It’s the Eve of Thanksgiving, and seems as if the holidays started even earlier this year, doesn’t it?

If you live in the Denver metro area and haven’t started to take a look at the holiday schedule, it’s best to plan ahead and keep from missing out on the best attractions.

This year visitors to the Denver Downtown area will have a new free public ice arena to enjoy – it’s the Southwest Rink at Skyline Park in the 16th Street Mall vicinity, and Arapahoe.  Of course Boulder residents have known now for several winters how much fun a trip to the local ice rink is just off of Pearl Street.

And coming up soon, is Denver’s Parade of Lights – it’s always the first weekend after Thanksgiving.  The themed parade is free to watch along the route, or you can purchase tickets for the grandstands by the City and Capitol buildings.  People from across the state visit to kick of their holiday spirit.

This year popular Denver venues will also be exhibiting their light displays for the holidays including The Botanic Garden’s Blossoms of Light, The Denver Zoo’s Zoo Lights, and the Butterfly Pavilion’s Living Lights.

So just remember that there is a lot more to the holidays than bumper to bumper shopping center parking lot traffic and be sure that you stop and enjoy the Holiday spirit this year!

Like the Colorado weather which can change in just a couple hours, the demographics of Colorado can vary just as dramatically when embarking on a couple hour drive across the state.

There are a lot of reasons to relocate to Colorado.  Some prefer the dryer climate.  Others are seeking the 300+ days of sunshine each year.  Some come for retirement, some for adventure; others relocate because of a job transfer.

If the location of your Colorado relocation is flexible you have a great decision to consider – will it be the city or the country?

If you crave the conveniences of nearby shopping and schools, and particularly if you have a young family communities including Highlands Ranch, Parker, and Castle Rock are popular choices.

But when it comes down to it, if the country is calling for you there are plenty of options near and far from the Denver metro area.

Just west of Denver, if you prefer the foothills and don’t mind the colder winters, a few places to check out include Bailey, Conifer, Evergreen and parts of Golden and Morrison.  Best of all these communities are still within commuting distance for those who are willing to trade a drive down to Denver for the beautiful scenery and overlook of the foothills.

But if you’re still preferring to be a little further out Colorado won’t disappoint you.  Popular communities further away from Denver include Estes Park and Red Feather Lakes to the north of the state.

And if you choose to be even further away you just may like the western slope.  Grand Junction is the largest town on the western slope and is the nearest city to many who live within the smaller Western slope ag-communities including Delta, Olathe and Montrose.

Of course if you take the Colorado road less traveled there are several small communities nestled across Colorado, in the plains or in the mountains that just might be what you’re looking for!