Why I Love Fort Collins
Mark and I have agreed since the day we arrived that Colorado is one of the best places on Earth to live. There are so many reasons to love living in this state, I could not list them all here. But while living in Colorado Springs and visiting my brother living in Denver, I have had a chance to see what some of the more urban areas of Colorado are like. And they are nice. Colorado Springs has a lot of character, and certainly a lot more stuff than the Fort (like real malls, excellent Mexican food, tourist destinations galore, and people of different ethnicities).
But I did discover that I prefer Fort Collins. I prefer it to Boulder, Denver or the Springs. This town is really special, and a lot of that has to do with the rural feel that they have managed to keep, despite the exponential growth seen by all Front Range towns. In Fort Collins, you can find quiet natural areas all over the town. I can walk 15 minutes down the hill and be up to my knees in the cold, clear, rushing water of the Poudre river. We have an occasional bear in Old Town. At night, Mark and I fall asleep to the sounds of coyotes. And Liv has chased everything from prairie dogs to 8-point mule deer bucks in this town. In the summer, you can pass people on their horses riding into town in the evening. Gardens, farms, ranches, lakes, creeks, woods, and wildlife make up the backdrop of life here. It is a special place, and I am happier than ever to be home.
In the last two days, I have started to spend some time working on ways to align my life with the ecological evangelizing I performed while teaching my class on Climate Change. I’ve done some research into E85 conversion kits for the yellow car. I’m starting to make arrangements for our local farm food this summer. And I’m putting together a commuting bike I would like to use this summer.
Which is why I was so tickled when this New Belgium video showed up on another blog today. Look, that’s Fort Collins! Look, he’s riding a bike! Look, he’s being chased by Sean’s dogs! I love living in this town.
