington, D.C., and then was on air for two years in Evansville, Ind. Ironically, I was a reporter there when [the baseball movie] A League of Teir Own was being flmed 30 years ago. Afer Evansville, I was a morning anchor in Louisville, Ky., before joining 9News in Denver in 1996. I lef 9News in 2016 to start Kyle Dyer Storytelling. And, last October, I became the executive producer and host for Colorado Inside Out on PBS12.

Is there one story from your television career that stands out?

Tere are so many! I was live on the air my frst day at 9News when the Oklahoma bombing suspects were being transported to the courthouse in downtown Denver. I’ve also been live on the air for the Columbine tragedy, 9/11, the Aurora theater shootings, fres and foods. My current project is probably my bigest and longest; I’ve never had the opportunity to spend an entire year on a story and have never had to retell a decades-old story in a way that resonates and engages today’s audience.

It seems that every news personality has an “eek!” or an “uh-oh” moment. What is yours?

I was on live TV in 2012 when I got too close to a dog and he bit my face, taking of my upper lip. I had to undergo two surgeries where my mouth had to be sewn shut following each one. It was a vulnerable time but also a valuable time. Not being able to talk was an eye-opening experience. I now approach every story, and really every day, by listening deeply to others.

Is there a news personality, living or deceased, who you try to emulate?

Sheilah Kast, a former Washington correspondent with ABC, graciously met me for breakfast on Capitol Hill when I was in college. As a young reporter, I wanted to be her, and I tried to emulate her—until I realized it’s best to be yourself.

What advice do you have for someone breaking into the news business?

Listen! When you show you care, and understand their perspectives, you’ll earn their trust and get a more insightful story.

How do people describe you?

Approachable. Empathetic. A good listener.

How would you like to be remembered?

I hope to be a light for others, lif them up, make them feel special, appreciated and loved.

Who do you most admire?

I adore my family beyond words. Te same can be said for my dear friend and storytelling partner, Julie Andrews. She is wise, sharp, clever and creative and makes me a better storyteller and person.

The last great book that you read?

Baseball in Denver by Matthew Repplinger.

When it comes to relaxing, nothing beats … Sitting in the sun at Coors Field or on the sand in Bethany Beach, Del. Best thing about living in Colorado?

Te people. I love the friendliness of Coloradans and our can-do spirit. Denver is very special because it’s where I met my husband, it’s where we raised our two girls and where we have made so many wonderful friends.

Your favorite Denver-area restaurant?

We love the fsh tacos at North County in Lowry and the orzo chicken salad at Cucina Colore in Cherry Creek. But lately I also fnd great joy in a Rocky Dog, hot pretzel and a cold Coors Light at a Rockies game.

What is your favorite getaway spot?

Anywhere in Colorado in September.

Are you involved in any nonprofit organizations?

Tis year I’ve spent a lot of time with JDRF, the Women’s Bean Project, Mother Cabrini Shrine and Regis Jesuit High School. •

Joanne Davidson was a fan of Kyle’s during the time she was on TV and thus welcomed the opportunity to get to know her better through this interview.

The screening of When Colorado Went Major League will be at 7 p.m. on July 13 in McGregor Square.

WHAT’S COOKIN’

A slice of Denver’s best culinary pie

Story Kerrie Lee Brown

With the anticipation of several hot new menu items, heartwarming cuisine creations and additions of some incredible top chefs, Coloradans are chomping at the bit to see what’s coming down the pipe. Here’s the inside scoop on what’s going to make our mouths water this summer.

ADDING A LITTLE SPICE TO YOUR LIFE

Executive Chef Charles Mani | Urban Village Grill

Denver is known for its transient population and favorful food choices. But more than ever, we are seeing cultural pride setting up shop from all corners of the world. One particular chef who is known for his outgoing personality and intriguing stories is Charles Mani of Urban Village Grill, located at Park Meadows Mall in Lone Tree.

“Visitors are in for a treat at Urban Village Grill, which ofers a totally unique outdoor dining experience with its recently reopened patio area—complete with seven self-serve grills,” explains Mani. “Te covered patio ofers guests the chance to enjoy the beautiful weather while preparing their meals with their own hands, creating a memorable and interactive dining experience.”

Mani is a Chennai, India-born chef who came to the United States with just $100 to his name and a dream of cooking his country’s food his way. Afer gaining notoriety in New York kitchens, he became the executive chef at Urban Village Grill. “My goal is to change the perception of Indian food by creating an elevated spin on street foods commonly found in India, using my personal contemporary fair while maintaining the authenticity of traditional Indian recipes.” For example, he substitutes traditional ingredients for cleaner, healthier alternatives, creating a unique brand of Indian cuisine that is light, modern and fresh.

Before opening Urban Village Grill, he was head chef at New York’s Babu Ji and Badshah. His undeniable passion for creating delicious, shared meals and his quick-witted sense of humor lets guests feel at home in his restaurant.

Photo courtesy of Toro Latin Kitchen + Lounge

GIVING BACK IN A SPIRITED WAY

Chef Troy Guard | Guard and Grace, Los Chingones, HashTAG and Bubu

Born and raised in Hawaii, Troy Guard has lived and worked across the globe. He opened his frst restaurant, TAG (now closed), on Denver’s Larimer Square in 2009. As owner and executive chef of TAG Restaurant Group, he is known for being at the top of his game cuisine-wise, but his dedication to the community he serves is paramount.

Not only has Guard been named Bar & Restaurant Expo’s 2023 Chef of the Year, he’s also got a huge heart. Since starting TAG Restaurant Group, Guard has worked with countless charities and organizations to make an impact in his community. In 2022 alone, TAG worked with or gave back to over 15 organizations, including Boulder Community Foundation, We Don’t Waste, Roundup River Ranch, Approachable Outdoors, Project Angel Heart, Conscious Alliance, American Cancer Society and Dumb Friends League, just to name a few.

With a plethora of philanthropic events on the roster this year, TAG Restaurant Group is setting the standard for community outreach. Some programs include Project Angel Heart’s Dining Out for Life, and continuing its Los Chingones Celebrity Chef Taco Program, with a dollar from each chef’s tacos going toward his or her charity of choice. In May, Guard designed a special menu for the Roundup River Ranch’s Taste of Camp and cooked for the evening. On Memorial Day, every TAG Restaurant ofered 50 percent of to parties up to four for all veterans and active military. Tis August, Guard will host another Dinner with the Champions fundraiser at Guard and Grace to raise money for Hall of Fame Health’s Fund Recovery. Te goal of the evening is to raise money for mental health and substance-use services for professional football players and their families. Lastly, every year, Guard participates in the Denver Broncos’ Taste of the Broncos charity event benefting the Food Bank of the Rockies. He plans to host more celebrity chef fundraising dinners while continuing to advocate for mental health in the food and beverage industry. �

COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Fireside with Pan-Latin cuisine mixed with South American, Japanese and Chinese influences at Toro. Tabletop grills allow everyone to get in on the action at Urban Village. A seafood tower from Guard and Grace pops with vibrant colors. Chef Troy Guard. Chef Charles Mani of Urban Village.

Photo Joni Schrantz

Photo Jenn Duncan

Photo courtesy of TAG Restaurant Group

KEEPING ASIAN TRADITION ALIVE

Chefs/owners Ni and Anna Nguyen | Sắp Sửa Sắp Sửa is Denver’s highly anticipated non-traditional Vietnamese restaurant from chefs Ni and Anna Nguyen, which opened in June. Once a beloved Colorado pop-up, Sắp Sửa’s brick-and-mortar restaurant—in Denver’s vibrant and diverse East Colfax neighborhood—will serve as a dossier to the experience of frst-generation Vietnamese Americans. Te restaurant marries traditional dishes of Ni’s childhood food in a culmination of both Nguyens’ passions and culinary careers.

“Sắp sửa” means “about to be,” refecting the Nguyens’ philosophy to be better than they were yesterday. Te 62-seat space, designed by local architect Kevin Nguyen (no relation) of Regular Architecture, features concrete tile foors that will age with character over time. Te clean and simple design puts the food in the spotlight with an open window to the kitchen and artful tableware custom made by See Saw Ceramics.

More specifcally, the space pays homage to mentors and friends with Japanese hammered brass lights that remind Chef Ni of his frst kitchen job at Hachi Ju Hachi in California, and milled bookcases that display the couple’s personal collection of inspirational cookbooks. Te space is warmed by blond brick, wood banquets and a 14-seat butcher-block bar with a travertine tile backdrop.

Te husband-and-wife duo were recognized as 2022 StarChefs Denver Rising Stars award winners afer years in Los Angeles working with the esteemed Nancy Silverton at Osteria Mozza and then Te Barish, as its co-executive chefs. “We started this journey in November 2020 when we decided to make the move from L.A. to Denver, and we’re proud to show our friends and family how far we’ve come,” says Anna Nguyen. “We’ve reached Colorado’s AAPI (Asian American Pacifc Islander) community through our pop-ups over the last few years, but in brick-and-mortar form, we’ll be able to create a neighborhood gathering space and bring diners of all backgrounds together.”

