Now although our 1 year-year-old Goldendoodle Manny is half poodle, he is still a pretty tough guy and loves the outdoors (the pic to the right was taken while cross country skiing in Leadville, CO last weekend…poodle prance, but at least it’s at 10,000′!) .  And, as anyone else with a puppy can attest to, there’s always some excess energy to burn.  Here are my 5 can’t-live-without products for outdoor (and indoor) doggy adventures.

1. Tug-a-Jug:  This strange contraption allows your dog to ‘search and hunt’ for his own treats.  Manny used to have a hard time with this, but over the last few months, he’s gotten pretty good at it!  So now when we’re heading out the door for a night out, we put his food in it and he feeds himself.  Takes him awhile, but keeps him busy while we’re gone!

2. Mt. Bacheor Pad: The absolute best dog bed around…easy to carry & clean!

3.  Chaco Brand Collar & Leash:  The offical shoes of whitewater rafting also make incredible leashes and collars with Chaco’s signature (very strong  & stylish) webbing and unbreakable buckle.

4. Chuck-It Launcher:  The perfect way to burn away that puppy energy!

5.  Doggy Lifejacket:  Last but not least is this doggy lifejacket.  Essential for any water sport but especially whitewater rafting, these jackets are durable and really help keep Manny ‘afloat’ when he’s swimming in the Arkansas River!

Lots of time when you’re on a destination vacation, let’s just say coming to Colorado for its world-class Colorado rafting trips for example, you get so caught up in the logistics and planning that one activity you came for that you forget about the other awesome things to do in the area.  There are so many great activities to do in Colorado, including some you wouldn’t even think would be that good.

When you think of a golf vacation, Arizona, North Carolina, or Florida probably come to mind.  But next time you’re coming to Colorado to ride the rapids, don’t forget to bring your clubs!  Colorado offers some of the most spectacular and one-of-a-kind golf courses in the US.  And I have to tell you, if you’ve never golfed at altitude you’re missing out!  If you’re hitting 200-250 yards drives at your home course, expect to feel like Hercules when you crush your drive past the 300 yard marker.  Whether you’re looking for jaw-dropping scenery at nearly 9,000 feet (www.collegiatepeaksgolf.com) or elevated tee boxes with postage stamp greens (www.ravenatthreepeaks.com), you don’t have to travel too far.  If you’re a scratch golfer or just hoping to hit the ball each swing, golfing in Colorado is truly not to be missed.

Does anyone else have any suggestions for great golfing in Colorado?

Entering our fifth year of ownership here at AAE, I’m not sure if we can still consider ourselves new business owners anymore.  Regardless, we continue to learn at an amazing pace.  The old saying ‘if I knew then, what I know now’ has never rang so true, as it has for us over the past 4 years.

The most recent lesson on this roller coaster known as small business ownership has been: ‘Just because you think you’re doing something well, doesn’t mean that you actually are.’  I know that this sounds simple enough, but the results from a recent survey sent to our guests opened my eyes to some interesting facts.

1. It turns out that some of you actually like the smell of the wetsuits (okay only one guy out of the 12,000 guests from last year, but none the less very interesting)!

2. A good number of you found out about us through AAA, whom we’ve never advertised with (hmmm…strange, but appreciated).

3. That our ‘gourmet meals’ aren’t so gourmet (not what I wanted to hear).

Now in our defense we own a Colorado rafting company not a restaurant.  However, I do consider myself a fairly decent cook, and to hear that our meals were ‘hardly gourmet’ or ‘a bit disappointing’ was definitely a reality check.

Now I understand that in the world of marketing, words like ‘gourmet’ and ‘world class’ are used rather loosely, but at AAE we strive to exceed expectations.  So when we say that the Royal Gorge is a ‘World Class Whitewater Experience’ you better believe that it’s going to knock your socks off.  And when we refer to our meals as ‘Gourmet’ I’d hope that you’re not only surprised by what we prepare for you while on the river, but also very pleased with the presentation and the flavors.  Apparently this wasn’t the case.

Having learned this, we’ve spent a good amount of time this winter tweaking, testing, and tasting all of our riverside meals, and we’ve made some much needed improvements.  Ranging from our Surf and Turf dinner (complete with an 8 oz NY Strip Steak, garlic & herb shrimp kabobs, and grilled potato salad) for our overnight guests, to our Build Your Own Deluxe Burger Menu (featuring 1/3 lb all natural beef patties, thick cut bacon, avocado slices, and a chipotle aioli sauce) served on all of our advanced Full Day Trips!

So if the whitewater’s not enough to get you down here, hopefully these new meal additions will be!  I look forward to boating and eating with all of you some time this summer!

Colorado Rafting Owner Mike Kissack

Cheers!

Mike Kissack
Owner