Weekend Trips for Adventure Lovers

Adventure-lovers often seek out challenging new locations for exciting weekend getaways. With so much to do in Colorado, choosing the perfect spot for a stimulating mini-vacation can take some time. We recommend one of these destinations for weekend trips filled with thrills.

Breckenridge, Colorado

breckenridgeBreckenridge is the quintessential mountain town. Surrounded by the glorious beauty of the Rocky Mountains, Breckenridge offers a wide variety of activities sure to please the most dauntless adventure-seeker. If the thought of an off-road journey gives you a charge, book a horseback ride along a mountain trail, a backcountry ATV tour or a rock-climbing excursion. Avid mountain bikers, hikers and runners will also be thrilled by the hundreds of miles of multi-use trails in the area. Those who prefer the water will get their kicks kayaking down Clear Creek or white-water rafting down Brown’s Canyon. Experienced rafters can revel in the more advanced rapids of the Numbers stretch of the Arkansas River.

Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Glenwood SpringsGlenwood Springs presents thrill-seekers with many of the same opportunities for fun as Breckenridge, plus some exhilarating activities of which the more timid among us steer clear. Try your hand at paragliding along the mountainside or zip line high above the rushing rapids of the Colorado River. Take the 10 minute gondola ride to the top of Iron Mountain and visit Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. Attractions found at the adventure park include an alpine roller coaster, mountain caves to explore and the Giant Canyon Swing, which projects only the bravest souls from the side of the mountain over Glenwood Canyon where the river lays more than 1000 below.

Ouray, Colorado

Ouray

Ouray is bordered on three sides by the San Juan Mountain range; a range of the Rocky Mountains rich in gold and silver. The minerals drew a rush of prospectors in the late 1800’s who left behind mines and historic building which history enthusiasts love to explore. But the steep and high mountains surrounding Ouray also offer adventurers a range of heart-stopping recreational pleasure. Grab a harness, some rope, a wet suit and the rest of your canyoneering tools and then rappel down a canyon cliff into the pool of melted snow at the bottom. If the sky seems more inviting, enjoy a bird’s eye view of the Rockies from a hot air balloon. Or, take to the miles of mountain trails on horseback, mountain bike or on foot. One weekend in Ouray won’t be long enough to satisfy your taste for this mountain town.  

Known for its pristine, snow-covered slopes, Colorado is often thought of as a winter vacation destination. However warm, sunny days and breathtaking views create the perfect backdrop for invigorating weekend escapes. What’s your favorite weekend vacation?

Super Simple Vegan Sweet Potato Pie

The softer, orange-fleshed variety of sweet po...

I love desserts, but sometimes finding acceptable vegan substitutes for classic favorites can be difficult.  Imagine how thrilled I was to find this delicious sweet potato pie, 100% plant-based and with directions to make vegan pie crust from scratch!  Minimal processing involved:  all you need is a fork, a rolling-pin, some measuring tools and a food processor or blender.  It turns out dense and creamy, with a flakey, crispy crust.

Ingredients For Vegan Pie Crust:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (with extra for rolling)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup ICE COLD water (very important)
  • 3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening (like Crisco)

Making pie crust always leaves a little up to luck, but if you want some excellent Pro Tips on how to do it right, click here.

Combine all of the flour and salt into one bowl.  In a separate bowl, take about 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix it in with the cold water using your fork, until it looks like a collection of little flour pebbles.  In the remaining flour mixture, cut in the vegetable shortening, also using your fork, until it is crumbly and pebbly as well.  Add in the flour and water mixture and combine JUST until the dough holds itself together.  You can choose to chill the dough for a few hours before rolling, which really helps solidify the fats that became warm in mixing (let it sit on the counter for 20-30 mins after you take it out of the fridge).  Roll it using a rolling-pin on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness.  Roll once more to a 1/8 inch thick circle and gently transfer to an ungreased pie pan, tucking and trimming to fit.

Now time for the filling!

Ingredients for Pie Filling:

  • 1 (14 oz.) container of soft (silken) tofu
  • 1 (14 oz.) container of firm or extra firm tofu
  • 1 (24 oz.) can of sweet potatoes in syrup, drained
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Blend all of the ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth and free of lumps (I used a blender and needed a dash of soy milk to get it all started).  Pour into the pie shell and bake for one and a half hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  You’ll want to cover the exposed crust with strips of tin foil, removing them for the last half hour of cooking.  It’s a little tedious, but it’s worth it because then the crust turns out perfectly golden brown!

