How to: Have a labor free three day weekend

The first long weekend of the school year is upon us. Don’t waste it watching made-for-TV movies and mindlessly clicking through your friends’ profile pictures. Get up and get going with some of the special activities a holiday weekend has to offer.

How do you feel about hiking, cooking over the fire and sleeping under the stars? When the weather is perfect and the leaves start turning red and gold, there is no better place to be than out in nature. The best part, though, is that it’s cheap. Rocky Mountain National Park (http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm) is only an hour and a half’s drive from Boulder. The park has tons to offer, including fishing, hiking, climbing and mountain biking. Not to mention scenic landscapes that will take your breath away. 

Be sure to take advantage of the cooler weather and the changing leaves this weekend by trekking along some of Chautauqua Park’s amazing trails too.

Just kickin' it with some hacky sack outside your dorm or house is also a possibility. (CU Independent file/Emily Haag)

Music festivals are cropping up all over the Rockies to celebrate the coming of fall. The Labor Day Weekend Party at Vail (www.vailjazz.org )—also known as the Vail Jazz Party—is a five day, four night festival of classic jazz featuring over 30 different artists. During the weekend, the resort will also have culinary events and duck races. 

And of course there’s always great hiking this time of year. While it technically may not be “ski season,” ski resorts all over Colorado are offering activities throughout the weekend.

This is probably the last weekend for swimming at the Boulder Res. Grab some friends and a few cold ones and head over to the beach for a day or two of boating, swimming, beach volleyball and tanning.

Another great use of the long weekend is a good, old-fashioned road trip.

Angelica Fadrowski, a 22-year-old graduate student, is driving all the way to Salt Lake City. Her advice for what to bring if you decide to take on such an endeavor? “Lots of car snacks,” Fadrowski said.

For more road trip ideas see “Labor Day road trip essentials.”

Of course, for less work than a road trip you could easily visit Denver. The city has been blessed with what is sure to be an epic three-day Phish show in Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Aside from Elitch Garden, Rockies’ games, and rooftop drinking and dining, downtown Denver is putting on the 27th annual A Taste of Colorado (http://www.atasteofcolorado.com/). Join fellow Coloradans for a sampling of food, music, art, games, and performances.

For students already caught in the grind of homework, essays and studying who might not be able to travel too far, they may still find the time to visit Boulder Creek Hometown Fair, running Saturday through Monday down in Central Park. They’ll have great food, Boulder beer and live music.

Contact CU Independent Writer Natalie Proulx at [email protected]