It’s time to celebrate 150 years with these nine events. 12
Fun blooms in the spring
Five uniquely Colorado festivals set to kick o in April. 14
Immerse yourself in the art world
Exhibits along the the Front Range deserve some attention. 23
Bakery reaches new heights
Summit County chef Matt Vawter opens another gem. 26
Healthy can also taste good
Colorado Springs chef creates fresh, delicious recipes. 54
A reboot ‘beyond imagination’
e Penrose Room retains the past and embraces the future. 56
Prized collection of red rocks
Geologic landscapes around the state waiting to be explored. 16
Let’s roll out the white carpet
Spring skiing provides incredible party opportunities. 20
One woman’s gondola dream
Next major attraction will open soon in Idaho Springs. 38
Director of Content/Magazine Editor
Nathan Van Dyne
Art Director/Designer
Nichole Montanez
Photographer
Christian Murdock
Writers
Seth Boster
Debbie Kelley
Jennifer Mulson
Contributor
Daliah Singer
Support Staff
Susanne Lucking
Publisher Christopher P. Reen
President/Chief Operating Officer
Rich Williams
VP of Advertising
Traci Conrad
Executive Editor/VP of Content
Vince Bzdek
Editor
John Boogert
Staff Acknowledgements
Cover Photo/Photography
Mark Reis
Fashion Model
Keyra Meierbachtol
Gondola Renderings
OTHR Management Co.
FIT FOR A KING
TEXT BY JENNIFER MULSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK REIS
Glen Eyrie Castle a distinct place in the history of Colorado Springs
he hubbub of afternoon tea drifts from the dining room to the foyer at Glen Eyrie Castle.
If you close your eyes and allow your imagination to carry you back to the end of the 19th century, the chatter and laughter could be that of Colorado Springs founder Gen. William Jackson Palmer and his cronies fraternizing post-dinner in the library, while his wife, Mary Lincoln “Queen” Palmer, and their three daughters, Elsie, Dorothy and Marjory, confab with female guests in the music room.
Servants would bustle about attending to duties before retiring to their living quarters on the second of four oors. According to historians, the Palmers employed upward of 100 people to manage the property. These included gardeners, farriers, chauffeurs, housekeepers, cooks,
butlers and maids.
“He entertained on a daily basis,” said Leah Davis Witherow, curator of history for Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. “They showed up for lunch and expected to be served food. … They’d sit in front of the re after dinner and drink, tell stories, play music. Glen Eyrie was abuzz with people all the time.”
Now imagine, amid all this frivolity, Palmer slipping away to his phone booth in a corner of the grand foyer, with its expensive and elaborate quartersawn wood paneling and ornate ceilings, made by artisans he ferried over from Italy.
“Palmer had one of the rst phones in Colorado Springs,” said Dace Starkweather, general manager at Glen Eyrie. “Only one other person had a phone, and it was the president of Colorado College.”
The two were friends, and both fancied themselves as weathermen.
In Palmer’s favorite room, the den, a makeshift weath-
er vane is still attached to a wall. The square contraption contains four panels, each denoting a direction. Hooked to a gauge on the roof, the device would light up depending on which way the wind blew.
Palmer, always on the forefront of technology, instituted electricity in the castle the same week that it was initiated in New York City. He also built two smokestacks to avoid the sort of temperature inversions he saw in London during the Industrial Revolution, when smoke got trapped in the city during the day. To prevent a similar situation, he funneled all the smoke from the castle’s two dozen replaces underground for release higher on the mountain.
“He was way ahead of his time in terms of air quality and thinking about pollution,” Starkweather said.
Starkweather likes to show modern-day guests a blackand-white photo of Palmer seated in front of a replace with a dog at his feet.
The image is but a snapshot of the rich history that lives
on at the castle.
Glen Eyrie is now owned and operated by Navigators, the international, interdenominational Christian ministry that bought the castle in 1953. In addition to the afternoon teas, which attract 30,000 visitors every year, and weekday tours, the nonpro t uses the castle and other buildings on the property as a bed and breakfast featuring 95 rooms. The ministry also offers Biblically based events and conferences.
“The city had the ability to purchase it at least twice and turned it down due to the amount of investment they knew it was,” Starkweather said.
Navigators has spent millions of dollars restoring and maintaining the site. This includes extensive ood mitigation after the 2012 Waldo Canyon re destroyed the vegetation in Queens Canyon above the castle.
The canyon remains off-limits to the public, as do hiking trails that led to Dorothy Falls, named for one of the Palmers’ daughters, and the Punch Bowls — granite
Comitti of London — The Navigator
Inspired by John Harrison’s pioneering marine chronometer, a rare grasshopper timepiece crafted with traditional British precision.
• Gold-plated movement with fusee mechanism
• Eight-day power reserve
• Silver-plated chapters with Roman & Arabic numerals
• High-gloss mahogany base with key drawer
• Crystal glass canopy protecting the movement
• Individually numbered with Certificate of Authenticity
• Includes Longitude by Dava Sobel and a mahogany travel case
collector’s piece and a tribute to horological history.
pools lled with water. The U.S. Forest Service created the closure, and Starkweather said there’s been no talk to reopen the land.
There are eight miles of trails available on the property, and anyone who makes a reservation for tea or a tour or stays overnight is welcome to hike them. Hour-long passes can be obtained from the guard shack so visitors can drive a short loop around the heavily forested, 723-acre site, with its sandstone rock formations reminiscent of those in nearby Garden of the Gods. Guests also can stop for a bite at the cafe in the 1871 Carriage House. Here they can see bricks of the original horse stalls, drainage ditches used for horse urine and the metal rings to which horses were tied.
Palmer built the Carriage House the same year he founded Colorado Springs, and moved his family onto the second oor while waiting for the rst incarnation of Glen Eyrie to be built, a large clapboard building with more than 20 rooms.
The family often traveled because of Palmer’s job and eventually because of Queen’s health. She developed a heart condition in the 1880s and could no longer live at high altitude. She instead resided on the East Coast and in England with their daughters. Palmer would visit regularly.
“He was a man who was tremendously ambitious,” Witherow said. “He also had an overwhelming sense of responsibility for his employees, investors, the large extended family he was supporting. He couldn’t give up on his dream because too many people were depending on him.”
Queen died in 1894 at the age of 44, and the girls returned to Glen Eyrie. After his wife’s death, Palmer had the home torn down and rebuilt as the Tudor Revival-style stone castle it is today. A replace on the second oor is made with Indiana limestone from the quarry that provided materials for the Empire State Building. The hearth is so big that builders had to erect it rst and then construct the room around it.
The second oor also houses Palmer’s bedroom, which is surprisingly small and features the only original pieces of furniture in the castle: his bed and two dressers. The furnishings were recovered by an antiques dealer in the 1990s and later given to Navigators.
Down the hall are the rooms once occupied by the daughters. They sold the property in 1911, two years after their father’s death.
It went through the hands of several absentee owners before being sold in 1925 to carpet manufacturer Alexander Cochran, who moved into Glen Eyrie with his family. His wife never felt comfortable in the drafty, rundown castle so Cochran built the Pink House a short walk away. He mimicked many of the same furnishings from the main home, including the quartersawn wood paneling.
Today, the Pink House serves as lodging for overnight guests and a space for meetings and conferences.
After Cochran died, the castle stayed empty until the 1940s when Texas oil baron George Strake purchased the property. He and his family spent the summers there until Navigators founder Dawson Trotman acquired it.
“Over time, we’ve lost touch with who (Palmer) really was as a person, and we’ve made him into the mythical man on the iron horse (in the intersection of Nevada and Platte avenues),” Witherow said. “We expect him to be a saint or a sinner, when in truth he’s really just a human being. And he’s a lot more interesting than he’s ever been given credit for.”
Blow out the
the candles
TEXT BY DALIAH SINGER ILLUSTRATION BY NICHOLE MONTANEZ
Colorado turns 150 this year
It’s a big year for Colorado, which celebrates its 150th birthday Aug. 1. Events are being held throughout the state to mark the occasion. We’ve rounded up the ones that shouldn’t be missed.
Stories in the Sky
Ongoing
A series of nearly 150 drone shows is taking to the skies across the state in celebration of Colorado’s birthday. Catch the show in Cañon City on May 2 at the Music & Blossom Festival, in Denver on May 30 during Outside Days, in Breckenridge on July 2, and in Colorado Springs on July 16 at Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo and Sept. 5-7 during Labor Day Lift O .
