Bill Strong Denver CO

Hi All,

We just got back from an 8 day river trip (go here for my for my Family Rafting Blog).  One of the people on river trip is big into yoga and had us starting our day by hiking up on top of whatever cliff was nearby and doing the below stretch.  I know this is a basic yoga stretch…and it really started the day right.

She taught us the Surya Namaskar, which she said is one of the most iconic and typical yoga exercises.   I’ve stopped all caffeine use and was amazed about how energizing it was to start the day doing the Surya Namaskar to start my day.  Here are the movements:

I’ve been starting each day doing this rotation 12 times and have really noticed a difference.

Give it a try!  If any of my readers have any other yoga suggestions, feel free to email me!

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle

William Strong, LCSW

To visit my NEW web-page, to schedule an appointment, or to email me a question, please click here:  Bill Strong, LCSW Denver Therapist.

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Hi All,

Bill Strong of Denver here!  It’s been a busy spring both professionally and recreationally  so it’s been a while since I’ve posted.  We are planning a spring full of white water rafting (go here to see my rafting blog)..but it’s going to be a short rafting season this year due to the limited snow pack.

So instead of rafting this summer (other then a spring trip down the San Juan River in Utah as well as a July trip down the Gates of Lodore), we will be doing a lot of camping throughout Colorado.  I’ll post some suggestions here and will also be blogging about all the other fun activities Denver and Colorado have to offer this summer.

Camping Ideas in Colorado:

Here are 5 nice car-camping spots in Colorado!  I’ll share more as the summer approaches.

Trappers Lake (pictured above in it’s pre-fire days).    You can’t beat the camping and fishing at Trappers Lake.  It’s a bit of a long drive from Denver (4.5 hours), but the adventure seekers will be rewarded by great views, hikes and fishing.  If you go, do the hike up the Chinese Wall or the Devils Causeway.  Great bike riding and general good times can be had.  There are plenty of campsites available so don’t worry about it.  Tenderfoots can stay at Trappers Lake Lodge, though I consider it over-priced for what you get.   Let’s hope that the two sisters who bought the place about 5 years ago have improved their menu and prices.  You can rent a canoe or rowboat from the lodge, which is a good idea if you don’t bring your own.  Trappers is a big lake so having floatation helps.  I like to fish the south end of the lake, which is quite a paddle.  You’ll see plenty of wildlife there, and if you’re lucky like I was a few years ago, you might see a bull moose swim across the lake.

Loc Lomond Lake near St. Mary’s Glacier and only about 1.5 hours from Denver.  Go here…”Back in the Day” Loc Lomond was a pretty rough 4 wheel drive road.  Now it’s been tamed, so just about anyone with a 4×4 can see this beautiful waterfall fed lake. There is nice unimproved camping (meaning no facilities, designated camp areas, bathrooms etc)…this is a great place to go for a day picnic of weekend camping.   Take your canoe or other water craft…fishing is only marginal with the lake containing Brooke and Mackinaw trout.

Pearl Lake State Park north of Steamboat Springs Colorado is a great place for family car camping.  Reserve your campsite here.  This is a popular area to camp, although it can become crowded with RV’s during the summer months.  The area has had a significant number of trees removed due to beetle kill (go here to read about beetle kill), but it is still a beautiful area to camp and hike around.  It’s near the Mt Zirkel Wilderness area (Pic #2 of this section is of Gilpin Lake, a great place to backpack to in the Zirkel’s…I’ll blog about backing packing in Colorado in the near future).   I highly recommend the Pearl Lake/Steamboat Lake area for great camping with the family!

Don’t hesitate to stop by the Clark Store in Clark Colorado, on your way up to Pearl Lake.  They have a great ice cream stand that your kids will love.  They also have a deli for your road trip. The store isn’t a place you want to buy a lot of your goods from, as it’s expensive.  But it’s a fun stop.  Go here to read about the Clark Store.

Sylvan Lake State Park is another nice place to car camp with your family.  Go here to read about Sylvan Lake.  Sylvan isn’t far off I-70 near Eagle Colorado, so it’s a reasonable drive from Denver.  You can continue along that road all the way to Meredith Colorado, then on to Aspen.  It’s a dirt road but is an easy drive for cars.  Remember to reserve your site at Sylvan well in advance as it books up.  The fishing is marginal, but you should be able to land a few of the fish stocked in the lake each spring.  The campsites accommodate RV’s and pop-up trailers and there is a camp host on duty during the summer months.