A proud Canadian living in Denver with a well-rounded journalism career, Kerrie Lee Brown is quite hungry afer writing about all these creative chefs and their culinary delights.

CULINARY CHOPS

Il Posto

Who: executive chef and owner Andrea Frizzi / chef de cuisine Bryce Love

Il Posto’s patio is the perfect spot for a weekday lunch or happy hour. Brunch is ofered Saturday and Sunday. Look for the return of CAMPARTY (a patio party with deep discounts on spritzes, negronis and Americanos with complimentary small bites) sometime this summer. Andrea Frizzi is a Milanese chef who owns Il Posto, located at 2601 Larimer St., Denver, as well as Vero Pizza and Tammen’s Fish Market, both of which are located inside Denver Central Market at 2669 Larimer St., Denver.

Noisette

Who: executive chef Tim Lu and pastry chef Lillian Lu Noisette recently launched brunch on both Saturdays and Sundays. Te restaurant is now ofering a prix fxe menu on Wednesday and Tursday evenings, with two savory courses for $48. And this summer, the bakery will be open on Friday and Saturday evenings for drinks and light snacks. Tis husbandand-wife team, both graduates of the French Culinary Institute in New York, ofer a comfortable and elegant atmosphere with emphasis on technique, service and refned presentation. Located at 3254 Navajo St.

Chez Maggy

Who: executive chef Ludo Lefebvre

Lefebvre launched new seasonal menus for (all- week) brunch, lunch and dinner service this spring. New menu items include a seared foie gras, organic chicken roti (tableside for two), duck breast a l’orange, grilled asparagus and an upgraded rendition of the smash burger, which might be the best in the city! Chez Magy is a love-letter to Margaret, Ludo’s mother-in-law, who lived to help others in Colorado. It’s also a celebration of the land of Ludo’s childhood: Burgundy, France, a place steeped in natural beauty and with a deep connection to the earth. Chez Magy pays homage to Lefebvre’s French roots while synthesizing his rich culinary traditions with the naturally abundant ingredients of the Mountain West, reimagining continental cuisine at the Continental Divide. Located at 1616 Market St.

Point Easy

Who: executive chef Carlton Halaby

Bar manager Lex Madden is collaborating with Point Easy’s pastry chef to develop yummy slushies for the summer season. First up, a tasty gin-and-tonic sorbet served with lime cordial and a gin swirl, and a light and refreshing negroni-inspired slushie. In addition, they will be showcasing rosé and orange wines (with help from Quorum and Craf/Old World) every

LEFT: The couple that cooks together: Anna and Anthony Nguyen of Sắp Sửa. RIGHT: Bắp cải luộc, otherwise known as charred cabbage, anchovy breadcrumbs and egg yolk. OPPOSITE FROM TOP: Michelin-starred chef Ludo Lefebvre brings culinary magic to Chez Maggy. Denver native and chef Mary Nguyen of Little Finch delivers scrumptious, scratch-made sweets as well as chef-driven lunch items to her newest endeavor. Chef Nicholas Kayser brings his craft cuisine concept to Denver. Whittier’s new neighbor, Point Easy, serves seasonal, local food while treating guests like family.

Photo courtesy of Sắp Sửa

Photo courtesy of Sắp Sửa

Wednesday in July for Wine Wednesday. And this August, Point Easy will be hosting a winemaker dinner to showcase the organic wines of Robert Sinsky out of Napa Valley, Calif. Halaby has been in the culinary space for 12 years and brings his expertise and creativity to the already innovative menu at Point Easy. Expect out-ofthis-world greens, potatoes and okra from Cure Farms, peppers from Tistle Whistle Farm, and puntarelle from Esoterra Farms, as well as peaches and other fruit from the Western Slope. Located at 2000 E. 28th Ave.

BurnDown

Who: executive chef Eric Navratil

BurnDown is a modern eatery and music venue that opened this May. Navratil’s menu highlights the best from local farmers, ranchers and purveyors like Red Bird Chicken, Boulder Valley Beef, Colorado Catch and Superior Lamb. Signature dishes include pan de campo, a buttermilk fatbread with whipped chèvre, mushrooms, cardamom tomatoes and cress with a balsamic reduction; tacos adobada made with guajillo and morita-marinated pork inside tallow-grilled corn tortillas topped with cilantro, onion, radish, frijoles charros and salsa; Szechuan hot chicken, a gluten-free fried chicken thigh with chili-garlic crunch, sweet-heat pickles, chili mayo, challah toast and vinegar slaw; and Grains of Truth, a mixture of farro and japonica rice topped with roasted mushrooms, roasted sweet potato, onion, greens, parm broth, Grana and lemon. Te name BurnDown originates from the building’s history, when a 1978 fre scorched many of the structure’s original beams. Te owners preserved and reinforced the vast majority of the charred posts, alongside the space’s distressed brick, adding a unique character to an otherwise modern aesthetic. Located at 476 S. Broadway.

Little Finch/Olive & Finch

Who: executive chef and owner Mary Nguyen

Chef Nguyen is a well-known, highly regarded member of Denver’s restaurant and culinary community who just opened her newest concept, Little Finch. It joins Olive & Finch which, opened in the Uptown neighborhood of Denver in 2013, with a second location in Cherry Creek in 2017) plus the commercial concepts O&F Bakeshop and Finch on the Fly. A daughter of immigrants, Denver native Nguyen started with a career in fnance before discovering a passion for food, opening the acclaimed Parallel Seventeen in 2005 and Street Kitchen Asian Bistro in 2011. (She’s since closed both.) Little Finch is located at 1490 16th St. Mall.

Create Kitchen & Bar and Lucina Eatery & Bar

Who: executive chef and owner Erasmo “Ras” Casiano

Chef Casiano opened Create Cooking School with his longtime friend and business partner Diego Coconati in the Stanley Marketplace when it opened in 2016 and then expanded their culinary reach, bringing brick-andmortar restaurant Lucina to life in Park Hill in 2022. Casiano’s mother, Santa Lucina (Lucy), is the inspiration and motivation behind his career in food and beverage. His newest concept, Lucina Eatery & Bar, is named afer her, and the menu is based on her inspirations plus Casiano’s Mexican-meets-Argentina-meets-Peru-meets-Bolivia style of cooking. Create Kitchen & Bar is located at 2501 Dallas St. #128, Aurora. Lucina Eatery & Bar is located at 2245 Kearney St. #101.

Rooted Craft Kitchen

Who: executive chef and owner Nicholas Kayser

Kayser may be best known in Colorado as the executive chef at Vesta, but when it shut its doors in 2020, he struck out on his own to open Rooted Craf Kitchen in Boulder’s Avanti Food and Beverage hall, followed by Del Mar at Rooted. His frst brick-and-mortar location, Rooted Craf Kitchen in Denver’s West Highland neighborhood, opened in May. A Cincinnati native raised in Denver, Kayser earned his bachelor’s degree at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Colorado and has served under several of the world’s top chefs, including Bryan Nagao, Tomas Valenti and Richard Sandoval, with stints in New York City, Las Vegas, Hong Kong and beyond. Located at 1401 Pearl St., Boulder.

Kini’s

Who: executive chef Darren Pusateri

Before joining the team at Kini’s in Cherry Creek, Pusateri was with the Gastamo Group, and was executive chef at Barcelona Wine Bar in Denver and Philadelphia. He’s also been lucky to spend time working in the kitchens at Frasca, TAG, Guard and Grace and Sushi Den. Featuring a great patio, Kini’s recently launched a spectacular new whole fsh program. Guests can order from a selection of fresh Mediterranean fsh sold by the pound, which is presented tableside before being roasted in the wood-fred oven and then dressed with feld herbs and citrus. Located at 233 Clayton St. •

Photo courtesy of Chez Maggy

Photo courtesy of Little Finch

Photo courtesy of Rooted Craft Kitchen

Photo courtesy of Point Easy

Montain Magic: CAN’T-MISS EXPERIENCES IN THREE RESORT TOWNS

As temperatures rise, head to Vail, Aspen and Steamboat to see what’s new and cool.

Story Katie Coakley

Summer is in full swing, and realizing that your “must-do” list is woefully incomplete only makes it feel shorter. To help with the FOMO that arrives during these fleeting bucolic months, we’ve compiled what’s new and drive-worthy in three distinct mountain towns: Vail, Aspen and Steamboat Springs. From adrenaline-pumping outdoor adventures to innovative culinary delights and cultural attractions, these destinations are perhaps even more attractive in the warmer months. From cowboy chic to just plain chic, this is just a small preview of what Vail, Aspen and Steamboat have to offer this summer. From the rivers (fly-fishing) to the sky (hot-air ballooning), there are myriad reasons to escape to the mountains before the leaves turn.

Bavarian vibes and elevated experiences in Vail

Vail is known for its picturesque Bavarian-inspired town center and world-class ski slopes. In the summer, mountain bikes and trail runners head for the hills, but there is plenty to do beyond the slopes, too. Soak up the sun at nearby Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, designated as such by President Biden in October 2022. The former training grounds for the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division in World War II, this area offers mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing and more at 9,200 feet above sea level.

