Colorado Springs • Fun Facts • November 24, 2019

Colorado Springs: feeding the wolves, climbing the mountain, and more

by Anali Roath

My mind is on Colorado Springs lately as I look forward to visiting my family there over Thanksgiving! Here are a few interesting Springs-related articles and activities that caught my attention recently:

Manitou Incline challenges fitness junkies — I’ve written about Manitou Incline before, but this UCHealth post dives deeper into the Incline’s “2,744 steps straight up Mount Manitou and a gain of nearly 2,000 feet of elevation in less than one mile.” The Incline also has its own website, where I learned you can buy Manitou Incline 2020 wall calendars!
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum opens in Colorado Springs in early 2020! Take a look at how construction is coming along. You can already visit the neighboring Training Center to learn how athletes prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but this new museum will be a fascinating addition to Colorado Spring’s history and tourism.
On Thanksgiving, you may or may not find me feeding wolves! The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center (technically in Divide, CO, a manageable drive from the Springs) hosts many fun activities to engage with their animals and raise funds for the Center, including a “Turkey Toss” on Thanksgiving morning. Closer to Christmas you can have breakfast burritos with the wolves (I’m not making this up) and all throughout the year you can take full moon hikes around the Center.

Can you see why I love Colorado Springs? Drop me a line if you’re buying or selling in my old stomping grounds — or just eager to visit this entertaining city!

Uncategorized • November 17, 2019

Photo time! 3 ways my new headshots represent me

by Anali Roath

I was overdue for some new professional headshots! I recently had the pleasure of working with Jen at Blue Sage Photography on a new series of photos that I simply love — not only are they professionally shot, but they are so me.

Here are 3 ways that my new photos represent me:

The photographer. When I needed new photos, I knew immediately who to reach out to — Jen also photographed my wedding! The experience I had with Jen on my wedding day made me sure that I would end up with photos that felt authentic to me. (And let’s be honest, it’s easier to smile when there’s a friendly face behind the camera!)
The look. Everything about this look, from the playful pearls to the classic blazer, is straight-up Anali. I love a timeless look, and I try to avoid anything trendy. That said, I still love a bold statement… like those whiter-than-white pants.
The smile. In the end, the most important thing about professional headshots is that they capture your own unique vibe. I can be serious when the moment calls for it, but this photo captured my more natural and joyful side.

Thanks again to Blue Sage Photography for helping me to express myself to future clients and partners.

For bonus photos from my session, visit my Facebook page.

Uncategorized • November 10, 2019

A guided wine tour in Windsor

by Anali Roath

Oh Windsor, you get me.

On Thursday, November 14th at 6:30pm, Windsor’s Toast Coffee & Wine Bar is hosting a delicious-sounding guided wine tour, pairing six wines with appetizers inspired by Thanksgiving.

Sommelier Hillary Siebels is visiting Toast for this event, which promises to be beginner-friendly — “You don’t have to know much about wine to find this experience educational & tasty.”

Tickets for this 21+ event are $35 and reservable in advance. Visit the Facebook event page for more information.

What a delightful excuse to visit downtown Windsor!

P.S. The Coloradoan has previously interviewed Hillary Siebels and other local sommeliers about “how to become a wine expert.” Fort Collins Magazine has also picked Siebels’ brain about the perfect bottle of wine to give as a gift.

Fun Facts • November 3, 2019

Earn your turkey at this unique race in Fort Collins

by Anali Roath

Image courtesy of Active.com

If you’re looking for a 5k race opportunity in northern Colorado, throw a rock and you’ll probably hit one. However, I recently stumbled across a race with a very different angle from the others — one that even I could win, if I put my mind to it. (You may already know I love a 5k, but I prefer to keep to a pace where I can still chat with my friends!)

