Colorado Living March 2025 by Colorado Springs Gazette, LLC

When we think about Colorado living, what do we think about?

The outdoors, for certain — or a weekend getaway involving the outdoors and many other spoils that make this state so special.

Colorado is special for art and entertainment. Special for us living a healthy lifestyle. Special for us seeking luxury or memories of hard-earned adventure.

It’s special for food that surprises. For history that also surprises. And for as many reasons as there are to venture farther a eld, there are just as many reasons to stay close to home.

That’s some of what we think about when we think about Colorado living. And that’s some of what you’ll read about in this new quarterly lifestyle magazine.

As the seasons turn, we hope you’ll turn these pages and be delighted by what you read: a little bit of everything in Colorado, in all of its year-round glory. There will be plenty about our hometown too — plenty about our colorful, ever-expanding city. (If you haven’t explored the north side, by the way, wait until you read about all of those fun possibilities.)

And at the end of these pages, we hope you feel inspired. Or enlightened. Or maybe grateful.

Or whatever it is about Colorado that makes us feel the way we feel. As we heard from the artist whose painting is featured on the cover: “It’s that feeling of being alive, truly alive.”

SETH BOSTER

All About Art

The Front Range boasts a number of impressive galleries showcasing a number of remarkable art exhibits

10 Long Forgotten

The tale of a town that rose on Colorado Springs’ west side for one reason: keep the Wild West alive

14 Wedding Bells

When it comes to scenic venues for exchanging vows, couples need not venture out of Colorado

24 A Great Escape

Spend two days exploring all there is to do – hot springs come to mind – in Glenwood Springs

33 Sand And Sun

If you can’t recall the last time you visited the Great Sand Dunes, you’ve been missing out

39 Spring Break

How can skiing get any better in Colorado? Easy -- add spring temperatures to all that powder

57 Roadside Gem

On the eastern plains of Colorado stands a former gas station that claims to be 175 million years old

61 Botanic Beauty

In the heart of the Mile High City, Denver Botanic Gardens offers 36,000 plants, 50 curated gardens

Director of Content/Magazine Editor

Nathan Van Dyne

Art Director/Designer

Nichole Montanez

Writers

Seth Boster

Jennifer Brookland

Stephanie Earls

Kelly Hayes

Jennifer Mulson

Daliah Singer

Photographers

Christian Murdock

Mark Reis

Parker Seibold

Publisher

Christopher P. Reen

President, Chief Operating Ofﬁcer

Rich Williams

VP of Advertising

Stacey Sedbrook

Executive Editor, VP of Content

Vince Bzdek

Editor

John Boogert

Products

Mountain Chalet, Colorado Springs

Cover art

“Red Kayak,”

Leslie Jorgensen Fine Art, Salida

SUN? FUN? DONE.

Fly nonstop from COS to these 5 destinations

TEXT BY KELLY HAYES

Cancun Beach. Getty Images

Colorado Springs travelers need not always connect through Denver, Dallas, Chicago or other gateway cities to reach popular vacation sites.

On the contrary, Colorado Springs Airport is expanding its nonstop destinations, building on a sun-splashed list for locals who seek ease and convenience. Here is a look at options:

Cancún, Mexico

(weekly service on Southwest Airlines scheduled to run this summer) Colorado Springs Airport will offer its rst international route starting June 7, with seasonal ights to Cancún. The Caribbean destination is renowned for its sandy beaches, crystal blue waters, vibrant nightlife and fascinating history. With plenty of all-inclusive resorts from which to choose, you can relax under the sun, join a snorkeling tour or relax in a spa.

Things to see: Underwater Museum of Art, Dolphins Beach, Temple of Kukulcan, Mayan Museum of Cancun, Croco Cun Zoo

Orange County, Calif.

(Sunday/Thursday service on Allegiant Air)

Less than an hour’s drive from Los Angeles, Santa Ana is an excellent launching point for some of SoCal’s most popular sites. Get the full West Coast beach experience at Newport Beach, situated about 15 minutes west of John Wayne Airport. Or head north to Anaheim for some fun with Mickey Mouse at Disneyland. Universal Studios Hollywood is an hour away.

Things to see: Knott’s Berry Farm, Laguna Beach, Aquarium of the Paci c, Crystal Cove State Park, Costa Mesa Artwalk

Phoenix/Mesa

(daily service on Southwest; Monday/Friday service on Allegiant)

No matter which option you take — Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Southwest or Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport on Allegiant — now’s the time to visit the Valley of the Sun. The metroplex boasts dozens of golf courses, miles of challenging trails and a wide variety of tasty cuisine. Embark on a day trip to Sedona, Tucson or the Grand Canyon.

Things to see: Desert Botanical Garden, Heard Museum, Papago Park, Musical Instrument Museum, Roosevelt Row Arts District

Las Vegas

(daily service on Southwest)

Vegas. Need we say more? Known as the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” there’s always something to see or do. It’s home to world-class magicians and international musicians. It’s home to ritzy resorts that sparkle all night. And it’s home to casinos. Lots of casinos. So join a party on the iconic Las Vegas Strip or take the family to Shark Reef Aquarium.

Things to see: The Forum Shops At Caesars Palace, Sphere, The Neon Museum, Fountains of Bellagio, The Strat Tower

St. Petersburg, Fla.

(Monday/Friday service on Allegiant)

Find rest and relaxation with a trip to the Sunshine State. The Tampa/St. Petersburg area boasts some of the best white sand beaches in the world. In addition to beaches, the cities offer a notable art scene, with plenty of museums and galleries across the bay. There’s also theme parks, historical neighborhoods and a thriving nightlife in Ybor City.

Things to see: The Florida Aquarium, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Sunken Gardens, St. Pete Pier, Clearwater Beach

PrOuD ToWn oF IlL RePuTe

TEXT

BY SETH BOSTER ILLUSTRATION BY NICHOLE MONTANEZ

In 1913, a ‘sin city’ littered with saloons and a brothel rose on Colorado Springs’ west side

ne day in the late 1990s, Colorado Springs history buff David Swint came across an old, dusty mug with a curious inscription.

“Heidelberg Inn, Ramona, Colo.”

Where was Ramona, Swint wondered.

Ramona, it turns out, was a former town inside his current town.

On Colorado Springs’ west side, around Thorndale Park and the neighborhood off Uintah and 24th streets, there was once a town built for one purpose, more or less: to keep the Wild West alive.

This was in 1913, as prohibition won in Colorado City. We know it now as Old Colorado City, this Victorian hub that was an epicenter of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush — complete with gambling, ghting, dancing and mingling with ladies of the night reached by underground tunnels.

And drinking. Lots of drinking.

Until 1913.

Ahead of statewide prohibition years later, Colorado City was the next city in the state to ban alcohol, joining its neighbor to the east. Gen. William Jackson Palmer had founded Colorado Springs on moral grounds that had no room for alcohol.

“He wanted a very sophisticated town. It had the name of ‘Little London,’” Swint said. “Colorado City was the polar opposite. That’s where all the prostitution was, where all the saloons were, where all the trouble was.” Until 1913, that is, when the people of Colorado City voted to sober up. The move aligned with the nationwide temperance movement and symbolized the end of a rowdy, storied era. Or almost the end.

Below:

The main drag of Ramona.

Along came Ramona.

In Colorado City, “there was a small group of residents that were like, ‘No, we don’t want to go dry,’” Swint said.

Not that he knew any of this upon coming across that old mug. The mug prompted research that proved rather dif cult. Ramona “was not documented real well,” Swint said.

He, like many Colorado Springs residents, had driven by Thorndale Park having no clue of a former town in the vicinity. Most of the homes today were built long after Ramona was razed.

“Nothing is left of it,” Swint said. “It’s a piece of Colorado history that very few people really know about.”

People can learn more from his book, “Bars and Brass Rails: The Story of Ramona, Colorado.” The title is a nod to a newspaper article at the time that referred to “bars and brass rails” in describing the town’s fast construction.

Read The Gazette: “Ramona, El Paso County’s new town and the latest addition to the map of Colorado, offers a spectacle similar to the pioneer mining camps of the west.”

Construction was indeed fast, continuing the swift

lation. (As for the town’s name, his best guess is the novel of the same name by famed, local author Helen Hunt Jackson.)

Businesses sprouted in a matter of months: multiple saloons, a cigar parlor, a pool hall, a barbershop, a restaurant and a small grocery store. “Next door to the Ramona City Hall and Jail was a brothel,” Swint writes in “Bars and Brass Rails.”

Civility and incivility were interwoven. There was a marshal, Leonard Moats. Swint found him to be a hard drinker who sometimes kept the peace with his bare sts. Moats also was tasked with fetching water in the absence of the city of Colorado Springs providing it.

The city of Colorado Springs wanted nothing to do with the place. Ramona was simply called “the whiskey town,” among worse names.

“Everybody looked at it as total trash,” Swint said. “It was referred to as a cesspool, sin city.”

It seems George Geiger wanted better for Ramona. He was picked as the town’s mayor, the owner of what Swint determined to be “the centerpiece” of town: the Heidelberg Inn, the establishment inscribed on that old mug found by Swint.

hosted boxers near and far for prize ghts. Most nota-

Geiger also oversaw the Ramona Athletic Club, which said. pace of action following Colorado City’s prohibi-

as the best guess at Ramona’s popu-

the other way, it seems they could not resist the Hei-

Colorado City Independent at the time.

Surely that had something to do with Geiger and his wife, Rose.

“They were really good, decent folks,” Swint said. “A lot of other players in town were not quite as ... wholesome.”

RECALLING RAMONA

A plaque is planned later this year for Thorndale Park (2310 W. Uintah St.), recounting Ramona’s history. Leah Davis Witherow, curator of history at Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, said the plaque could be posted by late spring or early summer.

