Taste of Vail 2021, photo by Zach Mahone (used with permission)

If you haven’t visited Vail in the fall, it’s where summer and autumn collide in the most appealing way. Brightly colored flowers fill brimming flower boxes while pops of yellow appear on the mountain. Shadows of petals and bronze sculptures grow long as the town sashays towards ski season. Accentuated by bites of lamb, sips of wine and incredible scenery, the 2021 Taste of Vail may have been small, but

Fun With Your Fur Friend in Fickle Park, Berthoud, Colorado. Puppy Mill Awareness Day 2

Did you know that 75% of Americans own at least one dog? I believe it because, at one point, we were the only people on our block with one dog, everyone else had two! And now for an unhappy statistic. Puppy mills are directly responsible for 75% of the dogs in shelters and rescues. And the topic of puppy mills is something that the average person knows little about. However,

Five Reasons to go to Hot Rock & Rumble at Pikes Peak Int'l Raceway

You don’t need to love the sounds of motors revving and the smell of exhaust… but if you do, you simply have to go. Pikes Peak International Raceway is in Fountain, Colorado, just minutes south of Colorado Springs. The raceway is the home to car experiences of all kinds, and it’s not just for gear heads. While I think cars are pretty, I am not even close to being a

The Barbarian Feast Fur, Fun, Food and Beer, HeidiTown (12), HeidiTown

It’s that time again, time for the barbarian hordes to take over Grimm Brothers Brewhouse in Loveland, Colorado.  Sponsored by Grimm Brothers and benefiting the American Legion, Post 2000, this will be the fourth year of fur, fun and food. The Barbarian Feast is returning to its place of origin, the Grimm Brothers parking lot.  A Weekend of Food & Drink in Idaho Springs, Colorado   Platters of foodstuff will

Bites of Lamb, Sips of Wine The Taste of Vail Goes On. HeidiTown (4)

Each year, I eagerly look forward to Taste of Vail. Unfortunately, the April 2020 event was cancelled and then, in 2021, it was postponed. A quieter event has emerged, and this September 16-18, guests will enjoy a combination of Taste of Fall, the Fall Food & Wine Classic, and Vail in the autumn. While the Taste of Vail has been scaled back, I am happy to announce that my favorite

The Mayor’s First Official Festival in Fifteen Months Keystone HeidiTown (8)

I don’t know if it’s been exactly 15-months since my last festival, but it has a nice ring to it. I know it’s been at least 15-months since I’ve officially been at a festival as the Mayor of HeidiTown. When it comes to festivals, especially festivals in the Colorado mountains, it’s a weird world. It seems that everyone is in the mountains right now and the towns aren’t prepared for

Where to Drink in Casper, Wyoming. HeidiTown (1)

About two weeks ago, we visited Capser, Wyoming. It’s about four hours from Denver, but only around three from where we live in Northern Colorado. Art, history and kayaking were on the agenda, highlighted by a beer festival, and browsing a rather happening downtown. I’ve already written about the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center and Independence Rock, and kayaking the Fremont Canyon. Today, I want to give you the rest

Schlaefer Beer Tasting 1-001

Originally published in “Christmas in Berthoud” for the Berthoud Surveyor.  Colorado is the land of beer festivals. On any given summer weekend, during a non-pandemic year, there are at least three beer events occurring somewhere in the state. Coloradans have become accustomed to this and that is why, this tradition, started by my husband years ago, is perfect for a pandemic Christmas. If you can’t attend a beer festival create

Old Cars, Fast Cars & Pinups at Pikes Peak International Raceway. HeidiTown (15)

Earlier this month, we headed to Colorado Springs. To be accurate, our goal was Fountain, a town just south of Colorado Springs. It is home to Pikes Peak International Raceway, a place that was said to have the “fastest 1-mile paved oval anywhere” when opened in 1997.  I haven’t always been into cars, and even today, I have only touched the surface of this vast world, but I do watch

Three Tips for How to Oktoberfest in the Time of Coronavirus. HeidiTown (41)

I am going to miss our usual flight of Oktoberfests. Last year, we attended Keystone Oktoberfest where Ryan walked away as the Stein Hoisting Champion. I guess he gets to keep his title for two years.  I look forward to these events with an unusual amount of excitement and love everything about Oktoberfest—the chicken dance, drinking beer from my authentic German stein, and eating a pretzel the size of my