Steve Scheer - Denver Real Estate - Highlands Ranch Real Estate

Steve Scheer, RE/MAX Masters, Inc.
Denver Area Real Estate
www.stevescheer.com

Where should I camp in Colorado?

So you live in the Denver area, or perhaps you just moved here or are about to. And you want to experience the great outdoors - after all, the proximity of the Denver area to the vast selection of outdoor activities is almost endless. And even now in the early spring, it is not too early to start planning them, especially if you want to go camping. I do receive a lot of inquiries from clients that have relocated to the Denver area about where to go camping. These inquiries come from all types, adventurous, first timers, some wanting the experience to the nth degree, others wanting to get outside and feel like they are camping but still want some walls around them.

My intention is to highlight different ones to give you a taste of what is out there for all different types of campers.

We'll start with my entire family's all time favorite.

Turquoise Lake

Turquoise Lake is located just past the quaint town of Leadville, Colorado. Now the thing about Leadville is, its up there. As in, altitude. 10,000 feet. So what does that mean? It gets cold. Really cold, even in the summer. But I am telling you, its is so beautiful that it is so worth it. Think drinking hot cocoa in the morning beside a campfire with mittens on, cold, in August. But with a little preparing you will be just fine. And the day warms up just fine.

There are a variety of different options at Turquoise Lake. A great place to check out what's available here (and other state owned camp sites in Colorado) is at reserveusa.com . Just search for Turquoise Lake and you should find the 4 campsites available - Molly Brown, May Queen, Father Dyer, and Baby Doe. My own family prefers the experience of tent camping, however there are sites here for pop-ups and full campers as well. I can't stress this enough, this is one popular place, especially on the weekend. Make a reservation, you really have to for a weekend. You can make a reservation here. There are times during the week that it is quieter and you most likely could arrive more last minute and there are a few first come first serve sites, but I wouldn't recommend it - its better to just make the reservation and know you are set. But I have seen it empty out a bit on Sunday afternoon and the Monday and Tuesdays have been light and quiet.

The sites are set up in a fashion that you are not really on top of your neighbors. I think it is one of the better thought out sites, and well maintained, as far as persoanl space & overall quality of the campground. You will will see that the campground has restrooms and running water available. Some people prefer the full camping experience of roughing it, I have found though that many appreciate having a few modern conveniences, especially if they are new to camping.

So lets talk about the lake itself. From most of the sites, the lake is accessible by a short 4 or 5 minute walk on a dirt trail. The times that we have been, the fishing has been great and it has been a good experience for first time fisher-kids. Some boats are allowed on the lake, (however I have never seen very many at once) or you can fish from the rocky shore. If you want to bring a boat, you need to check on requirements, if there are any.

So back to the cold. Make sure you pack to stay warm. Especially if you have little ones. My own preference for Turquoise Lake is July. I have found early June or late August and September can be pretty darn cold. In fact one year we did have some snow flakes for a little bit in August!

As you head out of town, save a little time to explore the town of Leadville. There are some great finds of restaurants and shops. Its worth the visit, and after camping for a few days, everyone is sure to want a meal with a roof over their head!

All in all, a great time. If you a first time camper, please remember that this is the Colorado outdoors. Do the appropriate necessary research to know what is and is not appropriate while enjoying our beautiful state. A lot of it is common sense but for a first timer, its important to know. Make sure you store food & trash appropriately, this is bear country. I have never personally seen one or seen traces while camping but it does happen. You also must discuss campground safety with children, do not let them wander and make sure they understand the dangers of a campfire and wildlife. Speaking of campfires, make sure you are up to date on local burn bans. It is not uncommon during a dry summer to have some campgrounds, counties, parks etc. to have burn bans. As for fishing, everyone over the age of 16 must have a valid fishing licence. They are inexpensive and available at many retailers and even on-line.

I have found that the trip to Turquoise Lake from the Denver area is approximately 2 1/2 - 3 hours. I vary the statement because it can vary greatly depending on traffic. If you are heading up on a Friday, down on a Sunday, or there is construction, it could be a little longer.

Happy Camping!

Relcoating to the Denver Area? Search the Denver MLS today & have new Denver real estate listings emailed to you daily!