The Turkey-Donut Predict Run, hosted by the Fort Collins Running Club, works this way: runners estimate their finishing time before the race begins, and the top 5 people who come closest to their guess (without the use of timekeeping devices!) are crowned the winners. “So just because you’re fast doesn’t mean you’ll win this one,” says Fort Collins Running Club.

The race is completely free to enter, but canned good donations are being accepted in behalf of the Food Bank for Larimer County. The food bank also benefits from the purchase of raffle entries, and considering nearly 20 local companies have supplied the giveaways, that’s an easy sell.

The Turkey-Donut Predict Run
Saturday, November 23 | Location TBD | Race begins at 9am

Go earn your turkey and benefit the Food Bank!

Uncategorized • November 1, 2019

Time For New

by Anali Roath

Here is a fact…

If you have ever thought about owning a new home, the last two months of the year are usually the best time to make that happen.

Here’s why…

Many builders have year-end goals and sales quotas to hit. If they have a “standing inventory” of homes that are completed but not sold, they are typically motivated to sell these homes by the end of the year.

This dynamic can be especially true for publicly-traded builders who are even more motivated to hit year-end sales numbers.

Up and down the Front Range there are beautiful new homes in fantastic neighborhoods. The builders of these homes may be happy to make concessions and provide incentives as long as you close by year-end.

We just recently helped a buyer with a very compelling incentive package from a builder which included a lower price, additional landscaping and window coverings.

If you would like more details about these kinds of opportunities, reach out and we can help

Fun Facts • October 27, 2019

Sign me up: Colo-Road Trips

by Anali Roath

Did you know that Colorado.com publishes “Colo-Road Trips“? These ready-made itineraries provide great information about how to string together some of Colorado’s best food, culture, history, nature and more into a memorable road trip packed with adventure and exploration.

For example, take a look at their “Days of Fun in the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area.” Per the website, “From Fort Collins to Greeley and the villages of Laporte and Windsor, this northern Colorado region is packed with expansive views, welcoming locally sourced restaurants, frontier history and much more.” I couldn’t have said it better myself — and even though Northern Colorado is my stomping grounds, I still found plenty of new-to-me spots for my to-do list. It might be time for a staycation!

Fort Collins Real Estate • Fun Facts • October 20, 2019

Halloween event round-up

by Anali Roath

Image courtesy of Visit Fort Collins

It’s difficult to believe it’s only 10 days to Halloween! Have you made your plans yet? If not, here are a few events in the Fort Collins area that have piqued my interest:

Oct 25-27, Treatsylvania: “Children ages ten years and under receive treat bags to use for trick-or-treating at the storefronts… Participants also enjoy a pumpkin patch, hayride, a “not-so-spooky” barn, refreshments, and cookies.
Oct 25-26: Holiday Twin Drive-In’s Spook-a-thon: “Side 1: Monster House, Jurassic Park, The Thing; Side 2: Ghostbusters (1984), Beetlejuice, Scream“
Oct 26, Bow Wowvania: “Bow Wowvania is a dog-friendly trick-or-treat event at The Farm. Hundreds of dogs and dog owners will take a stroll down Trick-or-Treat Street dressed in costume and eager for treats.”
Through Oct 27, Harvest Farm’s Fall Festival: Includes corn mazes, wagon rides, bonfires, pig races (?!), homemade kettle corn and more!
Oct 31 (morning), Tiny Tot Halloween: “It’s time once again for the tiny ghouls and goblins of Fort Collins to invade Old Town for a safe and family-friendly trick-or-treating experience!” (Although my tot is not so tiny anymore!)

This last one’s more of a fall celebration than a Halloween event, but I simply had to include it — it looks too fun!

Nov 7, Flourish Holiday Wreath Workshop: “Lucy [from Wild Posies] will provide professional instruction on building your own Thanksgiving wreath with fresh greenery and holiday accents.”

