Alright, well, the orange fro wig and the Super Bowl 50 chain did not bring the luck it was supposed to bring for the Broncos. I guess we’ll try again next year.

Thankfully, we’ve got two solid teams in the Nugs and the Avs to hold us over for the next few months. And…how about that storm?

Anyone else brave (stupid) enough to try to beat the snow plows after the game, stall out halfway up an icy hill, and end up chilling in the median for 20 minutes until you got rescued? Just me? Okay, cool.

So I was a little alarmed about a month ago when someone let me know there was a Doug’s Diner temporary sign on Bucket List Tavern’s entrance. Thankfully, it turned out Bucket List wasn’t closing. They were just adding a Doug’s Diner license to the space.

I’ve been meaning to get over there for weeks now and finally made it happen yesterday. If you’re not familiar with where Bucket List Tavern is, it’s across from the hospital on Limelight near the intersection of Meadows Pkwy and Prairie Hawk Dr.

The Bucket List Tavern ownership is now an official Doug’s Diner licensee. Doug’s is a regional breakfast and brunch concept founded in 2010 by two long-time hospitality veterans with backgrounds that include brands like Taco Bell and McDonald’s. Since then, Doug’s has grown to more than ten locations across Colorado with a focus on scratch-made food, generous portions, and classic breakfast done well.

The Doug’s Diner concept runs the morning and early afternoon shift, serving daily from 7:00am to 2:00pm. The menu covers all the breakfast staples you’d expect. Omelets, combos, waffles, and pancakes, plus some solid twists and “on the border” options like huevos rancheros and breakfast burritos.

I had quite the indecisive moment when I got there and went back and forth between the breakfast burrito and the huevos rancheros. I ultimately went with the huevos rancheros, which I really enjoyed.

As you can imagine, since this is still a bar, there were plenty of TVs on with sports talk shows rolling. I was “fortunate” enough to catch all the lowlights from yesterday’s Broncos loss in the AFC Championship. Fun stuff. That may be why I impulse-purchased a cinnamon roll to go, which was decent later in the day. Big enough with plenty of frosting on the side, though I’d probably try it fresh next time.

There were people in there getting breakfast and lunch, a few grabbing a beer, and some getting a little work done. I chatted briefly with the staff and they mentioned this past weekend was busy, which didn’t surprise me with the Broncos playing.

You can find both the Bucket List Tavern and Doug’s Diner menus combined on Bucket List’s website here.

If you’ve been, let me know what you thought!

Bucket List Tavern/Doug’s Diner
3982 Limelight Ave Ste A,
Castle Rock, CO 80109

Shop Valentine’s Day pieces at Mod Mountain Boutique by clicking here or shopping in downtown Castle Rock!

It feels like winter has barely begun, but spring’s Furry Scurry is already around the corner.

Back for its 33rd year, the community dog walk takes place on Saturday, May 2, at Washington Park in Denver. Expect plenty of dogs, some solid people-watching, food trucks, event merch, and an overall good excuse to get outside once the weather finally cooperates.

Best of all, every dollar raised before, during, and after the event supports animals in need.

If you’re the planning-ahead type, there’s also an early bird window worth knowing about. Anyone who signs up between January 26 and February 8 can save nearly 40 percent compared to event-day pricing.

Learn more here.

Broncos — oh, man. Not sure what to say about Sunday’s game. We had our opportunities and I’m not going to place the blame at the foot of anyone — not Sean Payton, not Jarrett Stidham, Will Lutz, or anyone else. There were plenty of others who had opportunities to make plays that could’ve changed the game. If we had won and gone to the Super Bowl, would we have gotten beat by the Seahawks (who outlasted the Rams, even after trying to give it away with stupid penalties towards the end)? Yeah, probably, but you never know what could’ve been…you always at least want a chance.

Oh well, now we go to the off-season to heal up and regroup. We’re finally done with Russell Wilson’s contract so I’d love to see us go out and get another real weapon on offense. We’ve got a lot of our core players under contract for the time being so if we can make even just one or two really impactful moves, we’d be feeling really confident heading into next season. An elite wideout or running back? I’d personally like to see us utilize Evan Engram next year…we signed him to a two-year $23 million contract last year and I felt like he was an afterthought all season.

I’m curious to see if we can keep our coaching, though. Is Vance Joseph going to try and make another attempt at head coaching? I kind of think he should just stay with the boys and be a defensive coordinator, but what do I know.

Nuggets — Nugs are staying steady and are 3rd in the Western Conference. We lost to the Lakers (115-107), beat the Wizards (107-97), and beat the Bucks in what became a nail-biter at the end (102-100). Due to the insane storm this past week, our game against the Grizzlies was postponed. We play the Pistons Tue, Jan 27, the Nets on Thu, Jan 29, the Clippers on Fri, Jan 30 and the Thunder on Sun, Feb 1.

Still waiting to hear on the rest of the All-Star selections (Murray, let’s go). We’ll find out on Feb 1.

