THE ASTOR HOUSE STORY

In 1867, when Golden served as Colorado's territorial capital, hotelkeeper Seth Lake had a vision. He'd construct a boarding house from hand-cut sandstone with 18-inch-thick walls, quarried just up the block. His pitch to weary legislators? A pest-free establishment in a town full of wooden structures—and strictly no alcohol allowed.

The Astor House quickly became the place to stay, conveniently located behind the territorial meeting hall. After Lake, Ida Goetze took over in 1892, renaming it the Boston Hotel and bringing modern amenities to Golden: reportedly the town's first bathtub (hot baths cost a quarter), piped water, gas, and possibly one of the first radios.

For over a century, the building served travelers and boarders. Then in 1972, it nearly became a parking lot. City Councilor Ruben Hartmeister sounded the alarm, sparking Golden's preservation movement. That June, 69% of Golden voters chose to save the historic structure.

After decades as a museum, the Astor House found new life as the Foothills Art Center's exhibition space. The multi million dollar renovation preserved the historic sandstone while adding modern galleries, making art freely accessible in the heart of downtown Golden. Stop by 822 12th Street to see where territorial legislators once slept—now filled with contemporary Colorado art.

FISHING REPORT

With this crazy stretch of spring-like weather we're experiencing, it felt irresponsible to not get out for a day on the water. This weekend, I packed up my gear, loaded a cooler of jerky and cold beer, and headed down to the South Platte to see what we could luck into.

The weather was gorgeous—mid-50s but a little blustery. Not the norm for this time of year, the majority of the river was fishable and not iced over. The river was running low (around 75 cfs), and even though the weather has been warm, fish seemed settled into their winter patterns—lazy and lethargic, hanging out in the slow, soft water. While I did catch a fish or two in the riffles, most were holding in the deep, slower pools.

Small bugs are the name of the game this time of year, with most of the action on a size 20 midge pattern. I went with 6x tippet, which—while a pain to tie knots with that thin of line—gives a slight advantage in low water situations.

Fish were caught, beers were enjoyed, and you can't complain about a day on the water in January that's not freezing.

THE BRIEFING

Sunrise 7:22 AM
Sunset 4:52 PM
Snow Report: 5-10” dropped Monday

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TUESDAY

Colorado Tap House, Arvada- Nomadic Fire Mobile Sauna Sessions, 5-9pm. Sweat it out

Green Mountain Brewery, Lakewood- Weekly Run Club, 6pm. Run, then beers

Buffalo Rose, Golden- Tuesday Team Trivia, 6:30-8:30pm. Claim victory

WEDNESDAY

New Terrain Brewing, Golden- Sunset Campfires w/ caramelized beer and s’mores, 5-8pm. Yum

Miners Saloon, Golden- Live music Wednesdays, 6-9pm.

Golden Public Library, Golden- Nailed It: Cupcake Decorating for Adults, 6-7pm. Register

Bentgate Mountaineering, Golden- Avy 101 & State of the Snowpack, 6pm. Safety check

Evermore Wine Bar, Evergreen- Wine, Women, & Wealth Meetup, 6:30-8pm. RSVP!

THURSDAY

Mountain Toad Brewing, Golden- Ski Tunes w/ Annex Elite Tuning, 4-8pm. Beer while you wait

Runner’s Roost, Golden- Weekly Run Club, meet at 6pm

BP Run Co, Wheat Ridge- Weekly run club, starting at 6pm. Lace ‘em up

Cactus Jack’s Saloon, Evergreen- Thank you Thursday. Locals get 10% off all day while the kitchen is open, and a great warm up for Open Mic Night 👇️ 

Cactus Jack’s Saloon, Evergreen- Almost Famous Open Mic Night, starting at 7pm

New Terrain Brewing, Golden- Music by the Mesa: Ghost Town Drifters, 6-9pm. Rocky Mountain Bluegrass

Genesse Pub, Genesee- Open Mic Night, 6-9:30pm.

Little Bear Saloon, Evergreen- Young & Dead in concert, 8-11pm. Fresh energy, old tunes

FRIDAY

Aspen Peak Cellars, Bailey- Snowshoe & Fondue, 10:30am. Get your tickets

Cheese Ranch Artisan Deli, Golden- Fondue Friday, 5pm. Yummy

The Woodcellar, Evergreen- Eric Martinez Band, 8pm. Jammy

SATURDAY

Alyth Active, Golden Parent Rub Club, 9am-10:30am. Childcare available

Snowpack Taproom, Conifer- Saturday Morning Yoga, 10-11am. Flow state

Buchanan Park Rec Center, Evergreen- Kid’s Night Out, 6-9pm. Take Over

Center for the Arts, Evergreen- Clay Date: Wheel Throwing Create & Sip, 6-8pm. Sign up

Buffalo Rose, Golden- Citizen Dan: The Definitive Steely Dan Experience, 8pm. Tix

SUNDAY

Mad Macks Brewing, Golden- Cheat Day Pot Luck, 1pm. Cravings

Mountain Toad Brewing, Golden- Board Game Night, 5pm-close. Have fun

Chatfield Farms, Littleton- Last Night for Trail of Lights! More info

MONDAY

Golden Game Guild, Golden- Teach Me to Play Mondays, 6-9pm. Learn new games

New Terrain Brewing Co, Golden- Yoga on Tap 🧘 Yoga from 6-7pm, beers anytime. Get your ticket

State School of Mines, Golden. 1861

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See you around the next bend!