Yankee Boy Basin near Ouray Colorado is a must for those who want to explore the South Western Rockies.  The basin is a great place for camping and for avid 4×4 enthusiasts.  Yankee Boy is NOT a place for beginners to learn to 4×4, nor is it for the faint of heart.  It is well worth the effort.  There are plenty of 4×4 touring companies our of Ouray Colorado to take your family on an adventure.  Go here for a suggested touring company.   The spring is a great time to explore YBB as the wildflowers are out of this world!  The pic on the right is of Blue Lake Pass…a must see.   For those who don’t want to camp, say in Ouray Colorado, which is a favorite of mine.  Go here to read about Ouray (pronounced “Your-Ray), after Chief Ouray, a famous leader of the Ute Tribe.   The Ouray Hotsprings are also a must see and there are plenty of nice hotels in the town where you can relax and soak in the western life.

Well that’s a start.  Writing this had me all excited and getting my camping gear together.  Being a native of Colorado and an avid outdoors man has given me the opportunity to enjoy many wonderful places in Colorful Colorado.  Feel free to email me for further information or questions:  strong.w@att.net

Have fun Denver!

Bill Strong of Denver

Hi all,

Bill Strong of Denver here.

Easter has many different meanings for people.  Besides the obvious, it’s a time to celebrate family and the coming of spring.  I have fond memories of childhood Easter Egg hunts at Congress Park in central Denver, family gatherings and of course the wonderful Easter Dinner.

Just like Thanksgiving and Christmas, it seems that each family has their own idea of what the perfect Easter Dinner is.  For my wonderful wife, it’s a ham dinner.  For me, it’s leg of lamb.  We alternate years (it will be interesting to see what our daughters end up associating Easter Dinner with) and I’m happy to say that this year is Leg of Lamb.   People who know me know that I LOVE good food so I’m all excited about the lamb I’m going to cook this year.

I’ve decided to try a new recipe.  I found this on my favorite recipe website, cook.com.  Go here to see all the fabulous recipes that they offer.

ROASTED GARLIC LAMB LEG WITH ROSEMARY
POTATOES

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cut off the tips of the heads of garlic and brush the cut sides with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Set garlic cut-side down on a sheet pan and roast until it is soft to the touch, about 30 minutes. Let garlic cool for 5 minutes, then squeeze the roasted cloves out of the garlic and into a bowl. Mash with a fork and spread over the top of the lamb (see tip).

Meanwhile, place the lamb in a large roasting pan and season with salt, pepper and half of the rosemary. Allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. Place the potatoes in an oven-proof dish and toss with the remaining oil and rosemary. Set aside.

Roast lamb for about 1 hour 40 minutes, until it registers 130-135°F on a meat thermometer for a medium-rare roast, or until the juices run clear when a sharp knife or skewer is inserted in the thickest part of the meat.

When the lamb has been roasting for 40 or 50 minutes, place the potatoes in the oven and bake until well browned and tender.

Transfer the lamb to a warm platter and let rest for 15 minutes. (It will continue to cook as it rests.) Carve and serve with the potatoes and asparagus.

TIP: The garlic can be roasted and mashed the day before. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. You could also spread over the lamb the day before and marinate overnight for a real garlic flavor. Just remember to cover well, and bring lamb to room temperature before roasting.

Serves 6-8.

I will be doing my best to cook this on our outdoor grill…so wish me luck!!!!

Happy Easter Denver

Bill Strong of Denver

Hi All,

Bill Strong of Denver here with another quick restaurant review.

We took the kiddos to see the Hunger Games last night and decided to try a new restaurant.   We went to Table 6 (go here for their website) on 6th and Corona and enjoyed it very much.  My lovely wife loved the Romaine salad as a start with the Tangerine Beef Short Ribs as her entree.  I went with the Fried Brussels as the appetizer and the Duck Confit as the entree.  The kiddos shared the Fried Chicken Schnitzel.

Yum yum!  We Strongly recommend it. 

Bill Strong Denver

Hi All,

Bill Strong of Denver here!

