From Colorado to California, the West is the place to catch the first rays of spring sunshine this weekend. Whether you’re on a mountain bike in Colorado Springs, the golf course at your resort digs in New Mexico, or the snowy slopes of a volcano in the Sierra-Nevadas, one thing is certain: staying indoors is so last month.
By Chase Scheinbaum, Nicholas Ayala, and Tara House
Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, March 6
Colorado Springs, Colorado
This weekend is your chance to see the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour — a premier venue for films focusing on adventure, outdoor sports, travel, and cultural explorations of far-flung places and far-out people. The elegant Stargazers Theater and Event Center, a concert-style hall, is an appropriately dramatic setting for footage from the film festival’s dramatic natural scenery. Your ticket to this multi-destination expedition is a mere $15.
This weekend’s crisp 50-degree weather is a fantastic time to hop on a mountain bike. Palmer Park, a 2,000-acre park in the city is home to a dizzying amount of highly varied single-track (think rolling beginner terrain to boulder balance-beams and other techie stuff).
For diehards who think that anything warmer than 50 degrees is too hot for climbing, there are the ultra-classic sandstone fins at Garden of the Gods. The climbing here is mostly traditional, on improbable rock formations in one of the most gorgeous settings in the country. See a map, extensive route information, and photos here.
Travel and Accommodations
With evening temps hovering around freezing, it’s also a great excuse for a night under the stars. Garden of the Gods Campground will give you a slice of this incredible country to call your own for just $26 per night.
Fly direct to Colorado Springs, or make the drive from Denver in just over an hour. Colorado Springs lies on I-25, just a short jog south of Denver. From many points east and west, taking I-70 to Denver first is your ticket to a perfect weekend.
National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show, March 5-7
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Escape the cold and snow for a weekend of spice and sun at the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show at the Sandia Resort & Casino in Albuquerque. Now in its 22nd year, this show boasts more than 200 exhibitor booths offering samples and products to give your food a kick.
When you’re not perusing the aisles at this annual event, take advantage of the venue’s on-site golf course and casino when the Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show is closed to the public. After you’ve spent a weekend golfing in the sun, eating spicy food and gambling big, be sure to wind down with a trip to the Green Reed Spa for a hot river-stone massage.
Of course, no weekend getaway is complete without great food. Enjoy fine dining at Bien Shur at the resort with some buffalo tenderloin or venture into town for some Strauss Farms grass-fed veal scallopine at the Artichoke Café.
If you’re looking to enjoy some time outside the resort, stop by Balloon Fiesta Park, home to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, to stroll or bike through the 360-acre park. For more of a challenge, take on the Sandia Mountains — conveniently located right outside the door. Hiking info can be found here.
Event hours for the general public at the Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show are 4 PM to 7 PM Friday, 11 AM to 7 PM Saturday and 11 AM to 6 PM Sunday. Buy tickets at the door for $15 or save five bucks by purchasing tickets online in advance here.
For more information, visit the Fiery Foods & Barbecue website.
Travel and Accommodations
To be at the center of it all, stay at the Sandia Resort & Hotel and receive special rates when you mention the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show. Other nearby hotels also offer special rates if you mention the show. With the Sandia Resort & Casino being a short drive away, fly to the Albuquerque International Sunport.
Winter Camping and Snow Travel Skills Weekend, March 5-7
Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
Feel like camping out in the snow for two days? If you’re up for the challenge, join the Outdoor Adventure Club in the heart of California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park for an educational two-day, one-night camping trip in the great, and frigid, outdoors.
The trip includes camping in the snow on Saturday night with the option of sleeping in a snow cave or in an expedition tent rated for winter use, followed by a day-long hike on Sunday through the frosty mountain tops of the park. Meals will be provided throughout the journey, as well as winter-ready tents and group cooking gear.
All hikers and participants will be led by a professional guide and member of the American Mountain Guides Association. Topics and skills to be covered on the trip include secrets to staying warm at night, building a winter camp, cooking in the snow, and avalanche awareness.
Travel and Accommodation
Lassen Volcanic National Park is about a four-hour drive from Reno, Nevada. Fly into Reno-Tahoe International Airport, and rent a car. The park is located about 30 miles east of California’s I-5.
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June 11th, 2010 at 5:08 am
Myself and 2 other friends are coming over from the UK for a mountainbiking adventure. We hope to hit the west coast early march when the weathers nice and cool and then stick around until summer and hit the surf as it heats up a bit. Great info, I will be checking back here when we finalise our plans.
Thanks,
Will
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July 7th, 2010 at 7:19 am
Man, I miss Colorado. I grew up in Colorado Springs and moved to Italy when I was 20. Alps around here are incredible, but nothing comes close to Colorado mountains. Hope to go back for a visit soon. Thanks for a good read.
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July 12th, 2010 at 1:07 am
Would love to camp out in Lassen National Park. Sleeping in a snow cave sounds awesome!
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August 4th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Fantastic, I would love to experience some of that outdoor fun!
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