Do you have a favorite vegan recipe you want to share?  Don’t be shy–contact us!

Upcoming Unconvetional Races

Running is one of the best ways to get into or stay in shape… it requires minimal equipment, it’s free, and you can do it anywhere. I love a good race to train for, but if running down a road for 13.1 or 26.2 miles doesn’t appeal to you, then you might want to consider a less conventional race. Here is a list of some of the upcoming fun runs and races along the Front Range anyone is sure to enjoy.

The Flaming Foliage Relay:

Enjoy single track trails and fall colors with 11 of your closest friends as you tackle an overnight 170 mile route from Idaho Springs to Buena Vista. During this adventure race style event you will run several times, you will finish with loads of stories, you will need sleep and a massage, and you won’t be able to wait for the next relay!

Idaho Springs to Buena Vista:

  • Race Date: 9/13/13-9/14/13
  • Registration Deadline: until sold out

For more information click here.

Flaming Foliage Relay

 

The Zombie Run:

Prepare to run for your life in this exhilarating race to survive. Whether you finish dead and hungry for brains or alive and hungry for beers, all runners are allowed to finish the race. This experience is sure to be one you won’t soon forget!

Denver:

  • Race Date: 7/28/13
  • Registration Deadline: until sold out

For more information click here.

Zombie Run

Big Dog Brag:

This will be a very muddy obstacle course only with other activities such as mud volley ball and a 2k family run as well. With no time limit, this race is sure to be fun for the entire family… until you have to clean up.

Pueblo:

  • Race Date: 6/1/13
  • Registration Deadline: until sold out

Colorado Springs:

  • Race Date: 8/3/13
  • Registration Deadline: until sold out

For more information click here.

Mud Run

The Color Run:

During this race, participants are doused in colors as they run. The goal is to be covered from head to toe when you reach the finish line. The colors are washable and non-toxic and the only requirement is to wear white. This is sure to be an interesting running experience for anyone!

Colorado Springs:

  • Race Date: 9/15/13
  • Registration Deadline: until sold out

For more information click here. 

Color Run

All of the above races have spots for volunteers. Most, if not all of these will also wave the registration fee for volunteers.

If none of the above races appeals to you or you just want something a little different feel free to check out the following website for additional upcoming races in Colorado.

 

2013 Race Schedule

Running TrailI suppose it’s almost May… and therefore time to commit to the season’s race schedule. Assuming I have all my toes after this weekend’s snow camping trip, here’s what I’m thinking for this season:

Most of my races this year either take place at high altitude or as part of a team this year. So, outside of attempting a PR in my half marathon in Steamboat, I’ll be running mostly for fun.

Any tips about high altitude running are welcome!

What has been your favorite race? What do you have planned for the season?

Vegan and Vegetarian Friendly Travel Tips

Depending on where you go, vegan and vegetarian options can be pretty lackluster, especially in countries offering a meat-based diet.  What’s a wanderlusty vegan or vegetarian to do?  Follow these tips while you travel, and you’ll stick to your plant-based lifestyle with relative ease.

1.  Research, research, research!  The internet is a fabulous tool that has been connecting animal-free gourmands with their meatless heavens for a while now.  If you’re travelling in the U.S., just hop on Yelp and plug in “vegetarian restaurant” and see what pops up.  Romping internationally?  Happycow.net and Tripadvisor.com are easy to use and offer great suggestions.

2.  Stay Stocked.  There are bound to be moments—in airports, on trains, helplessly lost in the concrete jungle of Paris’s banlieues—when you’re nowhere near a veg-friendly restaurant, or even a grocery store!  Make sure you have emergency supplies of satisfying snacks like nuts, protein bars, etc.

3.  Connect.  Head to Meetup.com, which connects people based on interests, or Couchsurfing.com, which connects travelers to locals in their destinations, to connect with other vegetarians and vegans in the area.  If you feel weird about meeting up or staying with them, you could simply message for tips and recommendations.

4.  Use your dictionary.  Learn how to ask whether or not animal products are present in what you’re buying or ordering.  Make sure you’re able to recognize the names of ingredients you don’t want to eat on grocery labels too.  (Not every country will have a label designating whether or not something is vegan or vegetarian, so it’s best to learn the words for what you don’t want to consume.)

