Head up the hill for the Evergreen Jazz Festival this coming weekend and you’ve a roundtrip that’s cool in every sense of the word. With gas prices sky-high, though, you’ll want to pack your day with fun side-trips, memorable moments and frequent energy-busting breaks for the kids. A backwoods route that avoids Interstate 70 and winds around scenic mountain back-roads will get you off to the right start. The jazz festival, held at the Evergreen Lake House, the Little Bear saloon, Evergreen Christian Church and the Elks Lodge Ballroom and Patio, gets going Friday around 5 p.m. and runs through Sunday evening. Find the whole schedule at evergreenjazz.org or 303-697-5467.
Getting around: Evergreen is southwest of Denver. For this trip, get yourself to U.S. 285 and head southwest. Head north on Parmalee Gulch Road through Indian Hills. At Kittredge, jump on Colorado 74 south to Evergreen.
