Rockies Opening Weekend

Coors Field has an absolutely AMAZING view of the mountains!

Last weekend was Rockies opening weekend against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors field and we couldn’t have asked for better weather!  I went to the Saturday evening game with some friends and it was a sunny 70 degrees–definite t-shirt weather even though it was only the beginning of April.

Rockie’s games are amazing for several reasons:

• The view from the stadium is absolutely stunning–I watched the sun set behind the snow-covered mountains while enjoying a great baseball game!
• Tickets are super cheap!  You can sit in the rock pile (which is in the outfield) for only $4 per person ($1 for kids and seniors).
• The fans are extremely excited to be there–the wave went around the entire stadium at least 5 or 6 times!

I definitely plan to go to as many Rockies games as I possibly can this season because it was a great way to spend a relaxing evening with my friends!  So if you’re looking for something fun to do when you’re visiting or once you move here, make sure to check out the Rockies!

Gooooooooooo Rockies!!!!

Beautiful backdrop for the game!

So happy to be at the game!

I Just Fell on my Face

I spent this past weekend falling on my face.  A lot.  It was fantastic, and possibly even mind-blowing.  Why?  Because this weekend I was snowboarding up at Copper Mountain with the kids from my internship.  My internship placement this year is with a small nonprofit in Denver that runs an outdoors experiential leadership development program for low-income minority youth.  Basically, I win.  One of our annual trips is the snowboarding trip to Copper.  As an intern, I was able to take a group of 12 youth up to the mountains where they were able to rent equipment at no cost and have free access to the mountain for the entire weekend.  It was a blast.  Most of the kids had never been snowboarding before and some had never even been to the mountains.  Being able to include these kids in the frequently exclusive outdoors  world was an amazing process to witness.  I spent the entire weekend on the slopes with the kids, falling on our faces and taking it all in.

Sunny Weather

After moving to Colorado from Northeast Nebraska, I quickly learned that there isn’t a better place in middle America to live!  Colorado provides the best for 4 seasons–sans humidity!  Summers are mild with a few weeks of hot temperatures, followed by mild autumns with beautiful fall colors, winters with just enough snow (that melts within the week due to our SUNSHINE and mild temps) and springs with just enough rain to make everything green again!

Looking for a city/state that allows for outdoor activity every season of the year?  Make Colorado your home!

Living in Denver

My wife, daughter and I moved to Denver in the beginning of September. Yes, we actually arrived a day before orientation and I think now that the first quarter is over, I’m finally having an opportunity to decompress and explore Denver and the surrounding area a bit. I love the fact that there are so many parks and trails in the city. Denver is simply gorgeous.

Driving in Denver is interesting as well. Having lived in Atlanta for too many years, I’m use to fast, aggressive drivers. Very different story here. Slow seems to be the driving mantra in Denver. So I’m  getting acclimated to this strange new world of street ettiquette!

Oh, after Thanksgiving we drove about 3 hours west to Glenwood Springs and soaked in hot springs for three days. It was pretty surreal and invigorating to be floating in a 104 degree pool with snow falling!

Winter break in the Rockies…

The great state of Colorado is not my home of origin; yet, it’ll be my home for the holidays.  I don’t have ample amount of funds to travel back home to see family and friends so I’ll be spending the holidays here in Denver, and I could not think of any better place to be.  Denver is a growing metropolis—ranked 24^th in U.S. population—with a small town feel; so, there’s plenty to do with plenty of good folks.  For turkey day I was able to meet-up with about 20 other random, die-hard Saints’ fans to watch football, share stories, and, of course, chow-down on a fabulous spread of food—Saints won a close one.

The festivities don’t have to stop there.  Colorado is full of fun events, activities and adventures during the winter months.  When it comes to the great outdoors, I personally don’t ski or snowboard, however, I do enjoy snow tubing and cross-country skiing.  In a couple of weeks some friends and I will make the most of a weekend getaway in the mountains.  We’ll spend a couple of nights in a cabin then make our way up to Vail for the annual Snow Daze festival.  I’ll be back in class before too long, but spending my entire winter break in Colorado will be a time well spent with fond memories.

Peace,
Phillip

Mountain Weather

There are lots of lessons to learn about moving to the mountains – they’re lots of fun, but you have to be prepared.

Lesson number one: As a city Denver gets the second most sunshine in the states, but always, always, ALWAYS have a jacket.  I recently went up into Rocky Mountain National Park to go to “Elk Fest“, basically a small festival in Estes Park for people to drive in and see the elk, which have come down from the highlands to mate.  They were all over the town – on the golf course, the school playground, everywhere!   One thing you’ll notice is that it looks really nice and sunny, but up in the mountains weather changes quickly and it can get pretty chilly!  It was actually only in the low 60’s that day!  So, pack a jacket to visit!