Is there a fort somewhere in Fort Collins? If not, how did the city get its name?

The Choice City. The Napa of Beer. Fort Fun. FoCo. There's no shortage of nicknames for Fort Collins.

But why do we call it Fort Collins in the first place?

Fort Collins began as Camp Collins in 1862, named for the popular commander at Fort Laramie, Lt. Col. William O. Collins. Camp Collins served as a base for patrolling and protecting stage and emigrant trails.

On Aug. 20, 1864, Col. Collins issued Special Order Number One, calling for a "permanent post on the Cache la Poudre River." This moved the installation from a camp to a fort, which was ready for occupancy in October of 1864. Two and a half years later, the fort was ordered abandoned. The name stuck as civilians who had been allowed to settle on the military ground stayed and formed the nucleus of the fledgling town's population.

Will they ticket you if parked in the post office parking lot on Sat. night or Sun. afternoon while attending a Lincoln Center performance?

It's 6:57 p.m. You've got front row seats for The Nutcracker at the Lincoln Center. The closest spot you find is at the Post Office at 301 Howes St. You pull in, grab your tickets and head for the door. You make it just in time, but as ballerinas pirouette across the stage you can't help but wonder if you'll have a ticket on your car.

The good news: You won't have a ticket.

The bad news: You might not have a car either.

The Post Office parking lot is federal property, for Fort Collins police won't issue a ticket. However, it's possible the folks at the Post Office could have it towed. Not saying they will, or have in the past, but it's possible.

My advice find another spot and enjoy the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy without a care. If you need some hints on good parking spots, here's a map the folks at the Lincoln Center put together.

What are your recommendations for things to do for New Year's Eve in Fort Collins?

So you want to party like it's 2013, huh? Whether you're hoping to end 2013 on a high note or set the pace for 2014 with something amazing, here's your guide to Fort Collins.

The big hurrah is First Night Fort Collins. Put on by the Downtown Business Association, the multi-venue event features activities for the whole family. You can find more information here: http://downtownfortcollins.com/events/first-night-fort-collins

For those a little more athletically inclined, KRFC’s 29^th annual Resolution 5K Run is scheduled for 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve at Colorado State University. Information:  http://www.krfcfm.org/run

And as always, Old Town will be alive through the evening with live music spread throughout. Various bars, hotels and restaurants will announce their plans as the event grows closer, so keep an eye out for announcements.

Enjoy! And stay safe out there.

Why do natural areas require a permit for purposes non-disruptive to nature such as photography?

How gorgeous is Northern Colorado? I'd put it up toe-to-toe with any other area of the country in terms of beauty. And we get to live here. Who needs selfies when you see this kind of scenery?

Photo by Dawn Madura/The Coloradoan

As a way to try to keep Fort Collins beautiful, the city requires permits in natural areas for activities deemed to be disruptive, such as bringing in large groups, accessing at night, gathering seeds or leaves, or landing aircraft. 

Note to self: No landing a DC-10 at Legacy Park. Got it.

Nothing in the regulations mention restrictions on photography specifically. However, a permit is required for all commercial activities, regardless of their actual impact. Why would that be? According to the city, the idea is to:

• Avoid and/or minimize the impact of the approved activity on natural and cultural resources.
• Ensure that commercial use operators comply with City Municipal Code, Natural Area Regulations, and other state and federal laws. 
• Avoid the impact of the approved activity on the safety and quality of other visitors’ experience.
• Direct commercial use to appropriate sites and at appropriate times in the interest of avoiding real or perceived impacts to visitors and resources.
• Ensure that participants of commercial activities are outfitted/guided by qualified operators with appropriate insurance. 
• Promote practices related Leave-No-Trace ethics, zero waste (recycling) and carbon neutrality ethics to permittees and activity participants. 
• Outline a fee system to recover full costs of permit processing, oversight, and management of commercial uses.

For specifics costs and obtaining a permit, as well as a whole host of other fancy details, I'd refer you to this document on the city's website. http://www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/pdf/permit-commercial2012.pdf?1335390033

Happy photographing!

There's no upcoming rain or snow forecast. Should I water my trees? If yes, do I water all of them or just the evergreens?

Look at you taking good care of your trees. Often overlooked, but as essential as they are beautiful, having healthy trees is a win all around. 

John Denver would think you're swell.

With our fall moisture, only trees planted in the last year need winter watering, although it doesn’t hurt to water others. Both deciduous (drop leaves) and evergreens need watering. From now into spring, water about once a month on a day when the temperature will reach in the 40s. This way the water will soak in. The amount of water depends on the size of the tree or shrub. Slowly pour the water in the planting hole so the water will absorb into the rootball as well as the surrounding planting hole. Keep pouring until the planting hole no longer absorbs water.

If you're interested in a bit more info on keeping your plants happy all winter and into the spring, check into these tips from Fort Collins Nursery.

I've always wondered about the cemetery on Harmony. Are they old, old, old graves?

Back when Fort Collins was still Camp Collins and when Old Town was just called town, there was a farming community called Harmony, centered around Harmony and Timberline roads. 

The Harmony Cemetery is one of the last visible signs of the community, along with the original school and store which still stand near the intersection. The now inactive cemetery is home to about 50 graves dating back to the 1870s.

I don't have any photos of Harmony Cemetery handy but if you want to take a walk through history, check out this set of photos from the early days of Fort Collins.

Downtown Fort Collins was used as a model for Main St. USA at Disneyland. What buildings remain in town that were copied to any recognizable degree?

Disneyland: The object of children's' dreams, invader of parents' pocketbooks, world champion athletes' victory speeches and Fort Collins downtown.

Say what?

In my humble opinion (or IMHO for you whippersnappers who refuse to speak English) one of the neatest things about Fort Collins: our connection with native son Harper Goff, who helped design Disneyland's Main Street USA. Goff, who died in 1993, said he drew inspiration from multiple Fort Collins buildings in sketching out Disney's vision. 

But are there exact replicas of buildings from Fort Collins in Disneyland? That's a bit unclear. Goff said he copied parts of buildings in Fort Collins that became Disney's courthouse, firehouse and bank building. The Disney firehouse, in our eyes, bears obvious similarities to the old Fort Collins firehouse, now Old Firehouse Books and Happy Lucky's Teahouse. But it's also smaller and shorter. The old courthouse (depicted here) was replaced in 1950, but looks pretty similar. The Avery building housed a bank which is said to have been the model for the bank on Main Street.

To help settle this question, I'm proposing a trip to Disneyland. My boss said he'll spring for it as soon as I win the Superbowl.