“It reﬂects the uniqueness and complexity of the Pikes Peak region. It’s a great story to tell,” she said. “If you ever visited that park with your family, you might never imagine what that area was originally developed as.”

There was Robert McReynolds, “the town pervert,” Swint said. He was also the town clerk and treasurer, following an adventurous life of “working riverboats, escorting wagon trains, working as a ranch hand, scouting, Indian ghting, mining and in later years authoring several books,” Swint writes in “Bars and Brass Rails.”

The project is in coordination with Old Colorado City Historical Society & History Center. The center (1 S. 24th St.) includes an exhibit on Ramona. Hours: 11 a.m.-2 pm. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday; free admission.

He found George Ziegler to be similarly colorful. Ziegler ran the cigar shop, his next stop as a traveling gambler. He made other stops in Cripple Creek and Denver, where he was tried for murder.

If anyone was more prominent than Geiger, it was N. Byron Hames. His saloon sat across from the Heidelberg.

Hames “was probably the kingpin of saloons back in Colorado City,” Swint said. “He was really the one that had some money.”

Most everyone else did not. And this is what drew Swint to the people of Ramona, their warts and all. Reads his book: “They were just everyday, typically poorly educated, unskilled laborers, farmers and fortune seekers with an entrepreneurial spirit.”

The spirit gave rise to a town. But Ramona was never

meant to last.

“It was all about, ‘Let’s make as much money as we can as quickly as we can,’” Swint said, “because the writing was on the wall.”

Statewide prohibition was enacted Jan. 1, 1916. That evening, the Geigers hosted former employees and friends for a turkey dinner at the Heidelberg — a fond farewell.

Geiger went on to Wyoming, then to the oil elds of Oklahoma, later to California “where he worked odd jobs for an ice plant” before his death, Swint writes. Another saloon keeper died by suicide. Moats, the hard-drinking marshal, was institutionalized for a while.

It was an even steeper fall for “the king.” Hames ended up poor on the streets of Denver. A newspaper report suggested the man “died mostly of a broken heart.”

Their stories have been mostly lost, along with that of Ramona.

It is as the Colorado City Iris reported Jan. 6, 1916: “No more will the musician sit before the piano at Ramona and tickle the ivories, while men line up before the bar and keep time with the clink of glasses.”

But if you stand long enough around Thorndale Park, if you close your eyes and tune out the traf c along Uintah Street, you might just hear it.

i do.

TEXT BY JENNIFER BROOKLAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK REIS

COLORADO OFFERS UNIQUE VENUES TO EXCHANGE VOWS

From historic mansions, ski resorts and ower farms to barns, museums and even caves, Colorado boasts almost any wedding venue a couple could imagine. Here are a few beautiful and unique sites to say “I do.”

Black Mountain Lodge, Summit County

If you want to leave your out-of-town guests truly breathless, consider hosting a ceremony at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area. This venue can accommodate up to 200 guests, and they’ll arrive to the event center — perched at 11,500 feet — via the Black Mountain Express. Even the bridal party “processes” in on the lift.

Outdoor ceremonies are held mid-mountain on the deck of the lodge and in view of the Continental Divide. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the lodge ensure beautiful vistas throughout.

Boulder Flower Farm, Boulder County

If peonies bring you pleasure and lavender leaves you weak in the knees, consider exchanging vows surrounded by your favorite blooms. Boulder Flower Farm’s seasonal guide will help couples plan their wedding at peak season for perennials, sun owers, zinnias and more. This working ower farm might be business by day, but it knows how to throw a party. Guests will enjoy dancing on the agstone patio, hanging out by the repit or even playing a game of horseshoes.

Grant-Humphrey’s Mansion, Denver

Built in 1902 for Colorado’s third governor, this mansion is a Beaux-Arts gem in the Quality Hill neighborhood. The grand old charmer lets guests feel like high society. Dance the night away in the formal ballroom and invite talented musicians to try their hand at the antique piano.

Features include a grand staircase amid what the listing on weddingwire.com touts as “10,000 square feet of romance.” Guests can drift from the parlor to the library to the columned portico like the elite of yesteryear.

Denver event and wedding venue:

Grant-Humphrey’s Mansion

Model: Cassi Hoven – Veiled Visuals

Hair and makeup: – Freiya Beauty

Dress shop: Lovely Bride Denver

Dress: Ophelia by Saint Bridal

Flying W Ranch, Colorado Springs

Best known for its chuckwagon suppers and Western stage show, this sprawling property a stone’s throw from Garden of the Gods is also one enormous wedding venue that bills itself as “a living symbol of the Colorado experience.”

The grounds can accommodate up to 6,000 people for outdoor celebrations or up to 900 in the wood-hewn Saddle Ballroom. Couples can ride past towering sandstone formations in a horse-drawn bridal carriage and take a break from dancing with a round of axe-throwing.

Dunafon Castle, Jefferson County

If you’ve dreamed of getting married in a castle, here’s your chance. The structure was meticulously designed in the style of a 13th-century Celtic castle, tunnels included. The 17-acre property and its surrounding ponds and trails will make you feel like you’ve stepped into your own kingdom.

Benevolent royalty knows the importance of doing good, and hosting an event at Dunafon Castle accomplishes that. A portion of every event goes to help the Step 13 Program, a nonpro t transitional living program.

Three Peaks Ranch, Westcliffe

Book the entire ranch and treat your guests to a special night under string lights and stars. A large, canvas pavilion is barely a barrier to the outdoors, with oor-to-ceiling win-

dows boasting incredible views of the Sangre de Cristos.

Three Peaks Ranch invites couples to book for a day or even an entire weekend. There’s enough room for eight guests to stay overnight in four luxury cabins, some of which include hut tubs, outdoor replaces and wrap-around porches.

Silverthorne Pavilion, Silverthorne

The average wedding in Colorado costs more than $30,000, according to investment rm Fidelity. Cut the expense without sacri cing a gorgeous event by booking your special day at Silverthorne Pavilion.

Guests traverse a historic bridge over the Blue River on their way to a patio with a large stone replace, and couples can exchange vows riverside surrounded by a verdant grove of pines. Fees to use the site are quite reasonable, peaking at $5,750 for a Saturday in the summer.

The Little Nell, Aspen

The Little Nell’s famed wedding deck is only open for weddings in summer and fall, so don’t delay in booking what the hotel claims is “one of the most beautiful mountain wedding venues in the world.” You’ll be transported by gondola above 11,000 feet and met with views of the Elk Mountains and an expanse of pines and wild owers.

If you prefer a colder season, The Little Nell offers its wedding overlook in March and April and will even supply blankets to keep guests cozy as they toast your love.

AGRAND

Spend $1,000 on food, fun without leaving northern Colorado Springs

TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTIAN MURDOCK

DAY

On Colorado Springs’ north side, a sprawling scene of entertainment seemingly boomed in the blink of an eye.

That’s how it seems to residents who not so long ago sped by this stretch of Interstate 25 — this ever-expanding area encompassing Voyager Parkway and North Gate Boulevard — and noticed not a whole lot more than the Air Force Academy and blue-roofed New Life Church.

Now, the city’s grandest concert venue is only the latest addition. Now we exit the highway and nd ourselves immersed in a world of possibilities. Call it a fun zone. Or splurge central. Or an unforgettable day out.

Here’s one possible itinerary for couples to rack up the memories — and the bill. We’re con dent you can keep it to a cool $1,000.

1. Breakfast at New Day Cafe It’s the start of a big day. You’ll need proper fuel. A longtime presence in Colorado Springs, family-owned New Day Cafe joined this bustling region with a second location off Voyager. Folks here start with fresh, locally roasted coffee. They pick from a variety of “Terri’s Favorites,” including eggs benedict, biscuits and gravy, and a triple-decker French toast sandwich. Or will it be the smothered breakfast burrito, breakfast quesadilla or chicken enchilada skillet?

Estimated bill: $50

2. Tee up the fun at Topgolf The towering nets off Voyager catch more than errant golf balls. Yes, Colorado Springs masses have been caught by the Topgolf spell. Whether you and yours golf or not, you’ll have fun with the virtual games from the platforms overlooking the wide hitting area. Bays are rented per hour. Surely you’re too full for food, but how about a mimosa or Bloody Mary?

Estimated bill: $70 for an hour, including drinks

3. Soar beyond your wildest dreams Also catching the eye near Topgolf is a towering block of a building. In here, visitors oat upward, wind in their faces, their expressions a mix of joy and terror. Indoor skydiving? You bet. iFLY Indoor Skydiving uses a massive wind tunnel to mimic the thrill of jumping from a plane. Two ights per person go for $86 — a “great introductory value,” reads the billing, but “most people leave wishing they’d own more.” Four ights are recommended ($137 per person.)

Estimated bill: $280

4. A quick break for a tasty bite Lunchtime, but with a catch: You don’t have much time before the next nearby excursion. Look no further than Heart of Jerusalem Cafe. The locally owned eatery has opened several locations since 2007. Now the Middle Eastern favorites — pretty fast but “made with heart” — have come to this side of town, off North Gate. You could go light (hummus or salads) or heavier (falafels, meat-packed bowls or shawarma).

Estimated bill: $30

5. Drivers, start your engines When it opened in 2016, Overdrive Raceway claimed to be the nation’s rst two-story, two-track indoor facility for electric go-karts. That’s more room for more high-speed fun. On the Rockstar Energy Drink Speed Track, karts are said to reach speeds up to 45 mph. They’re only slightly slower around the Pepsi Agility Track. A single race costs $27, with multi-race bundles offering savings. A couple needs at least a few to settle bragging rights.