After working up an appetite, head to Vail Village for a taste of the Black Forest at Alpenrose, which serves seasonal cuisine on a deck that encourages a leisurely meal. Looking for some modern flair? Chasing Rabbits is Vail’s newest social destination, featuring a restaurant, theater, library lounge, arcade and a speakeasy, all in one venue. Time your visit for Aug. 10-13 and enjoy a wine weekend with the Vail Wine Classic. This annual festival combines tasting events, live music and outdoor activities with fabulous wines from around the world.

If cultural activities are on the menu, soak up a performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra or the New York Philharmonic during Bravo! Vail or new pieces during the Vail Dance Festival. Both take place in the incomparable Ford Amphitheater, which seamlessly enhances the beautiful outdoor setting in every performance.

For a truly unforgettable getaway, grab a few friends and reserve the Ethos and Opus homes. This ultra-luxurious property, located at 99-100 Vail Road, features six stories (15,000 square feet) of living space including two pools, two outdoor hot tubs, multiple fire pits, 360-degree views and bespoke design elements throughout. Rates start at $24,950 per night. �

TOP: Master winemakers and wine enthusiasts gather in the Rockies for the annual Vail Wine Classic. BOTTOM: Ethos/Opus is one of Vail’s most luxurious properties available for rent.

Photo Triumph Mountain Properties

Photo Ryan Cox Photography

Classic chic reigns in Aspen

A mining town turned iconic destination, Aspen is a cultural hub that ofers a perfect blend of outdoor exploration and artistic pursuits—and though there are plenty of swanky shops and world-class dining options, don’t eschew this area’s funky side.

Begin your exploration at the Aspen Art Museum, a contemporary institution that showcases thought-provoking exhibitions like everybody rise, the frst institutional solo exhibition by Florian Krewer in the United States, on display through Sept. 24. Looking for a taste of the past? Wheeler Opera House, which opened in 1889, ofers a variety of performances from concerts to comedy shows as well as history tours.

Aspen and its environs are also a haven for foodies. If you missed the annual Food & Wine Classic in June, make a point to visit one of the many James Beard nominees who call the area home. Chef C. Barclay Dodge holds court at Bosq in Aspen, serving up seasonal cuisine that may have been picked that morning. In Snowmass, chef Mawa McQueen combines African and Latin favors at Mawita’s. For a lively brunch option, be sure to catch Drag Queen Bingo, hosted by the magnifcent Kendra Matic, at Te Collective Hall in Snowmass Base Village on select Sundays through September.

Te Jazz Aspen Snowmass Festival (Sept. 1-3) is the quintessential Labor Day party. Tis world-class music event brings together renowned artists from various genres for unforgettable performances surrounded by stunning mountain vistas. Tis year’s lineup includes Foo Fighters, Te Lumineers, Billy Idol and Old Dominion.

Old West Spirit with New World Charm in Steamboat

In Steamboat Springs, the dress code leans more toward Carhart than Chanel— but that doesn’t detract from the wide range of cultural oferings on tap. Start at the Steamboat Art Museum, which showcases a diverse collection of Western and regional art that captures the essence of this vibrant region.

Tough there are plenty of man-made wonders in Steamboat, it’s the natural beauty that attracts so many visitors. Fish Creek Falls, immortalized on the label of Coors Banquet beer, has various viewpoints for admiring the waterfall—choose from mild to more strenuous hikes. For amateur ornithologists, the 12th annual Yampa Valley Crane Festival takes place over Labor Day weekend. Enjoy the sight of greater sandhill cranes during fall staging, when the majestic birds gather in large numbers to feed and gain energy for their migration south. Te festival includes guided crane viewing and bird walks along with exhibits, workshops and educational programming.

Afer working up an appetite, there are plenty of creative culinary options in and around town. Aurum, which now has three locations, is credited with elevating the dining scene in Steamboat—don’t miss the daily happy hour from 4:30 to 6 p.m. to sample some of its best-selling dishes. For adventurous eaters, Te Periodic Table at Catamount Ranch golf club (10 minutes from the resort) changes menus (and concepts) seasonally; guests can get a taste of the Mediterranean this summer. Can’t decide? Te Commons, Steamboat’s frst-ever food hall, recently opened and overlooks Butcherknife Creek. Other stalls in the food hall ofer poke bowls, wood-fred pizzas and Jamaican fare. •

Katie Coakley is a freelance writer based in Eagle County. She’s written for a variety of newspapers and magazines including 5280.com, Outside.com and Hemispheres. When she’s not on her paddleboard, you’ll fnd her catching a show at the Ford Amphitheater or on a sunny patio during the feeting days of summer.

Photo courtesy of Steamboat Springs Chamber

Photo courtesy of Steve Mundinger

TOP LEFT: Fish Creek Falls in all its summertime glory with fresh alpine water cascading 280 feet, just minutes from downtown Steamboat. BOTTOM LEFT: Jazz Aspen Snowmass’s Labor Day Weekend Experience is three days chock full of music, friends and fun. TOP RIGHT: Kendra Matic, one of Aspen’s most famous drag queens, hosts Drag Queen Bingo Brunch at The Collective Hall at Snowmass Base Village on select Sundays this summer. BOTTOM RIGHT: With the goal of bringing fine art that reflects the culture and heritage of Northwest Colorado, the Steamboat Art Museum (SAM) exhibits give rise to unique programming for all ages.

Photo Dave Clifford

Photo courtesy of Steamboat Springs Chamber

Joy Rubey, founder and owner of the Front Range-based Spade & Spoon, laughs as she recalls her lack of cooking prowess as a young woman. “I couldn’t even cook a chicken before, but now, oh yeah, I defnitely do know how to cook.”

Rubey’s passion for local food started when she was just 5 years old, selling peaches, lemons and avocados out of a wagon to her neighbors in Bellfower, Calif. She went on to become an architect, but in her 30s Rubey’s food interest returned as she began to question our food system and became concerned about growing and promoting healthier food and, in turn, a healthier planet.

Spade & Spoon, a family-owned and -operated meal kit company, supports local farmers, ranchers, bakers and other food and beverage makers by providing them with stable markets, fair prices and higher yields and efcient distribution methods. Te company is dedicated to reducing waste. Customers

return boxes and ice packs from prior orders by leaving them out for delivery drivers. Boxes are put together fresh with minimal packaging in the mornings. Rubey partners with producers that have sustainable, regenerative and organic practices. While some producers may not be certifed organic (since it can be cost-prohibitive for small growers), local organic quality is her top priority in choosing the company’s ingredients.

Curated boxes include three set selections from one meal category, such as Mediterranean, gluten- and dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, surf and turf and “quick and simple.” A build-your-own-box option lets a customer choose three selections from diferent categories. Among the 900 dinner options are caulifower and chickpea tacos, hoisin glazed pork meatballs and Cuban picadillo with spicy black beans. All meals serve four, and orders of at least $75 are delivered free, with a minimum order of $35.

Story Irene Middleman Thomas

Photos courtesy of Spade & Spoon

OPPOSITE: Marketplace staples from Spade & Spoon. TOP: Honeycrisp kale salad with feta and pomegranates. BOTTOM: Falafel-spiced flatbread with roasted chickpeas and cauliflower sit on top of a bed of arugula, red onions and lemon tahini sauce.

Rubey launched the Colorado company in November 2022 afer successfully creating a similar business in the Pacifc Northwest, where she and her family still live part-time. Her team opened Acme Farms & Kitchen in 2011. Te company has helped sell more than $24 million of local food in the Pacifc Northwest, working alongside more than 70 local producers. Its business boomed three-fold during the pandemic and now has over 5,000 customers. Te newer Spade & Spoon has built a client base of about 1,000 since opening.

Spade & Spoon’s meal kits and pantry items feature popular local farmers market vendors such as Sfoglina, Not Bad Cooks, Hearth Bakery, Five Freedoms Dairy, Switch Gears Farms and dozens of other Colorado food producers to ofer seasonal recipes designed by longtime chef Andrew Clarke.

Although some kits require a few pantry staples, such as olive oil, salt and pepper, all the ingredients needed to make the meal are included, along with a recipe card. Most of the sauces, spice blends and baking mixes are made in-house.

In addition to its regular rotating dinner kits, Spade & Spoon has seasonal specials, including a 21-day “New Year Reset,” Valentine’s date night and a festive Halloween ofering. Spade & Spoon delivers to the greater Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins regions. •

SPADE & SPOON spadespoon.com

Irene Middleman Tomas is an avid foodie who loves exploring innovative and creative new restaurants wherever she goes. She writes about travel, food and lifestyles, ofen for Colorado Expression.

FAROW TAKING FARM-TO-TABLE TO ANOTHER LEVEL

Lisa and Patrick Balcom signed the lease for Farow, their Niwot restaurant, in July 2021, during a brief local hiatus from the COVID19 pandemic. “We all kind of felt like things were over, but then… it came back,” Lisa recalls. Despite the trials of that period, during which so many established restaurants failed, Farow is thriving.