We The People: Colorado at 150
Through November
Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is hosting a monthly lecture series that explores the Colorado experience, from land stewardship to untold stories of women to the time the state turned down an Olympic Games. Kiddos ages 3 to 5 will be more interested in Little Learners: Pikes Peak Wonder Series, which teaches about history through games, songs and more on the third Thursday of each month.
The State of Colorado: Celebrating 150 Years
May 3-4
America@250
Starting April 18
ChoralSong of Colorado Springs honors its home with presentations at Ute Pass Cultural Center in Woodland Park and First Lutheran Church in the Springs. Expect works from the choir that represent the pioneering spirit of the Centennial State as well as its Native American and Hispanic heritage.
A multi-concert festival by the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, with shows in April, May and July, highlights the sonic sounds that have helped shape America, kicking off at Pikes Peak Center with renowned Jewish violinist Itzhak Perlman.
Freedom Plane National Tour
May 28–June 14
America is marking its own special occasion this year: 250 years since its founding. And for the rst time, the public will be able to view some of its founding documents. History Colorado Center in Denver is one of only eight museums across the country to host this touring exhibition, which includes a secret printing of a draft of the U.S. Constitution.
BurroFest 2026
June 20
Travel to the southwest corner of the state for one of Colorado’s most fun and most quirky celebrations. BurroFest is all about the adorable and hardworking animals. This year’s burro obstacle course will be built around various moments in state history. Art, food and kid-focused activities round out the offerings in Mancos.
Colorado 150 Celebration
Aug. 1
Highlands Ranch is throwing a party. This Saturday festival is built around live music, all of which was chosen to represent different chapters of Colorado history, from bluegrass to jazz. Local food and drink vendors will keep everyone grooving throughout the day.
Mile High 150 Expo
Aug. 1
Look to the air for this aviation-themed fête at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broom eld. Air and drone shows, reworks, live music and entertainment are all on the schedule. The event opens with a gala July 31.
Colorado 150
Dates TBA
From “True Grit” to “Dumb and Dumber,” Colorado has a surprisingly robust cinematic history. This statewide lm festival will include outdoor screenings and additional programming (think: local comedians, chats with lmmakers).
Spring flings
5 quintessential Colorado festivals to enjoy this season
Taste of Vail
April 1-4
Now in its 35th year, Taste of Vail showcases chefs, vintners, brewers and distillers from the Vail Valley and throughout the world. “From sophisticated wine tastings to indulgent gourmet dinners, Taste of Vail promises a truly one-of-a-kind experience,” the website says. The festival kicks o April 1 with The Vail Pour, designed for wine lovers. tasteofvail.com
Durango Bluegrass
Meltdown
April 10-12
Tulip Fairy & Elf Festival
The Meltdown turns 30 this year. Enjoy live bluegrass music, workshops, jam sessions and a barn dance. This year’s lineup is headlined by Shelby Means, Lonesome Ace Stringband, Michael Prewitt & CrunchGrass Supreme, and the Tray Wellington Band. Colorado College Bluegrass Ensemble opens with a free concert April 10. durangomeltdown.com
Estes Park Bigfoot Days
April 24-25
It’s about to get wild. Think axe-throwing, a Bigfoot calling contest and a “Hollywood-style” movie premiere of “The Squatch.” These are just the highlights of a two-day festival centered around the man, the myth and the legend of Bigfoot. Other tidbits include live music, crafts, a Bigfoot-themed dinner and a 5K. visitestespark.com
Music & Blossom
April 29-May 3
A nearly week-long Cañon City festival combines music and the city’s historical celebration of agriculture during its 88th annual extravaganza. Each day brings a new dimension to the community gathering, with a parade, carnival, 5K and the state’s “largest community-run school music competition,”
This uniquely Boulder tradition, featuring 15,000 tulips lining Pearl Street Mall, ushers in spring with a celebration of color and joy. Live music and kid-friendly activities new
just to name a few. ccblossomfestival.com ranging from a meet and greet with a mermaid to a giant hamster wheel will be punctuated with three spirited parades starring the Tulip Fairy Queen as well as the Boulder Ballet. boulderdowntown.com
NATHAN VAN DYNE
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
CLOUD CAMP AT THE BROADMOOR
High above Colorado Springs, The Broadmoor’s Cloud Camp o ers an exclusive retreat surrounded by stunning vistas and fresh mountain air. Whether taking the time to reconnect with a partner or yourself, every moment allows the opportunity to slow down and savor nature’s peace. Experience an unrivaled, all-inclusive getaway that includes luxurious accommodations, seamless transportation, gourmet meals, unlimited beverages, exciting daily activities, and exclusive amenities—at one exceptional rate. Whenever you stay, time spent at Cloud Camp will inspire lasting memories that linger long after you return to the world below.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK YOUR WILDERNESS GETAWAY, VISIT BROADMOOR.COM OR CALL 844.209.6878. A Peak All-Inclusive Retreat Where Adventure Awaits
COLOR OF LOVE
These red rock sites will make you swoon
TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK REIS
The color red is central to some of Colorado’s greatest natural beauty, and it’s central to this state’s name.
“Colorado” is derived from the Spanish phrase for “colored red,” as early explorers came to view the waterway we now call the Colorado River. The Spaniards then followed that river, which was tinted by silt that shed from the landscape — a landscape decorated by sandstone.
Yes, it’s the river that inspired the state’s name. And it’s the red rock that inspires us still.Fortunately, we don’t have to travel far to boost our appreciation of it.
GARDEN OF THE GODS
It is the state’s most celebrated geologic showcase, Colorado Springs’ proud treasure that attracts annual visitation on par with Rocky Mountain National Park and the Grand Canyon (upward of 4.5 million people). The formations pose for the camera, from Kissing Camels and Siamese Twins to Balanced Rock and those vertical, angling slabs front and center: the Gateway rocks.
The paved Perkins Trail runs between North and South Gateway. But locals take to the less-traveled dirt paths, such as Palmer, Scotsman and Buckskin Charlie trails.
RED ROCK CANYON OPEN SPACE
Speaking of Colorado Springs locals, this is their preferred escape when the summertime crowds descend upon Garden of the Gods. The same sandstone that paints the Garden paints this open space to the south, right off U.S. 24.
It appears rather unremarkable from the highway, but then one ventures into the wonderland. Sidewalks and roads roam the Garden while Red Rock Canyon keeps it wild. Contemplative Trail is one way to get up close with the geology, while loops explore both sides of the open space.
RED CANYON PARK
Cañon City residents have known this as their Garden of the Gods dating to the 1920s, when Congressman Guy Hardy made sure these monoliths, cliffs and canyons were protected as a city park. But for people outside the Royal Gorge region, the remote Red Canyon Park has been rather unknown.
Now, the secret is getting out. That’s as the city late last year invested in the park’s rst professional trail construction, including a gorgeous 4-mile loop. And funding is in place to improve and expand the park’s campsites.
SANDSTONE RANCH OPEN SPACE
Douglas County calls it the “crown jewel” of its open space system — the largest in its network, sprawling more than 2,000 acres along the rural outskirts of Larkspur. While the open space is named for the rocks sprinkled throughout, they aren’t as dramatic here as they are elsewhere on this list. They are nonetheless unique, surprisingly set against hay meadows and Rampart Range.
They are commonly admired by bike and horseback. Runners might also appreciate the looping network totaling about 12 miles. Sandstone Meadow is marked on the trail map’s south side.
ROXBOROUGH STATE PARK
Hiding out toward the foothills southwest of Denver is this dreamscape of vibrant formations that run through wavy meadows and wild owers. Check that — Roxborough can’t hide from the masses who line the entrance road on summer weekends. Who can blame them?
The good news: There’s room to spread out across the trail system of about 15 miles. One can stay low with the rocks along the Fountain Valley loop. Or one can venture high, taking the trail up Carpenter Peak.
RED ROCKS PARK AND AMPHITHEATRE
So you’ve been to a show and marveled at Ship Rock and Creation Rock rising beside the stands and de ning Denver’s postcard concert venue. But have you explored the park beyond the stage?
There is indeed much more to see outside the stands, which have become a popular tness destination. From the upper north parking lot, opposite the amphitheater, is the enticing Geologic Overlook Trail. The longer Red Rocks and Mount Vernon Creek trails loop around the park, where some visitors start and chart a challenging course up Mount Morrison.
SOUTH VALLEY PARK
One can quickly swap the hustle and bustle of Ken-Caryl Ranch and Colorado 470 for the peace and quiet of this colorful preserve. The area’s recognizable hogback rolls through here and meets more captivating red rocks. Nearly 8 miles of trail wander through the park that Jefferson County considers “well-suited for beginning mountain bikers and hikers who prefer more level terrain.” For the more adventurous, trails from the park’s south entrance connect to Deer Creek Canyon Park.