Estimated bill: $140 for three races

6. Yes, it’s time to y again The Hotel Polaris at the Air Force Academy is more than a hotel. It could be described much like the surrounding area: a place for eating, drinking and fun. Step into the cockpit of the ight simulators. Will you y a 737 MAX to an airport of your choice, or will you join a dog ght in an F-16? Options vary, starting at $70 for a half-hour in the single-seat F-16. For $180, the two of you can sit side by side for a 737 ight. Then you’ll want to grab a cocktail at The Aviator or Thunderbird Bar — both are tasty and both are scenic with windows facing the mountains.

Estimated bill: $210, including drinks

Topgolf in Colorado Springs. Michael Baxter

BUILD YOUR OWN ITINERARY

ENTERTAINMENT

• Air City 360 Adventure Park: It’s more than the inﬂatable bounce park called The City. There’s also the zipline coaster called The 360, along with another zipline for racing and a tower for climbing. Hourly passes and packages $25-$50.

• Dart Wars: Next door to Air City is this indoor arena for Nerf blaster fun. Dart Wars boasts the plastic artillery — and the complex of runways and obstacles for your friends and family to battle. Hourly passes and packages $20-$75.

• Great Wolf Lodge: How about this for a family staycation? The massive indoor water park is free with a room. Day passes also can be booked online in advance. Prices are $40 for weekdays and $75 on weekends.

• Phil Long Music Hall at Bourbon Brothers: Formerly called Boot Barn Hall, this was the ﬁrst music stage in the area. It’s grown a devoted fan base of country music lovers, who gather before the show for happy hour and tasty grub. Ticket prices vary.

• Magnum Shooting Center: One of Colorado Springs’ two Magnum locations is off North Gate Boulevard, offering supervised lanes for target practice. Range fee is $25 for non-members and non-military guests; $20 for renting up to three ﬁrearms.

• Main Event: Not far away on Interquest Parkway, this is the spot for bowling, virtual reality gaming and laser tag. That’s not all: arcade games, air hockey tables and a billiard hall. Prices vary depending on activities and days.

SHOPPING

DINING

You name the chain, and it’s probably around here (including In-N-Out Burger, Whataburger, Chili’s, Dave’s Hot Chicken and Torchy’s Tacos). But check out these more local spots:

• Atmosphere Gastropub: Hiding in an Interquest strip mall, the secret is out on Atmosphere’s elevated pub fare and long list of ﬁne drinks.

• Broken Bones BBQ: Compared with Bourbon Brothers, a more low-key stop for your barbecue ﬁx, with an a la carte-style menu.

• Colorado Mountain Brewery: One of the Springs’ two locations is right off the Interquest exit, perfectly situated for refueling amid a busy day. A burger and beer will do.

• Sushi Ato: The restaurant claims 95 combined years of experience among chefs crafting the sushi rolls behind the bar.

• Uva Wine Bar: Off the parking lot for Scheels, the perfect spot for conversation, vino and charcuterie.

• Vaquero’s Mexican Restaurant & Taqueria: Of all the options around North Gate, it’s easy to gravitate to these burritos, fajitas, enchiladas and margaritas.

• Walter’s303 Pizzeria & Publik House: The pizza-and-beer name out of Denver is a hit in the Flying Horse neighborhood. If you’re trying to get away from the hubbub, this could be the spot a short drive up North Gate.

• Zesty Thai: If you’re craving curry, noodle bowls and stir fry, check out this place on Voyager Parkway.

• Bass Pro Shops: The famous name in hunting, ﬁshing and camping has a street named after it off North Gate: Bass Pro Drive. Which speaks to the sheer size of the place. It lives up to the title above the door: “Outdoor World.”

• Scheels: You could spend a day at Bass Pro Shops or a day here along Interquest. As if the apparel, outdoor gear, home goods, toys and food weren’t enough, Scheels also has a Ferris wheel, overhead aquarium and John Elway robot.

7. Dinner at Bourbon Brothers You’ve enjoyed happy hour with a view. Happier hours are ahead — we mentioned the new concert venue, right? — and they continue here with food for the soul. Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse & Tavern specializes in barbecue. But the bacon-wrapped meatloaf, jambalaya and bourbon-glazed salmon are just as popular. Whether you pick any of those or the brisket, ribs, chicken fried steak, or shrimp and grits, don’t leave without also choosing from bourbon bread pudding, banana pudding or creme brulee.

Estimated bill: $100

8. Top-notch show at amphitheater The ultimate outing ends with a concert under the stars. If you’re lucky, you’ll be sitting around one of the repits set up across the audience — just one amenity of the venue. Another is the view facing the mountains. Heading into its second summer, Ford Amphitheater is building a guest list to equally amaze. Jason Isbell is set for April 30, followed by Leon Bridges and The Black Keys in May, followed by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Train and more throughout the season.

Estimated bill: $200, including drinks

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Eat. Sleep. Layer.

A trip outside comes with challenges thanks to Colorado’s ﬁckle nature with

TEXT BY STEPHANIE EARLS ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, NICHOLE MONTANEZ

Do not challenge a Coloradan to an impromptu game of strip poker. You will lose.

Sartorially speaking, we here in the Centennial State are a deeply layered people.

Dressing for the occasion is both art and necessity when playing with a deck full of weather wild cards, where whimsical seasons can bring single-day temperature swings of 50 degrees or more. Yes, the coldest winter and hottest summer I ever spent was a spring day in Colorado Springs.

Layering like a boss doesn’t mean bulking up a la Ralphie’s brother in “A Christmas Story,” so insulated your joints won’t bend. Quite the opposite: Doing it correctly means multiple sleek, subtle, versatile strata that can be peeled off and stashed as easily as tugged on, and which still leave plenty of room for personal style and a person-shaped silhouette.

Layering like you’re from Colorado isn’t only about the duds.

Every Colorado resident worth their sidewalk salt has a scarf, hat and gloves close at (or on) hand year-round.

For those who argue these are merely accessories and not layers, a knit cap is also great for keeping precariously perched sunglasses (a perennial need in the Rockies) and over-ear headphones from falling off your head when you lean over. And under those gloves, (surprise) more gloves!

The scarf is just a scarf, but it can and has doubled as a dog leash. Versatility is also the name of the game.

As to the clothes: Each ply should represent a seasonal ensemble on its own, each layer removed without disturbing the vestments underneath, or vice versa. You shouldn’t need to seek out a dressing room for these wardrobe changes.

Summer clothes are our base, but they can also work as a top layer if you play your cards right.

Enjoy a few of my favorite Colorado layering game pieces, for practice.

48 HOURS

in Glenwood Springs

TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, GABI BROEKEMA

It seems there is never enough time in Glenwood Springs. Never enough time to enjoy the many spoils of this western Colorado mountain town.

Time seems to melt away in the hot springs here. But one can’t soak for too long, or else risk missing out on all that Glenwood has to offer. Among the myriad options for playing, shopping and dining, how to choose? How to spend two days wisely?

Doc Holliday’s Saloon and Restaurant.

Day 1

It is one of this state’s most beautiful drives, that drive on Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon. It is a fairly long haul from Denver, however — close to three hours, assuming traf c is moving through Eisenhower Tunnel and over Vail Pass — so surely you’ll arrive hungry for lunch.

Step right up for hot dogs. That’s what we love from Slope & Hatch anyway. You won’t be disappointed with the chili-, cheese- and onion-topped Coney. The tacos are great too.

Now walk it all off, proceeding up Grand Avenue to the shops downtown. You’ll nd everything from souvenirs and locally made art to carefully selected fashion pieces and curious fossils and gems. Another curious head-turner: Stoneyard Distillery’s tasting room, where you might try colorful, beet sugar-infused concoctions.

Time to check into the hotel — Hotel Colorado. Why not splurge on Glenwood’s most famous, most historic accommodation? Since 1893, guests have enjoyed stays here.

Take a look around before making your way to the next historic stop: Glenwood Hot Springs Resort is mere steps away from the hotel. It’s more than just the proclaimed largest hot springs pool in the world. Intimate dips recently opened at the resort while the kids will love Sopris Splash Zone.

And the kids and kids at heart will love Glenwood Vaudeville Revue. Close out the night with dinner and a show at the weekend theater.

TAKE THE TRAIN

Day 2

With a full itinerary, you’ll want something quick for breakfast. Look no further than Sweet Coloradough, possibly the best doughnuts we’ve had in this state. Don’t overlook the hot bagel sandwiches.

Hanging Lake is the bucket-list hike, but the trail was closed for construction as of this writing. Word is reservations could reopen in the summer. Here’s another can’t-miss: the short, steep hike to Doc Holliday’s Grave. The legendary outlaw sure boasts a great view from his resting place.

Time for more adventure at the site with adventure in its name. Typically from mid-March through early fall, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is open daily for those seeking its mountaintop coasters and thrill rides. A different kind of thrill comes courtesy of the cave tours.

After a full afternoon of activities, sitting down for a beer sounds nice. Back in town along Grand Avenue, Casey Brewing & Blending hits the spot. If you didn’t eat on the mountain, grab a bite (the bacon-wrapped shrimp is superb) at Smoke Modern BBQ next door.

Don’t eat too much because no one likes feeling bloated in the hot springs. Next up is Iron Mountain Hot Springs, offering a much different vibe compared with the massive pool. There’s a terrace of two dozen pools overlooking the Colorado River — including a newer, 21-and-older area. You can enjoy a drink with the view.

This day started with Doc Holliday, and so it will end. No visit to Glenwood Springs is complete without a stop at Doc Holliday’s Saloon and Restaurant. You’ll nd a menu of bar favorites there. For something more elevated, these three set the town’s dining standard: The Pullman, CO. Ranch House and Riviera Scratch Kitchen.

All aboard! Make your next trip to Glenwood Springs one to remember by booking a scenic train excursion from Denver’s Union Station.

Amtrak offers daily service on its California Zephyr route.