Avalanche — we’re 35-6-9 with 79 points (most in the NHL) and maintained a double digit lead over the Stars (11). We lost to the Ducks in a shootout (2-1), lost to the Flyers (7-3), and beat the Maple Leafs (4-1). We face the Senators on Wed, Jan 28, the Canadiens on Thu, Jan 29, the Red Wings on Sat, Jan 31, and the Red Wings again on Mon, Feb 2. Then we’ll only have one more game on Wed, Feb 4 before the NHL’s break for the Winter Olympics in Italy.

Mammoth — we maintained 2nd overall with a record of 5-2 after a win over the Oshawa Firewolves. Game recap can be found here. We host the Buffalo Bandits on Saturday, Jan 24 at 7:00pm.

Reach out if you’re interested in sponsoring the newsletter. [email protected]

Tuesday, 1/27:

The Office Co. | Bar & Kitchen (every day) - Happy Hour - 2:00pm–7:00pm

Courtyard Social (every weekday) - Happy Hour - 2:30pm–5:00pm

Bien y Tu (every weekday) - Happy Hour - 2:30pm–5:00pm

The Whiskey Lodge - 85¢ Wings - 3:00pm–10:00pm

Hideaway Bar & Grill (every day) - Happy Hour - 3:00pm–6:00pm

Trifecta - Happy Hour - 3:00pm–7:00pm

Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co. - Geeks Who Drink Trivia - 7:00pm–9:00pm

Elizabeth Brews - Trivia Night - 7:00pm–9:30pm

Wednesday, 1/28:

Wide Awake Eatery - Happy Hour - 4:00pm–6:00pm (Wed-Sat)

Alidade Brewing - Music Bingo - 6:00pm–8:00pm

Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co. - Paint Your Pet AND Pet Bandana Spin Art - 6:00pm–8:30pm - tickets

Hideaway Bar & Grill - DJ Trivia - 7:00pm–9:00pm

Thursday, 1/29:

Crowfoot Valley Coffee - Trivia Night - 6:00pm

RNK Running - CHOG - 6:00pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Afternoon Tea at the Castle - 6:00pm - tickets

105 West Brewing - Trivia Night - 6:00pm–8:30pm

Wide Open Saloon - Country Dance Night with Dance Instructor Marla Gifford - 6:00pm–10:00pm

Hideaway Bar & Grill - Karaoke with Big E Entertainment - 8:30pm–12:30am

Friday, 1/30:

COFF33 - Blanchard Family Wines Pop-up - 5:00pm–9:00pm

Wide Awake Eatery - Shaun Peace - 5:30pm

COFF33 - Guided 4-Wine Tasting - 6:00pm–7:00pm - tickets

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Murder & Mystery - Till Death Do Us Part - 6:00pm - tickets

Sinners and Saints - Live Music at the Altar: Steve Thomas - 8:00pm–10:00pm

Saturday, 1/31:

COFF33 - Blanchard Family Wines Pop-up - 5:00pm–9:00pm

Wide Awake Eatery - Steve Thomas - 5:30pm

COFF33 - Wine and Chocolate Tasting - 6:00pm–7:00pm - tickets

Douglas County Fairgrounds - Winter Ball - 6:00pm–9:00pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - JOHN DENVER "The Tribute" - 6:30pm

105 West Brewing Company - Live Music: Off Ramp - 6:30pm–9:30pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - Walker Williams - 6:30pm–10:30pm

Crowfoot Valley Coffee - Castle Rock Comedy Show with Carla Clay – Hosted by Mark Masters - 7:30pm–9:30pm - tickets

Sunday, 2/1:

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - JOHN DENVER "The Tribute" - 1:30pm

Honnibrook Craft Meadery - Party Dip Competition - 2:00pm–3:00pm

Sudden Fiction Books - Romancing the Rockies: Romance Author Book Signing and More - 4:00pm–7:00pm

Heads up on events that are further out:

Millhouse at Miller Park - Colorado Bluebird Project - Open House - Feb 4, 7:00pm–8:00pm

Honnibrook Craft Meadery - D&D Game Night - Feb 4, 7:00pm–9:00pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Wine Tasting at the Castle ~February is the Month for Love and Chocolate! - Feb 6, 6:00pm

Honnibrook Craft Meadery - Josh Blackburn - Feb 6, 6:00pm–9:00pm

The Stagecoach Saloon - Mountain Magic Band - Feb 6, 6:30pm–10:30pm

Sinners & Saints - Wendy Woo - Feb 6, 8:00pm

Worth the drive: other Douglas County events can be found in our sister newsletter, DougCo Drop — subscribe below

*We are working on an events calendar with a new URL that will provide both advance notice and greater variety for events. Feel free to provide feedback: https://dougcoevents.com/

⚠️ Please verify event details and availability with the respective venues or organizers, as schedules may change.

Let us know of any events, locations, establishments, or businesses that you would like us to highlight in coming editions. [email protected]

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