Month: December 2019

Denver Free Days 2020: Denver’s top museums and attractions

Did you make a New Year’s Resolution to be a tourist in your own town? Are you going to go see all the great museums (and zoo) that Denver has to offer in 2020? We’ve got you covered with more to see for FREE! Since 1989 the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) has received taxes where the funds were to support enlightening ad entertaining the public through presentations, exhibitions, advancement or preservation. Part of making these facilities available – is offering free days throughout the year. January Friday, January 3 – Museo de las Americas Saturday, January 4 –Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab and Denver Art Museum* Monday, January 6 – Denver Museum of Nature and Science Monday, January 7 – Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Friday, January 10 – Four Mil...

Skip the I-70 ski traffic nightmares and travel by train or bus

Winter Sports enthusiasts can enjoy new travel options to Colorado’s ski areas this winter by bus or train. New bus services and added train service make it easier than ever. Residents may also consider air service into Colorado’s eight regional airports for their ski and ride travel. These options provide expert and first-time skiers and riders alike a stress-free journey to the slopes. And if you still want to brave the crowds? Don’t miss these I-70 Pitstops When You’re Stuck in Traffic.  Train  For a fourth consecutive season, the Amtrak Winter Park Express will transport passengers from downtown Denver’s Union Station to the slopes of Winter Park Resort. New this year, the Amtrak train will run every Friday through Sunday every weekend from Jan. 10 ...

The Best Christmas Ever: A Hilarous Parody by Matt Damon

No one parodies the life of a parent quite like “Saturday Night Live.” Add guest host Matt Damon to the mix and you have holiday magic.  Matt Damon joined forces with “SNL” cast member Cecily Strong’s rendition of what Christmas truly looks like for parents everywhere. It’s a quick reminder that even when the holidays are the worst, they’re the best. The bit titled “Best Christmas Ever” features the show’s December 15th co-host Matt Damon and his on-screen wife sitting in front of the fireplace on Christmas night. The two are enjoying a glass of wine and reliving the day together. The charming scene is set straight out of a corny Hallmark movie, but as the two recall all the excitement throughout the day, their flashbacks show a not-so-perfect array o...

Free First Day Hikes and Ice Fishing Clinics

On January 1, 2020, Colorado Parks and Wildlife invites all Coloradans to welcome in a new year by heading outside to enjoy the trails in a Colorado State Park.  First Day Hikes offer a chance to start the new year right by getting people out for some exercise in nature. Each participating park offers a unique opportunity to enjoy the new year, with most parks offering guided hikes and some parks providing multiple options to choose from, allowing you to select the time and route you prefer. Many parks are also offering refreshments and free giveaways for this event. The hikes ​​are free but park visitors must possess a valid parks pass to participate.  It is up to the individual park regarding reservations or RSVP. Please check each p...

Colorado Family Building 3D-Printed Lamborghini Hopes To Spark Interest In STEM

These days 3D printing has advanced so far, it’s even being used to make a custom heart valve, so why not a supercar, like a Lamborghini? An Erie family now hopes they’ll be the first in the country to build a Lamborghini using this technology. “What we would do is jump into a Lamborghini Aventador and drive it around,” Xander Backus said. Backus isn’t old enough to drive yet — he’s 11 — but he and his dad have driven the Aventador numerous times in an Xbox game. “One day I said to him, hey can we build one of those?” Backus recalled. Xander’s dad, Sterling Backus accepted the challenge. He happens to be a physicist whose line of work involves a lot of lasers, but that hasn’t really given him much of an advantage when it comes to building a car. CLICK TO KEEP READING

Across borders, through detention, and into Colorado classrooms: The journey of solo children

At 15, he made the long, frightening trek across Central America and the U.S.-Mexico border with a smuggler. Then he continued on an even longer journey, in search of his father in Colorado. But what sent William into despair, and depression that pushed him to cut himself, happened in a U.S. holding center for migrant children: a long detention, a bout with tuberculosis, and the fear of never seeing his family again. Every year hundreds of children are arriving in Colorado schools with uniquely challenging stories after crossing the border into the U.S. without their parents. William — who asked that we withhold his real name, out of fear of jeopardizing his quest for citizenship — was one of the earlier unaccompanied minors arriving in the United States after fleeing life-threatening...