The train chugs through the foothills south of Boulder on its way to the high country. The route is littered with tunnels, highlighted by the Moffat Tunnel, which cuts 6.2 miles through the Continental Divide.

This is indeed the scenic route, with travel times clocking in at about six hours. But, with Colorado’s raw beauty displayed out every window, why rush? Sections of the journey feature the stunning Colorado River.

The train conveniently stops in the heart of Glenwood Springs’ historic downtown, eliminating the need for a vehicle. Visitors can rent bikes or walk to many of the town’s attractions.

Glenwood Hot Springs Resort. Getty Images

Hours: 9a.m. to 5p.m. daily

MAJES

Zoo pride runs deep

Where: 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road Price: Go online to cmzoo.org

VISIT TODAY

TIC

Abuto arrived at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in 2013 from Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Ariz.

“You look at him and think, ‘Wow, such a beautiful-looking, amazing animal,’ and then you work with him and realize he’s just a big goofball,” senior animal behaviorist Amy Schilz said in a previous interview. “He loves to interact with people, and he’s really great with learning behaviors.”

Abuto, 13, greets keepers each morning by making his happy noises — low grumbles. Lions make hundreds of sounds, including chirps, baby calls to each other and grumbles when they’re in estrus, a period of fertility. Here in the U.S., we say a lion roars. But in Africa, people will say a happy lion says boof.

be grum fertil re

“Booooof, boof, boof, boof,” Schilz imitates. But as much as he’s king of the world in his mind, the social dynamics are topsy-turvy in the zoo’s tiny pride. Abuto’s daughter, Elsa, rules the roost when it really should be Abuto by nature.

“Elsa is de nitely the boss of everyone,” Schilz said. “She takes what she wants whenever she wants it.”

JENNIFER MULSON

MOVES YOU THE MUSEUM THAT

At the United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum, you don’t just visit history—you experience it. Test your speed. Feel the thrill of competition. Get inspired by the journeys of America’s greatest athletes. It’s more than a museum—it brings history, innovation, and inspiration to life.

Parker Seibold

never missed a beet b

ack in the 17th and 18th centuries, Parisian women hosted salons — private get-togethers where conversations centered on literature, philosophy, music and other intellectual topics. Nikki Hazamy likely didn’t have those in mind when she opened The Corner Beet a decade ago on a quiet corner in Capitol Hill neighborhood. But the cozy, plantlled café has grown into its own version of those bygone assemblies: a community gathering place that serves quality vegetarian/vegan food and hosts a variety of enlightening events.

There is, however, a 21st-century twist, as we doubt those aristocratic women were drinking cold-pressed juices while listening to local comedians.

Those juices were the launching pad for The Corner Beet. Hazamy co-founded Gypsy Juice after moving to the Mile High City from New Jersey. She eventually opened the restaurant and expanded the menu to include coffee, tea and toasts. Over the years, the offerings have multiplied; today, the menu — which changes twice a year — covers breakfast (served until 3p.m.), lunch and weekend brunch, with plenty of options for gluten-free folks or those with other food allergies. Almost everything, from pastries to soups to jams, is scratch-made, often using ingredients from local purveyors such as Grateful Bread Co., Jacob’s Mushrooms, Gluten Free Things, Pablo’s Coffee and Copper Door Coffee Roasters.

“People who are not vegan or vegetarian love our food,” general manager Mia Kate says.

That’s probably because the menu is meatless but familiar. Here, you’ll nd a loaded breakfast burrito, an almost too-big-to-bite breakfast sandwich, toast topped with the house-favorite beet butter and pistachios, and indulgent treats such as maple-cinnamon doughnuts that are so avor-packed they stretch one’s belief of what vegan pastries are.

The lineup of coffees and teas offers a similar blend of usual and unexpected, with superfood lattes featuring “functional” additions such as mushrooms and beet powder. Housemade syrups range from vanilla to honey-ginger to a seasonal offering.

TEXT BY DALIAH SINGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK REIS

The rise in popularity of plant-based protein, booze-free outings and awareness of the environmental impact of our diets certainly has bene ted the long-standing eatery. The Corner Beet’s sunlit, wood-andbrick dining room — replete with fabulous root vegetable wallpaper — often is bustling with conversation. Diners over ow onto the sidewalk or meander through the attached Balanced Root Apothecary, which produces herbal teas and superfood powders for the eatery. (The restaurant and shop are part of The Roots Collective, a group of wellness-focused businesses on the same block; a yoga studio and sauna/ cold plunge round out the quartet.)

“There is a very local, centralized neighborhood vibe here in the (middle of) a big city,” Kate says. “You see many familiar faces ... even though neighborhoods like Capitol Hill have changed a lot.”

The Corner Beet has embraced the passage of time and manages to be trendy without pandering. Local artists’ works grace the walls and rotate every two months. There are no longer açaí bowls on the menu, but there is chocolate French toast at brunch. Shots here are always of the immunity kind (think: ginger and turmeric), but there is natural wine, seasonal cocktails, hard kombucha and mead (from Queen Bee Brews) on tap.

More recently, the café has expanded into evening hours. Monday Open Mics are a neighborhood standby, and A Very Khül Showcase is a stand-up comedy show on the second Wednesday of every month. There’s also a full calendar of vendor markets, workshops, tarot and astrology readings, and, soon, live music.

“This place changes with the seasons,” Kate says. “Spring brings a whole new energy.”

King’s Chef Diner.

BIG BITE of history

TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK REIS

These Colorado Springs restaurants have been serving food for decades

2024 was a difficult year for Colorado Springs restaurants.

It was a difficult year for the industry beyond, as a Gazette report detailed in December, citing already-thin profit margins further thinned by harsh economic conditions. At the time of that report, at least a dozen local restaurants had closed within the previous six months.

“Far too many Colorado restaurants have closed this year,” Sonia Riggs, president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association, told the paper at the time, “and that trend will most likely continue in 2025.”

So now is a good time to celebrate those that have stood the test of time. These around the Springs have stood for 55 years or more.

Juniper Valley Ranch: In 1951, two sisters served a family-style fried chicken dinner to friends and loved ones in what would be the first of countless dinners to come.

Regulars can’t wait for spring, when the small mud house on Colorado Springs’ southern countryside reopens for the season. The originating family continues to fill tables with chicken, biscuits and all the fixings.

King’s Chef Diner: Nowadays, the masses adoring the massive breakfast burrito and green chili spill outside the door of a larger location at the corner of Bijou Street and Nevada Avenue. Elsewhere downtown, along Costilla Street, stands the king’s original, humble castle. It’s the small, purple, Medieval reminder of the diner’s 1956 beginnings.

Luigi’s Homemade Italian Food: The downtown dinner staple actually traces its humble roots to a tiny neighborhood spot in 1958. The business moved to the recognizable brick building with the green roof in 1966. There, the family of Leo and Anne Cervetti has maintained homemade favorites such as lasagna, tortellacci and ravioli.

Roman Villa: Amber Shaffer has represented the fourth generation of this other classic Italian restaurant in town. Shaffer’s great-grandparents started the business in 1959 in Palmer Lake. They soon opened a carryout-only kitchen in the Springs. That’s largely how it remains at the small joint on Nevada Avenue — customers in and out with pizza they swear is the best around.

BJ’s Velvet Freez and The Drive-In Tasty Freeze: Time seems to stand still at these spots very much resembling each other. Both going back to the mid-1950s, they are simple blocks of buildings serving the simple delights of our childhoods and our grandparents’ childhoods. The lights glow at night, and on summer days families gather at the tables for hamburgers, dipped cones and shakes.

Golden Bee: Dining at The Broadmoor, below, spans many decades before the Bee, all the way to an Italian maestro tapped to be the ve-star hotel’s rst executive chef in 1917. The deeper history might be best displayed by La Taverne, one longtime restaurant here. But the Bee is best known by locals. Since 1961, they’ve mingled with guests, sung along with the piano man, and enjoyed sh and chips and a pint.

Edelweiss: Since 1967, the Schnakenbergs have transported guests to their kin’s native Germany. Edelweiss, indeed, is a step back in time and place. The stone walls and big, cozy dining room stir European nostalgia and fantasy. The experience is boosted by traditional musicians and, of course, by the food. You’ll nd weinerschnitzels, bratwurst, strudels and much more.

Señor Manuel Mexican Cuisine: Fifty-four years after opening the doors, the fourth generation of the Hernandez family was cooking up the beloved likes of chile rellenos and enchiladas when tragedy struck last summer. A damaging re closed the restaurant. “Señor Manuel isn’t just a business, it’s our home, our life,” read a Facebook post. As it has been for generations of customers, who immediately started raising funds — helping with a reopening they hope comes in 2025.

TASTY TRADITIONS

These are some of Colorado’s longest-running restaurants:

The Mint (1862): If only these walls in Silverthorne could talk. It’s a miracle the walls are still here, what with multiple relocations dating to the original spot in a mountainous mining base called Kokomo. Now The Mint is a grill-your-own steakhouse. But some just belly up to the bar for a drink, as patrons have over a time predating Colorado’s statehood.

My Brother’s Bar (1873): The bar goes back 152 years, back to an Italian immigrant who apparently opened a hangout for her fellow countrymen arriving to Denver. Apparently food was served. But the fame here starts in 1970 with brothers Jim and Angelo Karagas. They would ﬁrst sling the burgers still beloved today.

Buckhorn

Exchange (1893): The characters have changed over the years — from miners to railroaders, cowboys to businessmen building Colorado’s capital city. Lately, Denver’s visiting rich and famous have been spotted in the dining room adorned with taxidermy. The Buckhorn is a steakhouse with many surprises (i.e. alligator tail and rattlesnake).

