Give the Gift of an Experience in Colorado this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and what better gift than the gift of an unforgettable experience in Colorado? From a sleigh ride dinner in Crested Butte to a hot air balloon ride in Boulder, Colorado offers adventures that will create unforgettable memories. After the jump are a few ideas for couples seeking experiences to celebrate the day of love.

 

PPRM to give away free condoms in recognition of Valentines Day and National Condom Week

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so to kick off National Condom Week, February 14-21, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains is giving away condoms at each of its 28 health centers.

National Condom Week, which originally began at the University of California, Berkeley in the ‘70s, still has great relevance in America. Research shows that every year in the United States roughly half of all pregnancies are unplanned, and approximately 19 million women and men will contract a sexually transmitted disease. Condoms used consistently and correctly provide the best protection against sexually transmitted diseases for sexually active women and men. They also protect against unintended pregnancy.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has named both unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases as two of the state’s “10 Winnable Battles,” which are public health and environmental priorities with large-scale impact on health and the environment, and with known, effective strategies to address them. According to the CDPHE, unintended pregnancy stretches the state budget, costing Medicaid in Colorado more than $160 million annually. Additionally, Colorado has a rate of gonorrhea among 15- to 29-year-olds that is twice the national rate for people of all ages. That rate is even more troubling when considering the side effects that can take place during the most likely child-bearing years. Infections due to gonorrhea are a major cause of pelvic inflammatory disease which may lead to serious outcomes in women including infertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain.

Through an increase in education, awareness, and the normalization of conversations surrounding safe sex practices we can reduce the high statistics surrounding unintended pregnancies and STDs. PPRM encourages men and women to take responsibility for their sexual health; National Condom Week is an opportunity for sexually active partners to discuss whose responsibility it is to provide condoms. In fact, Planned Parenthood’s line of stylish PROPER ATTIRE^® condoms was designed to help women feel more comfortable about buying and carrying condoms. With chic, fashion-forward packaging, PROPER ATTIRE^® condoms allow women to combine their sense of style and commitment to be healthy. PROPER ATTIRE^® condoms are available year‑round at Planned Parenthood health centers, or they can be ordered online by going to www.properattirecondoms.com.

Valentines Day at The Mercury Cafe!

The Mercury Café present their Annual Valentine’s Follies, “Citizens United Doggy Style” February 3 - 24.  This is a dark, sick, perverse, romantic comedy with performances Fridays in February at 7:30 p.m. with a special Valentines performance on Monday, February 14 at 7:30.p.m. Tickets are $10 and available by calling the Box Office at 303-294-9258.

The Motley Players take wide aim at the long list of public figures including, Antonin Scalia and his wife, Maureen, Clarence Thomas and his wife, Virginia, Tim Tebow, George P. Bush II, Nancy Grace, Ted Nugent, and Katy Perry.

The Mercury Cafe also hosts Gumbo Le Funque's first annual Dirty Blues jam featuring Denver Blues legend Wende Harston. Special guests include Jeanie Schroder, a Bassist/Tubist, playing with world renowned DeVotchKa, the Diamond Dolls Dancers, and more on February 11 at 9 p.m..

Gumbo Le Funque is a funky, dangerous group of musicians and miscreants. These misfits are not throwbacks to another time or space-people of the future, but timeless and passionate musicians.

The Queen City Jazz Band's vocalist, Wende Harston, is a complete entertainer - she sings, dances and acts. She has appeared in many feature films and made-for-TV film series. She can be seen in local theater productions as well. She writes songs and is trying her hand at authoring a mystery novel.

Denver based group DeVotchKa recently took their celebrated live act across the globe, delivering spirited performances to audiences in places such as Istanbul, Belgium, and Poland. In Paris the band opened for Muse playing to massive crowds of 90,000. The Diamond Dolls are an all-girl dance troupe from Denver, Colorado. They focus on dances such as the Charleston, Vernacular Jazz, Classic Showgirl and more. Run by Becky Vigil, the group was formed in January of 2011. The Diamond Dolls have performed at national events such as Lindy on the Rocks, Rocky Mountain Balboa Blowout and the Colorado Intercollegiate Swing Battle.

Valentines Day Gift Idea: Baskit

Baskit is offering 25% off of your next order through February 5. Sounds like the perfect Valentines Day gift to me!

Get RED-y for Valentines Day with Baskit

Valentines Day is less than a month away! How about some red undies from Baskit for your Valentine? MileHighGayGuy readers can use the promo code VDAY20 for 20% off their purchase at www.baskitwear.com through V-Day!

Valentines Gay - DJ Jerry Bonham at Tracks

DJ Jerry Bonham brings the dark side of desire to Tracks for Valentines Day.

Happy Valentines Gay - UnderGear

Well here's a lovely Valentines Day card to all of us from UnderGear.

eValentines from In The Life

Available through Valentine's Day, make a special gift to honor your loved ones by sending the In The Life Media "Love is YOU" EValentine.