ROAD TRIP: COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT
We’ve stayed along the Front Range, but we’d be remiss not to mention the national monument with “colored red” in its title.
Because of its distance from major populations — and because red rock seekers all too often continue through Grand Junction, on to Moab — Colorado National Monument tends to get overlooked. But this place of pinnacles and canyons should not be missed. The 23-mile Rim Rock Drive is one way to take it in from above, while 14 trails offer other ways to marvel. Consider a night at Saddlehorn Campground, perched atop the scenic rim.
TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTIAN MURDOCK
GO OUT WITH A
SPLASH
of events and attractions. Concerts, costume competitions,
beach bashes and pond skims have joined the lineup over the years.
Aspen Snowmass’ Elk Camp Surf & Snow Beach Party, April 11: Snowmass calls it “a high-energy apres party featuring live DJs and hot tubs.” Another soaking option: the pond skim, of course. The music and dancing continue into the evening down at Base Village.
Steamboat’s Cardboard Classic, April 11: An end-ofseason tradition like no other enters a 44th year. Cardboard transports race down the slopes, and their steering creators hope to hear their names called for awards later. Those include most creative, best costume and
best engineering.
Breckenridge’s Peaks & Beats, April 25-26: The twoday music series nds DJs taking the stage before a mass of costumed dancers. Others line a long runway that is the envy of Colorado pond skims. And the base of Peak 8 becomes a festive hub of giveaways and contests.
Copper Mountain’s Sunsation, April 25-26: Breck will get some competition elsewhere in Summit County, with Copper’s annual two-day fest similarly built around live music, blue skies and splash landings. Sunsation encourages you to bring your tropical shirt, lei and grass hat.
MOUNTAIN THRILLS TOWN CHARM
A picturesque mountain town with its own tubing hill, terrain park, beginner ski/snowboard hill, Nordic trails, and sleigh rides. After the adventure, stroll Main Street and enjoy local flavor, cozy spots, and true mountain-town magic. TownofFrisco.com
rt ON VIEW
TEXT BY JENNIFER MULSON
“Art Car (Volkswagen)” Clarke Bedford
New exhibits will feature LEGO artists, printmakers and creatives
Your inclination might be to rush through an art gallery, looking at each piece for less than a minute, and deeming it good or bad before quickly advancing. But see if you can spend more time with each work, allowing it to settle into your bones, before you decipher how you feel about it.
“Lot 060624 (house, orange)” Donald Moffett
“Ana María Hernando: Cantando Bajito (Singing Softly)”: The Denver-based Argentine artist explores the feminine voice through large-scale tulle installations and large and small works on paper, through July 3, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College; fac.coloradocollege.edu.
“Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard”: More than 30 works will celebrate the role that yards have played in shaping contemporary art in the U.S., through July 25, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College; fac. coloradocollege.edu.
“Round the Clock: 24 Hours of Colorado in Prints”: Printmakers look at an imaginary day in the life of Colorado through varied media and techniques, Denver Art Museum; denverartmuseum.org.
Where Art & Nature
UNITE
“The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art”: The largest exhibit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art ever shown in North America will feature more than 130 works by 142 artists, April 19 through July 26, Denver Art Museum, denverartmuseum.org.
“Brick Planet: A Magical Journey Made with LEGO Bricks”: Sean Kenney’s LEGO sculptures feature scenes from nature, such as polar bears, coral reefs and African savannas, through May 3, Denver Museum of Nature and Science; dmns.org.
“Jaume Plensa: A New Humanism”: The Spanish artist’s monumental gurative sculptures explore personal introspection and collective harmony, April 18 through Sept. 7, Denver Botanic Gardens, botanicgardens.org.
“Making a Mountain”
Ana María Hernando
HOT FROM THE OVEN
tBreckenridge’s latest addition is already crowded with fans seeking sweet pastries, bread
he line at Threefold Bakery, Breckenridge’s newest café, is more than 20 deep on a Sunday morning. Stacks of gleaming croissants, crisp scones, frosted cinnamon rolls and golden loaves of sourdough await behind the counter, with more being rolled, folded and baked in the open kitchen.
The crowd isn’t here simply to carb-load before a day on the mountain. They want to taste the latest creations from one of Summit County’s top culinary talents, Matt Vawter.
Vawter is the James Beard Award-winning chef behind two of Breckenridge’s nest dining concepts, Rootstalk and Radicato. (Front Range diners may have previously tasted his prowess at the now-shuttered Fruition or Mercantile at Denver Union Station.) Threefold is his hat trick in the region where he grew up (Vawter attended Summit High School and Colorado Mountain College).
Threefold opened in December and has quickly amassed a growing fan
TEXT BY DALIAH SINGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMMA KRUCH
base of locals and visitors.
“I saw a void in what’s going on here in Summit and wanted to create something that could feed the community and also feed our restaurants,” Vawter said.
Vawter was also aware of the fact that his other two concepts have a less accessible price point. A bakery offered a more approachable, everyday option for patrons.
“That was important to me for the community,” he said. “The idea of having our bread in people’s pantries and that they’re at home being able to make sandwiches for their kids or make toast in the morning with our product is really cool to me.”
What’s equally enticing is the creativity with which Vawter and his team approach the menu. Guests will nd the expected — and well-executed — croissants and cookies and kouign-amanns. But they’ll also nd surprises among the dozen or so pastries on the menu. The scone, for example, is split down the middle with a thin layer of marzipan and seasonal jam (quince, cranberry and strawberry have all been featured), and the sugar-dusted morning
bun hides a dollop of tahini diplomat cream.
Diners should expect even more innovation as the bakery settles and matures and as local produce, both sweet and savory, grows more abundant with the changing seasons.
“What it looks like six months from now could look very different and allow us to play and evolve into the space,” said Vawter, who’s already excited about a tomato-and-cheese Danish.
Sandwiches make an appearance at around 10 a.m. each day. Of the six available, the roasted carrot, lamb pastrami and chicken salad are local favorites — and they’re big enough to last for two meals. All are served on slices of house-made, naturally leavened sourdough, baguette, superseed or Siciliano (an Italian sandwich bread) made by baker Aaron Beatty. Diners can also take home the pizza-sized, rosemary- and oregano-speckled focaccia, which was previously only available at Radicato.
“We’re really proud of the our and the grains we’re using,” Vawter said. Most come from Boulder-based Dry
Storage (headed up by another of Colorado’s culinary superstars, Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning chef Kelly Whitaker) and Utah’s Central Milling. Vawter plans to expand with more regional partnerships. Coffee drinks are made with blends from another local purveyor, Denver’s Huckleberry Roasters.
Collaboration isn’t only about ingredients. It’s built into the foundation of Threefold, which itself is a merging of gastronomic prowess. Vawter partnered with two of his former colleagues, Sean and Melissa McGaughey, who now own Quail & Condor and Troubadour Bread & Bistro, both in Healdsburg, Calif., to create the mountain hot spot. (Director of Hospitality Patrick Murphy and chef Cameron Baker are also partners in the project.)
Vawter met Sean McGaughey in a Breckenridge kitchen 20 years ago, and the local community continues to be top of mind. Leftover product (you won’t nd discounted, day-old pastries at Threefold) is given to Cafe Food Rescue, which redirects surplus provisions to those who need it, through food banks and the like.
The bakery itself was designed to be a gathering space if you can nab a spot among the crowd, that is. A triptych mural by Anna Hileman celebrates the scenery of Colorado and California coming together, while the blue color palette is reminiscent of the Centennial State’s azure skies.
“We wanted the space to feel fun, vibrant with color and just a place you’d really want to hang out,” Vawter said.
COLORADO CHRONICLE
100-YEAR TALE OF RATTLESNAKE KATE
One hundred years ago on the plains of northeast Colorado, a woman created a dress of her enemies — of rattlesnake skin down to the rattling hem. One hundred years ago, the legend of Rattlesnake Kate was born.
In a corner of Greeley History Museum, the dress is displayed. As are the rifle that claimed the first slithering victims and a replica “NO HUNTING” signpost that claimed the rest that day in 1925.
The story goes like this:
Katherine Slaughterback and her 3-year-old boy, Ernie, were riding horseback around her property, where she posted the “NO HUNTING” sign. The mother dismounted to open a gate and was met by a slew of rattlers.
She shot one after another until she ran out of ammo and turned to the signpost. In her own words: “I fought them with a club not more than 3 feet long, whirling constantly for over two hours before I could kill my way out of them and get back to my faithful horse and Ernie.”