The Minturn Saloon (1901): The modern shift came with Bob Cherry, a former New York Yankee and Korean War ﬁghter pilot who bought the place in 1976. His idea was “to turn a tough bar accustomed to weekly ﬁghts into a restaurant that ski tourists would want to frequent.” Mission accomplished. Vail skiers know of the “Minturn Mile,” a route dropping to the old haunt where the menu now skews Mexican.

TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTIAN MURDOCK

From sandboarding to a sweet beach scene, there’s so much to ﬁnd at Great Sand Dunes

Thanks to images in publications such as this and all across the internet, we know what to expect when we arrive at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. But imagine the early, unsuspecting visitors to this bizarre landscape of what is now southern Colorado.

Imagine, in 1776, those men of Juan Bautista de Anza’s party. They were among Spanish explorers known to have traveled by North America’s highest dune eld, framed by the higher Sangre de Cristo peaks — a tapestry that surely de ed the wildest imaginations of the day.

Later,whileleadinghisThomasJefferson-assigned expedition in 1807, Zebulon Pike journaled what he witnessed. It is the rst known written description of the dunes: “Their appearance was exactly that of the sea in a storm, except as to color ...”

Now we’re spoiled by images. Still, there is more than meets the eye at the Great Sand Dunes — plenty more to see and do.

Beach season

It’s a brief, busy time at the park — time for Medano Creek’s annual rise.

As snow melts in the surrounding mountains, water ows to the base of the sand dunes and a beachy scene emerges: picnics, lawn chairs and in atables for riding small waves of the creek’s curious surges.

Medano Creek typically appears toward the end of April. Flows steadily increase, with late May and early June considered peak.

Another water attraction

Along the road into the park a gravel track veers off and upward to a parking lot with a marvelous view of the San Luis Valley. It’s the start of a short hike to a more marvelous destination: a waterfall gushing through the rocky walls of a towering cave.

While short, the season dictates the hiking experience to Zapata Falls. Late into spring, bring traction for the icy ground. During summer, the waterfall is especially cherished as a refreshing, cool escape.

hiking

Most commonly reached is High Dune, forming the rst ridge seen from the main parking lot. It’s not the highest dune, though: Hidden Dune rises beyond, requiring a round trip of about seven miles. Elsewhere is the slightly lower, pyramid-like Star Dune. The park website lists GPS coordinates for the dunes along with other information.

The website also details other hikes that tend to be overlooked. Consider forested trails off the paved road through the park: the family-friendly Montville Nature Trail and Mosca Pass Trail, about seven miles out and back to a humble, scenic summit.

The four-wheel-drive Medano Pass is the portal to more adventure. Medano Lake Trail starts near 10,000 feet and continues to high-alpine waters, where some continue on to Mount Herard near 13,300 feet. Other backpackers chart a course to Sand Creek Lakes via Music Pass.

Ride the (sand) waves

Be advised: Riding sand is not quite like sledding or snowboarding. But with the right board, conditions and knowhow, the thrill is similar.

Don’t bother with your sled or board from home; they won’t slide unless the sand is wet, and it rarely is. You’ll want an actual sandboard, with a specially designed slick base and accompanying wax. See about rentals at nearby Great Sand Dunes Oasis, SpinDrift Sandboards in Blanca, Kristi Mountain Sports in Alamosa or Sand Dunes Recreation near Hooper. Bonus of that last place: hot springs for soaking and small cabins for overnighting.

The park recommends riding down the rst ridge from the base. The area typically has softer sand and gentler runouts for stopping.

See the stars

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is otherworldly enough by day. By night, it’s as if we’ve indeed traveled to another planet, entered into the stars that now seem so close.

Of all the International Dark Sky Parks — so designated for their views unblemished by light — none is quite like this. And the word is out; reservable campsites are in high demand, especially on moonless nights.

The best bet is Pinon Flats Campground, open April through October and in easy walking distance of the dune eld. When the road is open during summer, 21 designated sites along Medano Pass are free and rst-come, rst-served. For backpacking and camping on the dunes, permits booked in advance are required.

The park is open 24/7 so you can always check out the stars and drive to your overnight spot, whether that be a hotel or another area campground.

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Coors Field

Another season of Colorado Rockies baseball begins this week. And while the prospects of upending the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t particularly high, that doesn’t drastically change the experience of watching a game at Coors Field.

It’s about sunny spring days and warm summer nights. It’s about peanuts and Cracker Jack. It’s about the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd.

Or perhaps it’s about a burger and a drink on The Rooftop, a 38,000-square-foot space with exceptional views. Here are 10 dates to plan a trip to Denver.

April 4 vs. Athletics: Nothing quite compares with Opening Day at Coors Field as a sellout crowd welcomes back the home team to Denver. The pregame pageantry includes player introductions and a flyover.

May 23-25 vs. Yankees: Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and the Bronx Bombers always cause a stir when they come to town. Expect big crowds and plenty of runs to be scored during this holiday weekend series.

June 24-26 vs. Dodgers: It’s the division rival Dodgers. And their massive payroll of star players. And their legion of blue-clad fans. It’s also the first chance this season to see the game’s best player: Shohei Ohtani.

July 4-5 vs. White Sox: Why spotlight a pair of games against the team from Chicago who lost a league-high 121 games a season ago? Because of a pair of impressive fireworks shows scheduled for after each game.

Sept. 19 vs. Angels: Barring an unforeseen run to the playoffs, this series is the last chance to watch baseball in LoDo until 2026. And this game is the last chance to see fireworks, plus get a 2026 schedule magnet.

NATHAN VAN DYNE

Spring skiing brings cheaper prices, shorter lines and plenty of sun

IN FULL BLOOM

TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTIAN MURDOCK

kiing is a winter sport, they say. Those in Colorado know better.

No doubt, we love winter skiing. But we really, really love spring skiing.

As much as we look forward to those rst powder days, the anticipation might be greater for this time of year when that powder takes on another cherished form. Yes, in our imagination, we can hear that crunch of “corn” — that easy carve against the snow in this seasonal freeze-thaw period.

We hear that and feel that in our imagination, just as we feel the Colorado sunshine on our skin. We dare not forget sunscreen, but maybe we do glide down the groomers in T-shirts and shorts. This is what spring skiing is all about: warm sunshine and big, blue skies.

The winter darkness has lifted; March brings us longer days. Longer days for more opportunities.

“I’ve golfed, skied and even kayaked in the same day,” we once heard from Corey Lucero, as he was between shifts at Wolf Creek Ski Area in southwest Colorado.

Those are the kind of possibilities that make us think about an overnight at one of this state’s premier destinations. Lucky for us, hotel rooms are typically cheaper in the spring. As are lifts tickets. Our skiing demand remains high, while that of tourists is less so. Translation: typically lower prices and shorter lines.

The shorter lines will allow for more of those aforementioned turns. That “corn” is so graciously carvable. We know it as more forgiving on steeper runs — a better grip lending itself to balance.

It also lends itself for those looking to learn. Yes, spring might be the end of the season, but it very well could be the perfect beginning to one’s skiing lifetime.

It’s a perfect introduction, as well, to the culture.

“The fun factor here at Aspen Snowmass goes up a few notches come March and April,” reads a resort webpage, “complete with crazy out ts, jean shorts, sunglasses and late afternoon DJ sets.”

Closer to the Front Range, there’s “The Beach” at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area — the easy, breezy, time-honored scene taking over the front parking lot. Farther away, in Telluride, there’s Gorrono Ranch, complete with Adirondack chairs, chili and fanfare.

“On a nice, spring, sunny day, there’s not much better than skiing down to Gorrono for the afternoon,” said Carson Taylor, a longtime employee at the resort. “Grab a beverage, listen to some music and enjoy the whole vibe.”

Here are more great ways to close out the season:

• Springalicious at Steamboat Resort, April 1-20: The annual festival of pond skimming, live music and the Cardboard Classic, in which costumed teams race in homemade sleds.

• Crested Butte Pond Skim, April 5: From the resort’s billing: “There’s no better nod to the resort’s wild and playful nature than the closing weekend pond skim.” Playfully clad skiers will race down Warming House Hill to the pond.

• Spring Bash + Splash at Winter Park Resort, April 5-27: Four weekends of music, themed parties and games leading up to the ski splashdown.

• Elk Camp Surf & Snow Beach Party at Aspen Snowmass, April 19: Elk Camp Restaurant is ending the season with a dance party, hot tub and pond for skimming.

• Sunsation at Copper Mountain Resort, April 26-27: The end-of-season celebration where tropical shirts, leis and grass hats are encouraged.

• Peaks and Beats at Breckenridge Resort, April 26-27: Breck’s spring bash gets a new name, but familiar festivities return: high-alpine laps, concerts and pond skimming.

Closing dates

A look at projected and scheduled closing dates across some of Colorado’s most popular ski areas. Dates are subject to change.

Early April: Wolf Creek

April 6: Buttermilk, Crested Butte, Keystone, Monarch, Telluride

April 13: Aspen Highlands, Beaver Creek, Cooper, Purgatory

April 20: Aspen Mountain, Aspen Snowmass, Eldora, Steamboat, Vail

April 27: Winter Park

May 11: Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Loveland

As late as possible: Arapahoe Basin

dorothy steps out of her black-and-white world and into the Technicolor world of Oz — just as the artist Leslie Jorgensen steps into Colorado’s great outdoors.

“It’s that awe,” she says. “It’s that feeling of being alive, truly alive.”

It’s a feeling she aims to paint. And it’s a feeling we aimed to capture on the cover of this magazine celebrating this city and state that bring endless color and joy into our lives.

Joy. That’s what Jorgensen is after in her art, including the piece she offered for the cover.

Joy. That’s what Jorgensen gathers from people who step into her gallery and studio in Salida.

“Color does have an effect on our psyche,” Jorgensen says.

Splash

“So a lot of what I’m doing with color really is intentional. It’s intentionally uplifting.”