5.  Pack your own airline meal, or request the vegetarian option when you purchase your ticket.  Some airlines allow this at the booking stage, but not all.  If you don’t see the option, make sure you pack something to eat on the plane just in case the options aren’t completely friendly to your needs.

Finally, be brave!  Sticking to basics will keep you going easily while you’re discovering new places, but if you spy something kind of funky looking but are sure it’s animal-free, dive in!  You might have found a local staple to add to your diet.

Running on the Mendocino Coast

Last Sunday was a beautiful day in Mendocino. Full of crab and a little fuzzy from so much delicious wine, I decided it was time to stretch my legs and enjoy the sea breeze. Jason and I headed to the headlands in Mendocino  to go for a short run before lunch.

It was not hard to find a little 3-mile out and back route out on the cliffs over the ocean. The damp, well packed, sandy trail was soft and even. I was able to steal glances at the ocean whenever I wasn’t to close to the edge that I was worried about falling off a cliff.

California Beaches

Afterwards, Jason and I met my mom and aunt Kay at Patterson’s, a little Irish Pub for lunch. I had crab cakes over greens and a mimosa where the server brought me the rest of the champagne split so I could continue diluting that orange juice until the whole thing was gone. Just how I like it!

Patterson's

Monday (while you were working!) Jason and I went for a run at the Jughandle State Reserve. There is a beautiful out-and-back nature trail there about 2.5 miles long that was perfect for my weekend run.

photo 1 (2)

It features a staircase of plant communities and soils that include more headlands (never can get too much of the ocean), a Bishop Pine Forest, a Grand Fir Forest, a Redwood Forest and a Pygmy Forest. Of course, I can’t tell the difference, but what I can tell you is that they are all green, cool, and beautiful.

Redwoods

We started out on the headlands, near Jughandle Clove before turning inland, going under the highway and back into the forest. The way out was mostly uphill and it took Jason and I about 40 minutes to reach the end of the trail. We cruised back in about 25. It might have been because it was more downhill… more likely it was because Jason was leading on the way back and I was leading on the way out. He’s much faster than me.

Jason & Me

At the trailhead, there are brochures that have information about the geology if you are interested in things like that. I was interested in the fact that I was running through a green forest in January – and I could have been wearing shorts! Also, afterwards we went for ice cream at Cowlicks – best ice cream in northern California!

Cowlicks Ice Cream

 

Wine Tasting Near Mendocino

For the past couple of years my mom attended the Wine, Beer & Crab Festival in Mendocino with some friends. She always raved about the delicious food and wines so, this year, Jason and I sort of invited ourselves along. (Jason got me the trip as a birthday present – what a great guy!)

My mom’s friends Mark and Patti graciously invited us to stay at their beautiful home on the coast, emailed directions, helped us procure tickets to crab fest and sent a list of wineries to check out on the drive north from Oakland.

Our first stop was one of their favorites – Navarro Vineyards. Growing grapes and bottling wine since 1973, Navarro is committed to sustainable farming and wine-making  They avoid the use of insecticides and herbicides and they use a small flock of lambs to eat the cover crop between the vineyard rows – cute and environmentally friendly!

Navarro Vineyards

Jason and I paid them a visit for a tasting. My favorites were the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (I’ve never met a Sav Blanc I didn’t like), the 2010 Pinot Noir, and the 2010 Shiraz.

Navarro also makes some fantastic goat cheeses from their own goats on the farm. We ended up taking home a bottle of the 2010 Shiraz and a block of the goat cheese that was aged 4-5 months. The tasting itself was free so I felt like we made out like a bandit.

Here’s a photo of their vineyard:

Navarro Vineyard

We made one more stop on the way to Mendocino at the Roederer Estate. Patti said that they specialize in sparkling wines and I’m a totally sucker for the bubbly. I was sure they would sweep the wine and crab competition because who can vote for a still wine when there is bubbly to be had?

Roederer Estate

Roederer’s tasting was $6 per person and there were about 8 wines they were allowing people to sample. We got to taste about 4 sparkling wines, a Chardonnay, and two Pinot Noirs. We ended up bringing home a bottle of the Brut Rose we enjoyed while we were making dinner last night. It was delicious!