Te extremely innovative and tantalizing menu has enticed diners from all over the Front Range and beyond to venture to the delightful small community of Niwot to feast on such items as JHawk Harms chicken with black harissa, breakfast radish and green tahini and Buckner Ranch flet mignon with onion tarte tatin.

Chef Patrick began his culinary career at 16, working during the summer at a country club in Indiana. Afer high school, he enrolled at Johnson & Wales, the renowned academy for restaurateurs. He comes up with delightfully creative ideas from various sources, including his 20+ years of experience at Blackbelly, Safa and Charleston Grill. “I pore through cookbooks to come up with more interesting farm-to-table items,” he says.

Patrick enjoys asking his staf members for their ideas. “I try to collaborate with everyone on my staf. We all think diferently, and a staf member might spur a cool new concept.”

Te Balcoms believe in treating their employees well, and value their expertise. Everything is made in-house by Farow’s culinary team, including the popular daily rotating focaccia bread and the tantalizing desserts crafed by pastry chef Lisa. Teir providers are also carefully chosen, due to the couple’s commitment to building a more sustainable food system, which includes paying farmers a fair wage buying from purveyors who prioritize animal welfare and sustainable farming practices.

Farow’s name comes from a brainstorming session of partial human and partial AI-generated ideas. It is a “collaboration of the grain “farro” and “farrow,” the correct term for a litter of pigs,” Lisa explains with a chuckle. “Since we are so focused on farm-to-table cuisine, she notes, this made sense to us.”

Story Irene Middleman Thomas Photos courtesy of Farow

OPPOSITE: Sitting pretty, a feast of seasonal, chef-forward dishes, part of the Adventure Menu at Farow. LEFT: Fried green tomatoes offer a layered flavor profile with vibrant herbs, tart tomatoes and just the right amount of crunch.

RIGHT: Chef Patrick Balcom prepares a hyper-local menu from nearby purveyors every week. BOTTOM: Don’t miss dessert! Farow’s lemon ricotta pie will have you booking your next reservation, it’s that delicious.

Indeed, the Balcoms are strict about obtaining some 90 percent of the food items they use from within a 10 mile radius of their restaurant. Tat policy forces chef Patrick to be very creative, especially during the winter, Lisa says. “Our food and cocktail menus are like a constantly rotating snapshot of that specifc week’s produce from the amazing farms here in Boulder County.”

Te pair believes strongly in reducing their carbon footprint in as many ways as they can. Food scraps go to local pig farmers, for example, and they maintain a small garden onsite. Te craf beers they serve are all Colorado brews, and while wines are not all from Colorado, they are mostly organic and biodynamic.

Farow will be hosting fve Sunday Suppers on the Farm this summer for the frst time, from June through October, including a third Farow anniversary farm dinner in September. Afer an early evening tour of the farm, diners will enjoy a welcome cocktail, followed by a prix fxe four-course meal. Te frst dinner will be June 18. •

Irene Middleman Tomas is an avid foodie and loves exploring innovative and creative new restaurants wherever she goes. She writes about travel, food and lifestyles, ofen for Colorado Expression.

FARMERS MARKET FINDS

Story CE Staff

In Colorado, farmers markets are more than just open-air organic artisanal grocery stores. Tey’re social gatherings, lazy mornings in the sun, maker storefronts, live-music venues and learning centers that celebrate the bounties of the summer as well. July and August are when they are at their peak, so there’s no better time to sample the best of the state and plan a summer menu of earthy Colorado goods with ingredients from local markets. Grab your produce baskets and wide-brimmed hats and be prepared to wander in wonder of bountiful Colorado culinary fnds.

Alamosa Farmers Market

San Luis Valley dairy and meat producers ofer home-crafed cheeses and grass-fed beef, lamb and yak. Nibble samples from valley growers and score Colorado recipes and tips at free cooking demos. Te open-air roasted chiles are a must-try.

alamosafarmersmarket.org

Boulder Farmers Market

Te popular Boulder market (with a sister market in Longmont) boasts the longest season in Colorado, running from April to mid-November. Find out-of-the-ordinary goods such as specialty chocolate, goat milk and crayfsh, along with a full food court and acoustic entertainment. Don’t miss Masa Seed Foundation, which focuses on growing bio-regional seed banks for local and national distribution.

bcfm.org

Cherry Creek Fresh Market

Denver’s largest farmers market ofers a colorful mix of beautiful fowers from local farmers, local produce, artisan products and delicious cuisine, plus all the high-end shopping your heart (and wallet) can handle. Many food businesses and food-related causes have started here, so if you’re looking for the next best gourmet treat, chances are you’ll fnd it at this market! coloradofreshmarkets.com

Colorado Springs Farmer’s Markets

Colorado Springs Farmer’s Markets runs more than a dozen summer markets, from the Backyard Market to Monument to Woodland Park, all flled with fne artisan goods as well as organic produce, infused vinegars, pet treats and wellness products. springsfarmersmarkets.com

Crested Butte Farmers Market

In addition to wild-caught fsh, ciders, wines and massages, this mountain market brings visitors a genuine feld-to-fork experience with a seasonal harvest supper. Te meal is sourced entirely from local foods, down to the table salt. If you can’t experience the harvest supper, make sure to bring some goodies home from Laz Ewe 2 Bar Goat Dairy, like its yak cheese. cbfarmersmarket.org

Dillon Farmers Market

Located in Town Park, this lakeside bazaar features artistic glass jewelry, handmade pottery, boutique soaps, cheeses, pastries and a full lineup of live music to boot. Grab a fresh-squeezed lemonade and some walnut cranberry bread, then explore Lake Dillon on a historical boat tour with departures from Dillon Marina. townofdillon.com

South Pearl Street Farmers Market

Tis highly curated neighborhood market has a loyal following of vendors and visitors that all add to the unique personality of this community. In addition to juicy late-summer Western Slope peaches and apples, baked treats, kombuchas, cacti and food truck oferings that make your mouth water, each Sunday brings live music as well as special events including a pet fair, fea market, chile cook-of and Halloween parade. southpearlstreet.com

Telluride Farmers Market

Telluride keeps the jovial vibe alive at its Friday market with free music and presentations on the Gondola Plaza, along with pottery, clothing and woodcraf vendors. Te market’s goal is to not only provide the community with high-quality, locally produced food and artisan craf, but also create a space where customers come face-to-face with the hardworking producers and crafers.

thetelluridefarmersmarket.com

Vail Farmers Market and Art Show

Te largest farmers market in Colorado ofers 148 tents packed with garden goodies, regional fare, international cuisines, art, wellness products and home goods. Add the live music, huge roasted turkey legs, Mexican street corn and kids play areas, and the Sunday market resembles a (very stylish) county fair.

vailfarmersmarket.com �

LEFT: Fresh from the farm, white and red radishes are a summertime favorite at the South Pearl Street Farmers Market. RIGHT: Locally grown flowers in full bloom at the Telluride Farmer’s Market.

Photo courtesy of Telluride Farmer’s Market

Photo courtesy of South Pearl St Farmer’s Market

FARM-TO-TABLE MUST-HAVES

Fireworks Finishing Butters

Tis woman-owned and -run artisanal food company makes high-quality, delicious grass-fed and organic butter. Not only are the favor profles amazing, but Fireworks also trains disadvantaged populations facing homelessness and joblessness to work in food and restaurants. freworksbutters.com

RECIPES

THE BOOZY BOTANIST’S PEACHES ‘N’ CREAM MOCKTAIL Serving 1 Mocktail

Ingredients

1 can non-alcoholic Grüvi Peach Pie Ale (another fab Colorado product!)

1 1/2 ounce oat milk

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce The Boozy Botanist Calendula Chamomile Simple Syrup

1 dropper The Boozy Botanist Vanilla Peach Bitters

Instructions

Björn’s Colorado Honey

Tis raw, unfltered honey tastes amazing and provides all the health benefts local pollen provide. Pontus Jakobsson, the company’s beekeeper, grew up in Sweden and learned the practice from his grandfather (and company namesake) Björn. His wife, Lara, and daughter Ester, along with a knowledgeable crew help create their line of bee-based skincare products featuring beeswax, honey and propolis. A new fav is Björn’s Bee Pollen Honey, which combines local honey and bee pollen blended for people looking to add more bee pollen to their diet as a potent protein source and seasonal allergy fghter. Plus, it’s full of B vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

bjornscoloradohoney.com

The Boozy Botanist

Katie Green is the founder and lead potion-maker, of Te Boozy Botanist, which sells small-batch bitters, simple syrups, sugar cubes and infusion kits. Green’s passion for plant medicine combines with her enthusiasm for craf cocktails to create a product line for beverage connoisseurs of all types. In addition to farmers markets, you can sip Remembering Rosemary and When Life Gives You Lemon Bitters in its best-selling cocktails, Fino & Tonic, Hello Mary Lou and Teir Love Grows at Rooted Craf Kitchen in the Highland neighborhood.

theboozybotanist.com

Add all ingredients except the Grüvi Peach Pie Ale to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain ingredients into a martini glass over ice, top with Grüvi Peach Pie Ale. Garnish the rim with slices of local Palisade peaches.

