Author Archives: Craig
January: Colorado Place of the Month »
Posted on December 31, 2012Mt. Princeton, CO:
Nestled at the base of fourteen thousand peaks, Mt. Princeton is one of the most scenic and secluded destinations in Colorado. Although not officially a town, Mt. Princeton is neighborhood of privately owned cabins and a hot springs resort. The resort offers room rentals at its lodge, or more remote cabins that take a bit more effort to access. The mineral-water pools bubble alongside chalk creek, aptly named for its proximity to the famous chalk cliffs on the south side of Mt. Princeton itself. The 103 degree hot spring waters flow from the ground into a large, lap-style pool which is accompanied by a cool-down pool. Smaller soaking pools are available, but the traditional way to bathe is to make your own pool of rocks in the chalk creek where the hot water runs into the melt water. Information on the resort including rental rates, services, and special event offerings can be found at www.mtprinceton.com. 
Mt. Princeton is nearest the towns of Buena Vista and Salida, about a two hour drive from Denver or four hours from Grand Junction. Chaffee County is in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, containing the majestic Sawach range.
If luxury travel is not your cup of tea, or rather hot chocolate, then try camping! Yes, it may be January but that is no reason to give in to the snow fall. Only a few miles west of the hot springs are three forest service campgrounds that are accessible year-round. Information on the San Isabel National Forest is available from the U.S. Forest Service; www.fs.usda.gov/psicc. Backpacking is also a great outlet for taking advantage of what the area has to offer. The Colorado trail runs through the area and is the perfect excuse for taking a day hike. Being located in a National Forest, Mt. Princeton is an area suitable for snowmobiling, but many locals prefer snow shoes or cross country skis. For a more touristy approach to vacation, Monarch Mountain ski resort is a short drive to the south.
A Tragically Interrupted Adventure »
Posted on July 24, 2012In the summer of 2008, Alex and I left Denver for a long planned adventure to California and the Northwest. Our planned route was to take us West on I-70 across Utah and then cut our way northwest to Yosemite national Park. This first part of our adventure was to camp and backpack in the wilderness areas of this great land. From there we were scheduled to drive to Sacramento for a lecture I was giving before heading up the coast of Northern California and Oregon. After arriving at the destination point of Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition, we planned on heading back east along the Columbia River and their famous passageway. It was an opportunity to explore new mountain areas, see the spectacular northwest coast and complete our three year tracing of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Starting out on our first day, we had made our way across the continental divide and were starting our journey across the solitude and vast beauty of the Southern Utah desert. We were just west of Green River, Utah, and nearly out of cell phone range, when I received a tragic phone call. Pulling over at the Ghost Rock senic view area, which overlooks spectacular canyons and gorges, a friend shared that two young children from my son’s school and my place of employment as the school counselor were killed early that morning in a bizarre accident on the Oregon coast.
Quietly, Alex listened as I talked and then shared the news with him. I immediately felt the need to go back home and help with the needed trauma counseling. At the same time, I was torn with my desire to be with my son and to move ahead on this great adventure. Every father faces times in his work life where he is torn between the needs of his family and the needs of his career. Having known and loved Sam and Grace, this decision which I had to make to go on a greater significance and emotional weight.
Fortunately for me, the weight of this decision and the burden which I felt making it was lifted by my young teenage son. He simply said: “If we are going to go back, we better turn back now”. In that moment, I saw a maturity and decisiveness in him which filled me with great pride. He knew that the right thing had to be done.
Sadly, I will always remember this day and my two young friends. Yet I will also remember the growth and my son’s budding manhood. While we have yet to make it to Yosemite, we were able to rocket out to California and make that trip up the Oregon coast line. Most meaningful, we had a chance to thank the firefighters and paramedics who tried to save our friends and were able to lay down some flowers and prayers for their journey to Heaven. It was an interrupted adventure which threw us into the depths of loss and the most humble appreciation for life.
We miss you, Sam and Grace.
The Need for Speed »
Posted on September 9, 2012
Every summer, for the past 5 years, Alex and I have tried to make it out to Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado. In addition to being a race track for high speed dragsters, they offer one of the best high speed Go-Kart tracks in the metro area. Action Karting, while not inexpensive, offers a great experience every time we have go. Their 6.5 HP Go-Karts produce speeds of 55MPH on a half mile track. Nothing brings out your competitive nature like putting on a racing suit and helmet. You can almost fantasize about being a NASCAR driver!
While we discovered this sport when Alex was 13 years old, there are plenty of dads taking their younger children out. They have smaller kid’s carts and they do a great job trying to separate groups with younger kids from the teens and adults who are looking for maximum speed.