The story reached the Fort Lupton newspaper, then papers nationwide. But the fame would be short-lived, the story forgotten. So it went for western women of the day.
Slaughterback would be buried on these plains, out at the Platteville cemetery. Her tombstone would be unremarkable, much like the others, were it not for the inscribed name she requested: “Rattlesnake Kate.”
SETH BOSTER
Parker Seibold
INSPIRED COLORADO SPRINGS DINING
Inspired by the fearless pioneers and trailblazers of yesteryear, we offer travelers and locals alike respite from the elements and a place to relax, rejuvenate, fuel up, connect and raise a glass. Come in for coffee at BLK MGK. Stay for Jazz Thursdays at Golden Hour, curated by Dizzy Charlie’s. Tuck into a meal at Oro. This is a place of good fortune. Get your fill.
6 UPCOMING FILMS
“The Drama,” April 3: In a potentially interesting pairing, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play a couple experiencing some unsettling prenuptial jitters. Make what you will of the fact that horrormaster Ari Aster is a producer.
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” April 3: A sequel to “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which grossed more than a billion dollars, this video game adventure features Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day and Jack Black.
“Michael,” April 24: This biopic of the late pop star Michael Jackson is on its third release date after delays and reshoots due to legal issues. Will it nally appear? Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, plays the title role.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2,” May 1: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci gird their loins for a return to Runway magazine, 20 years after the original.
“The Sheep Detectives,” May 8: Hugh Jackman plays a detective who reads murder mysteries to his sheep, who then get together to solve them. Also starring Emma Thompson, Bryan Cranston and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
“Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” May 22: This continues the TV series “The Mandalorian,” with Pedro Pascal as the Mandalorian, Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward and Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt.
MOIRA MACDONALD, THE SEATTLE TIMES
Colorado artist Kevin Johnson’s works depict Black men, women
JENNIFER MULSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK REIS
It was a soldier’s life until it became an artist’s life. Kevin A. Johnson loved to draw as a kid. From Greek gods and comic book heroes to celebrities such as Michael Jackson, he’d sketch with a pencil on the blank pages of his parents’ photo albums. He carried that love to college, but school proved expensive. So when he saw a billboard urging people to join the Army, earn their G.I. Bill and be all they can be, Johnson took the message to heart.
Fourteen years post-military retirement, the Colorado Springs resident is an internationally known artist whose oil paintings of young Black men and women have captured the attention of private collectors, museums and galleries. Last fall, Lexus, the luxury vehicle division of the Toyota Motor Corp., a Japanese automaker, commissioned him to do a painting that combined Pikes Peak with Mount Fuji in Japan.
That painting now lives in Tokyo.
“He’s such an active part of the community, from exhibits to public works,” Broadmoor Galleries director Jamie Oberloh says. “I’ll drive around and see his work on a building. He’s everywhere, from Manitou Springs to Auric Gallery to The Mining Exchange Hotel.”
Johnson’s portraits aren’t based on anyone in particular. They’re simply amalgamations of images or real-life strangers who inspire him. His subjects’ eyes often gaze stoically at the viewer or off in the distance, as butter ies and birds hover nearby or clouds roll in behind them. Bespoke shapes and designs often decorate subjects’ faces, meant to represent differing spiritual beliefs.
“You watch the evolution of his work,” Oberloh says, “and it becomes more sophisticated and developed — from mastering techniques to getting his messaging out there cele-
brating Black culture.”
It took one career to get to the next.
“Being in the military, you had to be in charge,” Johnson says. “You couldn’t let little things sweat you. After deploying four times, you realize life is important. If you have a dream, you’ve got to make it happen.”
After deploying four times — the Gulf War, Afghanistan after 9/11 and twice to Iraq — he, his wife and their six children moved to the Springs in 2008 when he was stationed at Fort Carson.
As a food service worker, Johnson was able to use his creativity, and he never gave up art while in the military. When other soldiers discovered he could draw, they asked him to sketch family portraits. Toward the end of his service time, he was sketching the Black U.S. Army troops known as Buffalo Soldiers.
Serendipitously, while at Fort Carson,heranintoavendor selling Black gurines made by Thomas Blackshear II, an internationally known artist revered for his portraits of Black cowboys and the American West. It was here Johnson learned that Blackshear lived in the Springs. So he opted to make a call.
“Heansweredthephone, which I didn’t expect, and said, ‘How may I help you?’” Johnson recalls. “I said, ‘I’m wondering if you have internships or mentorships for artists.’ He said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘OK, well, I’m sorry for bothering you.’ He said, ‘You’re going to give up that easy?’”
The conversation led to a mentorship and friendship that exists to this day.
“He was one of few students who would always go home and work on his own. I admired that, “ Blackshear says. “He had a lot of determination, and he kept working. Next thing you know, one day I look around and he’s doing something and I say, ‘Whoa, where did that come from?’”
Leaving the military, though, did present a couple of co-
nundrums for Johnson: What to paint now and how to get started in the Springs.
He got busy earning a bachelor’s in computer animation and striving toward a master’s in media design, while also working a government contracting job. And in what free time he had, he continued to make art and tunnel his way into the local arts scene.
“It was a little strange at rst because I didn’t see a lot of Black artists in Colorado Springs,” Johnson says. “I didn’t want to paint military stuff anymore when I got out so I would visit galleries to see how I could t in or what I could start to create.”
Things picked up a couple of years before the pandemic, when his work began trickling into shows at G44 Gallery and Cottonwood Center for the Arts. Eventually, that work made it to Auric Gallery, The Mining Exchange Gallery, Manitou Art Center and Broadmoor Galleries at The Broadmoor, which now features a large painting of football coach Deion Sanders with former University of Colorado stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. “He’s not afraid to try new things,” Oberloh says.
CommonSpirit Orthopedics helps get athlete back on his feet — and up in the air.
Caiden Macktinger was in shock. The nationally ranked pole vault athlete was warming up for a competition in Chicago in February 2024 when he landed “weird.” Suddenly his left foot was pointing the wrong direction and his ankle was the size of a softball.
“I remember thinking I wanted to try just one more jump,” said Caiden, who was a U.S. Air Force Academy cadet at the time. He asked the team trainer to tape him up so he could try again. Instead, the trainer told him, “You’re done.”
The real question was whether Caiden, an Olympic hopeful, would be able to compete again someday. He had broken the main weightbearing bone in his foot and dislocated his ankle. It was a serious injury and he needed surgery to prevent the bone from dying.
again. He decided to compete at a lower level, with the expectation that although he may never truly recover, he wanted to prove to himself that he could jump again. His brave approach resulted in him receiving rst place at the 2025 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championship last April.
After a visit to an ER in Chicago, Caiden was transported back to Colorado where he met an orthopedic surgeon at CommonSpirit Orthopedics.
“He looked at my injury and said, ‘We can x that.’ He made it clear that recovery was going to be on me and challenged me to do as much as I could” to heal. After the surgeon repaired the break with screws and plates, Caiden began physical therapy.
“Surgery and rehab are tough on your spirit most de nitely, but they don’t de ne the end of your story,” said Caiden, who learned after an earlier injury to approach healing holistically, through physical therapy, a healthy and diverse diet, and mental conditioning.
After a year of hard work, he answered the question about whether he’d compete
Adding to his accomplishments, he graduated from the Air Force Academy, started a graduate program and Air Force Flight School.
He has advice for anyone facing recovery from an injury: “Be patient and trust the recovery process. Take the time you need to really heal and from that point on, you will know when it’s time to push it and get strong again.”
Beyond Caiden’s Journey: CommonSpirit’s Comprehensive Athletic Care
Caiden’s inspiring recovery exempli es the dedication and expertise found within CommonSpirit’s orthopedic service line. CommonSpirit Health® is deeply committed to empowering athletes at every level through a network of specialized care and cutting-edge facilities throughout Colorado.
In Colorado Springs, the William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center is a premier destination for optimizing athletic potential and recovery. This 100,000 square-foot facility, a collaboration between CommonSpirit Health and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, o ers a comprehensive suite of services under one roof. Athletes have access to state-ofthe-art sports medicine, advanced physical therapy, strength and conditioning, human performance research, sports nutrition, and mental health support.
Whether you’re a developing youth athlete, a collegiate competitor, or an Olympian, the Hybl Sports Performance Center provides integrated care to enhance performance, prevent injuries, and accelerate recovery. Further north in Parker, The Sports Center – CommonSpirit provides exceptional, athlete-focused orthopedic care. This facility brings together leading orthopedic and sports medicine specialists, o ering a full spectrum of services from injury diagnosis and treatment to surgical intervention and rehabilitation. Patients at The Sports Center bene t from personalized care plans designed to get them back to their active lives, whether that’s on the eld, court, or enjoying everyday activities.
