Best Place to Take the Plunge 2024 | Portal Thermaculture | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Place to Take the Plunge

Portal Thermaculture

"People who are new to thermaculture might mistake what we're doing for a spa, but it's really not. What we are offering is connection," says Rory MacMurdo, who co-founded Portal Thermaculture with Will Dresher. The pop-up includes two Scandinavian saunas, three cold-plunge pools and a unique social environment, since it's located on the back patio of Sanitas Brewing Company. Along with the saunas and pools, you'll find a seating area with lockers and three curtained changing stalls. And after you've taken the plunge? How does a nice, cold beer sound?

3550 Frontier Avenue, Boulder
720-925-2246
portalthermaculture.com

Best Place to Catch a Buzz

Capella Ranch

The Peterson family came up with a honey of an idea when they decided to create an apiary, or collection of beehives, on their ranch in Lafayette. In countries like Germany and Slovenia, inhaling the aerosol created by bees in an apiary is an authorized treatment for respiratory diseases, but in the United States, Capella Ranch became just the third spot in the country to offer the experience when it opened. Just finishing its second season, it's created quite a buzz; clients hang in one of four custom-built huts complete with hives, where they're lulled by the sound and scent of the bees. "I'm going to be out here all summer, talking to people and enjoying them and hearing their stories," says Carolyn Peterson, matriarch of the Peterson family."They're going to come stressed out, and then they're going to leave relaxed."

9774 Phillips Road, Lafayette
303-249-2666
capellaranch.com

Best Place to Put Air in Your Tires

Conoco

Getting a flat can make your mood deflate just as much as your tire has. But the Conoco on Sixth Avenue is always there to pump you up, literally and figuratively. The centrally located station offers free air, and with the setup's long hoses, it's easy to reach any wheel. Plus, there's enough pressure that your tire will be refilled almost instantly. In fact, the shop recommends that you use a tire pressure gauge to be sure you don't over-inflate your tires. The friendly staff will loan you one; just walk in and ask!

2300 East 6th Avenue
303-377-5545

Best Catalytic Converter Safeguard

Lockdown: Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority DIY Etching Kit

To deter would-be thieves, you can request a free, easy-to-install CatETCH catalytic converter etching label from the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority. The adhesive label has a unique number that is heat- and tamper-proof, and should discourage scofflaws. If they snag it anyway, the label's number is in the national law enforcement database, which assists authorities in apprehending the culprit. Check the "events" tab on the Lockdown site to find the next etching kit pickup dates.

lockdownyourcar.org

Best Podcast

Driving You Crazy!

Denver7's Jayson Luber is the dean of Denver traffic reporters, known for clear, concise highway counsel that's saved locals untold hours of their lives. His many years of expertise are on full display throughout Driving You Crazy!, a podcast that provides even more insights to commuters trying to get from point A to point B as efficiently as possible. Recent episodes have explored the metro area's worst intersections, offered a dozen predictions for electric vehicles, and explained why LED traffic signals have typically had trouble in snowstorms and what's being done to address the problem. With Driving You Crazy!, it's green lights all the way.

drivingyoucrazy.podbean.com

Best Weathercaster

Chris Bianchi, 9News

Chris Bianchi is a proud weather nerd who loves to explore the whys, whens and wheres of storms on 9News and social media — and his attention to detail pays off. A former Westword contributor, he's become Denver's most accurate predictor of precipitation events, and his mastery of X keeps followers abreast of the latest developments, be they systems that look like potential city-stoppers but fizzle out early, or mega-blizzards that live up to the hype. Those who leave home without checking out Bianchi's advice first deserve what they get.

twitter.com/BianchiWeather

Best Talk-Radio Show

The Jeff and Bill Show

Radio programs in which partners with conflicting worldviews verbally joust have a high degree of difficulty, since what starts out as an honest disagreement can devolve into empty shtick. But so far, The Jeff and Bill Show, which debuted in February, is striking the right balance. Jeff Hunt, the former executive director of the Centennial Institute, a branch of Colorado Christian University, is a self-described MAGA lover who's able to explain why people of faith tend to overlook the personal foibles of one Donald J. Trump. In contrast, Bill Thorpe, a radio veteran and longtime producer for legendary yakker Peter Boyles, is stubbornly independent — meaning that he's ready, willing and able to call BS on ideologues of every stripe. Together, they're a potent pair with plenty of potential.

710knus.com

Best Sports Talk-Radio Show

Kreckman and Lindahl
Altitude Sports Radio

The rough patch recently hit by longtime Denver sports-radio leader 104.3/The Fan has resulted in many listeners discovering the afternoon-drive program on Altitude Sports Radio, which teams Nate Kreckman and Andy Lindahl. But these two are hardly novices at the microphone. Kreckman earned consecutive Best of Denver awards in 2013 and 2014 for shows on what was then known as ESPN Denver 102.3, while Lindahl has been a key voice on area stations such as KOA and the late, unlamented Orange & Blue 760 for decades. The partners are a great match: Kreckman's boisterous snark and Lindahl's proclivity for inspired crankiness make for a wonderfully entertaining blend.

altitudesportsradio.com

Best Storyteller

Kevin Beaty

Once a very part-time videographer for Westword, Kevin Beaty has really hit his stride as a full-time reporter at Denverite, where he uses his expansive skill set — writing, photography, sound, data-digging and, yes, video — to share stories around the city. His pieces have depth and empathy, and they never fail to impress. "I'm always thinking of creative ways to put you in someone else's shoes, even for just a moment," he says. And he succeeds.

kevinjbeaty.com

Best Political Social Media Presence

Governor Jared Polis

Colorado's governor has well over 800,000 followers spread across his numerous social media accounts, and for good reason; Between announcements of state policies and elections, Jared Polis's posts are frequently entertaining, providing an endearingly cringey look at the state's highest elected official. Polis was worth the follow this year, from his lyric-filled fan letter to Taylor Swift to his infamous viral performance of "Feliz Navidad" to his recent Dune-inspired advertisement of Colorado's Great Sand Dunes with "no giant sandworms, unlike Arrakis!"

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