If you’re intrigued by science & techie stuff — weather, electromagnetism, atomic clocks, and the like — then This Tour’s for You!

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly known as the National Bureau of Standards) offers public, guided tours lasting about 2 hours on Thursdays at 1 PM (except for federal holidays).

Learn about:
Lasers, optical fibers, superconducting integrated circuits, atomic clocks, cryogenics, electromagnetic interference, telecommunications technology

Most importantly, perhaps you can find the answers to questions that have surely haunted you:

Why do we need leap seconds?
What is the origin of hours, minutes and seconds?
What is the law on time zones?

I know I’ve always wanted to understand these things better.  I certainly don’t want to get a ticket for illegal use of time zones.

Tours begin in the lobby of Building 1 (the building with the flagpole in front).  Visitors see a cryogenics demonstration and the atomic clock.  Tours are free, but U.S. citizens must make reservations at least one week in advance; foreign visitors must register two weeks in advance.  Reservations may be made by calling (303) 497-5507.   No self-guided tours are allowed.

Now that spring is trying to be here, our thoughts turn to getting outdoors and enjoying the warm (?) weather!  What better way than on a bike!

Derailer Bicycle Collective is a communal, volunteer-run bike shop.  This isn’t your normal bike shop, however.  Here, you can borrow tools (for free) and obtain free parts (frames, pedals, handlebars, cranks, tires, tubes, patches, bottom brackets, derailleurs, brakes, reflectors, accessories, and most any other part imaginable…), work with a knowledgeable volunteer to learn how to fix your own bike, rent a bike for free, or build yourself a bike from the frame up with a little help and at no cost to you!

Why do they offer this?  The folks at Derailer believe that…

 ”…bicycles are the most affordable, sustainable, efficient, healthy, environmentally friendly, FUN, and liberating form of transportation and recreation.”

Do you agree & want to help this volunteer organization?  Here are a few things they could use:

• any bike tools
• metric box wrenches (esp. 10 & 15mm)
• crescent wrenches
• office supplies
• lighting equipment (bulbs, lamps, etc)
• rubber cement
• patches
• kerosene (or other degreasers/solvents)
• 20” tubes, tires and wheels
• tubes and tires, all sizes
• wheels, 24” or smaller
• alloy wheels, all sizes
• 700c wheels
• grease
• kids bikes
• floor pumps
• bike locks (keys or combos)
• helmets
• quality components
• bike stands
• portable storage (sheds, etc)
• grinder
• conduit bender
• oxyacetylene welder and/or T.I.G. welder
• Dremmel tool
• bi-lingual bicycle books, resources and volunteers!

So, as soon as this snow melts off the bike paths, let’s get out for a spin.

Derailer Bicycle Collective is located at 411 Lipan St. in Denver.
email:  derailerbicyclecollective@yahoo.com
(303) 893-0305

We’d like to invite you to join us on Saturday, March 15 at 2:00 PM for a Pennies for Peace Walk.

Meet at the Tennis Courts at Baldridge Park (Rio Grande Ave., just south of the MAC)

Walk with us to the Peace Pole at the Ute Museum
 
Please come support & celebrate the accomplishments of our Montrose youth in this program to promote peace -
One School at a Time.
 
Join students, teachers, and community members who have been helping build schools in remote mountain regions of Central Asia - One Penny at a Time.
 
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You may have read about some of the “Pennies for Peace” activities in Montrose.  If not, here are some links to articles in the Montrose Daily Press:

Look for the article/photo about halfway down the page:
http://ee.montrosepress.com/content/e-edition/2008/02/24/C2.pdf
 
Front-page story:
http://ee.montrosepress.com/content/e-edition/2008/03/07/A1.pdf

February 16, 2008 - 10 AM to 9 PM  and
February 17, 2008 - 10 AM to 6 PM

The new Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum will be celebrating a grand opening weekend, and we’re all invited!

The event will include several free events which are open to the public.

Saturday, Feb. 16
10 AM - Ribbon cutting - a puja (blessing ceremony) will also take place

2 PM - Ed Bernbaum, author of the award-winning Sacred Mountains of the World, will speak about mountain culture and sacred mountains

4 PM - Jake Norton, photographer, guide, and member of the Mallory and Irvine Research Expeditions, will speak about “Culture and Change in Mountaineering”

7 PM - Lynn Hill (The best rock climber in the world - IMHO - and my hero!!) will speak about “Free Climbing the Nose”

Sunday, Feb. 17
11am - Tonya Riggs, member of the Peace Climb 2006, will speak about her expeditions

2pm - Kelly Cordes, strict adherent to light weight alpinism, will speak about “Trying, Falling, and Sometimes Succeeding”

The museum is located within the American Mountaineering Center at 710 10th St.,  in Golden.

January 31 and February 1, 2008 

Rock ’n Roll meets Ice Carving — and the results are going to be a blast!

The Rock on Ice team is comprised of six world champion and certified ice carvers who thrill audiences by creating beautiful ice sculptures in only minutes with rock n’ roll music as the backdrop.