CommonSpirit Health is proud to o er these world-class resources, ensuring that individuals like Caiden and countless others receive the holistic support needed to overcome injuries, achieve their physical goals, and stay active.
IDAHO SPRINGS • Mary Jane Loevlie lives in a sweeping, mid-century modern home built by her father, with a wide window and deck looking north. This was Loevlie’s view one evening in 2018: the historic, red edi ce of Argo Mill and Tunnel there across Interstate 70 and a mountain rising high above.
Loevlie was sipping wine with a neighbor when a thought emerged: “I wonder if we can build a gondola …”
The world-traveling businesswoman and historic preservationist had the imagination, but she could not imagine the series of events to come: an initial $4.5 million investment that would be stolen; a global pandemic that would skyrocket project costs and further deepen doubts; and investors from afar who came to the rescue, as if by miracle.
“These global investors believed in little old Idaho Springs,” says Loevlie, 72.
They believed as she always did, and just like her father — the man who built the home around the time the economic fate of this little old town was thrown into uncertainty by the construction of I-70.
Now comes a new destiny for Idaho Springs.
Hopes are as high as the Mighty Argo Cable Car soaring up the mountain, soon to board its rst passengers. Late April is the aim.
Longtime resident and mayor Chuck Harmon has called the $71 million project “probably the biggest thing to happen to the city of Idaho Springs since the gold rush.”
It is said that Colorado’s gold rush began here, thanks to George Jackson’s discovery in 1859 that gave way to the “richest square mile on Earth.” That was the reputation of nearby Central City, which was served by Argo Mill and Tunnel. Loevlie has run tours out of the facility that processed $100 million worth of gold a century ago.
The Mighty Argo Cable Car cabins will appear like gold nuggets ying 1.2 miles up the mountain, roughly following the length of that old tunnel below.
“I just think it’s bringing back the economic engine that the Argo Mill was to the town at the turn of the 20th century,” Loevlie says. “It’s bringing outdoor recreation and heritage tourism to this tiny little town. And it’s doing something truly spectacular in the state of Colorado.”
Yes, it’s poised to be the state’s next major attraction — the gondola rising 1,300 feet to a mountaintop plaza called Miners Point. Here, visitors might grab something to eat and drink at Sun and Moon Saloon, so named for a nearby mining claim. Or they might stay for live music at the amphitheater backdropped by 14,000-foot peaks and the Continental Divide. Or they might hit the trails dropping down the mountain.
About 15 miles have been built, with more to come in the surrounding Virginia Canyon Mountain Park. While open to hikers, the trails have been specially built for mountain bikers, who will have a lift-served thrill unlike anything beyond ski resorts.
Riders have already come in the thousands ahead of the
gondola’s opening. Harmon credits them for a sales tax record locally, bucking downward trends in other mountain towns.
And, above all, he credits the woman who had the imagination and prevailed against steep, unimaginable odds.
“More than 99.9% of us would’ve thrown in the towel, and that would’ve been it,” Harmon says. “I’ll be darned if she didn’t pull it off.”
Loevlie pulled it off with the sort of grit and tenacity that long de ned prospectors of her hometown — that long de ned her.
“She’s always been this hard-charging business lady,” Annelise Loevlie says.
And yet, in many ways, the gondola project has been different for her mom.
“It’s actually been really transformative,” Annelise says. “To see her persevere while holding on to her vision … it’s just like over-the-top inspiring for me.” * * *
Loevlie counts her own inspirations, among them Dana Crawford. Best known for saving Denver’s Larimer Square, the smiling face of the late historic preservationist is seen in Loevlie’s of ce, overlooking a big, round table.
“She always thought this table was best for conversation and getting things done,” Loevlie says.
For getting historic preservation done — the kind of work Loevlie took up in the 1980s.
She was focused on Victorian buildings like this of ce and then-abandoned storefronts lining Idaho Springs’
main street. By then, Loevlie was no stranger to tough, roundtable negotiations. She had been growing an international business: Shotcrete, the spraying concrete developed by her husband, whom she met in Norway while living and working abroad.
Loevlie would grow Shotcrete back in her hometown, where she always found inspiration. Before Crawford, she found this in her grandmother, known as the rst female pilot in North Dakota. And Loevlie found inspiration in her father, who out of North Dakota came across Idaho Springs while driving for Conoco Oil.
“My dad really fell in love with the gold mining history and the mountains,” Loevlie says. “And it was just kind of this land of opportunity, even back then in the ‘50s and ‘60s.”
Her parents ran a mini golf course and an ice cream stand, and Loevlie sold rocks to tourists.
“That’s how busy Idaho Springs was, bumper-to-bumper traf c,” she says. “It was a happening place.”
Then I-70 extended through town.
Eisenhower Tunnel opened in 1973, and traf c would continue to ski resorts and grander destinations west — away from Idaho Springs, which appeared forsaken, littered with debris and trailers left by construction crews.
“We got obliterated, and people saw our ugly backside and not our beautiful Victorians,” Loevlie says. This was before the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, “and they were allowed to rip out a third of our town,” she says.
Loevlie wouldn’t stay around to watch the decline; she’d be off to college in Vermont.
Then she was off to Europe, where she was assigned by Up with People to expand the nonpro t’s mission. This meant gaining nancial support from government ofcials and business leaders.
“I was this 22-, 23-year-old young female traveling all over the world alone, meeting these high-powered executives, asking them for money,” Loevlie says. “I really had to be nimble and resourceful.”
And always strong, at certain times more than others.
“It was scary,” Loevlie says. “Guys pounding on my hotel room door. You couldn’t sit in a bar alone hardly. You just had to have an attitude.” * * *
Loevlie would carry that attitude back to Idaho Springs, where she’d start a family while landing Shotcrete contracts worldwide. Perhaps it’s no wonder her two daughters grew into businesswomen.
Recalls Annelise, CEO of Icelantic Skis: “There was this quote growing up that was always around our house: ‘Well-behaved women rarely make history.’”
Indeed, not all fellow locals approved of Loevlie’s behavior.
These were locals who stayed in Idaho Springs through the ‘70s and ‘80s while businesses were boarded up and windows were covered with sheets, privacy for those shacking up inside. Loevlie had ideas here along Miner Street, such as the brick sidewalks seen today.
“That was very controversial, and that was 100% Mary Jane,” says Harmon, the mayor.
The costs were controversial; some business owners faced tens of thousands of dollars for sidewalk assessments. But just as Loevlie had insisted against another proposed lane for I-70 — the ght of the I-70 Coalition she helped form — she insisted red brick, rather than mismatching concrete, would look better and more historic.
She poured her own funds into proper aesthetics. That’s also seen today on several Victorian buildings she owns or has owned over the years. She gave careful attention to upgrades while pushing the town to National Historic District standards.
The risk “was a downtown that could’ve been unrecognizable,” Harmon says, “where you’d have stuccoed buildings and vinyl windows and glass sliding doors to make them look more modern.”
The historic Argo Mill and Tunnel had looked just as it always looked, thanks to caretakers before Loevlie. She’d be the next in 2016, rallying a small team of buyers.
Within a couple of years, she’d have her biggest idea yet — and also her most controversial.
The neighbor with whom Loevlie was sipping wine that evening in 2018 happened to have a professional background with chairlifts.
“She has friends in the lift industry, and we started calling these people,” Loevlie says. “They said, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s ne, but nobody would go. Who would ride a gondola in Idaho Springs?’ That was the image of Idaho Springs; it was always that pass-through.”
Loevlie had family, friends and business associates who thought otherwise. They were the rst investors, followed by more who were persuaded after a Swiss expert’s analysis and a technical study. It was determined that the gondola could attract more than 500,000 riders a year, largely because of I-70 and the proximity to Denver.
Investors ponied up $4.5 million, which Loevlie deposited into an escrow account to unlock a construction loan.
“I remember the exact day the money was supposed to be transferred,” Annelise says, thinking back to 2021. “I
called her from Costa Rica. ‘Is it in?’ She said no. And I just knew immediately.”
What happened became clear, all the more so following an FBI investigation, a grand jury indictment and a recent guilty plea: Owners of Virginia-based First Title, Inc., stole the money.
“It was like the worst day of my life,” Loevlie says.
Worse days followed as she told her family, friends and business associates what happened to their money. Compounding the calamity was the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that cut off supply chains and sent costs further out of reach. (The $71 million project was once estimated at $58 million.)
Loevlie could have become mad, embarrassed, defeated. And yet she only became more emboldened.