After suiting you up in a fire suit and helmet, course instructors put you through a ten-minute training on the rules of the track and how to keep yourself safe. Unfortunately for Alex, he got distracted with his buddy the first time we went and didn’t listen to the instructions about slowing down for the big turn at the far end of the track. I’ll never forget being behind him and watching him plow straight into the hay bales as he careened off the track. My terror quickly turned to relief and laughter as I saw him give the thumbs up signal. The track manager was not as enthused however as he had to drive down to get him back on the track.
This summer’s experience included Alex and his Uncle John. You’ll get a kick out of John’s dress shoes having just run over from the office. It was also our first use of the GoPro camera for track racing. Unfortunately I had forgotten to charge the battery pack so it didn’t produce any footage but we still got some good shots with the hand held.
You can reach the Action Karting at 303-781-4483 or on the web at http://www.actionkarting.net/. Other tracks in the Denver-metro area include: IMI Motorsports Complex, The Track at Centennial, SpeedRaceway, and Unser Racing. For more information contact Craig at craig@adventuredad.org.
The Fastest Way Down »
Posted on July 3, 2012
What takes six hours to ascend and only an hour and a half to descend? Mr. Rainer! All you have to do upon leaving Camp Muir is sit down, lean back and then pick up your feet. Your ice ax or hiking pole serves as a steering wheel and brake, and gravity is the horsepower. The only decision you have to make is if you want to start your own chute or follow in the tracks of the hikers from the day before. Glissading is the optimal way to make a speedy return to Mt. Rainiers Trial Head at Paradise. It is simple, safe when done properly, and insanely fun! The August sun melts the mountain’s top layer of snow during the day, then cold nighttime temperatures refreeze it creating an iced run of Olympic quality and magnitude. For those hikers with younger knees and ankles, you can also glissade by combining techniques of running down the mountain and sliding on your feet. That requires a lot of agility however. In either case, it’s good to have waterproof pants because once the slide has started there is no stopping to shake out your shorts. So, like a roller coaster, just sit back, strap in, keep your arms and feet tucked, and enjoy the ride!
Reviving Old Traditions »
Posted on July 3, 2012
Some of our earliest adventures involved driving up to the mountains for an afternoon of poking around old mining sites. For kids, there is nothing like 4-wheeling and then seeing old structures, finding giant pieces of mining equipment on the side of a mountain, and picking up all sorts of steel parts and gadgets. On one occasion, we came across an old miner’s tobacco pipe which was hand carved from a tree limb.
In addition to the claims dotted throughout Colorado’s mountains, we’ve also enjoyed formal tours of gold and silver mines as well as mill sites (the building where the rock was crushed and processed). While there is a cost involved for these tours, it’s always been fun to descend into dark tunnels with the notion that you are being safe and not breaking any rules. When underground you get the chance to see how the miners worked: the tools they had, the conditions they dealt with, and the potential profits they could make. The established mining museums often reveal historic photos from the mining industry that shed light on a miner’s way of life.
In the last several years, our attention has turned more to hiking and climbing. So, on last summer’s trip to Whistler, Canada, we were happily surprised to find the giant, and fully restored Britannia Mine. As we learned in the new visitor’s center, Britannia was the largest cooper producing mines in the British Commonwealth by the late 1920’s. Some 60,000 workers pulled out 650,000 tons of copper between 1904 and 1974. The tour into the mine was impressive as they demonstrated how the tools worked (the famous widow maker drill was our favorite) and what the average day was like for the miner. You really can’t imagine what dark is until you are down in the mine so learning about the advances in underground lighting tools was extremely meaningful. Also impressive were the number of buildings housing the core samples from years and years of exploration. Imagine giant straws of rock stacked next to each other and housed in sheds for assaying.
For younger children, the Britannia mine’s visitor center offered a gold panning area with water chutes allowing the kids to manipulate and play with. This was one of the most all-around comprehensive mine tours we’ve taken. The tour guides at Britannia eloquently presented memorable tidbits of history while maintaining a rustic attitude and operating machinery of the times. What’s more, the old Mill and mine shafts are used in numerous mystery movies and TV shows. We got to see a film crew preparing for a shoot while we were there. The Britannia museum has done a great job reviving mining history and the trip was a great revival of one of our old pastimes. To learn more about the Britannia mine and tours, visit their website at britanniaminemuseum.ca.
