Little Hiccups

Saturday, 20 January 2024

Chautauqua Park Bears 2024

Boulder's bears are back!

Well, not the real bears - they're most likely hibernating right now - but the colorful bears that call Chautauqua Park home each Winter are back!

This Winter season fifteen colorful bear sculptures can be found dotted around Boulder's Chautauqua Park as part of the Art in the Park event. Each bear has been painted by a different artist and despite starting from the same blank canvas no two bears are alike.

Let's take a look...

Spookadelia: Doubt's Echo

Winter is in full swing here in Colorado with lots of snow and grey days. You know what grey snowy days need? Color! Lots of color!

And do I have a lot of color for you today!

At the end of Winter Break we visited Spectra Art Space in Denver to check out the immersive, and incredibly colorful, exhibition Spookadelia: Doubt's Echo.

As you can probably guess from the name, Spookadelia is actually Spectra's annual Halloween exhibition, but as luck would have it this popular exhibition runs through the end of February. So, if you're like me and you can't get enough of spooky vibes and all the color then this is the exhibition for you!

Let's go check it out...

Ice Castles 2023/24

Ice Castles are back baby!

Everyone's favorite Winter wonderland is back for another season in Colorado after a two year hiatus. This year, Ice Castles make the teeny tiny mining town of Cripple Creek, two hours south of Denver, their home. A new location, but with all the same wonder and jaw dropping beauty that makes Ice Castles simply magical.

We recently visited and I'm so excited to share it all with you today. Read on for lots of pics (you know I always go a little overboard with the photos!) and some handy tips for visiting...

Holiday Events Still On in Denver

Christmas may be over for another year, but the holiday magic is still in full swing in Colorado!

If you're looking to fill Winter Break with a little more holiday cheer this is the post for you. I've compiled all of our favorite holiday events that are still happening in and around Denver below. I've sorted them by close date to make it easier to prioritize which events to check off your list first.

Let's take a look...

Experience Gift Ideas for Colorado Families

Christmas is just a few days away! Eek... how did that happen?

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? If you're anything like me, then there's a good chance you're not even half way through! But with only a few days left it's time to get shopping and put those presents under the tree.

The biggest reason I tend to put off Christmas shopping until the last minute is because I never know what to buy for anyone. The kids usually come up with lists that they curate throughout the year, but for many others on my gift list it's not so easy. It becomes extra complicated when they have limited space, live far away (shipping gifts can be costly) or there isn't anything they really need or want.

Gifting experiences to the rescue!

I've been a big fan of gifting experiences for a long time. Living on the opposite side of the world to friends and family long term makes shipping gifts pricey, and sometimes there are strict limitations on what can and can't be sent. Gifting experiences means no shipping costs and you can even leave it the last minute thanks to the internet. I mean, it's always nice to have something wrapped under the tree, but if you're a last minute gift shopper like me, email makes things so much easier.

If you're in Colorado (or have someone on your gift list in Colorado) I've got you sorted with a list of my favorite gift experiences this holiday season.

These are all family friendly options, but great for anyone on your list. I've broken the list into 3 categories:

Museums, Zoos & Gardens

Colorado Railroad Museum

Denver Botanic Gardens

Denver Children's Museum

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Denver Selfie Museum

Denver Zoo

Meow Wolf Convergence Station

Museum of Illusions

Adventures & Play

Elitch Gardens