Colorado Explorer
Spring flings
By Linda DuVal
Spring—sometimes called the “shoulder” season—shouldn't be shrugged off. There's plenty to fill that seasonal gap between skiing and hiking.
The Spring Equinox Festival, March 17-19, may just be the best time to visit Springfield, when temperatures are balmy and the prairie is beginning to bloom. The town is the jumping-off point for the Comanche National Grasslands. Visit Crack Cave, where the rising sun illuminates ancient writing on the day of the spring equinox, and hike Picture Canyon to see more rock art. Bird-lovers from all over the world come to catch the colorful dance of the lesser prairie chicken. Music, art, a home and garden show and native American foods round out the fun. 719-523-6542.
If you're a hard-core birdwatcher, head to Wray where you can arrange prairie chicken viewing tours. 970-332-3484.
Monte Vista's annual Sandhill Crane Festival, March 10-13, celebrates the arrival of these impressive birds with organized tours, workshops, a craft fair and entertainment. 800-562-7085.
If birds aren't your thing, how about indulging in some pure silliness? The spring thaw inspires the annual Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland , March 10-12. There are coffin races, frozen T-shirt contests, ice and snow sculpting competitions and a brain-freeze contest, as well as more normal pursuits such as a parade and film festival. Not to mention the telling of the tale of the Frozen Dead Guy. It's a—pardon the expression—pretty lively time. 720-374-6742.
Put on your best bikini and enter the Eenie Weenie Bikini Contest at Copper Mountain's Sunsation, April 1-2, 8-9 and 15-16. Enjoy free concerts, events, barbecues, a beer garden and general frivolity. 970-968-2318.
Or head on over to Winter Park's Spring Splash on April 16. Guests can play games, enter contests, shop the end-of-season sales, listen to live music and sample the drink specials on a sunny deck as the resort brings its 2005-2006 season to a close. 970-726-1564.
If you just can't get enough bluegrass, Durango gets a leg up on the summer festivals with its Bluegrass Meltdown, April 7-9. Celtdown at the Meltdown celebrates Celtic music. 970-259-7200.
Or if spring makes you wax poetic, there's another event you might want to tap. A moveable feast called Poetry on a Platter, April 8-10 in Salida, April 11-13 in Gunnison and April 13-15 in Montrose, draws both professional and amateur poets from all over the nation to immerse themselves in the genre. This annual ode to spring includes workshops and poetry readings from regional and guest poets. 719-539-4826.
Whatever you fancy, don't dismiss spring as a “nothing” season in Colorado . There's lots to do!
Eat•Shop•Stay
Luxury, leisure or label-hunting
Well-known and worth it
The luxurious Lodge & Spa at Cordillera (in the Vail Valley ) is a popular girlfriends' getaway. Consider the Cloud 999 package. In April and May, get three nights for $999 (per double) and you can throw in all the spa treatments you desire, up to a value of $999. That means you can pamper yourself to death for about $166 per day per person. 866-650-ROCK.
Keystone's Alpenglow Stube, a mountaintop dining experience that has won raves from critics, offers Old World dining in an elegant, yet cozy, atmosphere. The gondola ride to get there will take your breath away. One of the state's highest restaurants, at 11,400 feet, it'll also rank high on your list of all-time favorites (try the roast duck). 800-354-4FUN.
Lesser known gems
Snow forts and snowball fights can be a fun way to reconnect with kin. Consider the YMCA's Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby for your next gathering. With 100 kilometers of cross-country and snowshoe trails, sledding, tubing, a covered ice rink, sleigh rides and horse program, there's lots to do! 970-887-2152 or 303-443-4743.
Great deals abound on ski wear and gear at the Snowmass Village Mall in Snowmass. You might even catch a sidewalk sale! After you're done shopping, gather round the mall's campfire every Wednesday night in March for hot chocolate and tall tales by local storytellers.
Something different
Grab a copy of “A Fashion-Lover's Guide to the Best Shopping in Denver and Beyond,” by Judie Schwartz and Evelinda Urman. They recommend such places as Girlfriends in Evergreen, Earth Angels Boutique in Parker, and Lacy's in Edwards. Not all their suggestions are “off the beaten rack,” though: There are surprises for fashionistas who think they know the cities, too.
Adam's Mountain Café in Manitou Springs is an icon in vegetarian cuisine. Cornell University recently featured its eclectic menu in its Cross Country Gourmet program. “Almost all of our dishes can be converted for vegans or for meat-eaters,” says owner Farley McDonough. 719-685-4370.
See & Do
From fat tires to tutus
Well-known and worth it
Feel like dancin' a jig? Well, get yourself to the St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Denver and Colorado Springs on March 11. Denver 's parade, one of the nation's largest, happens on Blake Street . The Springs event is held in Old Colorado City . Both offer bands, floats and dancers, plus food and shops along the routes.
Speaking of dancing … perhaps you associate the Colorado Ballet with Christmas, but they perform all year. This spring, they're presenting “Cinderella,” April 1-2 at the Ellie Culkins Opera House at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. 303-837-8888.
Lesser known gems
One of the earliest bike events of the season happens as spring arrives on the Western Slope. At the Fruita Fat Tire Festival, April 28-30, you can join hundreds of cyclists from all over the world to ride the roads or the rough. 970-858-7220.
If you plan on visiting Mesa Verde National Park for its centennial celebration, add a day to your itinerary to see the “other side” of the park—the Ute Mountain Tribal Park near Cortez. National Geographic Traveler voted it one of the best out-of-the-way sights for your must-see list. Get a very hands-on tour of this hidden archeological gem. 800-847-5485.
Something different
If you're in the mood for an old-fashioned Easter egg hunt, head toward Kiowa, where the annual event for kids of all ages (within reason) happens in Nordman Park on April 15. Local merchants sponsor the event and offer small prizes. If the weather is inclement, it moves indoors to the fairgrounds. 303-621-2366.
And if you're already mourning the end of ski season, well, you just haven't been paying attention.
Both Loveland Basin and Arapahoe Basin keep their snow into May, and sometimes June. Don't look for fancy lodges or restaurants, but you'll get a good extension of the season at either of these. Loveland : 303-571-5580; Arapahoe: 888-ARAPAHOE.
Linda DuVal is a freelance writer and former travel editor for The Gazette in Colorado Springs.
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