“I couldn’t let anybody else down and just give up,” she says.
A breakthrough came via Gondola Ventures, a private equity rm looking to expand point-of-interest gondolas globally. And a bigger breakthrough came via similarly minded investors with Funis Fund, a Luxembourg-based partner of Doppelmayr, the top manufacturer that also got on board.
Along the way, Loevlie thought often of Crawford, her mentor who died last year. “She never looked back. She always looked forward.”
And Loevlie thought of family before her. She thought of her father, who built the family home in Idaho Springs when things looked bleak. She thought of her grandmother, the pilot.
“She’s from a line, and so am I, of really incredible people that have dreamed big,” Annelise says. “I think she talks to those people.”
* * *
From the home her father built, Loevlie constantly looks north to that mountainside, to her dream becoming reality.
“I almost cry when I look at it,” she says now, gazing at the gondola.
The emotions hint at the hardship of the past — and also, perhaps, of the present.
The Mighty Argo Cable Car has further split local opinions of Loevlie.
“To be brutally honest, people either love her or hate her,” says Harmon, the mayor. “Many people fear change, and Mary Jane has not shied away from what she feels are improvements to the community.”
In Idaho Springs, “she has always been a really big sh in a small pond,” Annelise says. “There’s a lot of times, even now, where she’s like, ‘I hear I’m getting just slammed on Facebook.’”
Some comments suggest she is not taking care of the town, but rather taking it over. Some see the new trails and in ux of mountain bikers already proving concerns about traf c and parking, even before the gondola opens for its estimated 500,000 annual riders.
“We are very concerned about capacity and parking and the ability to manage that,” Loevlie says, explaining the idea for timed-entry reservations and plans for more parking. The plan for a 350-spot garage downtown has garnered more pushback — what some see as contradicting historic preservation.
Supporters, meanwhile, have pointed to an assuring feasibility study. They have pointed to mountain bikers already contributing to a sales tax record. And they have pointed to local restaurants already serving 1.5 million people each year who have been drawn to the area for the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway and outdoor recreation. But would the gondola be adding untenable masses?
Loevlie knows she can’t convince everyone she hears
around town.
“In a small town, you can’t shy away, because you see people at the grocery store and you see people at city council meetings,” Annelise says. “She’s not like Te on, because she’s not numb to it. But she just faces it.”
She keeps pushing ahead, as Annelise remembers her mom always doing, ever the persistent businesswoman.
“I mean, she was busy a lot. It was tough,” the daughter says. “When you’re 40, you start realizing some of the stuff you might’ve missed.”
She’s realizing more as she’s been re ecting more.
She’s been re ecting on a woman who always had to push ahead, from the time she was a little girl in a little, scrappy town to the time she was a young woman alone in a big, tough world. Now Loevlie is in her 70s — “in her 70s and in her prime,” Annelise says, amazed.
And maybe something never changed, she thinks: “I think a lot of women in her generation have that feeling, and still do, where it’s to prove that they can. … I wouldn’t want to place that at the forefront of the motivation, because I don’t want to take away from the fact she really cares about the development and the community. But to prove to herself and to other people that she could do it? Absolutely.”
And to leave a legacy.
Loevlie has three grandkids who call her Mormor, including Annelise’s 3-year-old son. “He’s more obsessed with gondolas than anyone,” she says.
And so he might be more excited than anyone for the opening day of the Mighty Argo Cable Car. Along with the other kids, he’ll be sitting with Mormor on the rst ride up.
Until April 5: “The Phantom of the Opera” Denver Center for the Performing Arts
In Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning tragic musical, based on the 1920 novel by Gaston Leroux, a mysterious, dis gured musical genius who lives in the subterranean labyrinth beneath the Paris Opera House develops an obsession with a singer.
April 2-19: “Frozen” by Springs Ensemble Theatre
The Fifty-Niner, Colorado Springs
Bryony Lavery’s play follows three characters: a mother whose daughter was kidnapped and murdered by a serial killer; the serial killer; and a psychologist who’s researching serial killers.
April 9-May 3: “Romeo and Juliet” by Theatreworks Ent Center for the Arts, Colorado Springs
In Shakespeare’s classic play, two young lovers from feuding families meet their tragic ends.
April 15: “The Sleeping Beauty” by International Ballet Stars Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs
Dancers from across the globe unravel the popular fairy tale of a princess cursed to a century-long slumber by an evil fairy through the medium of dance and Tchaikovsky’s musical score.
April 28: Nate Bargatze
The Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs
Known for his clean stand-up routine, the top-earning comedian in the world according to Pollstar makes a stop as part of his “Big Dumb Eyes World Tour.”
April 28-30: “Mrs. Doubt re: The New Musical Comedy” Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs
Based on the popular 1993 comedy lm, an out-of-work actor and divorced father who loses custody of his kids dresses up as a Scottish nanny to secure more time with them, unbeknownst to his ex-wife.
April 30-May 24: “Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill: The Musical”
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College
The Tony and Grammy award-winning jukebox musical, based on Morissette’s Grammy Award-winning 1995 album, “Jagged Little Pill,” and several of its follow-ups, chronicles the story of a wealthy family in need of healing.
May 5-10: “Hadestown”
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell intertwined two mythical tales in her Tony and Grammy award-winning musical: that of young lovers Orpheus and Eurydice, and also of King Hades and wife Persephone.
May 13-17: “MJ”
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
The Tony Award-winning jukebox musical, based on the life of pop superstar Michael Jackson, focuses on the performer’s creative process as he puts together his Dangerous World Tour in the early 1990s.
May 14: John Mulaney with Fred Armisen, Mike Birbiglia Ford Amphitheater, Colorado Springs
The comedian and actor is touring in support of his “John Mulaney: Mister Whatever” show. The “Saturday Night Live” alum is known for his popular stand-up specials and his recent Net ix talk show, “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney.”
May 30-June 21: “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
In the Tony Award-winning play, Harry Potter’s son befriends the son of his ercest rival, Draco Malfoy, and ignites a journey that could change the past and the future.
JENNIFER MULSON
Stage is set
11 upcoming performances
“The Phantom of the Opera.” Denver Center for the Performing Arts
chic olorado
TEXT BY DEBBIE KELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICHOLE MONTANEZ
State’s fashion style happens to be trending
Frequent travelers always know when they’ve reached Colorado. First, there’s the obvious lack of oxygen. Then, there’s the fashion.
Flannel. Camo. And puffer vests.
While Colorado is far from being a runway capital and lags the nation’s coasts in parading the latest apparel, it has developed a distinct style, experts say. Think famously rugged, active outdoors and western heritage. Pair that with contemporary embellishments.
Women’s annel shirts tend to be available everywhere — from big box stores to chic boutiques. At the latter, they range from traditional to trendy, aunting bright colors, oral embroideries and larger check patterns.
“Colorado is an outdoor state well-known for adventures, which lends itself to a laid-back style,” says Amie Bennight, owner of Eve’s Revolution in Colorado Springs and co-owner of Delilah’s, a sister business that operates a fashion truck.
“Mountain chic” is how Carrie Hibbard, co-owner of Terra Verde Boutique in the Springs, describes the look. “Casual but styled at the same time.”
So the wearer can hike, work at the of ce and go out with friends — all while sporting the same out t. If dinner or a drink is included, common advice from Terra Verde style consultants is to “throw a jean jacket over it,” Hibbard says.
A jacket delivers not only a layer of fashion but also a layer of clothing, which can prove particularly useful in a state where winter temperatures sometimes drag into May.
“Everyone has this perception of what you might come across in Colorado, and it’s different from California, Florida, Georgia or New York,” Bennight says.
This year, the fashionista stars have lined up in the shape of Colorado; many of the elements that create the state’s signature look are what’s “in.”
Since the fashion wheel turned back to high-waisted and wider-legged pants about three years ago, denim once again is all the rage, Hibbard says.
And it comes in a variety of styles. Skinny jeans are “out”
now, replaced by options including straight-legged, ared bottom a la the 1960s and 1970s, wide and extra wide. And then there’s the bowed barrel-style leg that’s XX-wide and offered in boho designs such as patchwork and bandana.
Deconstructed rips or tears continue in some lines. And the “raw” look — cut-off rather than seamed hems — is on point and handy because jeans that are too long can be xed with a pair of scissors, Bennight says.
The Colorado look extends beyond jeans into straw and felt hats, along with dresses featuring country designs that can be worn with cute cowgirl boots.
Stripes and polka dots add excitement to spring’s lighter and brighter colors in tops of all kinds, including soft knit sweaters, according to Julie Megahan, co-owner of Delilah’s.
