Artistic Abilities

Artistic Abilities: A new non-profit organization supports disabled artists


Have you heard of Artistic Abilities? The Fort Collins organization was created to support disabled artists. The mission of the non-profit organization is to support people with disabilities in finding ways to express themselves through art.

Artistic Abilities offer visual art classes through a collaborative partnership between the Department of Art at Colorado State University (CSU) and the City of Fort Collins Adaptive Recreation Opportunities program. The partnership offers valuable learning experiences for both the participating artists and for CSU Art Education students who have a unique opportunity to learn strategies for providing accommodation for individuals with a variety of challenges.

Class schedules are published in the City of Fort Collins Recreation Department's Recreator magazine.  The next classes offered are in 3-D Art and will run on Wednesdays from February 8^th through March 7^th. The class is aimed for children age 13 years and up through adults. 
Stay tuned to the Artistic Abilities website for photos of recent exhibits, volunteer opportunities, and exhibition information!

Click here for the original article about the Artistic Abilities program on 8z.com.

Wahoo's Fish Taco in Fort Collins

Wahoo's Fish Taco in Fort Collins has been beckoning me since its grand opening on October 8th, 2011. The baja-sytle fish place with a California feel nestled in to the quickly growing plaza along Harmony Road, west of I-25. My family and I were on the south end of Fort Collins around dinner time and were rattling off a list of places we might want to eat. We decided to try somewhere new since our city has so many great options, and my wife and I simultaneously suggested Wahoo's. The kids weren't too excited when we told them wahoo is fish, but they would be in for a pleasant surprise.

As we walked in the door we saw a sign which stated that on Thursdays kids eat free. It just so happened that we walked in on Thursday. Even better, not just one but TWO kids eat free for each adult meal ordered from choices #2-#12 on the menu. What made our kids happy was that Wahoo's offers more than just meat from the sea. My six-year-old daughter opted for the chicken nuggets and fries, while my two-year-old son chose a cheese quesadilla with black beans and rice. My wife ordered up a salmon sandwich and I got the blackened fish bowl which has plenty of kick!. As good fortune was still on our side, we also managed to stumble in during "happy-hour" so we scored a free serving of chips and salsa for the table. All of us enjoyed our food immensely, particularly my wife and I. We kept commenting on the freshness of the food, the spice and flavor, and the good combination of textures and ingredients. The price was nice too, since we fed all four of us including a soda for my wife and a beer for me and the total was right at $20.

Wahoo's offers local brews such New Belgium and Odell, along with a variety of others beers and non-alcoholic drinks. Their menu spans the realm of "bowl" dishes, tacos, enchiladas, sandwiches, and burritos. The atmosphere is fun with a bicycle hanging from the rafters, snowboards and skateboards screwed to the walls, and stickers everywhere. If you don't have kids and don't like noise you way want to avoid Thursday evenings, but if you are looking to eat out and feed your munchkins for free, Thursday from 4pm to close is the time to try Wahoo's.

Wahoo's
2310 East Harmony Road
Fort Collins, CO 80528

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Greeley Stampede 2011

The Greeley Stampede is all about Colorado and American traditions. My family and I paid the Stampede a visit on June 30th and braved the rain as we made our way across the parking areas and into the arena. We grabbed a few hotdogs and chips before settling into our seats and found some dry cover once inside. My kids, who normally scarf down hotdogs like there is no tomorrow, were immediately mesmerized when the first cowboy came flying out of the gates, clinging for life to a horse that wanted nothing to do with its rider. The hotdogs went cold.




The rodeo was broken up into various events and presentations throughout and each was entertaining. The crowd was lively and energetic as well. I almost felt like I was at Coors Field rooting on the Colorado Rockies baseball team.


Finally the kids ate their dogs, and started asking for cotton candy which they later received. The stampede was complete with carnival rides and all the other goodies you'd except such as funnel cake, oversize corndogs, and candy apples.



