Start the new year off right with six very Colorado ideas

Resolutions, schmesolutions. If you want to do something, you should start the moment you think of it rather than on an arbitrary day on the calendar.

At least, that’s what some of us think to ourselves. In reality, the new year offers our psyches an opportunity for hope, for new beginnings and an excuse to try something new — or at least to try again.

So the following aren’t exactly resolutions; they are more like suggestions of what you can do in the first few days of 2023 to kick things off in a positive — and very Colorado — fashion.

Plan your Red Rocks 2023 concert calendar

There already have been dozens of 2023 concerts announced for Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a venue that is on the bucket lists not just of music fans around the world, but of the musicians themselves, some of whom choose to record live versions of their songs, or entire concerts, here. But lucky you, because Red Rocks is right in your backyard.

Although some big shows haven’t been announced yet, you can get started by checking out the dates for the likes of Billy Strings, Dom Dolla, Jason Isbell, Trampled by Turtles, Tyler Childers and many more — and start filling in that 2023 calendar. Find them online in our list of “Every concert coming to Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 2023 (so far),” or at axs.com.

Take a stroll around a lake or at a state park

Very few things are more refreshing than taking a stroll around one of the metro area’s many beautiful parks, from Barr Lake to Bible Park and from Marston Lake to the Cherry Creek Reservoir. In the winter, the views are different with the trees stripped bare — and the cold air will go right up your nose and into your brain, encouraging contemplative thoughts.

Want to get a little further out of town? Colorado Parks & Wildlife publishes an annual list of suggestions for First Day Hikes. This year’s includes St. Vrain State Park, Golden Gate Canyon State Park, Roxborough State Park and more. Some even call for snowshoes. Alltrails.com has a great list of wheelchair-friendly trails in Colorado as well.

Try a new brewery

For some local beer lovers, the idea of hitting every brewery in the state is a big-ticket bucket list item. For others, sampling every brewery in their own city — whether that’s Denver (where there are close to 70), Fort Collins, Boulder, Golden or elsewhere — is plenty. But for most, it’s fun to just explore a new one every once in a while. This is a great week to do that.

Need a starting point? Try the breweries — like Westbound & Down, Cohesion, Outer Range, Odell, WeldWerks and Peculier — mentioned in our list of the 10 best new Colorado craft beers we drank in 2022, which you can find at denverpost.com/beer.

Make pork green chile

Nothing warms you up quicker than a bowl of Colorado-style pork green chile — spicy, filling and nose-runningly addictive. If you bought chiles yourself from one of the many stands that line the streets in west Denver and elsewhere in late summer and fall, then you already have some frozen. If not, you can find them at various markets across the state.

Need a recipe? Try this one from the famed Sam’s No. 3, or a Chubby’s knockoff (both of which you can find online) or The Denver Post’s official recipe (see below). Then head to your market (and thank the employees for working on New Year’s Day) and get ready to cook.

Donate money (even just $10), clothes or time to a nonprofit

Calendars fill up quickly every year — as do credit card balances. So sometimes it helps to accomplish goals early. One of those goals in 2023 could include donating money, clothes or time to a local charity or nonprofit. It doesn’t have to be much. An hour. A gift of $10 or $20. Trust us: It will make you feel good (and will make the recipient feel even better).