Comment on Eight great trips that give back

United Airlines loyalty members can now use their perks to buy tickets to Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the company said this month, reinforcing data that shows travel and tourism as vital to revenue at the city-owned venue. United’s MileagePlus members can redeem their miles for concert tickets — not all shows, of course — instead of simply sending them out of state on other flights.

North Fork ranchers move their stock between pastures in early summer, so don’t be surprised if cowboys are leading cattle drives the very same weekend local winemakers are kicking off their 2024 season with North Fork Uncorked, a series of viticultural events held June 8 to 9. Colorado’s North Fork is a federally designated American Viticultural Area (the West Elks AVA) fed by a tributary of the Gunnison River.

Early indications suggest Colorado could have a very good rafting season through spring and into the summer, especially in the northern half of the state. Predicting seasonal rafting conditions is difficult because factors besides snowpack depths always come into play, such as temperature trends, which affect the rate of runoff, as well as the amount and timing of monsoon moisture in the summer.

The time has arrived to build your summer schedule around the jazz festivals returning to the mountains. How fortunate are we to have so much natural beauty intersecting with so many people obsessed with bringing you excellent music at altitude? Boney James will perform at this summer’s Winter Park Jazz Festival.

“Employees must wash hands before returning to work.” It’s a basic concept (and one that probably shouldn’t need a bathroom-sign reminder). But at Kawa Ni, a flashy, cozy Japanese-style izakaya that opened last November, washing your hands is just the beginning. Kawa Ni is among the first – and only – restaurants in Denver with a pair of bidet toilets, one in the women’s restroom and one in the men’s.

Adventurous travelers seeking beauty and budget thrills should look no further than Guatemala: a friendly country that remains largely unexplored by many Americans, but can be reached in as little as six hours from Denver. A question I fielded several times before my late February trip: Why Guatemala? My partner and I have made a habit of planning at least one international trip each year.