Tourism cheerleaders on Tuesday tipped their hats to a handful of leaders who captain Colorado’s 138,000 workers in the leisure and hospitality industry.
They were gleaned from hundreds of nominations and were part of a Tuesday rally for Colorado Tourism Day at the state Capitol, a sort of summer season kick-off to accompany the May 5-13 National Tourism Week.
The Denver Post spoke with six of these “tourism frontline workers” and asked them about their favorite places and experiences in Colorado, as well as what their ideal day here would be like.
• Steve Weil is president of Rockmount Ranch Wear, Denver’s pearl-snapped institution founded by Steve’s grandfather in 1946.
His favorite place? “Indoors, at my desk in the 103-year-old Rockmount Building. Outdoors, anywhere near Lift 9 at Vail.”
• Dava Parr owns the Fresh and Wyld Farmhouse Inn in Paonia, a farm, B&B and eatery that revolves around local food. Tim Wolfe, vice chairman of the Colorado Tourism Office Board, called Parr “a true ambassador for agritourism.”
Ideal day: “It starts at Fresh and Wyld Farmhouse Inn … a top-notch organic, ample breakfast with local bacon from Bottom’s Up Farm, local fruit, and organic coffee and cream. I confess, it is all about the food for me.”
• Amanda Johnson-King has worked alongside her husband, Ryan, at Fort Collins’ Odell Brewing Co. for 10 years.
Best Colorado experience? “In Palisade where we embarked on a ‘cocktail float’ down the river … sipping on some canned craft brews from our friends at Ska Brewing. After the float, we headed to the Hippie Chicks organic hop farm, where we get hops for our Mountain Standard. We had some barbecue, threw the football and toasted our farming friends before heading to Peach Street Distillers for a nightcap. We ended the day sleeping in between the rows of hops underneath a million stars.”
• Paul Zaenger is supervisory park ranger at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
Best Colorado experience? “A backpacking trip a few years ago in the Weminuche Wilderness near Silverton. The rain, the snow, the great sunshine and wildflowers all made the hike incredible. Most important, though, were the majestic peaks of the Grenadier Range and Elk Canyon. I’ll never forget that trip, as long as I live.”
• Mark Schumacher owns Three Rivers Resort and Outfitting in Almont, where the East and Taylor rivers meet to form the Gunnison River.
Ideal day? “A clear, crisp mountain morning that heats up fast with some recreation on either a river or lake. Rafting or kayaking the Taylor River, fishing the Gunnison River, happy hour and dinner around a campfire.”
• Mike Brumbaugh runs Venture Sports in Avon, renting skis and bikes to visitors.
Ideal day? “Working through the morning rush of rentals, skiing a handful of spring runs on Grouse Mountain at Beaver Creek, then polishing off the day with a 25-mile road-bike ride home to Eagle. Where else can you ski corn in the morning and ride on uncrowded roads in the afternoon?”