Journey to Chicago Basin »
Posted on July 3, 2012
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad passes through the heart of the San Juan mountains in southern Colorado, and they make a special stop in the middle of their trip. As you’ll see in the video, the train ride has some exciting moments twisting through deep gorges and alongside sheer drop offs. Half way to the town of Silverton (where the train stops and then heads back to Durango), the conductor stops the train, in what feels like the middle of nowhere, to drop off those who want to backpack into Chicago Basin (a large drainage area surrounded by 4 14’ers). It’s a pretty eerie feeling watching the train pull away knowing that it would be a 40 mile hike back to civilization in either direction with no cell service in case of an emergency.
Alex and I hiked the very strenuous 6 miles into the basin. The trail followed along Chicago creek and gained some 4,000 feet in elevation. Packing light, I was more than ready to eat some dehydrated food and crawl into my bivy sack not long after selecting some trees to camp by.
We spent the next two days hiking the 14’er’s. I’d start around 4:30 am with a headlamp while Alex slept in. He would catch me by 10 or so and then we’d come back down by noon so as to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms. After a particularly strenuous morning of climbing Alex decided to enjoy the cold and thrill of jumping into a high alpine lake and we both got a great laugh out of the mountain goats who followed us along the would lick the rocks any time we stopped to pee. Apparently, they like the salt left behind by the hikers.
The final thrill of the trip was heading back down to catch the early afternoon train into Silverton. A late chili lunch at one of the town’s diners was perfect for warming us up before taking the train back to Durango. While the smoke and ash can get thick at times, it’s a great ride. If you get there, don’t forget to see the museum and roundhouse back in Silverton. To get more information on the Scenic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad visit their website at durangotrain.com.
Spur of the Moment Travels: Chicago »
Posted on August 28, 2012
I recently received a piece from travel writer Karla Hudak regarding tips for traveling through the Midwest. Immediately I thought of our driving trips to St. Louis, Tennessee, and tracing the eastern portion of Lewis and Clark’s epic adventure. In particular, I remembered with great fondness Alex’s first trip to Chicago and Valparaiso, Indiana.
It started in Denver when I heard a story on NPR about the upcoming closing of Chicago’s oldest restaurant, Berghoff’s. Having eaten many a great meal there in college, I just had to make it back one final time and introduce my son to it as well. So, on a cold, wet weekend in February, Alex and I stood outside for three hours as the line to get in wrapped several city blocks for their closing Saturday night. As you can see in the picture, the wait was worth it as we settled down to plates of snitzel, potato pancakes, pasta and some Berghoff’s famous home brew for Dad.
The rest of that trip include driving along the lake shore, seeing the World War II U-Boat at the Museum of Nature and Science, walking along the shops in the miracle Mile and simply enjoying the atmosphere inside the Chicago Loop. We also worked in a tour of the Valparaiso University campus, saw the vacant lot where my fraternity once stood and enjoyed the best pizza in the world at Greeks Pizza.
As we head into fall, I thought you would enjoy her piece for making your trip a little bit easier. When it comes to eating during fall time, nothing beats the sausage, fried chicken and pie dinners at churches and VFW’s throughout the region. While I’m not convinced about Karla’s tenth point, I’ve followed most of the others. We’ve had to hide our ID’s, credit cards and cash in many strange places so maybe we will give some thought to identity theft protection. Here is her piece:
Thanks to leisure travelers choosing to make close-in trips, the tourism levels in Illinois are back to pre-recession levels for 2011, according to ChicagoTribune.com. More than 93 million people traveled to Illinois last year, which was 10 percent more than in 2010. Families living in the Midwest can enjoy a great road trip within the 12 Midwestern states for less money and hassle than traveling farther away. Make your journey more fun with these ten quick travel tips for a great road trip through the Midwest.
Get a Guidebook
Consider a guidebook like the Midwest Getaway Guide to help you plan your trip. Guidebooks have maps, festival information and ideas for day trips, weekend getaways and longer vacations. If you find yourself somewhere without Internet access or with a depleted cell phone battery, you will be glad to have physical maps nearby to rely on.
Bring a Cooler
A cooler filled with snacks and cold drinks saves you the hassle of pulling over every time someone needs to quench their thirst or fill their stomach.
Opt for Satellite Radio
Satellite radio lets you listen to your favorite radio stations wherever you go, not just in town.
Get Identity Theft Protection
Identity theft is a very real problem when people go on vacations. Make your vacation more relaxing by signing up for an identity protection program. You can actually find in-depth, background information on companies like Lifelock on Crunchbase. Lifelock monitors your identity for suspicious behavior and tracks your credit score. A program like this can definitely give you piece of mind when traveling to foreign places for the first time.