I’m between clients and wanted to post a very quick restaurant review.  The wife and I went to RootDown last night and really enjoyed ourselves.

The menu was interesting, service was friendly and quick, and the food was very good.  Go here to see their website.

I had the diver scollops and enjoyed them very much.  I’ll be honest though, I’m in a bit of trouble as I couldn’t keep from sneaking bits off my wife’s plate of Risotto.

We think you’ll love the place as much as we did.

Have fun Denver!

Bill Strong Denver

Hi All,

Bill Strong of Denver here!

Well, it didn’t last long, but we Bronco fans have some fun memories of having Tim Tebow on our team.  I won’t lie and act like I thought he had what it took to be a Super Bowl winning QB in the NFL…but having said that, last year sure was a fun ride.

Growing up in Denver and being a life long Bronco fan has been full of highs and lows (lot’s of lows back in the early days).  I’m sure there are plenty of disappointed Tebow fans in Denver, with orange #15 jerseys hanging in their closet.  For those, having Tebow end up a Jet, with Peyton Manning as our new QB must be difficult (go here to read about the trade to the Jets).  More many of us, it’s a bit of a relief as it was hard to believe that Tebow would be able to change his game enough to be a consistent winner.   And his style of play sure does make one wonder about the risk of injury.

But now is a time of positive thoughts and fond memories.  I’ll never forget that playoff win against Pittsburgh and am glad Tebow was a Bronco, if only for a few years.

Good Luck Tim Tebow!

And Go Broncos!!!!

Bill Strong Denver

Hi All,

Bill Strong of Denver here!

Well we were all waiting for the Peyton Manning news today.  Being a life long Denver Bronco fan has caused me to look skeptically at the thought of us landing Peyton Manning.  But sure enough I log on to my computer at work and there it is:  Peyton Manning chooses to become a Denver Bronco!!!  Go Here to read all about it.

So now we will bid farewell to Tim Tebow.  It was fun while it lasted.  Signing Manning was the only way that Elway could pull off getting rid of Tebow without a total fan revolt.

More later!

Bill Strong Denver

Hi All! 

Bill Strong of Denver here!  How many of you are thinking about your summer plans?  We have started making out a long list of activities for the summer.  Because I have young kiddos, our summers book out pretty fast.

For us, River Trips are the ultimate family activity.  Here is my rafting blog if you’d like to read more about Family Rafting.   This year we will be doing the Yampa River, to the Green in Dinosaur National Park.  The above pic is “Steamboat Rock” where the two rivers confluence.  We do our own trips, but just because you don’t have your own raft it doesn’t mean you can enjoy river fun with your family.

Go here to my rafting blog to read more…but if you’d like to contact a commercial company about a raft trip, I’d suggest a company called O.A.R.S.  Here is there website.   This is a great company and they offer all types of rafting trips.

We will also be doing the San Juan River in Utah, which is an amazing canyon. 

So…what are you planning for a summer of fun?   I’ll be posting more ideas soon.

Bill Strong Denver

Hi All,

Bill Strong Denver here!

I’m sharing my Best in Denver on this blog.  Being a native of this wonderful city allows me to share some of my thoughts and experiences.

I’m often asked for advice on the best car mechanics in Denver.  For Toyota and Lexus owners, I suggest Toyexus of Denver.  Go here to see their site.    Go here for a BBB review where they get an A+ rating.

I’ve taken several vehicles into Toyexus and have been happy with their work and pricing.  I’ve had both major and general maintenance preformed and have always been please with the work.

Contact Aaron at Toyexus, you’ll be glad you did.

Bill Strong Denver

Hi All, 

Bill Strong Denver here!

Even though it’s snowing outside as I write this, it’s looking like it’s going to be nice this weekend.  We’ve had some pretty heavy wind along the Front Range over the past few weeks, so I want to encourage my readers to get up on their roof to check for wind-damage.   A neighbor had obvious wind damage so I helped him cover it up with a tarp.  Turns out his insurance company had it covered, so he’s getting a new roof!

The pics above show pretty obvious wind damage.  The one below is wind damage too…so check your roof to see if you have anything like this.

Most people know about hail-damage…but your insurance will likely cover wind damage as well.

So, get up on your roof and check it out.  And please be careful when you do so!

Bill Strong Denver