What better place for the artist than Colorful Colorado.

“I felt reborn when I came to Colorado,” she says.

The Florida native came in 1989 for a job at the Denver Post. It was the start of a 30-year career in graphic design.

Over the years, Jorgensen heard offers for higher-paying jobs. “I said, ‘No, sorry, it’s not Colorado,’” she says with a chuckle. “I probably scrapped a promising career in order to stay and ski.”

She took a particular liking to the snowy backcountry in 2015. This was around the time she scrapped her career altogether. Jorgensen would pick up the paintbrush full time, ful lling a dream she’d carried since she was a child.

“My parents would gently nudge me. ‘Why don’t you do

of Splash

colorado

Artist adds life and joy to her paintings

something else?’” she recalls. “They thought I’d be this starving artist.”

Maybe she would be, she thought to herself in 2015. Graphic design was safer, she always knew.

“But I just kept thinking back to my rst love,” she says.

Jorgensen would blend her rst love with her love for Colorado. She would go back to art school. She would be classically trained to recreate the state’s scenery on her canvas.

She would paint photorealist scenes and then step back.

“Something was missing,” she says. “It was missing the energy that I had when I rst moved here.”

It was missing that Oz-like Technicolor. Thus grew Jorgensen’s vibrant, abstract style viewed now at her gallery and at festivals, shows and murals around the state.

Jorgensen moved to Salida in 2018 — a proudly artistic

town also perfectly surrounded by opportunities for skiing, biking, hiking and camping.

“That’s really what I paint about,” she says. “My paintings are these emotional responses to these experiences.”

The snow isn’t always just white; she’s known to add splashes of pink and orange, as if re ecting a constant sunrise. The mountains appear in constant alpenglow. Wild owers pop no matter the season. Rivers run blue like the big sky above.

These aren’t always the colors of Jorgensen’s world. Sometimes she feels like Dorothy at the start of the movie, living in black and white.

“The world might be dark and scary and uncertain,” Jorgensen says, “but to be able to nd where there’s joy, where there’s happiness, I think that’s important.”

TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY PARKER SEIBOLD

COLORADO CHRONICLE

STORIED CANNIBAL PART OF LAKE CITY LORE

Lake City counts more than 200 historic structures. Indeed, history is everywhere you look in this settlement of cabins. Several homes post written stories by their yards, ensuring the most curious of visitors can spend several hours exploring the past.

Start from the museum, where old trains are on display along with relics from pioneer days. Stop by the courthouse to see the gallery with benches situated as they were in 1883, when the judge ordered a most notorious man to be hanged until he was “dead, dead, dead.” This was Alfred Packer, the storied cannibal. Today, tourists visit the massacre site in the nearby hills. Other tales are told during cemetery tours.

Lake City’s overall charm is de ned by the businesses inside its colorful, Victorian buildings. Perhaps most eye-catching is San Juan Soda Co., a vintage spot built in the 1870s. Originally the town’s pharmacy, it now satis es the sweet tooth with ice cream sodas, malts, shakes and cones. It’s conveniently situated among other cozy shops selling gifts, antiques and artwork.

Also honoring the past is Mountaineer Theatre, with one big screen in a showroom from yesteryear.

SETH BOSTER

STATE OF THE ARTS

TEXT BY JENNIFER MULSON PHOTOGRAPHY

BY MARK REIS

Colorado museums and galleries showcase stunning art

Not only can Colorado boast natural beauty, but the state also regularly harbors beauty indoors with its fair share of impressive art exhibits at noteworthy galleries, including Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College and Denver Art Museum. Here are some upcoming shows you won’t want to miss, as well as a few permanent exhibits worth a visit.

“50% of the Story: Women Expressing Creativity”

Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, cspm.org

The exhibit, which opened last year, is the rst of its kind in Colorado — a permanent show featuring works solely by women. It showcases about 150 pieces, almost half of which are contemporary works by local artists. The rest are culled from the museum’s collection dating to 1896, and include artists such as Helen Hunt Jackson, Mary Chenowith, Alice Ann Ochs and Sushe Felix.

“Horizon: On the Plains with John Fielder”

Through Jan. 1, History Colorado Center, Denver, historycolorado.org

American photographer, nature writer and conservationist John Fielder was beloved for his lifelong infatuation with and documentation of Colorado’s landscapes. History Colorado Center’s latest exhibit features large-format prints he took of the state’s diverse terrain. Before his death in 2023, Fielder donated his Colorado Collection to the museum, with more than 5,000 photos that will be digitized, cataloged and made accessible to the public.

Works by Dale Chihuly

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, fac.coloradocollege.edu

Internationally renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s gorgeous glass spirals, squiggles and other shapes permanently occupy a room on the museum’s second oor. The works, which include a brilliant Orange Hornet Chandelier, were pur chased in 2005. A serpent-like chandelier, which hangs in the lobby, greets visitors like an appetizer, as does the ocean-colored Blue Sapphire Chandelier, which hangs in the Deco Lounge.

“The

Honest Eye: Camille Pissarro’s Impressionism”

“The Honest Eye: Camille Pissarro’s Impressionism”

Oct. 26 through Feb. 8, Denver Art Museum, denverartmuseum.org

The upcoming exhibit featuring Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro, known as the rst Impressionist, is the rst major U.S. retrospective of his work in more than four decades. The show will include an overview of his career and examine his role in the Impressionist movement through more than 80 paintings from almost 50 museums and private collections around the world, as well as six from DAM’s collection.

Colorado fourteener

Mount Sneffels

John Fielder

Colorado fourteener

Mount Sneffels

John Fielder

“Held Impermanence (Artists Select: Katherine Simóne Reynolds)”

Through Sept. 14, Cly ord Still Museum, Denver, cly ordstillmuseum.org

Clyfford Still, an important artist in the Abstract Expressionist movement, is credited as the most anti-traditional of the group. His work shifted from representational painting to abstraction during World War II. Katherine Simóne Reynolds, an artist and scholar who explores emotional dialects and psychogeographies of Blackness, drew from the museum’s collection and archives, including Still’s manuscripts and photos, to show how the artist documented a war-ravaged world.

“Blue Grass, Green Skies: American Impressionism and Realism from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art”

June 7 through Sept. 14, Denver Botanic Gardens, botanicgardens.org

American Impressionists, inspired by the Impressionism movement in Europe, sought to capture everyday domestic scenes through bright palettes and loose brushstrokes. The exhibit will feature works by popular American Impressionists, including Mary Cassatt, Childe Hassam, Ernest Lawson and William Wendt, and their landscapes, urban scenes and interiors of 19th-century America.

“Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits”

Through May 11, Denver Art Museum, denverartmuseum.org

American photographer, artist and educator Dawoud Bey is known for his large-scale street photo portraits of primarily American adolescents and other often marginalized subjects. The show features 37 portraits he took from 1988 to 1991, when he met Black Americans of all ages on streets in Brooklyn, Harlem and Washington, D.C., among others. He asked some to pose for his large-format, tripod-mounted camera. After each shoot, he gave his subjects a Polaroid print as a way to say thank you.

“Alisa Banks: Unerased”

Through Sept. 6, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, fac.coloradocollege.edu

Alisa Banks, a book, ber and multimedia artist, explores the links between contemporary culture, her Louisiana Creole heritage and the African diaspora, including those of African descent who have been torn from their homes. Banks seeks to challenge the erasure of Black American history while honoring her own roots. Her works, which use textiles, bers and plants to record knowledge, look at the history and stories of people disconnected from Western literacy through what she calls “root reading.” Expect to see pieces using traditional crafting, such as embroidery, sewing and beading.

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Mud season can still mean fun season on Front Range

DON’T GET STUCK

TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK REIS, CHRISTIAN MURDOCK

t’s mud season in Colorado Springs. For the outdoor lover, it’s a season of ill repute.

A season of mushy, mucky trails that are inconvenient to our boots and bikes as well as potentially damaging to the environment.

t’s mud season in Colorado Springs. For the outdoor lover, it’s a season of ill repute. A season of mushy, mucky trails that are inconvenient to our boots and bikes as well as potentially damaging to the environment.

MUDDY TRUTHS

1. Traveling along muddy trails risks damaging erosion, while traveling around the mud causes trail-widening and more damage to surrounding vegetation. So it’s best to avoid muddy trails, but if you encounter mud, go through it.

2. If not on pavement or gravel, choose trails carefully. Consider south-facing trails that get more sun and less snow. Go in the early morning or late afternoon when temperatures are cooler and surfaces harden.

3. Spring hiking is no time for sneakers. Wear boots and wool socks. In cases of snow and ice, gaiters give more protection and microspikes provide traction.

This is no season for exploring, we popularly think. Or maybe it’s the perfect season for a different kind of exploring.

Urban trails: Think pavement and gravel. Think Pikes Peak Greenway, which trends north and south through the city. It connects with paths you might have overlooked close to home, including Midland and Templeton Gap trails. Rock Island Trail is another route for urban discovery; it runs about 12 miles near downtown to the city’s east side.

More urban discovery: Green pockets around town provide mud-free sidewalks and views to enjoy. Maybe it’s a walk around the lake at Memorial Park. Another lake, Wolf Lake, hides amid the Wolf Ranch development on the city’s northeast side. Or maybe you’ve been wanting to check out some newer neighborhood parks: Panorama Park and John Venezia Park appeal to all ages. We also love the open expanses and pond at Nancy Lewis Park.

Garden of the Gods: Compared with the long, paved trails mentioned above, Foothills Trail offers a shorter ride or jog. It might be the most beautiful stretch of pavement in all of Colorado Springs. The path spans the front entrance of Garden of the Gods, and the view gets even better the farther you go: Foothills Trail continues across 30th Street and wraps up to a stunning overlook, adjacent to Garden of the Gods Resort.