Steve Scheer, RE/MAX Masters, Inc.
Denver Area Real Estate
www.stevescheer.com

Redstone Park has many great offerings for its residents and visitors

Another high 60/low 70's day in March in the Denver area. So, it was only 2 months ago that the streets were buried in snow, we were house bound and the deep freeze was upon us. But here is the spring that Coloradans love and expect. So what would you do if you lived in Highlands Ranch on such a day? Well here's an idea -

Head to Redstone Park.

Redstone Park is located on the west side of Highlands Ranch, often referred to as Westridge. It is one of the larger parks in Highlands Ranch and its offerings and activities are almost endless. It is located at the intersections of Town Center Drive and Foothills Canyon Blvd, just east of Santa Fe Drive. It is nestled between the neighborhoods of Westridge Pointe and Highlands Ranch Golf Club.

A stocked fishing pond can begin your adventure, with a trickling stream running through it, but don't forget to pack a picnic to enjoy for later at one of the shelters or of course you can always make your own picnic spot with a blanket upon one of the many fields. You can also bring Fido on a leash, or head over to the dog park on the east side of the park (cross Foothills Canyon Blvd) to let your doggie pals romp free.

Is tennis your thing? Lighted tennis courts sit next to the Redstone tennis center where lessons will begin shortly for the spring and summer.

Have little ones in tow? They will be worn out by the end of the day by the variety of activities on the playground - between a sand play area, 3 different play structures and swings their adventures will never end. The play area is also surrounded by good size boulders, which seem to be a popular spot for the pre-school set to hop from one to the next.

Have older kiddos or feeling adventurous yourself? Bring your skateboard or trickster bike and head to the bike/skate park. This is a popular area and even if you aren't daring to try and ride yourself, its fun to stop by and see what everyone is up to.

Keep on heading to the west and you will run into the ball fields and batting cage. The ball fields are lit as well and are always hopping through the summer months. Some of the smaller fields become soccer fields in the spring and football fields in the fall - and then there are also 3 other soccer fields that run behind the homes of Westridge Pointe.

All in all, this park is full of fun for everyone. Restrooms are located in three areas (playground, tennis courts & ball fields) and parking is plentiful throughout the park. Like most park shelters in Highlands Ranch, they can be reserved for a small fee for parties and gatherings. When the parking lots are empty you are sure to find families teaching little ones the art of two-wheel biking, it has become a favorite local spot to master bike-riding

with its large flat lots.

Ready to venture further, walk to the east side of the park, head toward the golf course (cross Town Center Drive) and you will see the header trail to the Highline Canal. This leader trail trickles through the golf course and the homes in the Golf Club before meeting the main trail. Bike or walk, both are great for this trail. Oh, and the mountain views from almost anywhere in the park are phenomenal.

When you are ready to buy or sell real estate in Highlands Ranch or any other part of the Denver Area, be sure to check out my resources. If you need further information, feel free to call me anytime.

More information about Highlands Ranch, the surrounding Denver area & Real Estate Information

Douglas County Schools: Understanding the Track System
Do you really need a Buyer's Agent in Colorado
Living in Douglas County: 60 degrees in March

Steve Scheer, RE/MAX Masters, Inc.
Denver Real Estate

Tickets are now on sale for the The Denver Center for Performing Arts performance of Disney's The Little Mermaidat the Ellie Caulkins Opera house. If you have recently relocated to Colorado or have not yet been to the newly rennovated Ellie Caulkins Opera House, it is fabulous. Whether you live downtown or one of the many suburbs, it is worth making the drive into the city to see the new facility.

The performance itself is a premier event, it is actually going to first run in Denver before going to Broadway. The performances begin on July 26th and will run until September 9th, but the best seats will sell soon.

When I am not busy selling Real Estate, there is nothing I like better than finding new things to do with my family in Denver. I am quite excited about this upcoming one. The Denver Botanic Gardens is one of my favorite places in the mile-high city and the spring exhibit is going to be just fabulous.

The last week of March kicks off this grand event with David Rogers' Big Bug Exhibit. Rogers sculptures are card form wood and look fantastic. In Denver we will have a spider carved of black walnut, a 17 foot long Dragonfly from red cedar and many more. Its more than just carvings though, it's a exhibit that is educational, showing just how important insects are to plant life and the ecosystem as a whole.

Some guided tours will be available but you can just walk through the exhibit with your paid Gardens admission (members are free).

Rogers has been carving since he was 13 and began developing the Big Bugs exhibit in 1993. It first was shown in Dallas in 1994.