Tickets are anywhere from $6 to $29 depending on the events to want to experience, and your age. You can find all the info you need at www.greeleystampede.org


Enjoy Fort Collins!
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Devil's Backbone Round 2

Normally I wouldn't want to make two posts in a row about the same location, but since I just made another ride at Devil's Backbone, I thought I would give an update about how I almost went home with a mouth full of rocks.

I met up with two of the guys I rode with two weeks ago and we started from the same Devil's Backbone trailhead just off Highway 34 heading west from Loveland. My lungs burned after the first couple of short uphill climbs, but I'm still getting reconditioned and learning to ride at altitude. We continued on a little further than our previous ride and I found myself walking the bike a little more than last time. It may sound like an excuse, but I had just spent the weekend in Albuquerque, NM and drove home the night before. I was already pretty tired before the ride.

We got as far as we wanted to go and the sun was setting over the always-gorgeous Rocky Mountains. My shoulders were sore from the previous day's drive and from the bike ride up, so I was in a bit of a hurry on the way down. The trail gets very rigorous with sharp slabs of broken stone, blind corners, slick rocks, and so on. Before I knew it I felt my rear tire come off the ground as my front tire locked itself in a dip between a pair of large red rocks buried firmly in the ground. My instinct was to apply the brakes but once the front tire is stuck, brakes are slightly redundant.

As my face approached the jagged ground in front of me I had the wherewithal to remember I was wearing a BMX/Skateboard style helmet which has a lot of protection around the back of the head. I looked quickly to my left and rolled my right shoulder down bracing myself to take the tumble and "save face". Somehow I forced my center of gravity backward in the process which slowed the momentum of the fall and I hit the ground somewhat gingerly. My new Trek Mamba came away with minor scrapes and the right brake lever was slightly spun. My right ankle took a little bite from the teeth on the chainring, but all in all I was very pleased considering the potential ramifications of such a challenging bike trail.

Let this little story be a reminder that, especially when riding on dirt trails, always wear a helmet. I also had on gloves which saved my palms and knuckles from tweezing out cactus thorns and crushed rock. Furthermore, when you don't feel up to par, maybe you should save the tougher trails for another day.

Be safe, and Enjoy Fort Collins!
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Biking Devil's Backbone

It's been years since I've done any serious mountain biking. Even living in Fort Collins where a plethora of fantastic trails are just minutes away, I have only peddled my two wheels on pavement. Then, about a month ago, a friend told me he was shopping for a new mountain bike and wanted to start trail riding regularly. My mountain bike recently was converted to a commuter, so I told him I couldn't come along. However, the temptation was too great so I buckled down and purchased a Trek Mamba from Lee's Cyclery in Fort Collins.

Since the purchase I have taken the bike out to three different trails: Pineridge (at Dixon Reservoir), Coyote Ridge, and most recently Devil's Backbone. I met at the Devil's Backbone trailhead with a few folks who attend my church and the five of us headed out together. I had hiked Devil's Backbone before on foot, but this was my first time on bike. The trail started out very moderate with just a couple quick climbs but after a short while things got more technical and challenging. All five of us ended up off our bikes a few times to walk them through spots where the rocks and ledges were just too high to ride over on the way up (we were able to jump them on the way down).

The trail was in great condition and dry the whole way. Even still, Devil's Backbone is not one I would consider a beginner's trail by any means. Two of the riders from our group popped tubes and had to fix their rear tires out in the field. Furthermore, a couple technical turns on the way back down the trail were so close to steep ledges that if you are not familiar with controlling your balance at high speeds on loose and sharp rocks that you could end up with a quick trip to the emergency room or worse yet, the morgue. I'm not trying to sensationalize the experience here, just providing a reminder that Colorado is wild and dangerous and you need to be safe and know your limits to avoid a tragedy. Case in point - the photo below shows the rattlesnake we found right on the trail.



Devil's Backbone is probably my favorite of the three trails I've ridden so far, partly because of the technical challenge but also because of the outstanding scenery. All throughout the trail there are overlooks and mountain vistas. We made our ride in the evening so the sunset going down west of the foothills was superb. I certainly recommend the trail to anyone willing to bring a patch kit, extra tube, and a pump!

Bryan ~ EnjoyFortCollins.com