On Thursday and Friday, stroll around the base area during the day to watch ice carving demos.  Then, starting at 6 PM on Thursday, watch out!  “Dueling Chainsaws” features carvers and their chainsaws with just 20 minutes each to create a work of ice art.  The audience gets to decide who wins the dueling event.

On Friday at 6 PM, be entertained by the Rock on Ice finale, with a high-energy show of ice carving choreographed to rock ‘n roll.

Stick around for après ski and tubing after the lifts close each afternoon.  Prior to the evening shows, autograph sessions will take place where kids can have their names carved into a block of ice.

For more details, see the Rock on Ice web page.

Sounds way cool, doesn’t it?

January 15 @ 7 PM (Colorado Springs)
January 16 @ 7:30 PM (Boulder)
January 17 @ 7:30 PM (Evergreen)
January 18 @ 7 PM (Montrose)

If you’re tired of hearing all the gloom and doom about terrible things happening in the world, and need something to boost your hopes for the new year of 2008, make it a point to come hear about what Greg Mortenson has been doing since 1993 to promote peace in the very troubled regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan by building schools — over 60 schools so far.

Tom Brokaw had this to say about Mortenson’s story, told in the book “Three Cups of Tea”:

“Three Cups of Tea is one of the most remarkable adventure stories of our time. Greg Mortenson’s dangerous and difficult quest to build schools in the wildest parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan is not only a thrilling read, it’s proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world.”

Congresswoman Mary Bono (R-CA) said:

“I’ve learned more from Greg Mortenson about the causes of terrorism than I did during all our briefings on Capitol Hill. He is a true hero, whose creativity, courage, and compassion exemplify the true ideals of the American spirit.”

Greg will be speaking at 3 Front Range locations in January 2008, and a representative of Central Asia Institute (CAI), his non-profit organization, will be telling his story in Montrose as well.  Please visit our calendar for more details on each event (free tickets are required in advance for several) and links to more details.

We predict that Greg Mortenson may someday earn a Nobel Peace prize.  We also predict that you’ll come away from one of these presentations (or from reading his book) feeling truly inspired about what can be done by even just one person.

It inspired us so much that we’ve worked to organize a program locally, sponsored by Altrusa of Montrose, including a kick-off to a “Pennies for Peace” drive in some of our schools and local organizations.

Use this link to order “Three Cups of Tea” from Amazon, and a small amount of the proceeds of the sale will go to CAI. 

P.S.  I just discovered an excellent source of current information about Greg Mortenson — a Blog from Central Asia Institute.  It’s filled with news articles, videos, interviews, and more.

December 15 and 16, 2007 

When you were a kid, remember playing with a LEGO set?  Remember building a rectangular box and calling it a house, then feeling so proud when you managed to build a funny-looking stack that represented a person? 

How about the first time you saw a really incredible LEGO creation that made your efforts look totally lame?

In my case, I simply gave up.  However, there are people out there — adults! — who recognized a challenge and turned their LEGO skills into a true art.   They’ve even formed organizations, and the one I want to tell you about today is known as CoWLUG — Colorado/Wyoming LEGO Users Group.

In September, these creative folks set up a large scale LEGO town over a two-day period at the Colorado Mills mall.   That was such a bit hit with local shoppers that they’re going to do it again on December 15 and 16.

If you can get there early on the 15th, you’ll have the best opportunity to watch these LEGO artists actually set up their amazing display.  Once the town is up and running — yes, there are moving objects as part of the display — members of CoWLUG will be available to answer questions.

Photos are encouraged, and if you get inspired to try your creative hand with LEGO bricks, the LEGO Outlet store is right there in the mall, ready and waiting to fulfill your dreams!

For a taste of what’s in store for you (wow!), take a look at this video from the September event.   From Ghost Busters to trains, tanks to farms, ambulances & paramedics to Godzilla-like creatures, this town had it all!

If you love skiing and snowboarding, here’s a combo that’ll probably get you drooling!

Volunteer to work at an upcoming race or other competition being held at Winter Park.

a)  You’ll get to watch the competition up close and personal while you work.

b)  You receive a free day pass for the day you are working, so once the event is finished, you can hit the slopes.

c)  For every 4 hours you work as a volunteer, you ALSO get a free, full-day lift ticket which you can use for yourself or give to a friend.  There is no limit to the total number of free lift tickets you can earn, so the more you volunteer, the more you ride for free.

As you can imagine, volunteer spots are limited, and some events are already filled.  Read more about the volunteer system on this Winter Park volunteer page, where you’ll also find contact information and a list of the 2007/2008 Winter season events needing volunteers.

Daylight savings time is gone for a while, the days are shorter and the nights longer, and lots of holidays are coming.  Aha!    Let’s light up the evenings with some
Lights!  Parades!  Action!

So, if you enjoy pretty lights and love a parade, these next couple of months should keep you very, very happy.  Here are some light parades you may enjoy:

Lights of December Parade (Boulder)
December 1, 2007 at 6 PM - downtown Boulder
The parade begins and ends at 15th and Pearl, winding around downtown Boulder.

Christmas Parade of Lights (Cañon City)
December 1, 2007
Contact the Chamber of Commerce at 719-275-2331 for details.

