Today is Colorado Day, the anniversary of our statehood.
Whether you were born and bred in Colorado or are a transplant to the state, you know you’re a true Coloradan if you:
• Still refer to Xcel Energy as “Public Service”
• Know people whose bicycles are worth more than their cars
• Associate the scent of roasting chile peppers with the end of summer
• Own a huge assortment of athletic clothing but nothing appropriate for dinner at a swanky restaurant
• Know where to find the Valley Highway and the Boulder Turnpike (U.S. 36)
• Assume that a conversation about the Triple Bypass refers to the bicycling event, not a medical procedure
• Know how longtime Denver residents pronounce these north Denver street names: Zuni, Pecos and Galapago
• Know where “Pee-eblo” is located
• Know people who pronounce “Buena” in Buena Vista as if it rhymed with either “grainy” or “tuna”
• Still refer to Whole Foods as “Alfalfa’s”
• Have seen trick-or-treaters soldiering through a Halloween snowstorm
• Never confuse Empire’s Hard Rock Cafe with the famous chain
• Have comfortably worn shorts outdoors in December or January
• Know which Colorado town competes with International Falls, Minn., for the title of “Icebox of the Nation” (Fraser)
• Automatically bring a fleece pullover or jacket on a day hike in the mountains, even when the temperature in Denver and Grand Junction is solidly in the 90s
• Watched a flick at Buena Vista’s Comanche Drive-in or Monte Vista’s Movie Manor
• Know where alligators thrive in the San Luis Valley (Colorado Gators Reptile Park, Mosca)
• Made it through a meal at Casa Bonita
• Ran (or walked) the Bolder Boulder and have the T-shirt to prove it
• Know what the Leadville Trail 100 is (an ultramarathon); extra credit if you know how many LT 100s must be completed to earn the belt buckle (10)
• Know the difference between the Front Range and the Western Slope
Compiled by Claire Martin, with help from Jamie Atlas, Peter Van Arsdale, Dana Coffield, John Ealy, Ellen Hart-Peña, John Horan and Elana Jefferson
