Down by the River
Dan England
Dan England has worked for Colorado media for nearly 25 years, including 20 at the Greeley Tribune. During his time at the Tribune he won more than 100 state and national awards, including Best of Show from the Colorado Press Association in 2015. Dan loves to write about the outdoors, as they are not just a job but an adventure: He has completed more than 20 marathons and 15 ultramarathons in addition to climbing more than 200 peaks, including all the 14ers in Colorado and Mount Rainier in Washington. Dan also plays trombone, but his wife, Valerie Vampola, deserves the spotlight more, as she sings for living, doing gigs as a solo artist and with Katie Quick in addition to guest appearances with bands across Colorado and teaching with the Loveland Academy of Music. Dan has three children, Jayden and his twin girls, Andie and Allie, and a heeler, Pepper, who in addition to training with him ran her first trail marathon last year in western Kansas.
Selected works by the author:
Forging Ahead
Dressed in a black suit with a pink tie (surprisingly appropriate for 1983), Jay Dokter walked into Hewlett-Packard in Loveland, ready to start his life. He loved electronics. That’s where he wanted to work. He thought he was pretty good at tinkering with gadgets, and...
Camping with the Kids
My kids are hardy. They enjoy camping. They will even sleep in a tent. They are also teenagers. Those traits can clash sometimes, as you’ve probably guessed. They still want their screen time. They still get hungry every 12 seconds. Most of all, they don’t like being...
The RV and Boat Boom
Families have flocked to local camping spots and lakes, buying up RVs and boats along the way. Will we see the trend continue beyond 2021?
Running On a Budget
We pay many prices for our fitness, most of them in the time we spend sweating when we could be eating donuts. But here’s something that doesn’t get talked about enough: Getting in shape can be expensive.
Understanding Xeriscapes
To some xeriscaping is a dirty word, but we are here to help you understand why it is so much more than rockscapes and a necessary option for Colorado’s future.
Family Time on the Slopes
Some of my favorite times with my three kids are in the winter, and they haven’t asked me if I wanted to build a snowman in years. Four years ago, Jayden, who is now 15, got a free ski season pass from Colorado Ski Country USA. He was a fifth grader, and all fifth...
NOCO’s COVID Economy Rebound
While businesses fight to hang on, local municipalities expect a year much like 2020–survivable, but nothing like the pre-pandemic good times.
Tips From the Trail
WITH YOUR DOG BY YOUR SIDE By Dan England Pepper is more than my dog. She’s my coach. Around 7 a.m. every day, Pepper begins to ask to go on a run. She doesn’t stop until I’m out the door. Going on a run is her favorite thing in the world. It doesn’t matter if it’s...