Other trail options: One way to avoid mud is to embrace snow and ice. Embrace, for example, High Drive from the parking lot at the top of North Cheyenne Cañon Park, or the lower stretch off Gold Camp Road, down from the Section 16 trailhead. The wide, dirt path packs on more white than brown. The city parks department points to a lesser-known trail to the south: the loop around Bluestem Prairie Open Space, which generally dries out faster due to less snowfall and sunny exposure. On the east side, High Chaparral Open Space is recommended.

Visit the Incline: With cooler temperatures and fewer crowds, spring could be your time to take on the Manitou Incline — especially if tness is your New Year’s resolution. You won’t encounter mud on the vertical set of wooden steps rising about 2,000 feet in less than a mile, but you’ll want traction for snow and ice.

TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLORADO SPRINGS UTILITIES

While non-native grass is a bad idea, so is ﬁlling up your yard with rocks

SWEET SPOT

don’t call it xeriscaping. Colorado Springs Utilities doesn’t.

“Not only Utilities but across the state, more and more people are moving away from ‘xeriscaping,’” said Lisa Pace, the agency’s water conservation lead and career horticulturist.

When people think xeriscaping, “people think of it as zero — as in no water, no plants, nothing but rock,” she said. “So that has kind of created this negative picture.” Instead, Pace calls it water-wise landscaping. And she paints a different picture.

“A beautiful landscape that requires minimal water,” she said, “with plants that will thrive in our environment and support our local ecology.”

Plants supporting pollinators. Native grasses thriving in the face of drought — in the face of a changing climate, diminishing water supply and landscaping trends that city leaders across the West are aiming to break.

“The way we’ve landscaped our yards the last 150 years with high-water turf grass and European plants or plants that aren’t native to Colorado, that’s not going to be how we landscape for the next 150 years,” Pace said. “We’re going to look to nature and to our local ecology to nd inspiration and bring nature back into our landscape.”

Two results are the demonstration gardens Pace oversees. That’s where we started our conversation, which has been edited for clarity and length.

About the demonstration gardens:

“One is at our of ce (2855 Mesa Road). The majority of our demonstrations focus around the idea of watering once a week. We have over 13 types of turf grass and over 30 garden areas. Our other garden is over at the Cottonwood Creek YMCA. It’s a much smaller garden, but it’s a great example of a garden that’s very low-maintenance. We have a couple of different native grass demonstrations there, as well as over 100 types of perennials, ornamental grasses, trees, shrubs and evergreens.”

Quick tip for getting started:

“I often tell people, ‘If you take a owering shrub, an evergreen and some ornamental grasses and you just planted those three things, you would have a great looking landscape throughout the seasons.’”

One misconception to consider:

“People sometimes believe if you use native, you don’t have to water at all. You’re going to want to water it some to create that experience that you want in your front or backyard. We usually recommend anywhere from six to nine inches of irrigation a year, which is like 60%-80% savings compared with traditional turf grass.”

Help at the click of a mouse:

“Go to our website (csu.org); we have this amazing landscape gallery as well as a plant database. We also have a landscape gallery that shows you some of our gardens, and then we also have local examples.”

Concerns over a hot house:

“We saw that in Arizona, where people were taking out Kentucky bluegrass and putting in lots of unplanted rock. That’s exactly what we don’t want; that’s not our natural ecosystem either. ... You can use rock like mulch, but our recommendation is to have 70% ground plant coverage. That means when you’re plants are fully grown, you really shouldn’t see much of the rock. So you’d be minimizing that heat island effect.”

What’s trending in 2025:

“This concept called prairie gardens. Basically you use native grass seed, cover the entire ground and then plant ornamental grasses and perennials like local wild owers. It creates this amazing garden that has tons of texture, that’s fantastic to the environment and only needs six to nine inches of irrigation a year, so (watering) less than once a week.”

COMING SOON

DON’T MISS THESE FOUR MOVIES

“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning”

I am very skeptical that this is really the nal movie — surely Tom Cruise will be wanting to ride his motorbike off cliffs and suavely

“Sinners”

squint in sunglasses until the end of time — but nonetheless here we are with, supposedly, a grand nale. Bring on the stunts. (May 23)

“Elio”

Director Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan have had numerous successful collaborations; among them the “Black Panther” movies, the “Creed” movies and “ Fruitvale Station.” They’re reteaming for this thriller, in which a man and his brother return to their small town in the hopes of starting again — but nd evil waiting for them. (April 18)

“Jurassic World Rebirth”

There’s been a release date delay and a change of directors (from Adrian Molina to Domee Shi — who made the lovely “ Turning Red” — and Madeline Shara an), but Pixar’s latest, about a little boy beamed onto a spaceship lled with aliens, is set to make a splash this summer. (June 20)

This franchise never dies because apparently there is no shortage of ctional people who think that bringing dinosaurs back to life won’t go wrong like it did all the other times. Jonathan Bailey, Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali are this year’s designated dino ee-ers. (July 2)

BUILT TO LAST

TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTIAN MURDOCK

Family’s bond as strong as its historic wood building

LAMAR • This is a story about time. The time we get and what we do with it. Our brief time amid deep time that surrounds us — ancient time represented by petried wood, one might say.

“There’s probably a whole forest under the sand,” Jim Stagner says here on Colorado’s southeast plains. Which explains his curious, little building on a corner of Main Street.

Jim walks into it now, through the door between tree trunks turned to stone. He’s holding his great-granddaughter’s hand.

“What is this?” asks 3-year-old Eden.

“This is the petri ed wood building, honey,” says her mom, Angela.

This is the head-turning landmark said to be one of a kind.

“The only petri ed wood lling station in the world,” read Lamar’s newspaper after the building’s 1932 construction.

It’s a storage place for the Stagner family now. But back in the ‘30s, “it was touted as the oldest working gas station in the world,” reads a pamphlet Jim hands out to drivers who can’t help but stop.

What other gas station claims to be 175 million years old? That’s the age according to the sign posted to the fossilized timber.

“Might be a year or two off,” Jim says with a grin. At 90, he keeps a quick wit and books piled high in his of ce next door. They are mostly books about history. One chronicles his own history — a brief timeline to jog the memory.

His nger is scarred and grease-stained from a lifetime of hard work, and he runs it now through the years on the page.

“Come to Lamar in ‘61. Started the tire shop in ‘62,” he says.

He started the tire shop inside the petri ed wood building. He would expand next door to a much bigger, full-service shop, Stagner Inc., where his sons still work today.

“Built this shop here in ‘74,” Jim says, continuing through the timeline.

Other years show the houses he built mostly with his bare hands. Others show Stagner Inc.’s expansion to small towns across these plains.

The years show a man from humble beginnings forging a legacy for his family to come. Papa, as his grandkids

call him, is not one to talk about where he came from and what he’s accomplished.

Angela does the talking for him. She’s one of six grandkids who went on to a bigger city and opportunities beyond economically depressed Lamar.

It all started inside this curious, little building on a corner of Main Street.

“I try to remind him,” Angela says. “He lived in a hole in the ground, and all of his grandkids went on to college and had very successful business careers.”

It’s the story she’s written down: Jim Stagner was born

in 1935 in something of a “dugout” in the San Luis Valley. His family had settled in those elds for government work amid the Dust Bowl.

Around that time, some 200 miles to the east, the petried wood building was gaining national attention.

“Lamar’s Believe-It-Or-Not Filling Station,” read the 1935 Lamar Daily News headline, referring to recognition by “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!”

The petri ed wood building had been “under the direction and inspiring genius of W.G. Brown,” the newspaper reported. Brown was a local lumber dealer.

“For years he has dreamed of making some of the wonders of our great western country more available to the thousands of tourists that pass through Lamar,” the paper went on.

What greater wonder than the ancient forest that was said to lie in Lamar’s countryside? (That’s where most reports pinpoint the source of the building material; a later researcher suspected scavenging around farms and ranches.)

The fossilized wood was said to be of sequoia, cypress or cedar. The massive trees were said to have stood with

Angela Hartshorn and her grandfather, Jim Stagner.

the dinosaurs.

“It is of more than passing interest to realize that these petri ed remains are reminiscent of a time when this area was covered by water and silt deep enough that the process of petri cation could take place,” read that 1935 article.

Brown’s vision was well underway: The building would be leased to Phillips 66, as the industry aimed to capture an increasingly motorized America with roadside attractions. The building swapped hands over the decades before the 1962 arrival of a well-traveled tire specialist.

Jim Stagner learned the trade in the San Luis Valley, where he had started a family. From Alamosa, he took his wife and kids to a new opportunity in New Mexico.

“He worked himself out of that job,” says son Roger. “The guy had hundreds of tires or whatever, Dad got ‘em all capped, and the owner of the store said, ‘Well, I don’t have any more work for you.’”

Jim worked nonstop like that. So he did inside the petri ed wood building.

To everyone else over the years, the building was a curiosity. To him, “just a place to start a business,” he says with a shrug.

He’d only stop to rest on a sheet of cardboard in the

midnight hours, waiting for tires to cure, and then he’d nish them for truckers to get back on the road rst thing in the morning. He did some roo ng on the side.

“Papa worked so much when (his kids) were little, just to put food on the table,” says Angela, daughter of one of those three kids.

“My mom would cry at night, because she didn’t know if Papa would come home.”

He was a big presence at home, always quick with gifts and lessons on faith; he occasionally traveled as a Christian missionary. And he was always quick with humor. He was fun-loving at the shop, too.

“We worked hard and had fun doing it,” says Glen, the younger son working now in the shop that was expanded in 1974. “And he never complained. Even now, he can barely walk, his knees are bone to bone, but he’d still be xing ats if he could.”

Jim says it often: “It’s been a good life.”