“It’s a great transitional piece for Colorado — you won’t get too hot, but you’re covered — and one you can wear with denim or other fabrics,” she says.
One-piece rompers and overalls have maintained en vogue status due to their comfort and out-of-the-ordinary presentation, while camo-patterned clothes have faded away. Also passe: tunics atop leggings.
But you’ll still see those pieces because in Colorado, where most women dress up only occasionally, “to each her own” is the overarching theme.
As Bennight says, “We all want to nd something that makes us feel special and unique in a style.”
COMPLETELY Colorado
Find the look at these 10 stores across the state
TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY
BY NICHOLE MONTANEZ
Colorado has a look to it that’s hard to pinpoint. Outdoorsy, for sure, and true to the state moniker: colorful. It’s a laid-back look, and it’s a look representing hard-earned days in the mountains and hard, long days on the ranch.
Colorado style? You gotta know where to look.
Mountain Chalet: For nearly 60 years, this has been the go-to spot for Colorado Springs adventurers. Along with skis and climbing equipment, the downtown shop has kept up with the latest and greatest in mountain fashion.
Wilderness Exchange x Black Diamond: When Black Diamond moved into this store on Denver’s 15th Street, it brought its sleek skiing gear to one oor while Wilderness Exchange continued its 25-year mission on the other. The mission is “making the outdoors more affordable and accessible” through consigned apparel by Coloradans, for Coloradans.
Neptune Mountaineering: The outdoor retailer has been a staple in Boulder since 1973, when renowned climber Gary Neptune opened shop. The store is now much bigger than it was then, lled with everything you need to explore Colorado’s wilds and look good in its urban centers.
Melanzana: Hands in the Leadville shop do all the stitching and sewing you see on those vibrant hoodies with a peculiar cinch. The hoodies have grown incredibly popular, yet Melanzana has stayed true to its small, handmade vision — explaining the limited stock and shopping by appointment.
Topo Designs: The color-blocked bags and packs that hang over the back, sling across the shoulders and strap around the hips have become quintessential Colorado accessories. Topo makes clothes to match.
YoColorado: Colorado is in the name, and Colorado is in the Golden-curated products aimed at “balancing nostalgia and modernity with high-quality, aspirational designs.” Bright and bold looks carry through T-shirts, button-ups and sweatshirts, while hats and beanies make statements of their own.
F.M. Light & Sons: It’s a destination in Steamboat Springs, this western wear store proudly “out ttin’ the West” for more than 120 years. The longevity is hard to imagine until you realize this is the true, historic Colorado style meant to last.
Rockmount Ranch Wear: Cowboys and wannabe cowboys have been shopping here since 1946, when Jack A. Weil started selling embroidered, snap-up shirts in a historic building in downtown Denver. The shirts continue to sell here, mostly now to wannabe cowboys.
REI: The national retailer is headquartered in Washington, but it might as well be in Colorado. From stores on the Front Range and in Summit County, it sells all of the state’s signature wears, including puf es, Chacos and Blundstones.
Scheels: Find everything that REI has — and much, much more. With stores in Colorado Springs and Johnstown, Scheels has the Front Range covered. The Springs location includes two levels and 220,000 square feet of retail space.
Spring setlist
Mark these dates on your calendar
April 10-11: “Wickedly Broadway” by Colorado Springs Philharmonic Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs
The orchestra, joined by several vocalists, will perform songs from “Wicked,” “Phantom of the Opera” and other musicals.
April 17-18: Sublime Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison
The ska punk band is known for hits such as “What I Got,” “Santeria” and “Doin’ Time.”
April 18: Itzhak Perlman: Cinema Serenade Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs
The famed violinist will perform as part of the 99th season for the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.
April 20: Ice Cube Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison
The famous rapper and actor is touring in support of his 12th studio album, “Man Up,” which dropped last year.
April 25-26: Marsalis/Rachmaninoff by Colorado Springs Philharmonic Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs
Music director Chloé Dufresne guides the orchestra through Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3, and guest trumpet soloist Michael Sachs performs Wynton Marsalis’ Trumpet Concerto.
May 5: Demi Lovato Ball Arena, Denver
The former Disney star is now nine albums deep with the release of last year’s “It’s Not That Deep.” Her hits include “Cool for the Summer,” “Daddy Issues” and “Don’t Forget.”
May 21: Phil Wickham
The Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs
The Christian singer-songwriter’s biggest hits include “Living Hope,” “Battle Belongs” and “House of the Lord.”
May 24-25: Alabama Shakes Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison
The Grammy Award-winning rock band, fronted by Brittany Howard, broke up in 2018, but got back together last year. Hits include “Don’t Wanna Fight” and “Killer Diller Blue.”
JENNIFER MULSON
protein
TEXT BY JENNIFER MULSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMMY
Colorado sees benefits in changing you eat
CLINTON
When we think about protein, we too often think about meat.
Emmy Clinton, a Colorado Springs chef and recipe developer, suggests eaters try other options. Take, for instance, the humble, yet protein-rich chickpea.
“It sounds gross, but it’s one of my favorite things,” says Clinton, the woman behind Entirely Emmy, an online resource for gluten-free, re ned sugar-free, and whole food-focused recipes.
Clinton, who has been featured in such publications as Food & Wine, Good Housekeeping and Real Simple, regularly incorporates the mighty legume, also known as a garbanzo bean, into her recipes. On her free website, entirelyemmy.com, you will nd it in a chocolate chip cookie blondie and a high-protein buffalo chicken dip, one of her biggest crowd pleasers.
“I focus on nding the places I can swap a ‘bad’ food with a healthier alternative,” she says. “Like in a dip, adding Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise or using cottage cheese as a base.”
Clinton’s life changed in college after being diagnosed with celiac disease, which means she has dif culty digesting gluten. So she rethought her diet, eliminated processed foods and went gluten-free.
The moves have been revolutionary, especially when it comes to her passion for running. In 2025, Clinton nished her rst Half Ironman, a race combining a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run. Three years ago, she ran the Marine Corps Marathon.
“I’m always training for something,” she says. “I felt more energized. I noticed a huge difference in my training and recovery, and my digestion and skin.”
Clinton began making recipes about a decade ago and launched her business four years ago to share the creations, which now number nearly 200.
As the protein trend grabbed hold of pop culture and social media, she began developing more protein-forward recipes, including a Greek yogurt smoothie bowl, harissa honey chicken bowl, gluten-free cottage cheese pancakes and an elote (Mexican street corn) pasta salad.
Clinton started with desserts, nding ways to incorporate protein so it also aligned with tness goals. And, for regular meals, she focused on replacing ingredients such as rice with protein-rich quinoa and then adding lentils and beans.
Protein helps build and repair muscles. Because it’s nutrient-dense, it makes you feel full longer, which can support weight management and metabolism.
“I used to think protein was food for athletes and those doing intense sports who needed a lot of nutrition,” she says. “A growing awareness of its bene ts, shared with a creative presence on social media, has made it blow up in popularity. Also, people sharing the outcome of changing their diet to a more protein-forward diet has had a huge impact.”
PROTEIN PANCAKES WITHOUT PROTEIN POWDER
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats
2 cups Cottage Cheese
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1 tablespoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Salt
PROCEDURE:
1. Blend the oats, cottage cheese, eggs and maple syrup in a blender until completely smooth and thick like cake batter.
2. Pour into a medium-sized bowl, and gently fold in the baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Let the batter rest for five minutes while heating a lightly greased pan over low/medium heat.
3. Scoop ¼ cup of the pancake batter onto the hot pan and cook 2-3 minutes until bubbles form and the edges set. Flip and cook 1-2 minutes more until golden brown and fully cooked through. (If it starts to cook too quickly or burn, lower the heat to ensure it cooks through properly.)
4. Serve warm with Greek yogurt, berries, maple syrup or a quick mashed blueberry compote on top.
1. In a blender, combine rolled oats, Greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, eggs, milk, maple syrup, baking powder and salt. Blend on medium-high for 45-60 seconds until smooth, like thick pancake batter. Gently fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
2. Lightly grease or line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into your prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Top with a few more chocolate chips and a pinch of flaky sea salt if desired.
3. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until golden and fully baked in the center. The edges should be crisp, and a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out with just a few moist crumbs.
4. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then slice into 8 squares. Store in the fridge up to five days or freeze portions for up to three months.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Recipe Difficulty: Easy
Dietary Info: Gluten-free, refined sugar-free, high protein
Reimagined Penrose Room shines at The Broadmoor
TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK REIS
To step into The Penrose Room is to step back in time and step forward all at once. It is to visit The Broadmoor’s past, to taste it even. And it is to perhaps glimpse into the future.