BJORN’S SWEET AND SPICY HONEY FRIED CHICKEN

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs OR skin-on drumsticks

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 cups buttermilk

4-6 cloves of garlic

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon salt

4 cups corn oil for deep-frying

Björn’s Sweet and Spicy Honey

2-4 charred cayenne chiles, if desired

Instructions

Marinate the chicken in the buttermilk and whole garlic cloves for up to 24 hours but at least 20 minutes. (Buttermilk will not only help tenderize, but it also helps the four stick to the chicken.)

Mix four with cayenne and salt. Coat chicken pieces in four mixture, making sure to press it onto all surfaces. Don’t be shy; you can’t get too much coating on there, and the more you get, the crispier the chicken will be. Place breaded chicken on a plate or cutting board while the oil heats up. Heat oil in a heavy-bottom pan (Le Creuset or cast iron) on medium to medium-high for 2-3 minutes or until it bubbles vigorously when a small piece of breading is dropped in. Once the oil is hot enough, place as many pieces of chicken in the pan as will ft without overlapping. Fry, turning and checking occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Use tongs to retrieve a large piece, then use a sharp knife to cut completely through the meat to make sure the juices are clear. Place cooked chicken on a wire rack or paper towel-lined platter. Serve with Björn’s Sweet and Spicy Honey or turn up the heat even more by garnishing with dried chiles.

Photo courtesy of Fireworks Finishing Butters

Photo courtesy of Bjorn’s Colorado Honey

Photo courtesy of The Boozy Botanist

RIGHT: Mouth-watering sweet and spicy fried chicken. OPPOSITE: Citrus spice butter tarts make the perfect sweet summertime treat.

Photo courtesy of Bjorn’s Colorado Honey

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon whipping cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth and fufy. In a small bowl, combine the lemon curd and melted Fireworks Citrus Spice Butter Burst. Next, place an eg in a small bowl, whisk until thoroughly mixed and then set it aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay a sheet of puf pastry onto a lightly foured surface and cut into 8 equal rectangles; repeat with the second sheet of puf pastry. In the middle of each of 8 rectangles, spread about a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and

FIREWORKS FINISHING BUTTER’S CITRUS SPICE BUTTER TARTS Serves 8

Ingredients

2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted

5 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream (for the filling)

2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ounces lemon curd

1 1/4 ounces Fireworks Citrus Spice Butter Burst

1 egg

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (for the icing)

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

then a tablespoon of citrus mixture, leaving about 1/4 inch around the edges to seal the pastry. Cover each rectangle with a pastry rectangle and use a fork to press along the edges to seal. Use the fork to poke the middle of the top pastry a couple of times to allow for steam to escape. Brush each pastry with the beaten eg.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Let the pastries cool for about 5 minutes before adding glaze. To make the glaze, in a shallow bowl, whisk powdered sugar with cream until smooth. Add the lemon zest. Transfer the glaze into a piping bag or a ziplock bag, snip of a little tip and drizzle each pastry with glaze. Pair with local vanilla ice cream and fresh berries. •

Photo courtesy of Fireworks Finishing Butters

Pressed flower art, or botanical or herbarium art, is a decorative technique that involves preserving and arranging dried flowers and plant materials to create visually appealing compositions.

The art form goes back centuries, with pressed flowers having been found in Egyptian tombs and ancient burial sites in Greece. There are also the “tussie-mussies” from medieval times. In the 1500s, the Japanese art form of oshibana (pressing flowers in a way to create a whole picture) supposedly taught samurai warriors the importance of patience, concentration and living in harmony with nature, according to the Natural History Museum in London. And during the Victorian era, pressed flower arrangements were used to create botanical reference guides, for decorating stationery and as art pieces for the home.

Today, pressed flower art is again having a moment, but in a more modern way. The advancements in techniques and technologies provide limitless possibilities when it comes to design.

Enter Rachel Parri and Keith Kralik of Denver’s Flower Press Studio, who are taking full advantage of the trend. We spoke with Kralik about where they are taking the art form.

BOTANICAL ART

THIS PAGE: A deconstructed array of local Colorado flowers preserved and arranged to a bespoke piece of original art by the Flower Press Studio. OPPOSITE

LEFT: Kralik carefully places each piece of flora to achieve the desired look.

OPPOSITE MIDDLE TOP: Parri and Kralik among mountain wildflowers. OPPOSITE MIDDLE BOTTOM: A pressed bridal bouquet serves as a beautiful reminder of your special day and becomes an instant heirloom. OPPOSITE RIGHT: Assembling watsonia lily petals for the press.

Story Hillary Locke Mujica

Photo Bonnie Sen

Photos courtesy of Rachel Parri and Keith Kralik

How did you and Rachel get into flower pressing?

In 2019, I collected some flowers and pressed them into a book and framed them as a present for Rachel’s birthday. Later that year, we bought a house in Denver and then COVID hit, so during lockdown, we xeriscaped our yard, planted a ton of flowers and vegetables and brought on two beehives (you know—standard pandemic stuff).

By the following summer, our garden was filled with blooms, so I began pressing lots of calendulas, sunflowers, poppies and other flowers. I had been making my own wood picture frames, so I played around with designing patterns and shapes with the pressed flowers and used the frames I made. By October 2021, Rachel and I were hooked and officially started the Flower Press Studio, focusing on preserving bridal bouquets.

We didn’t have access to fancy flowers though, so we reached out to florists and offered to help strike weddings [that is, clean up and remove all flowers] so we could practice on wedding flowers that would typically be thrown away. Slowly, one design after another, we got better and more confident in our skills. Word began to spread, and by the end of 2022 we had pressed thousands of flowers and created 200 pressed bridal bouquets, 252 original designs and custom frames for all. Although we loved the work, the round-the-clock schedule wasn’t sustainable, so in January of this year, we made a conscious effort to cap our wedding bouquet preservations to 35-40 and we booked a trip to New Zealand, where we backpacked, camped and completely unplugged to get clear on the direction we wanted to take the business. We had a “eureka” moment, deciding that bridal bouquets were just the tip of the iceberg—we could do so much more with our press in terms of designs, mediums like textiles, wallpapers, clothing; honestly, we could go on and on, and so we are. This year we will have two limited-edition print releases and are filming and editing educational courses.

What is it about working with flowers that inspires you?

Flowers give us a chance to be outside every day, get a good workout and vitamin D, activate our senses (taste, smell, sight, etc.), and bring us a sense of calm. Flowers provide food for insects or for others to seek

shelter. Season after season, flowers pop up on their own. You almost get this sense of a fresh palette in your garden because seeds might have spread to different spots or come over from another garden. Perhaps seeds were planted by squirrels or dropped by birds ... who knows? It’s a little surprise. And, of course, the colors and shapes that flowers come in give us infinite possibilities for creating.

Where do you get your flowers from?

We source all the flowers we use from small, local, independent flower farms. We reached out to five Front Range flower farms and asked if we could do a print series with their specific flowers, so we collect seasonal blooms from each farm. This enables us to build relationships with the farms, share their story with our audience and showcase their flowers, since most people do not see their flowers. It’s a win-win.

Tell us about the educational resources you’ve been developing.

We receive a lot of questions about pressing flowers, color retention, mold, browning, gluing, framing, sourcing, how to make a press, etc. It’s usually the same sequence of questions, so we saw a need to offer step-by-step videos. The goal is to show the presser our techniques; the attention to detail that they will need to put into each flower that is pressed; the care that goes into the flowers while they are in the press; the wrong ways of pressing; the mistakes that are common in pressing; and the results that they should be achieving.

The current curriculum is in development and will consist of four courses:

How to Press Fruits and Vegetables Mini Course

How to Glue and Reconstruct Flowers

How to Frame

To sign up for upcoming courses, purchase original or print artwork or snag one of their coveted pressed bridal bouquet creations, head to flowerpressstudio.com. t

Fly-Fishing Fantasies, Hunting Hot Spots and Luxurious Lodges

You’ll Love

When you’re thinking “girls’ trip,” South Dakota might not be the frst place that pops into your head—but maybe it should be. Featuring outdoor adventure and wellness activities, and only a quick fight or a road trip away, this state has something to ofer everyone in every season. Its stunning scenery— which ranges from forests and towering limestone spires in the Black Hills to glacial lakes and rolling plains in the central and eastern regions—makes South Dakota an ideal destination for getting away, getting outside, and getting some much-needed R&R.

Cast a Line and Relax in Spearfish Canyon

For those seeking to escape city life, check out Spearfsh Canyon Lodge. Nestled into the gorgeous Spearfsh Canyon, this classic logcabin-style lodge has the cozy mountain aesthetics you’ll need to unwind, paired with exciting activities to fuel your fre for adventure. Here you can rent gear for a day of fy-fshing on the water, rent an ATV/UTV for a thrilling day on the trails, or set of on a hike—and then soak up the views of the towering limestone clifs of Spearfsh Canyon right outside your door.

