Fort Collins: The Best Place on Earth!

I have lived in Fort Collins for quite a while and love everything about it, okay maybe not the traffic.

Of course we have been recognized by many publication about being the best place in the country to live, at least top 10, but we live here-we don't need a nationwide survey/magazine/poll to tell us how great it is here.

This is a place where I can see a rabbit destroying my lawn on a daily basis and smile at the fox I just drove past. Here is where I can walk or bicycle to just about anywhere and am privileged to have so many great nature paths to ride my bike or shuffle my feet.

Fort Collins gives me history with museums and trolley, out door patio dining and live jazz. My favorite spot is the patio at Jays Bistro with Ahi Tuna Poke, bread with three spreads and a Ricket. Jays and Ace Gillets offer great jazz. I can play shuffle board on Mountain Avenue and dip into the cherry jar just down the street.  I can walk down old town and feel the community all around me. Children playing in the fountains and guys cooking gyros on the street corner.

We have ghost walks and cemetery crawls. Great men from history have walked the hallways of the Northern Hotel and I have never used better smelling soap and lotions than when I stay at the Armstrong and don't even get me started on the charm of the Edwards House.

I've enjoyed a pizza the size of a Prius tire at Beau Jo's and thrown peanut shells on the floor at Lucky Joes. The little people recently took their G'ma, on visit from Nebraska to Old Town square, sat and listened to the fountain and devoured Ben and Jerry's while people watching. They even went around visiting all the pianos, G'ma even sat and pretended to play awhile.

The shopping is great... small little quaint shops, specialty stores and places to find everything you need.

I haven't even mentioned brunch... there's a small group that we have formed for brunch discoveries or adventures to favorites where we feel comfy and welcomed. We've had delicious crepes-service is a bit slow, but well worth it, amazing Benedicts, impossible to say no to fried potatoes at the Silver Grill, manly meat omelets and some crazy ethnic dishes I can't spell. :)

I love this town for all the thing's you can do, all the food you can eat, all the music you can hear and all the great venues... And I love the people! Most people you come across in our town are friendly, door opening, smile wearing delights. In the time of need our community is right there to help...with money, time and casseroles/hotdishes-this could quite possibly be the best place on earth.

I don't want to forget our surrounding communities, Greeley and Loveland, the ever expanding Windsor... a burger bar and now wings, congratulations! I have fond memories all over northern Colorado, it all started in Wellington for me and that will always be my Colorado foundation that I will never forget, it too, like Windsor is growing... did you know you can get fast food tacos and fries there now? And yes the old staples remain, at Camachos try the David's burrito sometime, it's my favorite (hint: it has chile rellenos inside) and it's been a while, but the T-bar could always make a mean prime rib.

I know that you know this place is pretty great, I just think that sometimes we need to be reminded how great we have it... this is my reminder. Thank you for being my friend, my neighbor and for holding the door for me at the post office.