Do Something: Help People

Truth, on a Friday.

Do Something: Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey Tour

It was about two years ago that I discovered Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey. I wasn't a very big whiskey fan before taking my first sip of George's namesake, but my liquor cart never goes without it these days. I'm not saying that Stranahan's is the best whiskey out there (my vote actually goes to Templeton Rye), but its the distillery tour, combined with its smokey flavor that won me over.

I've toured a number of breweries, from our neighbors in Golden to the scrappy startups in Ft. Collins, and I'll always be a fan of brew tours, but the good folks at Stranahan's do a great job of combining a solid story with an interesting 'still process and a whole lot of pride in their product. You'll get to hear about how the process starts from the bi-product of a local brewery, how the 'stills actually work, what types of barrels are used and how long each batch has to sit before its ready to be sipped. Oh, and then you get to sample some of the deliciousness to finish the tour before you exit into the Rackhouse Pub for some lobster mac 'n cheese, or something similarly fantastic off their menu.

The whole experience is part educational, part supporting a local business, part "I wish I worked here," a touch of "Oh, so that's what Uncle Jesse was always up to out in the Back 40," and it finishes with a sample of some of the best whiskey out there. And if you time it right, you might have the chance to buy a bottle from one of their quarterly Snowflake batches *drool*. Its clear they put a lot of effort into their craft - hand labeled bottles, extra steps in the distilling process...they've become so popular that the labels are actually put on by volunteer enthusiasts - it makes even the non-whiskey drinker appreciate how its created.

I don't know much about making booze, but if you are looking for a fairly quick, interesting and fun activity on a weekend afternoon with a group of friends, make a stop at Stranahan's (book your tour ahead of time...they tend to fill up early and often) and then grab a bite at the Rackhouse as you figure out which one of your friends has enough room for a 'sill in his basement.

Do Something: Teva Mountain Games

One of my favorite things about Colorado is that there isn't really a bad season. I come from an area where the summers are hot and humid and the winters are cold and cloudy, so the fact that Colorado goes from sunny and warm to sunny and cool to sunny and snowy on a ski hill is something that I always appreciate. And every year when the slopes start to close and the Rockies start playing, I get the Summer Mountain Itch. Hiking, fishing, camping, kayaking, climbing...you name it. That's what makes the Teva Mountain Games worth visiting.

For five years I've wanted to check out the Games and finally made the trip up to Vail to see it this past weekend (its the first weekend in June each summer). Not knowing what to expect other than some amazing bouldering and kayaking competitions I'd seen covered in past years on 9News, I was pleasantly surprised when we parked the car and immediately stumbled upon the Eukanuba Dockdog long jump competition. Dogs jumping 18-25 feet into water? Yes, please.

After trekking down Vail's path through town we came to the Village - filled with climbing walls, food vendors, outdoor sports brands handing out schwag and selling products and a variety of competitions going on in and around town. We stopped to see the kayak freestyle event (guys and gals "surfing," Colorado-style) before grabbing a beer and finding a variety of things I didn't know I needed until I saw them. Some new Teva "Mush" kicks, a portable iPod speaker from Goal Zero, and a new neck gaiter for the 2011-12 snowboarding season - all at discounted rates.

The rest of the afternoon involved a fly-fishing spot casting competition, the bouldering World Cup (always amazing), mountain biking races, and a very entertaining Mud Run - all in 70+ degree mountain weather. Finally, the day ended with something I never knew existed - the Extreme Vertical Dog Competition, essentially a high jump for dogs off a dock into water. As I sat there in the sun with a mountain view watching a newcomer named "Jackson" start at 4'6" and take over the crowd as he made it all the way past the six-foot mark, and then witnessed a new world record (eight feet...the Craig's List dog jumped eight feet vertically!) I thought to myself, "Why am I not staying here tonight with my mutt, and when should I book my hotel for next year?"

Do Something: Coors Field

Warmer temperatures mean one thing for me: baseball season. There's absolutely nothing like getting off work during the summer; walking across the street (okay, so I have that luxury) to The Sports Column, The Tavern Downtown, LoDo's or Brother's (or even the sneaky-fun and cheap Swanky's - drink specials during the Middle of the 3rd); finding a table on a rooftop for a couple of pre-game Yellow Bellies, and then catching a Rockies game in your flip flops and short sleeves.

Sure, its easy to scalp a few tickets just about any day of the week in Denver, but this is my endorsement for looking into ticket packages: You'll end up going to more games - probably with a group of people you like, that group of people will all start to become really familiar with the team and stats in general - making for great conversation and trivia opportunities (name the 2 current MLB players have more than 100 RBIs for 10 years straight), and you'll find yourself really looking forward to the games rather than just deciding to scalp on a whim. Four friends and I went with a 20 game package this year that includes the Cubs, Cards, Braves, Sox and the fireworks games. Oh, and we get Playoff rights for the tickets. Yes, its early and I am genuinely optimistic. That's what makes April 1st so great. Go Rox!