Ladies with a love of fshing, or frst-timers looking to try something new are in luck! Some of the best fy-fshing can be done right here in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Hot spots for casting a

Story Hillary Locke Mujica Photos courtesy of Travel South Dakota

OPPOSITE: Hiking Badlands National Park offers views for miles. TOP: Fly-fishing in Custer State Park with its unique scenery as well as impressive fish. MIDDLE: Pheasant hunting is one of the better introductions to hunting for beginners. BOTTOM: Soaking up the healing waters of Moccasin Hot Springs.

line include Spearfsh Canyon, in addition to Rapid Creek and Custer State Park. Te unique geology of the hills, combined with its striking landscapes and plentiful trout streams, create the perfect atmosphere for the fy fsher. Black Hills trout water ranges from tailwaters to freestones, spring creeks and meandering mountain streams, as well as numerous small reservoirs. Within these majestic lands, fshermen and women will fnd 14 mountain lakes and more than 400 miles of streams to explore with an assortment of trout species, including brook and rainbow. Tere are also 50,000 stock dams containing largemouth bass, northern pike and a variety of panfsh.

Opt to spend some time on the water with just your girls or get some assistance from a local guide. Either way, you’re sure to make memories and snap pictures that you’ll all cherish for a lifetime—but don’t forget to purchase a fshing license!

When you’re ready for some shopping, catching up over a cocktail and some well-deserved pampering, take a scenic 25-minute drive from the lodge through the winding roads of the canyon to get to the adorable town of Spearfsh. Like something out of a Hallmark movie, this community’s main street is lined with great boutiques, delicious food and plenty of small-town charm. While you’re here, be sure to book a treatment at the Black Hills Salt Cave & Spa. Tis contemporary health spa and wellness center is built around a man-made Himalayan rock salt cave that will help open your airways and reduce tension. In addition, the full-spectrum infrared saunas are not to be missed.

For even more unique wellness experiences, plan a trip to Hot Springs, located in the state’s southwest corner. Te natural springs in this area have been sought afer for centuries for their healing properties. Moccasin Springs Natural Mineral Spa is one of the more noteworthy spots to indulge in a soak in the soothing mineral water that bubbles out of the ground at a steamy warm temperature, with a pleasant scent and silky texture thanks to high magnesium and calcium levels.

Set Your Sights on Hunting in Central South Dakota

Make sure to plan ahead and get your hunting license in advance of packing your best camo outft and get ready for a weekend of hunting in South Dakota.

According to South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, hunting remains the No. 1 way to manage many animal populations across South Dakota. Harvest strategies are intended to ensure the well-being of the species and their habitat while maintaining populations at levels compatible with human activity and land use. Local hosts, private outftters and more than a million acres of publicly accessible hunting land make South Dakota a world-class hunting haven for big game, waterfowl and small game. �

Photo courtesy of Byron Banasiak

SOME SOUTH DAKOTA FAVORITES

Dine on Georgia O’Keefe’s lamb chops at Bufalo Dreamer in Hot Springs. bufalodreamer.com

Share a plate of lobster-stufed squash blossoms at Harvester Kitchen in Sioux Falls.

harvesterkitchensf.com

Bring home a Bedsu dip-dyed leather handbag and Hayden denim barn jacket from Treads by Simply Perfect in Sioux Falls.

threadsbysimplyperfect.com

Dakota Angler & Outftter in Rapid City has an impressive collection of fies and fy-tying equipment, all geared toward catching trout, walleye, bass, crappie and more in South Dakota’s lakes and rivers.

shop.fyfshsd.com

Te fy-fshing guides at Finn Provisions ensure everyone has a great day on the water. Tey provide all of the gear rods, reels, lines, fies, waders and boots so you can show up and let them handle the heavy lifing.

fnnprovisions.com

We recommend grabbing a free guide from Travel South Dakota. It’s packed with a wealth of information from notto-miss sites to of-the-beaten-path destinations.

travelsouthdakota.com

If a quintessential hunting lodge experience is what you’re afer, reserve a room at the ScatterGun Lodge in Pierre, home to extraordinary wingshooting opportunities, legendary lodging and an uncommon passion for hospitality. Sitting on a 3,000-acre ranch with more than 20 prime hunting areas, the diverse habitat provides virtually every kind of cover you could imagine. All hunting starts less than a 10-minute walk from the lodge’s front door. Te guides take a smallgroup approach to hunting, which means no more than eight guns per group—ofering the fnest possible shooting opportunities for everyone. Plus, ScatterGun’s Labrador Retrievers are best described as the stars of the feld, as well at home.

Another noteworthy locale is Grand Slam Hunts in Kimball. Tis 4,000-acre hunting mecca is located on the beautiful prairie, boasting majestic views and an abundance of wildlife in central South Dakota. Te diverse and dramatic landscape is ofen referred to as “God’s country,” and is unlike any other part of the world.

Book a Weekend in the Black Hills

If you’re looking to spend some quality time with your girlfriends, check out the legendary lodges and bucket list-inspired adventures available here.

Blue Bell Lodge in Custer is known for home-spun Western fun. You’ll see horses and chuckwagons around the property and every cabin comes with an outdoor fre pit. From here, you can book bufalo safaris that get you up close and personal with the herd, authentic chuckwagon dinners, trail rides, hiking, fshing and wildlife spotting. From Custer, hop in the car for a 90-minute drive to Badlands National Park. Tis park draws visitors from around the world to see

TOP: Where the buffalo roam in Badlands State Park. OPPOSITE TOP: The light hitting just right at Mount Rushmore National Park. OPPOSITE BOTTOM: A new day dawning at ScatterGun Lodge.

the breathtaking, other-worldly landscapes. Te striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds, where ancient horses and rhinos once roamed. Te park’s 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie that now supports bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets. Bring binoculars to get a better look at the park’s inhabitants and see if you can spot a fossil or two.

Of course, a trip to South Dakota wouldn’t be complete without visiting Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Te 60-foot carvings of George Washington, Tomas Jeferson, Teodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are awe-inspiring examples of the birth, growth, development and preservation of the United States. As you walk beneath the waving fags of 56 U.S. states and territories to the Grand View Terrace and Presidential Trail, chances are you’ll see mountain goats and other wildlife set against the beautiful Black Hills. From May through September, park rangers hold an evening fag-lowering ceremony in the outdoor amphitheater, complete with a salute to veterans, as they light up the memorial for a must-stop photo op.

South Dakota is truly spoiled with natural beauty all year round, but keep in mind that it’s always a good idea to check current regulations, permits and licensing requirements for fshing and hunting activities. •

THE 2023 /24 THEATRE COMPANY SEASON

JOIN THE THEATRICAL THRILL RIDE!

Photo Chad Cappes

ROUND TOP OR BUST

Round Top is a tiny town north of Austin, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, with charming historic buildings, beautiful countryside—and world-renowned antiques fairs. Multitudes descend on the town (population: 87) each spring and fall for the Round Top Antiques Show, to get their fll of one-of-kind décor and vintage pieces that are inspirational.

It’s hard to describe the scene for those who have not attended: Tink equal parts Antiques Roadshow, fashion show, and carnival—and all parts fun! A variety of venues, including barns, tents and even hayfelds, host glitzy casual fashions and fabulous fnds of Round Top. Te addition of some extremely sophisticated shops specializing in a combination of new, antique and rare, early 20th-century furniture makes the seasonal shows a favorite among celebrities like Kelly Wearstler, Jenny Lyons and Joanna Gaines, design elite and modern-day treasure hunters alike.

According to locals, “It’s like spring break for adults”—if your dream of spring break consists of thousands of dealers selling a wide variety of sought-afer goods over a 12-mile stretch. From European antiques to mid-century furniture, vintage jewelry and clothing to rare art and curated décor, this is the place to be.

“It’s become a haven for interior designers, experienced collectors and weekend warriors who love a one-of-a-kind piece,” says Lisa Gillette, owner and operator of Liesel Farms, a Provençal-inspired destination wedding and private event venue that looks and feels like you’re in Aix-en-Provence, France. Additionally, she sells curated European antiques and décor at Marburger Farms Antique Show each season. “Te allure of Round Top lies in its ability to surprise and captivate, ofering serendipitous fnds that resonate with each individual who explores its vibrant marketplaces.”

Story Hillary Locke Mujica

Marburger Farms, one of the tents at the Round Top Antiques Show. LEFT: With 350 exhibitors of antiques and art setting up shop on 43 acres, Marburger Farms Antique Shows are the next best thing to European antique markets. RIGHT: Fabulous finds spill out to welcome shoppers each day.

Photos Hillary Locke Mujica

It can be overwhelming to know where to go, when to go to each tent and who to look for, so you really need a seasoned guide to show you the ropes and ofer tips for the “royal” Round Top experience. For those of you who opt to go on your own, here are some Round Top 101 hacks for planning your trip. (Te fall show will take place Oct. 12–29, and the spring show will be March 14–31, 2024. Tere are summer and winter shows as well, but the spring and fall shows ofer the largest selection, and the most robust experience.)

