Happy Colorado Day! Dip Into John Hickenlooper's Bucket List

In recent decades, this state has been the focus of numerous doomsday predictions that Colorado -- if not the world itself -- was in imminent danger of disappearing. The most recent furor involves the Mayan calendar's prediction that the world will end on December 21, 2012 -- a prediction debunked...

By Patricia Calhoun

August 1, 2016

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Happy Colorado Day! On August 1, 1876, Colorado became the 38th state of the union. In honor of the occasion, there will be celebrations across Colorado today — including a free day at History Colorado featuring performing pigs as well as a ceremony at the State Capitol complete with a demonstration of square dancing, Colorado's official dance.

To observe this august day, we're regifting John Hickenlooper's bucket list, with fifteen Colorado activities that he first packaged up for us four years ago. They all still sound mighty tempting.

Governor John Hickenlooper's Bucket List

15. Gorge on corn at the Olathe Sweet Corn Festival.

14. Ride the historic Kit Carson County Carousel in Burlington.

13. Try a pint at a brewery in Fort Collins, Durango, Denver, Colorado Springs and everywhere in between.

12. Enjoy a summer show at the Creede Repertory Theatre.

11. Meditate at Naropa University in Boulder.

10. Hike to Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon.

9. Eat a peach (or a pie) at the Palisade Peach Festival.

8. Celebrate the banjo — and other fine instruments — at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

Keep reading for seven more items on Hickenlooper's bucket list.
7. Hike a fourteener, or two or more. Colorado has lots to choose from.

6. Eat some snake at the Buckhorn Exchange, Denver's oldest restaurant.

5. Trade my pint glass for a wine glass and visit one of the many wineries near Grand Junction.
4. Spend Halloween night at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park.

3. Walk the route of Christo's "Over the River" at the Arkansas River.

2. Visit the historic railroad roundhouse in the small town of Como.

1. Ski during the summer at Arapahoe Basin.

See the slide show of John Hickenlooper's bucket list here.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

Contact: Patricia Calhoun

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