Good for generations of family after him, Angela is quick to remind. And it all started inside this curious, little building on a corner of Main Street.

It catches the young imagination of the next generation now.

“What is this?” asks 3-year-old Eden.

And one day, she will know.

One of the logs on the front of the petriﬁed wood building.

GREEN THUMBS

TEXT BY DALIAH SINGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK REIS

Red Powderpuff (Calliandra haematocephala).

Denver Botanic Gardens is a 24acre oasis in the middle of the Mile High City.

Dedicated in 1954, it has grown into a preeminent horticultural venue, displaying more than 36,000 plants across 50 curated gardens, with a focus on native plants that thrive in Colorado. It’s also become a leader in environmentally responsible practices such as water conservation.

While wandering its meandering paths without a destination in mind is a great way to explore the living museum, to simply look at the plants is to overlook how much the destination has to offer. Take in all the lushness with this handy guide.

All about the flora

Travel the world without leaving Cheesman Park.

The Gardens display a global array of plants, pulling inspiration from Japan, various steppe climates and the tropics, among other regions. Some sections are devoted to speci c plants (lilacs or irises, for example) or themes (see: the Romantic and Fragrance gardens). Of course, it might be most bene cial to examine the 18 Gardens of the West, which highlight plants that are particularly suited to the Centennial State; you might just walk away with ideas for your own home garden.

Two of the most photo-worthy spots are the water gardens: the Monet Pool is covered in water lilies (peak bloom is June through September) while the Four Towers Pool is named after the fountains that create a stark geometric contrast to the organic shapes of the swamp hibiscus, papyrus and other water plants growing below.

Bird-watching for all

More than 150 species have been spotted in this birding hot spot. As you walk through the Gardens, keep your eyes peeled for hummingbirds, black-capped chickadees, robins and hawks, among other species.

Get cultured

Hours: Gardens open at 9a.m. daily; closing times vary by season General admission tickets: $15.75 (adults); $12 (seniors 65 and older, active-duty military and veterans); $11.50 (children ages 3 to 15 and students); free for children 2 and younger Tours: Let a guide show you around, whether you’re interested in the current art exhibit, seasonal ﬂora or a more general walkabout. Check the website for available dates and times. botanicgardens.org

Visit the Freyer–Newman Center to explore the art galleries (Anna Kaye’s charcoal explorations of wild re’s impact will be on display through late May); to peruse around 25,000 titles at Helen Fowler Library; to watch nature-themed lms in Sturm Family Auditorium; and to refuel at Copper Door Coffee Roasters.

Inspired by Colorado’s vibrant sunsets, famed glass artist Dale Chihuly crafted a tall, spiky sculpture that bursts in yellow and orange in the Ellipse Garden.

Grab a bite

The Gardens encompass two restaurants along with the coffee shop. Offshoots Café in the main building serves breakfast standbys, including a burrito, and a lunch menu of salads, sandwiches and atbreads. Hive Garden Bistro is open seasonally next to the Monet Pool; the seasonal lineup incorporates produce grown at the Gardens’ Chat eld Farms location.

Special events

There are three annual events you won’t want to miss: the Spring Plant Sale in May; the al fresco Summer Concert Series, which kicks off in June and always sells out; and the holiday celebration Blossoms of Light, which begins in late November.

Expand your mind

A wide variety of classes are featured each month. Recent offerings have included ower arranging, herbal remedies for the skin, plant propagation 101, how to preserve citrus and photography instruction.

The Science Pyramid’s “Welcome Home: Meet Your Habitat” exhibition is another opportunity for learning. It explores Colorado’s habitat and the interconnectedness of humans and nature.

Be well

From vinyasa yoga classes throughout the day to Chi Kung (an ancient Chinese exercise system), the Gardens offer a beautiful setting to get your blood pumping. Other wellness activities also are available, such as singing bowl meditation workshops and women’s retreats.

Therapeutic horticulture programs ensure people of all abilities can experience the Gardens. These include low-sensory mornings between May and August and special sessions open to visitors dealing with dementia, Parkinson’s and other health concerns.

For the kids

Smaller green thumbs are more than welcome to visit the Gardens. Start at the 3-acre Mordecai Children’s Garden, a sensory playground built atop the parking garage. Kids can smell, touch and explore a collection of plants that thrive in Colorado. And some classes — such as building a fairy garden or painting with plants — are geared toward children. Weeklong camps are offered for 6- to 12-year-olds.

Science Pyramid at Denver Botanic Gardens.

TEXT BY JENNIFER MULSON

With the addition of Ford Amphitheater to the musical landscape, it’s easier than ever to have a big concert experience in Colorado Springs. But there’s still much to like about seeing a show in a more intimate setting. Here’s some of what’s on tap at the region’s venues.

April 4: Sheena Easton, Phil Long Music Hall

The Grammy Award-winning singer, one of the most successful British female recording artists in the 1980s, released 15 albums and had 20 straight hit singles, including “For Your Eyes Only,” “Morning Train (Nine to Five)” and “U Got the Look” with Prince.

April 13: Sara Evans, Phil Long Music Hall

The country singer, who came to peak popularity throughout the aughts, had a string of hits that included “Born to Fly,” “Suds in the Bucket” and “A Real Fine Place to Start.”

April 30: Jason Isbell, Ford Amphitheater

The Grammy Award-winning singer songwriter, once a member of rock band Drive-By Truckers, is known for the hits “Cover Me Up,” “24 Frames,” “If We Were Vampires” and “Dreamsicle.”

May 9: Dwight Yoakam, Ford Amphitheater

The Grammy Award-winning country and rock star rose to popularity in the mid-1980s with songs such as “Streets of Bakers eld,” “I Sang Dixie,” “Guitars, Cadillacs” and “It Won’t Hurt.”

8 music dates that await 8

May 17-18: “Madama Butter y,” Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Pikes Peak Center

Giacomo Puccini’s famous opera chronicles the tragic tale of young Japanese geisha Cio-Cio-San (Butter y) and her marriage to an American naval of cer.

May 22: Leon Bridges, Ford Amphitheater

The Texas soul singer songwriter recently won a Grammy Award for his 2018 single “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand.” His other hits include “Coming Home,” “River” and “Better Man.”

May 25: The Black Keys, Ford Amphitheater

The rock duo won three Grammy Awards in 2010 for the album “Brothers,” which contained the hit single “Tighten Up.” The following year, their album “El Camino” also received three Grammys, one of which was for the song “Lonely Boy.”

May 29: Deana Carter, Phil Long Music Hall

The country singer and native of Nashville, Tenn., broke through in the 1990s with a string of albums and three No. 1 hits: “Strawberry Wine,” “We Danced Anyway” and “How Do I Get There.”

A Pulitzer and Tony Award winner, classical Chinese dance, musicals and plays based on popular lms and novellas, and Cirque du Soleil — there’s a lot to love appearing on a stage near you this spring in the Pikes Peak region.

Through April 6: “Turn of the Screw” by Theatreworks, Ent Center for the Arts

In Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of Henry James’ 1898 novella, a naïve governess believes she’s being haunted as she cares for two children in an isolated manor on the moors in England. The two-person cast stars one woman playing the role of the governess and one man playing multiple characters, including a male ghost, female ghost, small girl, elderly housekeeper and 10-yearold boy.

March 28-30: Shen Yun, Pikes Peak Center

Set the stage

9 upcoming performances

Each performance features almost two dozen Chinese dances that portray cultural legends from different regions and dynasties, including pieces about Tang court ladies, the battle eld machinations of generals, philosophical works by LaoTzu, and dances from Mongolia and Tibet.

April 10-27: “Doubt: A Parable” by Springs Ensemble Theatre

TEXT BY JENNIFER MULSON

John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play begins in a Bronx Catholic school, where the principal, Sister Aloysius, suspects a priest is having improper relations with one of the male students. She must decipher what’s true and how far she’ll go to nd it.

April 11: Jo Koy,

The Broadmoor World Arena

The comedian returns to Colorado Springs with his new tour, “Just Being Koy.” Once a panelist on E!’s “Chelsea Lately,” Koy has released six comedy specials on Comedy Central and Net ix.

April 24-27: Cirque du Soleil’s “Crystal,”

The Broadmoor World Arena

“Crystal” showcases acrobats and ice skaters as they perform feats on the ice and in the air that involve extreme skating, swinging trapeze and aerial straps.

April 29-May 1: “The Addams Family,” Pikes Peak Center

Wednesday Addams has grown up and fallen for a sweet, normal guy whom her parents, Morticia and Gomez, have never met. Wednesday con des in her father and asks him to keep the secret from his wife, something he’s never done, until the Addams host the boyfriend’s family for dinner. Based on The Addams Family characters in Charles Addams’ cartoons.

May 1-25: “Sister Act” by Fine Arts Center Theatre Co., Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College

In the musical version of “Sister Act,” based on the hit 1992 lm, a disco singer goes into protective custody at a convent after witnessing a murder. Disguised as a nun, she and the Mother Superior butt heads, but she eventually wins her and the church community over with her singing and dancing, only to have her cover blown.

May 1-25: “Silent Sky” by Theatreworks, Ent Center for the Arts

Set at Harvard Observatory in 1900 and based on a true story, Henrietta Leavitt begins to record her observations of the night sky and changes the way we see the stars in Lauren Gunderson’s 2015 play.

May 31: Louis C.K., Ford Amphitheater

The Grammy Award-winning comedian brings his new tour, “Louis C.K.: Ridiculous,” to town. As a comedian, he’s released more than 10 stand-up specials, including “Louis C.K. at the Dolby,” “Sorry” and “Sincerely, Louis C.K.” He’s also worked in lms and on TV, with appearances on “Blue Jasmine,” “American Hustle” and the FX comedy drama show “Louie.”

Comedian Louis C.K., Scott Roth