As Autism Rates Rise, A Colorado Mom Seeks Answers

At first, Herminia Garcia just thought she had a bad kid who wouldn’t listen. Then a nurse suggested her son Joaquin be tested for autism which Garcia did through the Jeffco School District. He was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and referred to Firefly Autism in Denver for treatment. Joaquin is Mexican and black, and one of a growing number of children of color to be diagnosed with ASD. Firefly Autism provides a range of services including early onsite intervention and home and community-based programs. Joaquin is enrolled in Firefly’s early childhood program. The full-day, one-on-one therapy works to identify and bridge developmental gaps. In 2018 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated about one in 59 children have ASD. That’s an inc...

55 family events in Denver this week

It’s the final countdown to Christmas with the Nutcracker Circus, SnowDome Spectacular, Handel’s Messiah – Awakening and TubaChristmas. See our event calendar for full listings.  Also, don’t miss Family Travel: 40+ Holiday Vacation Ideas in Colorado and Denver guide to the holidays: Santa Arrivals & Christmas events! Free Day at Plains Conservation Center  Dec 19, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm This Aurora-based center helps students and adults grow their knowledge and appreciation of the prairie ecosystem and the cultural history of Colorado through a variety of educational programs managed by Denver Botanic Gardens. In cooperation with the City of Aurora. Colorado Avalanche vs. Carolina Hurricanes at Pepsi Center  Dec 19, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Colorado A...

The Colorado Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” Invites You to be Part of the Magic

Duct tape. Hot glue. Gallons of paint, emergency patches, and even vodka. As you watch ballet dancers perform in The Colorado Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, most of the costumes and sets are being held together with items you might see in a hardware store. With skillful lighting and the view from the audience, you are probably unaware that the gorgeous flouncy and dreamy costumes are more than thirty years old.  Not only are they thirty years old, they came to Denver via the San Francisco Ballet in 2005. Imagine the athletic demands of leaping around in delicate, hand-sewn thirty-year-old clothes every day in December. Principal dancers, Chandra Kuykendall, Francisco Estevez, and Asuka Sasaki shared stories of how costume mishaps affect performances. While they are seasoned pr...

Stay at The Broadmoor for cheap with this deal!

It’s no secret that The Broadmoor is my family’s favorite destination in Colorado. We are 10 years strong with our semi-annual visit and I have been fortunate to write for their magazine the past several years. The Forbes Five Star/AAA Five Diamond luxury resort corners the market so many of our family’s favorite memories–from lounging at the outdoor pool to adventuring with Broadmoor Outfitters to bowling at PLAY. Lest you think a visit to The Broadmoor has to break the bank, think again! The Broadmoor’s Colorado Appreciation Offer is back for January 2020, offering classic room accommodations starting at $149/night.  Along with the appreciation rate, the resort will sprinkle in special events throughout the month. January 17 mar...

Deals: Free Museum Days, Winter Break & More!

This past summer my daughter and I went on a tour of several of the Denver area ice cream shops. We did our own informal taste test of the best of the best of the local shops (no chains). I’m really excited to be going to Milkshake Lab tasting at Punchbowl Social in Stapleton.   They will have Grasshopper (chocolate milkshake with mint syrup and brown bites), Big Debbie (Vanilla Milkshake with cream filling, cinnamon streusel, granola rim and oatmeal cream pie & ho-ho garnish), and Worms and Dirt. But more, they will have large shareable shakes with multiple straws. Follow my Insta (GeeWhy93) on Wednesday for more. While we are there we may check out the Camp Christmas. Don’t miss 30 New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Denver, our Ultimate Denver Holiday Sweepstakes wi...

30 New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Denver

Whether you want to cuddle up at home or hit the town, there are plenty of great ideas for celebrating New Year’s Eve in Denver. FAMILY-FRIENDLY NEW YEAR’S ACTIVITIES SKATE THE LAKE – NEW YEAR’S EVE FESTIVAL WHEN: Dec. 31, 2019 WHERE: Evergreen Lake Join the Evergreen Chamber and their local mountain community for the family-friendly, alcohol-free 24th annual New Year’s Eve Skate the Lake event at the Evergreen Lake. There will be opening skating, fireworks at 8 p.m., broomball, firepits, marshmallows, Mini Putt-Putt, games and more. Tickets $20 in advance, $30 at the door / Children 5 and under are free. CHRISTMAS IN COLOR   WHEN: Nov. 22, 2019–Jan. 24, 2020 WHERE: Water World and Bandimere Speedway (Morrison) Load up your friends and ...