My family and I just returned from a little pre-Christmas jaunt to the YMCA of the Rockies near Estes Park, Colorado. I'm happy to report that it is a dog-friendly resort.

A salute to US Bank (at least the one on South Parker Road and Iliff) in Denver, Colorado.

Not only do they let me bring Alie in with me, but they get a huge kick out of her putting her front paws up on the counter to hand (with her mouth) them my deposit. When they have finished processing my transaction, they call her back up on the counter to hand her the receipt.

Yesterday, my wife and I took a trip into the mountains to see the autumn leaves. After driving the Peak to Peak Highway and enjoying the yellow and orange aspen collages spattered throughout the evergreen forests, we stopped by Mary's Lake to let Alie (our Labrador Retriever) splash around for a while.

Once everybody was satisfied, wet, smelly and tired, we headed into Estes Park for an ice cream and coffee. Estes is a surprisingly dog-friendly Colorado town, and I was encouraged by the number of signs on shop windows indicating dogs were welcome inside.

Sojourners Coffee and Tea, owned by Michael Brown, is a great coffee shop in Denver, Colorado. They sell delectable locally made pastries, coffee, tea and delicious panini sandwiches at an affordable price. It also provides a comfortable, serene environment for social activities such as meetings, hanging out with friends, or even talking to the friendly employees.