Today we were invited to learn more about Colorado through an intimate showcase, hosted within the picturesque cabin brewery/tasting room of Stanley Park Brewing, West End.
This was an interactive show and tell that allowed invited guests to chat with vendors and representatives engaging in one on one conversation. The goal was to learn more about tourism destinations and activities, various travel/transportation options, and unique accommodations. We were given passports and tasked with stopping at each table/booth in order to collect stickers to fill its pages. Doing so earned an entry and a chance to win a trip to Colorado, for a first hand experience with a lot of what we discussed today.
As guests trickled in and stations were set up we were invited to partake in some of the beverages available from the Stanley Park Brewing’s bar. Not just their beers on tap, but wines, spirits, and bespoke cocktails inspired by Colorado.
The welcome cocktail was “Lavender Skies”, a gin spritz with sparkling soda, orange, and spices; inspired by the purple wild flowers found in the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. This was a refreshing beverage to accompany the small bites being passed around.
Cripsy coconut shrimp in a zesty garlic aioli, Moroccan chicken that reminded me of a curry satay, and herb rubbed steak bites that was a little on the tough side.
For something more substantial, the room seemed to really enjoy the taco station where we could build our own, choosing from either shredded chicken, juicy shrimp, or smoked tofu. You pick your protein then layer on top of it as much cheese, shredded lettuce, salsa, guacamole, etc of your choosing. We would nibble and sip on the above as we enjoyed the live musician singing bluesy takes on mid-west inspired country balads.
The brewery also hosted a beer flight tasting, showcasing their post popular brews. There were tasters of their Park session lager, a German style lager. And Parklandia, a Hazy IPA that counters the typical hoppiness of an IPA by adding fruitiness to bring down its bitterness.
When time we were all invited to take a seat and take in a recap presentation of all Colorado has to offer.
In truth, I knew little about the state going in. All I do know was from the cartoon series, South Park. So was surprised and delighted to learn how similar our Province is to this State. British Columbia is as diverse as Colorado with nature, wildlife, and scenery being a highlight. We both have snow capped mountains, world recognized ski resorts, dry desserts, warm wine country, an appreciation of craft breweries, and all the sports and opportunities afforded by 4 seasons.
The following is a handful of takeaways I took from my conversations and the PowerPoint played.
Tourism of Colorado has a great interest in the Canadian market, as the second largest travel destination between the two. Speaking with the vendors tonight, many of them found BC with its greenery more familiar and soothing compared to the industrial concrete of Toronto, their first Canadian stop.
Colorado is the Gateway to the west, a varied state with agriculture plains and the highest mountains. They are home to four national parks, which includes canyons, boreal and temperate forests, glossy lakes, and even sand dunes (which we don’t have). Their ten scenic railroads are also popular sights as the state is founded on silver and gold mining.
Colorado is known for skiing thanks to Aspen, however they actually see more visits during the other seasons. September and October are recommeded as the best times, with similar foliage and landscape to BC, but with their own Western flair. And soon they will be flying non-stop to Denver from seven stops, including Vancouver.
My guest announced that he had a softsport for the Denver International airport and found it the most visually impressive airport he has visited. It is the 6th businest in whole world, the 3rd in US, and travel from Denver to Canada has increased by 10% from 2023 to 2024. There is service to all twelve airports in Colorado, and the room was suprised to learn that there were that many.
We heard of their six Michelin star restaurants, due large in part to how they spearheaded the farm to table movement. There is much pride in sourcing locally and eatting their own food. Apparently green chilli peppers are very popular and their peaches better than Georgia’s.
Here, I learned the term “liquid arts” as they recalled their 400 breweries, 140 wineries, and 100 distilleries.
Fort Collins is actually the beer capital of Colorado with 75% of all Colorado beers coming out from the smaller city, with a population of 170,000. They are also at the lowest elevation and advertised as a great first stop on your visit as you acclimate to the higher altitude of the State overall.
Aside from the old wild protected river that cannot be developedc they are also known for their shoe school that was founded by a costume designer of Cirque du Soleil, and Disneyland’s Main Street was modelled after their downtown.
When in Colorado, as eluded to earlier, train travel is recommended as a way to take in the diverse landscape. Like BC, they too have the Rocky Mountaineer operating. This is a premium travel experience where railcars have over sized windows, reclining seats, and plenty to space to stand up and move about. There is even a place to stick your head out and enjoy the fresh air.
Travel is a set pacakge, two days on the rail for two start at $5,000. Food and drink are all inclusive with premium spirit options served by professional hosts. There is even the ability to upgrade with additional access to their lounge car and additional drinks that are also all included. This makes them fairly popular for celebrating milestones with. There isn’t any entertainment on the train per se, but the hosts do do some storytelling and the expectation is that you are enjoying the rolling view and your party’s company.
The train only travels by day, eight hours at a time. The one in Colorado starts in Dever with an overnight stop in Glenwood Springs, where hotel accommodations are arranged as part of the package. An overnight stay or extended days is possible, before concluding in Moab in Utah.
Alamosa is South Central Colorado, it is almost in New Mexico and it shows in their artitecture, art, and cuisine. It is a cultural destination with the largest high Alpine Valley Dessert. Here the tallest sand dunes in North America live, with snow capped mountains in the background. During the warmer weather the snow melts and it creates a creek that runs into the dessert valley.
This sand is similar to the sand found in Mars and many researchers travel to study it. Therefore it is well preserved. There are no motorized vehicles like dune buggies allowed, making them an ideal international dark sky park, with star gazing domes to come in 2025.
From desert sands to snowy slopes. Snowmass is their ski resort with 3,000 full time residents. They are connected to Aspen, much like Whistler and Blackcomb, where Snowmass is the latter. They advertise four mountains on one lift ticket, and two separate towns. They are especially proud of their non-lift lines with two skiers per acre.
And much like with Whistler, there are also activities to engage in during summer, when the snow melts. The 50th anniversary of their Ballon festival is this year. There are around 40 hot air balloons, far less than other such festivals, but it feels more fulsome given their narrow valley. There are also western rodeos and concert series to draw in guests. Not to mention when you see photos of Colorado it is typically of their famed Maroon Bell mountains, as the most photographed.
If looking for an authentic western experience, Durango has authentically Old West Heritage. It has been the backdrop of many Western Films, including the most recent Kevin Costner Horizon one.
The presentation ended with Denver, the mile high city. The city at the base of the Rocky Mountains with culture and access to nature. This is where the most celebrated stage is located: the Red Rock Amphitheatre. The city also boasts a variety of stadiums to house their plethora of sports teams, including their new, soon to be women’s professional soccer team.
In closing, this was a great way to learn more about Colorado, and I hope I win the prize to be able to visit in person and write more about this amazing State. This is despite the political termoil currently happening in the US. I prefer to focus on the silver lining here.
Stanley Park Brewing
8901 Stanley Park Dr, Vancouver, BC V6G 3E2
(604) 681-0460
stanleyparkbrewing.com