This is indeed a historical space, hearkening to a time when the Colorado Springs resort was growing along with its worldwide fame. One encounters that history upon arrival to The Penrose Room, greeted by old photos and belongings of the namesake man who built the hotel in 1918. Also upon arrival, one encounters a new page in history.
This is The Broadmoor always looking back while looking forward.
And this is the hotel’s latest and greatest in dining.
Welcome to the reimagined Penrose Room.
“Unlike anything in the Springs area,” executive chef
Justin Miller is proud to say, “and I would be proud to say unlike anything in the Front Range area.”
It is “beyond imagination,” according to one guest review — the details almost impossible to fully appreciate and fathom. Here atop the nine-story South Tower, the view distracts: a panorama of wide windows showcasing the lake and mountains in one direction, the twinkling city at night in the other.
A suggestion: arrive before nightfall, around sunset, when the golden glow paints the curving room of textured wood, leather and multi-colored velvet. It all appears like a scene from Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby.”
It is not the filmmaker’s imagination to credit, but rather a team that spent years contemplating a new Penrose Room following its closure during the pandemic.
Miller was part of that team. “I absolutely think we did
the right thing by taking our time,” he says.
Because like any of the gold-framed paintings hanging around here, a masterpiece takes time. The details took time to identify and re ne, everything down to the silverware that is new but looks old with engraved ligree.
Jake Zubrod, The Broadmoor’s director of restaurants and beverage, picked out that silverware — utensils that look like they could have been here at The Penrose Room’s opulent 1961 beginnings. A 2006 remodel saw the red wine-colored theme swapped for blue and gold. But otherwise, the concept stayed much the same over the years.
“The rst concepts were Old World-inspired,” Zubrod says. “We de nitely did that with this, too.”
And yet the overall aim was different, he explains, often repeating three words: “Fun, exciting, trendy.”
The dress code from back then remains for guests sitting at linen-draped tables, while guests sitting at the bar and cocktail lounge dress casual. Jazz might have played back then, while more atmospheric synth music lls the air now. And the early years here were captured by bulky cameras of the day, while now young people roam with phones in what might be The Broadmoor’s most Instagrammable dining scene.
The phones follow carts that roll around with vodka, gin and garnishes for martinis that are shaken or stirred by preference. Also tableside, Caesar salad is tossed and cantaloupe is scooped for an appetizer combining Prosciutto imported from a small farm in Italy. Beef Wellington, a staple of the restaurant’s early years, is carved tableside. And then the grand nale: a ame toasts the sweet meringue-encased Baked Alaska.
The tableside service is another nod to the past. “You don’t really see that anymore,” Zubrod says.
You see much more familiar items across the menu, namely sushi from sh that is own in daily and a burger from wagyu beef that is raised on The Broadmoor’s own ranch.
“I’m super pumped about having a burger on the menu,” Miller says.
Because the burger achieves another aim of The Penrose Room — still lavish as it’s always been, but somehow more approachable than ever.
There was another aim with the menu: “Worldly cuisine,” Miller says, “and looking at Spencer Penrose’s very worldly view.”
The Broadmoor’s founding father was a traveler. The sushi, Thai-barbecued red snapper and Japanese white miso-glazed halibut recall his trips to Asia. The pistachio- and za’atar-crusted lamb recalls other ings around the Middle East.
Penrose loved Hawaii; maybe he would’ve appreciated the blue, gin-infused cocktail called Seafarer, with hints of coconut. But he was known to be a whiskey man. And so surely he would’ve appreciated the wine cellar here, making space for some of the world’s most sought-after whiskeys.
Surely Penrose would’ve appreciated The Penrose
Room, which continued his vision for the hotel in the decades after his death in 1939.
He always had a vision for ne dining, explaining the early line of classically trained chefs from Europe.
Upon The Penrose Room opening in 1961, “it was elevated dining the hotel had not seen before,” says Cynthia Leonard, the hotel’s historian.
It would be atop the newly constructed South Tower, the culmination of an expansion that included the International Center. Now The Broadmoor had a venue for major conferences and major entertainment. And now The Broadmoor had a restaurant to wow the presidents, celebrities and royalty to come.
“And the local people came, too,” Leonard says. “It really changed the dynamics of the hotel becoming a social hotel.”
The decades saw singing and dancing under a sparkling chandelier that spanned 12 feet. The decor also featured Italian marble, Puerto Rican carpeting and French murals said to
have come from wallpaper commissioned by Napoleon.
“It was extravagant,” Leonard says.
As it was in terms of cuisine. In 2007 and 2008, the restaurant earned the AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star ratings — awards The Broadmoor has consecutively earned more than any other resort in the world.
“We’ve always strived for those accolades,” Miller says, speaking to the new Penrose Room that strives just the same.
At the same time, the accolades “kind of drove you to that traditional experience,” Miller adds. “At the end of the day, we wanted to make sure the guest experience was most important.”
The new Penrose Room would be different — “fun, exciting, trendy,” Zubrod repeats. And perhaps bucking a trend he sees at other historic hotels.
“There’s a lot out there that look tired and rundown,” he says.
Then there’s The Broadmoor— looking back while looking forward.
GO FOR THE , STAY FOR THE PIZZA
TEXT BY SETH BOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK REIS
U-S-A! U-S-A! Now’s a great time to visit the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
The Milano Cortina Winter Games have ended. But in Colorado Springs, the celebration never stops.
That’s thanks to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, the state-of-the-art complex that keeps the festive spirit going year-round.
Maybe that’s reason enough to visit. Here are ve more reasons:
TORCHES AND MEDALS
Visitors start in a room displaying one of the world’s two complete collections of Olympic torches — 40 of them in a row. And visitors end down a hall lined with medals — again, one of the most complete collections in the world. We counted 160, starting with a pair from 1896 Athens, the site of what’s considered the rst modern Olympics. The torches start with 1936 Berlin. A digital display tells the story: “On July 20, 1936, High Priestess Koula Pratsika of the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece, used a parabolic mirror to harness the power of the sun and light the rst Olympic torch.” On the screens, one can scroll through the years and stories behind the torches — the rst of many high-tech experiences to come.
INTERACTIVE FUN
In what museum can you race down a track, mimic skiing on the slopes and pretend to shoot a bow and arrow? In this museum, of course. The 30-meter dash, alpine skiing and archery are three of six simulated events here, allowing you to compete against friends and family.
After the Athlete Training Gallery, you are ready for the opening ceremony: A high-arching, 360-degree theater glows with reworks and other colorful, thrilling scenes of the Parade of Nations. Your adrenaline gets pumping again at the end of the museum, during a 13-minute montage in a bigger theater.
HISTORY YOU FORGOT AND STORIES YOU NEVER KNEW
Another interactive highlight: A wall that displays short videos chronicling the world events, politics and culture that accompanied every Olympic chapter from 1896 to today. One can scroll through videos in what feels like another time-traveling experience.
Elsewhere, you can learn about the beginning of the Games, traced to ancient Greece. You can learn about the origins of the Paralympics, traced to a 1948 competition between injured servicemen and women. You can refresh your knowledge on other world-changing moments — Jesse Owens’ 1936 triumph and the raised sts in 1968. And you can add more facts to your knowledge. For instance: What do you know about the rst “Miracle on Ice” against Czechoslovakia?
PIZZA
One more pleasant surprise at the museum: seriously good pizza. The re from the oven is front and center at Flame Cafe. Along with pizzas and atbreads, the cafe serves sandwiches, salads and loaded fries. Craft beer and wine are on tap. And whether you order a drink or not, you’ll want to drink in the view.
The window-paneled cafe looks out to Pikes Peak. The doors lead to the deck and the sleek bridge with even better views, connecting down to America the Beautiful Park.
MEMORABILIA THAT AMAZES
Most famously, the museum is home to the “Miracle on Ice” scoreboard, re ecting the nal score from 1980: USA 4, USR 3. Around the corner is goalie Jim Craig’s mask and jersey. Around every corner is some head-turning item that inspires and intrigues.
We noted Joe Frazier’s shoes and Serena Williams’ shoes; Billie Jean King’s tennis racket and gymnast Shannon Miller’s scrunchie; wooden skis of the boundary-breaking Billy Kidd and a basketball signed by the Dream Team.
Here is a medal won by James Connolly, the Bostonian who in 1896 became the rst person in 1,500-plus years to win an Olympic prize. And here are medals won by Trischa Zorn-Hudson, among the 55 the blind swimmer won to become the most decorated athlete in Olympic and Paralympic history.
