Best Insight Into What Makes Carmelo Tick 2005 | Carmelo Anthony: It's Just the Beginning Greg Brown | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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The Nuggets' barely sophomore star has endured plenty of hardships -- and we're not just talking about the All-Star Game snub. Melo's life gets a frank examination in Carmelo Anthony: It's Just the Beginning, a 48-page hardcover authored by sportswriter Greg Brown, who has also profiled the lives of Vince Carter and Dan Marino. "I lived in depressed places, and I've felt depression," Carmelo told Brown. "My biggest goal growing up was surviving." With the addition of a new coach and gal pal LaLa, it seems that Melo may be moving ahead.

A simian sprint in which participants were encouraged to dress like apes? Only in our animal-lovin' urban jungle. For a $150 registration fee, participants in the Denver Gorilla Run received their own gorilla suit and the chance to roam five miles through the heart of downtown Denver. Climbing high-rises was optional, but for hairy fun, this was the one. All proceeds from the run went to the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund. The second edition -- with a sliding fee scale -- is set to escape on October 22. Start stocking up on bananas: This race has appeal.


A simian sprint in which participants were encouraged to dress like apes? Only in our animal-lovin' urban jungle. For a $150 registration fee, participants in the Denver Gorilla Run received their own gorilla suit and the chance to roam five miles through the heart of downtown Denver. Climbing high-rises was optional, but for hairy fun, this was the one. All proceeds from the run went to the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund. The second edition -- with a sliding fee scale -- is set to escape on October 22. Start stocking up on bananas: This race has appeal.

Denver has greatly expanded its off-leash options for canine lovers in the past year, but Greenway Park wins high marks for security, cleanliness and doggie good vibes. Amenities include several hydrants, plenty of plastic bags and shaded benches, but it's the community feeling of the place that makes it work. It's a great place for residents to become neighbors.


Denver has greatly expanded its off-leash options for canine lovers in the past year, but Greenway Park wins high marks for security, cleanliness and doggie good vibes. Amenities include several hydrants, plenty of plastic bags and shaded benches, but it's the community feeling of the place that makes it work. It's a great place for residents to become neighbors.

Giving of your time is hard; so is finding enough time to work out. The Colorado Humane Society has the perfect solution: Walk a dog. Or two, or three. With no training, a volunteer family, classroom or scout troop can pop by the CHS any time and take a frisky Fido out for a frolic. Everyone wins: The dogs calm down -- and perhaps get adopted -- and their walkers get exercise, too. The shelter logged just shy of 1,000 dog walks between April and December last year. These dogs are made for walking.


Giving of your time is hard; so is finding enough time to work out. The Colorado Humane Society has the perfect solution: Walk a dog. Or two, or three. With no training, a volunteer family, classroom or scout troop can pop by the CHS any time and take a frisky Fido out for a frolic. Everyone wins: The dogs calm down -- and perhaps get adopted -- and their walkers get exercise, too. The shelter logged just shy of 1,000 dog walks between April and December last year. These dogs are made for walking.

Best Gymnastics/ Equine Sport You've Never Heard Of

Vaulting

What, you thought vaulting was a gymnastics event? Well, hold your horses: It's an equine sport, too. Combining single-rider and team displays of acrobatic moves with horseback riding, the ancient sport of vaulting has an unusually strong hold on the state of Colorado, which is home to eight of the fewer than 100 clubs that promote this old-world sport nationwide. What's more, the 2005 National Vaulting Championships are scheduled for this August in Denver.

Best Gymnastics/ Equine Sport You've Never Heard Of

Vaulting

What, you thought vaulting was a gymnastics event? Well, hold your horses: It's an equine sport, too. Combining single-rider and team displays of acrobatic moves with horseback riding, the ancient sport of vaulting has an unusually strong hold on the state of Colorado, which is home to eight of the fewer than 100 clubs that promote this old-world sport nationwide. What's more, the 2005 National Vaulting Championships are scheduled for this August in Denver.

Rocky Mountain Audio Guides, which produced a CD titled Walking Tour of Denver's Historic Lower Downtown in 2003, expanded its reach last year with a cell-phone hookup. Founder Barb Rigel's idea was to have folks who might want to tune into the cityscape dial a number, enter a credit-card number (for $15), and then listen for up to eighty minutes as a recorded expert tells them where to go in LoDo. While the CDs are still available at places such as the Tattered Cover, Rigel hopes this will allow folks to get even fresher insights on places such as Skyline Park. Good call!


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