Shopping in Windsor

Putting trust in Satellite Board Shop is a no-brainer when you know that the University of Colorado snowboard team entrusts it with all their tune-ups. Satellite technicians show all their customers the same level of professionalism and care when waxing boards, tuning up skis, or explaining that a “snowboard” isn’t the legislative branch of winter presided over by Jack Frost.

Satellite also stocks plenty of new snowboards and skateboards including the Never Summer Cobra board, designed to handle any mountain terrain, and the Anti Hero skateboard deck emblazoned with a giant bee. In addition, Satellite can outfit customers with T-shirts, shoes, and sunglasses as well as fleece-lined jackets that keep them warm when they accidentally build themselves into an igloo.

When Nicole Joelle's parents placed a slim, pink 110 camera into her 6-year-old hands, it was love at first sight. As she watched her first photos materialize underneath the chemicals of her 7th-grade darkroom, she knew her life would revolve around her passion. And it has. Since graduating from the Art Institute of Colorado, Nicole (or Nikki to her friends) has captured intimate images of families and young couples at Contemporary Photography while striking a subtle balance between her subjects and their environment. Family portraits pop out against a simple black background or studio setting, while engagement photos travel to sentimental locales to pick up the textured exterior of a red-brick wall or the peeling paint on an old storefront. At Contemporary Photography, Nicole presents a distinctly modern and mature take on boudoir sessions, framing skin and lace in soft folds of studio lighting. Her photo studio also hosts workshops with trained instructors, helping gets students past questions like "When should I use flash?" and "How do I Photoshop the lens cap out of my self-portrait?"

Akinz began in a studio apartment in Houston, Texas, where founder Suzanne Akin designed T-shirts and tank tops to sell from the back of her purple Mini Cooper. After peddling her colorful wares at bars and wakeboarding events, Suzanne moved to Colorado, where she fell in love with snowboarding culture and expanded her clothing repertoire to include stylish beanies, hoodies, and jewelry—all knit, acid-washed, and crocheted by hand.

Like Theodore Roosevelt's early years taming wild grizzlies in the Pacific Northwest, each item of clothing exudes a free-spirited, peaceful aesthetic, as exhibited by the company's encouraging slogan, "Find Your Wings." In addition to outfitting customers with trendy active wear and outdoor apparel, Akinz adamantly supports the local bike culture, sponsoring Fort Collins-area Bike to Work events and the Fort Collins Bike Co-op.

At any given time, more than 10,000 trees and plants inhabit CreekSide Tree Nursery in Boulder, in addition to the seasonal varieties at the Christmas Tree Lot in Niwot. The owners lovingly tend these organisms, carrying on a tradition that began in 1993. Though the enterprise originally centered on perennials, it now focuses on deciduous trees and evergreens, which, like the Green Giant's picnic blanket, spread across nearly 5 acres of land.

Since its 1963 debut, Lee's Cyclery has aided athletes in their quests for comfortable bikes and high-quality cycling accessories. Before customers pick out a bike, employees conduct fittings that could affect the customer’s bicycle selection and help evaluate a person's ability to warn fellow cyclists of wormholes lurking ahead. Riders then choose from a variety of brand-name cycles from companies such as Trek, which created the two-wheeler that made Lance Armstrong a champion, and Electra, which crafts stylish and comfortable commuter bikes. Patrons can take roadsters for test drives before committing to a purchase, and all bike purchases include a free tune-up and a lifetime's worth of adjustments.

The shop also carries biking accessories and gear, including high-performance racing apparel from Pearl Izumi. Lee’s Cyclery lets customers practice wheelies in Riding 101, a two-part bike-safety class that combines classroom learning with on-the-road practice. Meanwhile, the service department happily performs 26-point inspections and routine tune-ups to keep axles spinning more smoothly than the spindles of Rumpelstiltskin's BMX bike.

Loveland Furniture and Décor's knowledgeable staffers cull a colossal collection of top-quality home furnishings and accessories, taking a casual approach while helping customers to search the huge stash of elegant living-room, bedroom, and dining-room accouterments. They can guide customers as they peruse the vast selection of pieces from renowned furniture-makers such as Thomasville, Broyhill, and Drexel. To further help patrons to personalize their abodes, staffers can swiftly place special orders to acquire items that are not in stock or have been accidentally vaporized by mad scientists masquerading as janitors. They also host an online design center where customers can assemble custom furniture right down to the fabric.

Loveland Furniture and Décor extends its dedication to top-notch customer service beyond its doors by making monthly donations to charities that benefit homeless children.