Splurge on a GPS Navigator
A GPS navigator does not just give you directions; It can also help you find restaurants and hotels or alert you if you miss an exit or turn.
Pack Lightly
Only take what you need. Bring as few shoes and clothing items as possible. Leave laptops, purses, and even wallet at home if you can. Not only do these items take up extra room, but bringing them with you means they can be stolen- along with your identity. You do not need all of your credit cards or IDs for a road trip, and you definitely should not need checks.
Be Careful Where You Surf
You may need to stop somewhere to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot during your trip, perhaps to check on a hotel reservation. Only make reservations and pay from secure sites or you may find your accounts hacked into, leaving you without any gas or food money.
Use Bank ATMs
Thieves sometimes install card readers at ATMs. Typically, ATMs inside of banks are safe. Most locations have smartphone apps that let you easily find the nearest banking center with an ATM.
Swing by Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the Midwest with a population of 2,853,114. With so many great places to visit in the Midwest, it can be challenging to pick where to go. Chicago is sure to have something for everyone, and you can find out more about what the city has to offer with Eyewitness Travel Guide– a great trip resource.
Stick to the Plan
Although you will see plenty of fun places to make unplanned stops on your road trip, resist the urge unless it is something truly special. Deviating from your plan can throw off the whole trip and add stress as you try to make up for lost time.
These ten quick travel tips for a great road trip through the Midwest should make your family’s vacation more fun and hassle-free!
Dave, The Gratitude Guy »
Posted on August 28, 2012Dave, The Gratitude Guy is on a mission. His mission is to introduce individuals and businesses to the benefits of Gratitude as the source of abundant healing, joy and prosperity. Dave decided to change his life around because he felt it was important to take action and be part of the solution. He realized that despite anything that has taken place in life so far, Dave has the ability within his heart right now to turn any circumstance around. Because the only way to bring more of what you truly want in life is by being grateful for what you already have.
Dave has been writing a Gratitude Blog in which he posts empowering gratitude thoughts of people, places, things and ideas. Visit: http://www.mygratitudelife.wordpress.com Dave’s Gratitude brochure is also available. gratitude flyer
Denver’s Second Annual ‘Whole Man Expo’ »
Posted on August 28, 2012Come Join Us! Saturday, September 8, 2012 for the second annual Whole Man Expo. Located at The Cable Center, 2000 Buchtel Blvd., Denver, CO 80210, the WME will explore enlightened masculinity through dynamic presentations to honor and celebrate men’s goodness. The event is not limited to men, but open to all families. Pre-registration is required and can be done at: http://mensanthology.com/whole-man-expo/.
Download the Whole Man Expo brochure here: WME-12 Online Flyer
4 Trips Every Dad Must Take »
Posted on June 12, 2012“[By taking these trips] You’ll get to know your child in a new way,” says Christine Carter, Ph.D., director of the Greater Good Science Center’s parenting program at the University of California at Berkeley. Your kids are continually changing, be it their best friend, favorite TV show, or most enjoyable outdoor activity. Amidst all of this change, Men’s Health Magazine suggests one way to find out what ideals your kids hold true and don’t plan on changing. A simple day trip will serve to fortify the father-child bond… forever. Lila Battis has four tips of getting out. First, get in touch with nature! Activities like camping and climbing mountains are goal-oriented, team-centered, and all around enjoyable, offering plenty of one-on-one time. In Spring Hut Adventures Craig and Alex showshoed into a remote wilderness hut where a day’s duties include chopping adequate wood to heat the yurt for a night and collecting snow to melt for drinking water. Second is the educational experience. Learn from your kids; letting them teach you levels the playing field so you are not always the educator. Pursue one of your child’s interests; let them show off their knowledge on the subject. In Fire It Up!, Alex explains his favorite way to start a roaring fire. As a father, you need to step back and resist the urge to have things done the way you know as best. With any luck you just might learn something new (aside from things about your son or daughter). Third, a volunteer vacation is a wonderful way for kids to learn respect for others, become more empathetic and affect what they care about. Both Craig and Alex hold the environment close to their hearts and in Volunteer Adventures they work together to restore a landscape devastated by wildfire. Last but not least comes the road trip. The car trip is an American tradition that allows for plenty of close family talking time. Take a drive, but make sure to plan it with your kids, and let them share the work when on the road. This is a chance to pass on valuable lessons about cars, navigation, and travel in general. Forget about gas prices for a little while and let the odometer roll because a road trip will always turn out as an unforgettable adventure.