Festival of Lights (Colorado Springs)
December 1, 2007 at 5:50 PM - downtown Colorado Springs
(corner of Tejon and St Vrain Street, moving south on Tejon to Vermijo Avenue, turning west to Cascade Avenue, then north to Kiowa Street)
The events include cultural and artistic programs, performances and other festivities.

Parade of Lights (Delta)
December 7, 2007 from 6 to 7 PM
Grand Marshall Santa Claus (the REAL Santa) leads the parade down Main Street from 9th to 3rd. Each year, dozens and dozens of floats compete for prizes and YOUR affection.  After the parade, Santa greets all the children at the Wells Fargo Bank lobby, at 5th and Main.

Parade of Lights (Denver)
November 30 at 8 PM, and December 1 at 6 PM - Downtown Denver
(starts in front of Civic Center Park and the City & County Building on Bannock Street at 14th Avenue)
Spectator viewing for the Parade is free all along the two-mile route.  Marching Bands, Floats, giant balloons, horse-drawn carriages, and numerous performers will keep the crowds oooh-ing and aaah-ing.

Catch the Glow Holiday Celebration & Parade (Estes Park)
November 23, 2007 at 5:30 PM - along Elkhorn Avenue
Theme floats from across America, storybook figures, angels, snowmen, marching bands, entertainers, wildlife characters, the Colorado Crush Arena Football League team will be represented … and Santa ends the parade.  Other events start at noon, including visits with Santa, pony rides, hay rides and adorable walking characters along Elkhorn Avenue.

Parade of Lights (Grand Junction)
December 1, 2007 at 5 PM - Main Street, Downtown Grand Junction, from 9th St. to 2nd St.
Christmas Past, Present, and Future - Watch over 100 floats light up the night on seven blocks of Main Street. 

Country Christmas/Parade of Lights (Holyoke)
December 3, 2007
Holiday kick-off with stores open offering discounts, a parade of lights, soup supper, carolers, hot apple cider, Mr. & Mrs. Santa pictures, free movie, hayrides, and much more.

Hometown Holiday Parade (Longmont)
December 8, 2007 at 5 PM - Main Street
Enjoy 70 parade entries of lights, music and parade action.

Parade of Lights (Lyons) 
December 1, 2007 - 6:30 PM - Parade starts at Main Street and Broadway
7:15 PM - Live music and entertainment - Raul Vasquez Community Stage - Sandstone Park 4th & Broadway
7:45 PM - Fireworks (west of main street) Viewable from Sandstone Park.
8:00 PM - Awards ceremony at the Raul Vasquez Community Stage - Sandstone Park 4th & Broadway

Pueblo Parade of Lights (Pueblo)
November 24, 2007 at 5:30 PM
100 floats, bands, animals, vehicles and individual walkers traverse the 1.2 mile parade route from the Mesa Junction, down Union Avenue and Court Street to Pueblo Bank & Trust for the award ceremony and cider and cookies.  Fireworks, Music and Festive Fun!

Lighting of Christmas Mountain USA (Salida)
December 23, 2007 - Historic Downtown Salida
Come enjoy the festivities, refreshments, decorations, parade and Santa.  Parade of Lights Theme is Christmas through the eyes of a child. 

Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade (Winter Park)
December 24, 2007 at 5:30 PM - Base of Winter Park Resort
The event begins with Christmas carols around the bonfire at the base of Winter Park Resort, next to the Zephyr Lift.  At 5:30 PM, a procession of torch-bearing skiers begin their way down Lower Hughes trail, followed by Santa Claus and his helpers.  A fireworks display and snowcats adorned with Christmas colors light up the slopes in a Christmas tree formation to conclude the festivities. 

November 25 - December 15, 2007

Free.  Totally, absolutely free.  Nothing to buy, no sales pitches to sit through; just ski or ride for FREE.

“Ski Free” is back, and it’s for real!  Here’s the blurb on the Crested Butte Mountain Resort site if you don’t believe it.

 See you on the slopes at Crested Butte!

Wow — Free!

Just added to our main Colorado-for-Free website:  a new Colorado Videos page featuring several online Videos related to — you guessed it — free stuff in Colorado.

Initially we’re experimenting with finding a few good videos and showing them on our site.  We’ll swap them out frequently so you can view new videos when you return to the page.  As we change the embedded videos, we’ll keep links to the old ones so you can still find them.

Have you found a good video depicting free things to see and do in Colorado?  Let us know about it — we may add it to our collection! 

GO ROCKIES!

I shouldn’t tell you this since it may lower my chances of winning, but there are 2 sweepstakes on the official Colorado Rockies site to win free tickets to the World Series.  Click on “Sweepstakes” in the left-hand column to get to both entry forms.  Be sure to read the official entry rules for each drawing, since they limit how often you can enter during different date periods, and each drawing has different rules.

Coming up next:  we’re on the lookout for free pre-game parties, after-game parties, during-the-game parties, rallies, parades, post-World Series Rockies celebration parties
(GO ROCKIES!) or anything else related to our Colorado Rockies Baseball team.  Drop us an email if you know of something FREE happening to celebrate our team going to its first World Series.