Book your accommodations early. Like we said, Round Top is small. Hotels and bed and breakfasts fll up quickly during the seasonal shows, and the same goes for restaurants, so make some dinner reservations, too.

Arrive early: Te best deals are ofen found on the frst day of the show. Te sheer inventory at Round Top can be overwhelming. If an item has good bones and you can visualize giving it a new life, don’t dwell on it, just grab it.

Be prepared for crowds, so pack your patience and a friendly smile. Be ready to bargain—dealers are always willing to negotiate, so practice your best poker face to play the game.

Wear comfortable shoes, as you’ll be doing a lot of walking.

Bring extra bags to schlep your loot to your car. If you strike gold, enlist one of the many shipping companies to deliver your goodies to your home.

Bring a water bottle, hat and sunscreen—it’s hot and humid (at least it feels that way for us Coloradans) in Texas, so make sure to stay hydrated and protect yourself from the powerful sun.

Allow plenty of time to explore. Tere’s never enough time to see everything, so tacking on a few extra hours, or even days, is the way to go. Plan on fve hours of shopping each day and spread it out over four or fve days if you can.

Schedule time to relax and take in the scenery—the wildfowers in the spring and harvest colors in the fall are breathtaking.

Have fun! Te Round Top Antiques Show is a great way to fnd unique treasures and spend a weekend with friends or family.

Where to Stay

The Round Top Inn

Tis historic inn is in the heart of Round Top. It ofers a variety of rooms and suites, all of which are decorated in traditional Texas style. Tere is also a restaurant, bar and a swimming pool. roundtopinn.com

The Frenchie

Chic, boutique and well-appointed, Te Frenchie is comprised of an 1890s farmhouse and a cottage, a newly built art studio and pool bungalows. Te mix of old and new with posh amenities makes this one of the hottest spots in town. roundtoptxhotels.com

Hotel Lulu

Hotel Lulu was designed as an escape that encourages guests to slow down, recharge and escape the buzz of the city. Te property includes a pool, herb garden, formal garden, the hotel restaurant (Lulu’s) and an intimate cocktail bar (Il Cuculo). hotellulutx.com �

barn filled with French antiques captures the magic of the rural countryside at Liesel Farms. MIDDLE: The picturesque pool at Hotel Lulu is just the thing after a long day of shopping. BOTTOM: Vintage meets modern at No. 1450 a well-appointed rental available at The Vintage Round Top.

The Vintage Round Top Paige and Smoot Hull have put their design prowess to good use with their Vintage Round Top property, décor shop and curated events. Te four Vintage Round Top cottages—No. 1450, Boho, and two studio-style units, Pierce and Eisley—are a mile outside town, on an acre-and-a-half of beautiful country pasture. thevintageroundtop.com �

TOP: The 7,000-square-foot timber frame

Photo courtesy of Hotel Lulu

Photo courtesy of The Vintage Round Top

Photo courtesy of Liesel Farm

A Few of the Tents

Blue Hills

Tis large, open-air, year-round venue hosts a wide variety of vendors selling vintage and new goods from furniture to jewelry to art. Te rustic vibe and picturesque pole barns make it a truly Texas backdrop for sought-afer vendors like Parham & Co., Hibiscus Linens and Old Glory Antiques.

bluehillsatroundtop.com

The Arbors

Founded in 1999 by Curtis Ann Warren, this upscale interior design venue is known for its signature white tents on 100,000 square feet of outdoor space and is home to over 200 dealers from all over the world. It’s open year-round, hosting festivals, concerts, lectures and workshops. With a great selection of fne European and American furniture, quality rugs and linens, art and fashions, amazing treasures are sure to be found within these felds. Don’t miss the fashionable frocks from Brooke Wright, home décor from House of Broussard or the custom hat bar at Topped Hats.

thearborsroundtop.com

The Halles

Tis 40,000-square-foot event space is a popular destination for weddings and festivals, and during the shows it hosts media, designers, antique dealers and artists like Sabine Maes, a notable abstract artist from Belgium. Delectable bites from chef Kevin Bryant and a Champagne Shack to toast the day bring a new take on the Round Top experience. thehalles.com

Market Hill

Home to over 25 vendors, including antique dealers, furniture stores, home décor retailers and restaurants, Market Hill is open year-round. With 135,000 square feet of shopping, dining and entertainment, this is great place to gather with friends and relax and shop in air-conditioned buildings. Painter and sculptor Paul Meyer calls Market Hills home along with Zap Props, Te Architect’s Daughter and other designer favorites.

markethillroundtop.com

The Compound

With a variety of spaces—including fve barns, a pavilion and a gorgeous garden—this 100-acre event-and-entertainment venue is picture-perfect Texas. Garden accessories from Modern Antiquarian, vintage military jackets with reclaimed Hermes scarves at Kneaded Fashion and mid-century barware from Seeing Pink Elephants are just a few of the bespoke fnds at the Compound. roundtopcompound.com

Marburger Farm Antique Show

Tis historic 43-acre working cattle ranch transforms into one of the largest and most popular antique shows in the country every spring and fall, with over 300 dealers from all over the world. Known for their wide variety of highly curated vintage and antique furniture, home décor, jewelry and art, the dealers here are experts in their feld and spend the year combing the globe for the most extraordinary array of antiques to present at Marburger. While interior designers and celebs tend to show up frst thing, dealers replenish their booths continuously throughout the show. With nine tents and 10 historic buildings on the property, you are bound to fnd an array of items you just can’t live without.

roundtop-marburger.com

Bader Ranch

Everything at Bader Ranch is hand-picked by French dealers Patrice Watine and Cyril Clerc, and their goods are shipped straight from France, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark and elsewhere across Europe. In addition to the fne furniture and décor, the ranch is where you’ll fnd modern Ecuadorian hats from Sissy Light; gold and turquoise jewelry from Kate Swail; coastal wears from Lady Captain; and lounge chairs from Tupelo Goods. Grab a world-famous margarita from Marfa-based Lady Elaine Company (served from a vintage Airstream) and savor a fve-star dinner created by Austin-based chef Nick Middleton of Y Comida. Te best part: Te magical sunset over the rural hayfeld to end your day. shoproundtop.com

Final Tip: Before you go, connect with the Round Top Chamber of Commerce for the latest oferings and updated events at exploreroundtop.com. •

LEFT: Mid-century art paired seemlessly with vintage goods. MIDDLE: Vintage jewels with a contemporary twist illicit oohs and aahs. RIGHT: Handmade Italian glass light fixtures in dazzling colors, shapes and sizes adorn the ceilings of Blue Hills.

Photos Hillary Locke Mujica

monarchblackhawk.com

However daring your appetite, pair it with the perfect company.

COLORADO CULINARY GETAWAY IN TELLURIDE

If savoring three days of food and wine events set against the 13,000and 14,000-foot peaks that surround the town of Telluride sounds like your idea of heaven, you’ve found your heaven. Originated in 2019, the prestigious culinary experience that is Telluride Reserve features chefs, purveyors, winemakers, sommeliers and mixologists from around the globe in an unparalleled setting in the San Juan Mountains.

Centered around industry partnerships, each event during Telluride Reserve connects guests with admired creators within the culinary and vintner world as they showcase the subtleties that defne favor. “Telluride Reserve is at the forefront of culinary collaboration,” says Nicole Jarman, the brainchild behind Jarman and Co. Events, who expertly produces this event. “We all come together to experience the passion behind food and wine, combined with the gorgeous setting—you can’t help but feel inspired to share and be a part of what these experts are creating.”

Jarman is intentional in producing collaborative events that create a positive infuence on the greater scopes of community and industry.

“It’s the sharing of stories, the tastes and culture that make each guest and each industry specialist feel connected in a way you can’t experience at a restaurant or bar.”

Talking about culinary trends, educating and impassioning guests in a real grassroots, hands-on way, makes this event unique. Within food and wine circles, there is a great responsibility to share the real impact these events have on the industry they beneft from. In that efort, Reserve partners with curators who illustrate food integrity to elevate the experience, so guests leave enriched, and the event leaves a minimal environmental footprint.

“It is our belief food tastes unequivocally better when it runs wild, takes up less space and works in tandem with Earth’s natural rhythm,” Jarmen explains, “and it is our wish that guests of Reserve, as eaters and drinkers, seek the names of those who procure their ingredients, just as they do the chefs who create their meals.”

Don’t Miss Events

Blending Baja & Bordeaux

11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Bon Vivant

Te storied traditions of Bordeaux and fresh favors of Te Baja collide at 11,220 feet, creating an unrivaled taste experience surrounded by towering summits like Palmyra Peak. Guests have the option to hike or ride in an open-air, of-road vehicle to this venue normally only

available during ski season. Once there, they’ll delight in the art of the long lunch, flled with inventive dishes born from the collaboration of chefs Javier Plascencia and Alex Seidel. Te cuisine will be enhanced by wines from Bruma Valle de Guadalupe, produced by Lulú Martínez Ojeda, a Baja winemaker who studied for 12 years in Bordeaux.