This exhibit is sure to bring out the ooohs and aaaahs from the whole family!

I'll be sure to update this post with photos just as soon as the exhibit opens. In the meantime, make sure you schedule some time to check it out! Hours until April 30th are 9 - 5 (daily) and beginning May 1st will be extended from 9 - 8pm Saturday through Tuesday. The Gardens are lcoated east of downtown Denver, Colorado at 1005 York Street.

Steve Scheer
www.stevescheer.com
Denver Area Real Estate, RE/Max Masters, Inc.

Often, when someone is relocating to Douglas County from outside of Colorado I will be asked, "What exactly is the track system in Douglas County schools and how does it work?" It is not the easiest thing to initially understand, but once you see how it works it will make sense.

The track system was introduced in Douglas County elementary schools during the period of tremendous growth and its purpose is to accommodate more students in less space. Many of the older neighborhoods in the Denver area have elementary schools that were built to accommodate the number of students enrolled at the time it was built and did not necessarily plan for the years ahead when neighborhoods would change and enrollment numbers would level out. This now leaves many elementary schools in other areas with empty classrooms, low enrollment numbers and unused space.

Douglas County decided not to go that route and altered the way schools were built and run in the area. The track system divides students into 4 sections, called tracks and labels them A, B, C and D. However space is built to accommodate 3 of those sections at a time. This allows each school to house about 25% more students in its facility than it would if a traditional calendar was in place. The school calendar runs year round, with the beginning of the school year typically the week after the 4^th of July and wrapping up about the 3^rd week of June. In a nutshell, each track has 9 weeks in and then 3 weeks out - with major breaks and holidays falling somewhere in between when everyone is out - adding longer breaks for those that are scheduled to be off-track. "A track" happens to be off-track right before Christmas so there is a longer break there. "B track" is off after New Years, so again the longer break. A full track calendar can be viewed here but please note that these things can and do change from year to year. Eventually when each school's enrollment levels off over time it will be able to switch to a traditional schedule without worrying about empty space.

Here are some typical questions that I hear when someone is relocating...

So what schools are on the track system? Well, that can change. According to the Douglas County School district site, currently 23 elementary schools are on the track system, 2 are a modified year round schedule and 16 are on the traditional/conventional schedule. It is always a good idea to inquire with the school district to know if your school is track or not and what the plans are for the following year. I have met some people that have made decisions on where to live based on if their school is track or not. This can be a potential mistake as schools can and sometimes do change if they are traditional or not based on current enrollment numbers. When a school first opens, especially in a new development, it may be lower in enrollment numbers and able to accommodate all students at once. But later in time as the development and enrollment grows it could change to the track system. And as things level off it can change back to a traditional schedule.

How are tracks assigned? The overall way is a lottery system during enrollment for incoming kindergartners, however each individual school may have a unique policy so it is best to contact the individual school or the school district. Students that enroll during the year or for the next school year (excluding kindergartner) are placed on a space available basis for all children in the family (keeping siblings together.) The school district web site keeps their policy on this updated as well.

Which track is best & what should I hope we get? That is really going to depend on you. I really encourage all of my clients that are moving to Douglas County, first to find out what is available, and then to really study the track calendar and make decisions that are best for your family when selecting your choices. Do you like to take a fall vacation when most children are in school? Would you like to extend Thanksgiving trips to relatives without pulling children out of class? These are really things to think about.

What options are available to kids off-track when the parents are working? There are many programs in the area to help families handle off-track times. The school district itself runs programs in the schools. Many of the local recreation centers also have day camp sessions and there are many private programs as well that cater to this need.

At this time, only the area elementary schools are considered for the track system. Middle school and high school students all attend on a traditional schedule. There are many reasons for this, the most obvious being inter-county-school interactions such as sports and other related activities.

Some new families to Douglas County do find the track system overwhelming at first. But all change takes a little time to get used to. I do find that many people like having time that the masses do not have off to enjoy a less crowded vacation or just a scheduled break when the family seems to need it most. Many other areas of the country also have some type of year round scheduled, especially where there is a lot of growth and development and even some other counties in Colorado have some schools on some type of rotating schedule. Give it time, you will love it! And remember, even changes will change eventually - it is always a good idea to double check with the school district before making any decisions.

Search Denver Homes


Steve Scheer, RE/MAX Masters, Inc.
Denver Real Estate