Amanda Hendershot

It is already the time of year to start planning for fall and winter holidays! For those of you with students on the Douglas County track system, I know planning ahead is a must. The annual Craft show hosted by the Highlands Ranch Homeowners Association is the perfect place for unique gifts, jewelry, decor and maybe a tasty treat. This year there will be over 100 vendors.

Free Admission!

October 11th from 9am until 5pm

October 12th from 11am until 4pm

Located in the Eastridge Rec Center 9568 University Blvd.
Highlands Ranch, CO 80126

Go to www.hrcaonline.org for more information and vendor list!

Take this rare opportunity to see 4 beautiful custom homes, priced from $2,370,000 to $2,950,000.

They will be open on Saturday October 11th from noon until 4p.m. Enter via the main gate on Happy Canyon Road, just west of I-25. Stop at the sales center for a map and gate pass.

While it is famous for its private golf course visited by the pro tour annually, there is much more to Castle Pines Village. Along with the area's most picturesque residential setting, Castle Pines Village offers tennis, swimming, and fitness facilities, as well as an extensive network of hiking, biking and nature trails. There is shopping nearby and a handful of lovely restarants. There are resale homes for sale now as well, with prices going up towards 3.5 million.

Search for homes in Castle Pines

As thousands put on their tennis shoes, I will "sleep in for the cure"! As the Denver, Colorado race has gotten so big that I don't feel up to the crowds, I have found an alternative. Donate and cheer from the finish line, or couch, or coffee shop... On Sunday October 5th, over 60,000 people will leave the Pepsi center for the 5k trek. Whereever you are wear your pink, and say a prayer for the thousands of women fighting this disease. We have made great accomplishments in early detection and the cure. So far this year they have raised over $750,000! That is only 40% of their goal. Please go to www.komendenver.org and donate what you can.

Fund free mamograms by clicking everyday.

I have lost a dear aunt, my dad's little sister Kathy. Every October we are reminded how a young woman of 40 can lose to this. Her own daughter has now been fighting it at the age of 27! I never thought someone younger than me could have it. Take care of the ladies you love.

It's that time of year again, fall. The nights are cool, the leaves are changing, pumpkins are ripe! The kids are also starting to decide on their Halloween Costumes. Have a little extra fun by attending a fall festival. Many of the pumpkin patches and corn mazes have hay rides, farmers markets and treats. The list of these are endless, so I will attach a link to view many of the larger ones.

List of Pumpkin Patches and corn mazes

The Colorado Wine Industry is busy this time of year for the crush. Take a tour of front range wineries, or western slope vineyards.

http://coloradowinecountrytours.com does many package deals on different areas of the state.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture, Colorado State University and the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board are partnering with the Colorado Tourism Office to host a Culinary & Agritourism Mini Conference as part of the Governor's 2007 Colorado Tourism Conference.

Culinary and Agritourism Mini Conference
October 9-10, 2007
Grand Junction, CO

The registration fee is $135 for Tuesday night and Wednesday or $220 for the mini-conference and the entire Governor's Tourism Conference, Oct. 10-12, 2007. Click Here to register.

I Recently hiked an area my dad took me as a child. Just a short drive from the southwest denver metro area is the Pike National Forest. Camping and motorcycle trails are most popular here. But one trail where motor vehicles are not allowed is the Devils Head Lookout Tower.

Devils Head Lookout Trail can be reached by traveling approximately ten miles west of Sedalia on Highway 67 to the Rampart Range Road. Turn left (south) on the Rampart Range Road for approximately eight and one-half miles to the trailhead. This last part is a bumpy dirt road.

The area is beautiful, scattered with rock out croppings. The leaves are just starting to change, as this is a little lower elevation. The Tower at the top of the 45 - 60 minute hike is open from May to October, when it is staffed for fire lookout. It is only 1.4 miles from the parking lot, but ascends 950 feet. There are 30 - 40 lightning strikes visible from here each summer. At the top you can decide if you are brave enough to climb the steep stairs to the top. The 360* views are worth a little vertigo. On clear days mountain peaks are visible 100 miles away.

Click To Search for homes in this area!