A friend and I wanted to go on a hike, but we were limited on time, so we chose one of my favorite short trails in nearby Boulder, Colorado. For me, the sight and sound of running water along a trail washes away stress like a glass of water quenches thirst. The Anne U. White Trail follows Fourmile Canyon Creek, where the water level can be hit or miss: a friendly gusher in wet years, or a mere trickle in dry years. This time it was a hit. We crossed the rushing creek nearly two-dozen times, and stopped to admire many small waterfalls. This easy, three-mile hike is tucked away in a convenient residential area, yet the canyon walls give it the feeling of a secluded getaway. Here’s a two-minute peek at what you might see if you go:

Hiking Anne U. White Trail: Fourmile Canyon Creek, Boulder, Colorado from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.

Because I’ve been busy working on a writing residency, I’ve kept my recent hikes simple and close to home. If you like to see wildlife, Rabbit Mountain near Lyons, Colorado is a fun choice. The chatty prairie dog town at the trailhead might tempt you to hang out there all day and skip the hike… but keep walking. On a clear day, the 4-mile lollipop loop known as Eagle Wind Trail offers panoramic views of the Continental Divide and the prairie. I recommend you go early, because there’s a good chance of seeing white tail deer. Here’s a video of my recent hike:

Eagle Wind Trail - Rabbit Mountain, near Lyons, CO from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.

One of my favorite things about Denver is that I don’t have to travel far to get away from the city. I recently drove 45 minutes to the South Mesa Trailhead near Eldorado Springs and South Boulder, where I hiked the Big Bluestem Loop. This relatively easy trail meanders below the spectacular foothill formations known as The Flatirons and Devil’s Thumb. It’s about 4.2 miles roundtrip. I experimented with a combination of video and photos to create the following vicarious hiking montage for you. So, come join me for a little walk…

HIKING BIG BLUESTEM LOOP - Boulder, Colorado’s South Mesa Trail from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.

Instead of only reading about travel and adventure, how would you like to also see videos that show you fun, beautiful, unusual, relaxing, exciting places to go? I thought so. I have a new camcorder, so every now and then I’ll offer you a more active peek at my adventures. This week, my husband, Dale, and I went for a simple hike at Betasso Preserve, just outside Boulder, Colorado. The 3-minute video below will give you the highlights of the 3.2-mile Canyon Loop Trail. I always take progressively more challenging and spectacular hikes as summer progresses, so keep coming back! This is going to be fun…

HIKING BETASSO PRESERVE from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.

Often at Thanksgiving, our family gathers in Los Angeles: my father, his wife, my grandparents, two younger stepsisters, a teenybopper half-sister, and me. (My husband is a jeweler, so he always stays home in Denver to prepare for Black Friday.) But this year, my father is getting divorced, so Dad, my 13-year-old sister Miraya, and I ate turkey at Marie Callender’s - just the three of us, in and out in 45 awkward minutes. Then, a few days later, several of us girls recaptured a bit of family togetherness and holiday joy, at high tea.

(more…)

If a fairy godmother offered me three decadent days, of the G-rated variety, I’d wish for one like this: filled with chocolate. The Denver Gourmet Tour du Chocolate isn’t only delicious, but also educational. A day learning about chocolate is a day you don’t want to ditch school.

(more…)

In winter, I think of Colorado resorts in terms of skiing. In summer, I think of the Rocky Mountains in terms of hiking. If I crave outdoor music, sometimes I buy a ticket to a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater. But this cost-cutting year, I’m re-mixing my seasonal favorites into new combos. On this Sunday, I mix Copper Mountain with world class guitarists with “free.” Through dumb luck, I find myself at an event that prompts me to tell my husband, ”Ten years from now, we’ll tell people, ‘We were there when…’”

(more…)

Like many who choose a life of adventure and purpose over the pursuit of profitable careers and sensible savings, I’ve lately spent the end of each month scrounging in our junk drawer for spare change. Although sifting pennies for quarters can set me to mourning the exotic journeys I can’t afford, this time the jingle in my pocket returns me to a time I’d forgotten, when Mom used to give me spare change from her purse to seek adventure in my neighborhood. (more…)

America’s largest Chinatown seems naked this time around, now that I’ve seen the real Canton and Hong Kong. I’m walking through this San Francisco neighborhood with my Uncle Roy, who once lived in those other two cities, as a boy named Tsi Kaye. (more…)