Colorado Classics

Over the years people have come into my life whom have a increased sense of sustainability, especially for the environment and economy. One thing I noticed is that most of them came from Colorado. 

Colorado is home to some the country's most incredible landscapes.  I spent a week scattered across the state visiting new and old friends. Here is what my trip looked like.

VAIL

Roxy, a beautiful South African woman who had the racing mind of Donald Trump but the zen-like personality of a yogi, offered me a space at her home. After a four course vegan meal and some good herb we talked about fire twirling and eco-friendly businesses.

In the morning my gracious host handed over a discounted snowboarding ticket to Beaver Creek. Ari and I headed over and enjoyed some great snowboarding runs.

KEYSTONE

On our way to Boulder, Ari stopped off at Arapahoe Basin "A-Basin," to check out their slopes and oysters. They had run out so we tried some local brews and live tunes.

BOULDER

Boulder is one of the higher ranking U.S. cities for health, well-being, quality of life, education, and art. Ari, my friend from Australia, took me to school with here- we rode bikes around the city and on some decent trails.

After checking out the thrift and record stores on the main drag, we headed out to some local breweries.  Avery Brewery fitted with a logo like the Los Angeles Angels. They had some of the best stouts. The second brewery was Southern Suns where a great live band performed in the log cabin bar structure. We danced so late into the night we missed the bus. After a 1.5 hour walk home it was lights out Boulder.

Bike ride through outside Boulder

MORRISON

Home to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, it sits nestled into the side of a hill. Hidden from the road you wind through a park. As I was driving I received a phone call offering me a position at the Cali Roots Festival. It was pretty cool I got a music gig before checking out one of coolest venues in the country.

Made out of rock, it sits around 9,500 people on rock benches. The stage sits at the very bottom, smaller than I thought it was going to be. The coolest rock angles tower along the sides of the inclined seating area. I look forward to seeing a cool band here one day.

SOUTH PARK CITY

It was just a drive through the far out countryside of Colorado. I passed towns with less than 15 structures and farms filled with Cattle. Further down the road towards Gunnison, I drove past the Curecanti National Recreation Area.  Its sits on the Gunnison River, which I can only imagine is a great place to camp when it gets warmer outside.

Gunnison Rive/Lake

TELLURIDE

Finally making it to the one of my most anticipated spots for this road trip. An old friend Chris has been living and working in Colorado for about 5 years. We met at his workshop where I came to find out was owned Wagner Skis. Wagner skis are some of the best high performance skis on the market.

We headed into the small town, which sits in a box canyon, was established first as a gold mining town. The gold mine still exists at the base. This town has such an alluring charm with great community services like the "Free Box". My friend scored a CD case full of oldies. Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley provided a great soundtrack for yoga sessions in the mornings.

The snow is serious up there, covering my car overnight.  I got disoriented on a trail after the snow picked up quick.  I ran towards the road and hitchhiked my way back to my car in town. The coolest thing was when I bought some medicianl marijuana at the local dispensary "TGR: Telluride Green Room." Super easy and friendly I walked out with enough to sustain the road till Phoenix, AZ.

Two days was not enough, I could definitely see Telluride as a place to settle. The conversations at the coffee shops, the festival fliers hanging in the bookstore windows, and the free gondola rides up to the Mountain Village were all calling my name.