Fun Facts • October 13, 2019

Gold leaf and missing bells: the Colorado State Capitol Building

by Anali Roath

Photo: Scott Franz for KUNC

This week, the story that caught my eye was not about nature or food or even llamas but about architecture and history: specifically, the Colorado State Capitol Building in Denver. Radio station KUNC took a tour with guide Ellen Stanton, and I loved hearing stories about the 1,700-pound chandelier, the hidden faces in the walls, and the missing portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Tours are free — I’ll have to take my tiny human before long!

The KUNC story inspired me to dig deeper. Here are a few more points of interest that I unearthed about the Colorado State Capitol:

“The official elevation of Denver is measured on the West steps outside the building, where the fifteenth step is engraved with the words ‘One Mile Above Sea Level'”
The Capitol’s dome was not always the stunning gold it is today; the gold was added to commemorate the Colorado Gold Rush of the mid-1800s
The dome’s beautiful golden color comes from “copper panels that are gilded with gold leaf from a Colorado mine“
Following a restoration project in 2012, the dome was re-covered in gold, a project requiring “approximately 65 ounces of .9999 pure gold … at the time of donation, the estimated value of the gold, refining and transportation was $125,000”
The Capitol is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
“The inside of the building is adorned with what is believed to be the entire known supply of Colorado Rose Onyx, a rare rose marble from a quarry near Beulah, Colorado”
The grounds of the Capitol display one of 53 full-sized replicas of the Liberty Bell — each state and the District of Columbia received a bell, and the other two bells have been lost
You can request a ceremonial Colorado or U.S. flag be flown over the Capitol! The flag is later mailed to you with a certificate of authenticity

I love that you can learn so much about a building, a neighborhood or a city without ever leaving home! What would you like to learn about Colorado?

Colorado Springs • Uncategorized • October 6, 2019

Free Activities in Colorado Springs

by Anali Roath

Photo by Rick DuVal for UCHealth.

I may live and work in Fort Collins but a huge piece of my heart is in Colorado Springs, where I grew up and where much of my family still lives. I love this post from UCHealth detailing 5 free things to do in Colorado Springs — they cover Garden of the Gods, the U.S. Air Force Academy, two museums and a gorgeous arts center.

One attraction I would add to this list of free excursions is the Manitou Incline, an old cable car track they have turned into a strenuous hike, ending with a gorgeous view. According to the website, the hike gains 2,000 feet of elevation in under a mile and the grade gets as steep as 68%. Whew!

And if Manitou sounds like fun to you, there’s always Pikes Peak to scale…!

Buying • Fort Collins Real Estate • Fun Facts • September 29, 2019

Seeing a city in a new way

by Anali Roath

It isn’t too often that you see my own face on this blog! (That’s me at left, alongside my friend Hannah.) When I’m not selling homes, taking business meetings over ice cream, or sharing tips on homeownership, I am out and about in Colorado just like many of you. It is important to me to be familiar with the area so that I can tell you not only about the homes on the market, but about the lifestyle and sense of community in various areas across the state.

Luckily I have help when it comes to exploring! My husband who is always interested in checking out a new brewery, and I have a tiny human who is naturally curious about the world. (For example, he and I recently met bison up close at Terry Bison Ranch Cheyenne, Wyoming!)

One of my secrets to getting to know an area is to sign up for a race, such as a 5k. It’s great exercise, sure, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity to visit a new part of town, or even a new-to-you city. My family always looks forward to the BolderBoulder race, and over Labor Day we took on the Fortitude 10k together, which was a sweet bonding experience that also gave me an excuse to admire all of the gorgeous historic homes along my favorite street, Mountain Avenue.

This weekend, my race was the Fall Equinox 5-mile. Even though I am based in Fort Collins, this race gave me an entirely new perspective on the area as I explored the stunning Poudre River Canyon on foot. This is why many people move to Colorado: to walk or run along a wild and scenic river as the sun rises over the canyon. For homebuyers, the Colorado lifestyle can be as important as the house itself. If you’re interested in talking to an agent who is passionate about both, please reach out!