Closer to the Stars Dinner

6 p.m.-9 p.m. at Bon Vivant

Te farmlands on the road to Telluride are some of the most fertile and productive in Colorado, and August is peak time for local harvests. It’s also when the night skies are clearest for gazing at the stars. Chef Matt Vawter will create European-inspired dishes at 11,220 feet, with ingredients grown and raised in Colorado, paired with wines from Burgundy, France. Guests will ride in an open-air, of-road vehicles to this venue surrounded by Telluride Ski Resort’s dramatic summits. Experience this rare, exclusive occasion to dine alfresco at Bon Vivant in the summer.

Orange is the New White

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Communion,

567 Mountain Village Blvd., Suite 106C, Mountain Village

Join sommelier Dustin Clements and industry veteran Oullie Durham, co-owners of Communion, a wine bar in Telluride, as they uncover Orange Wines, which are made with any white wine grape that’s lef in contact with its skin. Tose eye-catching amber, copper or trafc-cone hues don’t come from actual oranges—a question sommeliers still feld despite the category’s popularity—but rather due to the amount of time the juice sits with its skins. Te resulting wines are a kaleidoscope of colors and characteristics, ranging from heavy-hitting bottles aged

Photo courtesy of Telluride Reserve

Story CE Staff

LEFT: Chefs Cheetie Kumar, Alex Seidel, Lindsay Autry, Paul C. Reilly, Javier Plascencia, Matt Vawter and Bernard Guillas are on deck to create, share and cultivate community around locally sourced dishes.

underground in ancient clay vessels for years, to light, refreshing sippers that sat with their skins in stainless steel tanks for all of three hours.

Farm to Gallery Dinner

7 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Telluride Art District Gallery, 220 W. Colorado Ave.

August in Telluride is the height of farmers market season, and the perfect time for a farm-to-pan-to-plate with chef Paul C. Reilly and chef Cheetie Kumar. Both chefs will begin with a visit to the local farmers market to procure seasonal, small-batch ingredients to be used for dinner that evening. Immerse in the exhibits of the Telluride Art District Gallery, and marvel at the way visual and culinary arts come together to infuence taste and aesthetic.

WHERE TO STAY

Madeline Hotel & Residences

A stunning alpine resort in the historic town of Telluride, Madeline is surrounded on three sides by the 14,000-foot peaks of the San Juan Mountains. Te hotel features 83 rooms and suites, and 71 residential condominiums. Each stay includes expansive Mountain Village views, and sophisticated amenities, featuring a heated outdoor swimming pool, hot tubs, fre pits, an al fresco lounge, an alpine-inspired spa and salon, and a personal training studio. Madeline Hotel & Residences recently received a fve-star award, the highest Forbes Travel Guide rating possible.

aubergeresorts.com (use code telresmdl when booking)

InvitedHome

Tis selection of private, mountain homes from two to nine bedrooms and a variety of amenities at each, including home spas, grand freplaces and recreation rooms. Long-space short-term stays are available for any size group. Every home is meticulously prepared ready to host long-lasting, memorable moments for families and friends.

invitedhome.com (call 720-537-1661 for discount information)

Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge

Cast & Sip Fly Fishing Lunch

7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at secret location (shhh!)

“Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” Join Cakebread Wines on this exclusive experience for only eight guest fshermen. Embark on the guided excursion to a top-secret location, then return to revel over the trout tales of the day, while exclusively tasting Cakebread Wines.

The Mystery of Sicily Seminar

TOP: Winemaker Lulú Martínez Ojeda will walk guests through complex wines, with varietal typicity, natural freshness and aromatic finesse. BOTTOM: The scenic views of the San Juan mountains make Telluride a picture-perfect setting. TELLURIDE RESERVE telluridereserve.com

Located steps away from Village Gondola Station in Mountain Village, Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge has two and three-bedroom slopeside luxury residences, complimentary transportation to and from Telluride and Montrose airports, restaurant reservations and activity bookings, grocery service and spa appointments. Te lodge also features an outdoor heated pool and hot tubs, ftness center, business center and on-site spa.

fairmont.com/klammer-lodge-telluride (use discount code PGEN when booking)

12:30 p.m.-2 p.m., Ania’s Table at Lumière Hotel, 118 Lost Creek Lane Te terroir of Mount Etna in Italy is a dynamic region in the world today. Advanced sommelier Kenny Koda reveals the mystery that is Sicilian wine, exploring how the volcanic earth and local ecology shape the characteristics of the reclaimed vines. •

Photo Ben Eng Photography

Photo courtesy of Telluride Reserve

END OF SUMMER SKIN CARE TIPS

144 Steele St., Denver 720-708-5168 aillea.com

With its high elevation and arid climate, Colorado poses specifc challenges for maintaining healthy and radiant skin, so it’s essential to adapt your skin care routine to the unique conditions of our beautiful state. We sat down with Kathryn Dickinson, the brainchild behind Aillea Beauty in Cherry Creek North, who personally curates quality beauty products that are clean, cruelty-free and earth-friendly, plus extremely efective to boot! Check out some of Dickinson’s top tips and product recommendations to boost your skin’s health.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Hydration is crucial for maintaining healthy skin, especially afer prolonged sun exposure, so drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your skin hydrated from within. Additionally, use a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer to nourish your skin and prevent dryness. Dickinson likes Kypris Antioxidant Dew, which combines nurturing amino acids and an array of soothing botanicals.

Embrace sun protection: Colorado’s high altitude means increased sun exposure and a higher risk of sunburn. A fan favorite, Suntegrity Clear SPF 30 Sheer Sunscreen, is powered by 20 percent non-nano zinc oxide for broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) protection and enhanced with niacinamide (vitamin B3) and panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) to help hydrate and promote the appearance of healthy-looking skin. Tis product, which also comes in a tinted version, blends in efortlessly and leaves a sheer, silky fnish. Don’t forget to cover ofen-overlooked areas like your ears, neck and hands, and wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses for extra protection.

Exfoliate with a facial scrub: Elevate your exfoliation routine with an enriched potent plant, herb and fruit enzymes mask. Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser provides gentle physical and chemical exfoliation with apricot microspheres and BHA from white willow bark to give you a radiant glow and is an efective choice to gently remove dead skin cells, revealing a fresh and glowing complexion.

Repair and nourish with antioxidants: Colorado’s high altitude exposes your skin to increased environmental stressors. Include antioxidant-rich products in your skin care routine to combat free radicals

and repair any damage. Look for ingredients like vitamin C, green tea extract or niacinamide to provide protection, brighten your complexion and promote collagen production. One standout is Plum Body Oil by Le Prunier, which boasts powerful polyphenols and omega fatty acids 6 and 9 that help protect skin from damaging free radicals while pro-vitamin A and E help to heal and hydrate skin.

Stick to a consistent routine: Consistency is key for maintaining healthy skin, regardless of the season. Clean your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser that won’t strip your skin’s natural oils. One to try is Osmia Daily Mud Cleanser, which happens to be made in Aspen. It has a creamy, mildly foamy texture and an earthy, mingled aroma of sandalwood, geranium and three kinds of clay combining the deep cleansing power of glacial oceanic clay with organic aloe, chamomile and honey. Afer cleansing, follow up with a pH-balancing toner to prepare your skin for your daily moisturizer. Look for products with humectants, such as Osea’s fast-absorbing, concentrated Hyaluronic Sea Serum. Powered by two molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, seaweed and snow mushroom, it works to restore and maintain optimal moisture levels.

Consider indoor humidity levels: Our environment has low humidity, particularly during the fall and winter months. Invest in a humidifer to add moisture to the air, which can prevent your skin from becoming excessively dry. Additionally, use hydrating mists or facial sprays to refresh and hydrate your skin throughout the day. Dickinson is partial to Te Optimist – Hydrating Brightening Essence by Maya Chia. It provides powerful yet weightless hydration for the appearance of plumper, deeply moisturized, more luminous skin, and the mister is top-notch.

Dickinson is eager to help people fnd nontoxic, cruelty-free, eco-friendly and efective products that are right for them, especially those of us in the Centennial State who are exposed to harmful UVB and UVA rays daily. She and her team also love to pamper guests with in-store facials where they can try the products frst-hand. Sign us up! •

Kathryn Dickinson, founder of Aillea Beauty in Cherry Creek North.

Story CE Staff

AILLEA BEAUTY

Photo courtesy of Aillea Beauty

FLY PRIVATE COMFORT IN PLUSH RELAXING

Our Founders, with 35+ years of experience, have innovated our way to the top through aviation industry knowledge and integrations of seamless technology platforms. Our goal is to provide world-class private jet charter services to our clients.

Cloud 9 Jets offers domestic and global private jet charter travel services through our extended aircraft operator partnerships. This gives access to any type of corporate jet or turbo-prop anywhere, anytime.

We’ll match the right aircraft to meet your mission specific needs, and give you several flight quotes on different aircraft.

There it is. That moment everything fades away and the bliss rolls in. Yeah, you could get used to this. Just don’t forget your pedicure.