The EValentine will arrive from your email address with a note from you and can be sent to; your secret crush, your sweetheart, friends and family - as many names as you like!

Your gift of love will warm hearts and help In The Life Media to produce change through our award-winning programs!

Happy Valentines Gay - 14 Inspirational Gay Couples

Check out Gay.com's list of 14 Inspirational Gay Couples - just in time for Valentines Day!

Romance in the Rockies

“Romance in the Rockies,” Gunnison-Crested Butte’s annual Valentine’s celebration of love, returns Feb. 8 – 14.  

Not only are there concerts, brunch at the yurt, yoga and massage workshops for couples, and a theatrical celebration of food, you can romance the one you love with a sleigh-ride dinner, dog sledding adventure and outstanding vacation packages. 

Last minute V-Day Gift Ideas from Instinct

Valentine's Day. Sure, it's a corporate manufactured holiday that imposes far too much pressure on people. But on the other hand, who doesn't like gifts? It'll be here before you know it but if you still have some last-minute shopping to do, here are some last-minute solutions especially for you.

Whether you're buying for your boyfriend or just buying for your boys, here is the Instinct Gift Guide for V-Day 2010 that only a true Cupid could love.

Make it a Manhunt kind of Valentines Day

This February 14, say it with Manhunt Message Hearts. Because Valentines Day ain't all hearts and flowers, man!

Be your own Valentine

You may not have found the man of your dreams yet, but PlanetOut's health and wellness expert has foolproof ways to fall in love with yourself this Valentine's Day. By reconnecting with your authentic self and putting you first, you will become that someone special you've been searching for.

Hills Have Eyes Valentine by Garrison Dean via io9.com.

Go snowshoeing this Valentines Day

Join the Gay and Lesbian Sierrans for an easy-to-moderate snowshoe or snow hike on Feb 14 at historic Caribou Ranch, near Nederland. The trail is packed snow with some small portions of bare ground or ice. So either snow shoes or yak trax is appropriate footwear. The locale is in a beautiful setting and you will see open meadows and old mining sites. This outing will be half day and is good for beginners and people who want to enjoy a nice, social trip. Please bring outer layers (it can get windy), sun protection, water, and food for lunch. Contact Phil at bringyour4k@msn.com to sign up.

At this point I'll try anything

Did you spend Valentines Day alone and unloved like me? Maybe we should look into arranged marriages.

Valentines Day cuteness

I searched Metromix's feature about Denver's cutest Valentine's Day couples, trying in vain to find a same-sex couple, but I guess no gay or lesbian couples went out to eat on Valentine's Day. The food shots look great, however, and there is one threesome--two gals and a guy. Ooh-la-la!

Bad Valentines Day Gift Ideas

Umm, keeping the fridge clean shows love for each other?

I can think of better ways, but they get an A for creativity, and actually there's a couple of decent household tips here.

As for the fridge. I mostly put food in, take it out, eat it. If it crawls out on its own after a few months, I throw it away.

But if you're looking for an unusual way to say "I love you," clean out your fridge--I guess.

Valentines Day Gift Idea: 'I Do! An Anthology in Support of Marriage Equality'

Who says money can't buy love?

Or equality?

A little cash will get you these twenty remarkable tales of love and passion by top international writers of GLBT romance as Lee Rowan, Alex Beecroft, Erastes, Fiona Glass, and Colorado's own Jerry Wheeler.

And 100% of the proceeds from each copy goes to the Lamda Legal Fund to aid their marriage equality fight.


'I Do! An Anthology in Support of Marriage Equality' is available now in e-book from www.allromancebooks.com and www.mobipocket.com and in print from MLR Press.

When you care enough to give the very gayest

Hallmark issued same-sex wedding cards last year?

I haven't seen them.

And I haven't heard anything about them before now?

Are they in Colorado?

And does anybody know if you can you get same-sex Valentine's Day cards in Colorado?

If you know, let me know.

Valentines Day Getaway: Stone Mountain Lodge

Of course you want to get away for Valentines Day.

Who doesn't?

But money's tight and there's never enough time, yada-yada-yada.

But there is a way you can have your Valentines candy and eat it, too.

Instead of the usual V-Day massacre, why not escape to the mountains--and to Stone Mountain Lodge--for a romantic getaway that fun, affordable, and only about an hour west of Denver?

Stone Mountain Inn offers lodge rooms and cabins and is situated on 45 picturesque acres overlooking Apple Valley just a couple of miles west of Lyons, CO.

Whether you choose to explore the Inn's walking trails, head into town to for some good old-fashioned mountain town atmosphere, or just cozy up in your room, this is one Valentine's Day gift that you'll both remember long after the flowers have wilted and that box of chocolates is a distant memory.


Right now you can take advantage of Stone Mountain Lodge's Winter Special and get 50% off your second night's stay. And be sure to tell 'em MileHighGayGuy sent ya.