Bonjour Colorado

Great Online Boutique Recommendations: Valentine’s 2010

If you’re a woman, you’re likely thinking your gift to your hunny will be a fresh bikini wax—for you, not for him! But still, as much as he’ll appreciate that, you’ve got to come up with something more. Why not offer him some chocolates? Or even better, Vodka? Telluride provides some of the best of both and Bonjour Colorado readers enjoy discounts from our mountain town’s top-of-the-line purveyors, Telluride Truffle and Telluride Vodka.  Type in promo code Paris 10 in the Redeem Coupon Box to receive a 10% discount on Telluride Truffle online orders.  Mention Bonjour Colorado to Telluride Vodka to receive $5. off every bottle you purchase.

Alpine-Inspired Scarves and Scarf Ornaments from Alpen Schatz

Alpen Schatz, another authentic Telluride boutique, is also offering a special 10% discount to BonjourColorado readers; just type in Bonjour upon check out.  I love their Italian silk scarves embellished with heart scarf ornaments, just the sort of ever-lasting Valentine’s Day keepsake I’d gift to myself.  Who can beat hearts and flowers anyway?  Plus all the scarves are awash with edelweiss, an alpine flower that symbolizes happiness.

Chocolate Financiers from Patisserie Colson

Looking to satisfy zee French in you, your lover, brother or mom?  Go directly to Patisserie Colson to shop for tins of refined sweets that will delight your most discerning gourmands.  Their financiers and rugelach serve as the perfect accompaniment to a pot of strong tea or hot chocolate.

If you want to conjure up memories of the beach, think salt water taffy.  Forbes Candies has been wrapping their sweets in sea breeze and sunshine since 1933.  I discovered them on a trip to Virginia Beach last fall and each time I nibble on a piece of their salt water taffy, I’m transported back to the sand and the surf of the Atlantic. Other specialties include fudge and brittle, both of which come in a ship’s cargo-load of flavors.  Enter Bonjour at check out to receive a 15% discount on orders of $30. or more.

For those particular to specialized poufing and pampering, you’ll love the natural products and remedies made by Kneipp.  From Arnica Revitalizing Spray to Lavender Balancing Herbal Bath to Almond Blossom Dry Skin Body Oil, Kneipp has created many extraordinary products that promote a holistic approach to finding good health and well being.  Now that’s what I call a gift of love.  No wonder they’ve been around since 1891.

And I bet you never imagined you could experience so much tradition and savoir faire with online shopping.

Oh, and don’t forget to include that special love note, even if the gift is for yourself.

Great Deals for Public Radio: Winter 2010

It’s winter fundraising at KOTO, one of the few entirely community-supported radio stations in the country. It has been six years that I have been doing my Travel Fun talk show on KOTO, a program that has allowed me to deepen my ties with Telluride and to forge travel connections with a variety of people and places all over the world. I’m thrilled to be a part of such a family!

As in recent fundraising campaigns, I’ve obtained some very exciting premiums that you can win in exchange for a pledge to KOTO.  Fellow D.J. Chuck Burr has helped me with these efforts and together we have pulled together a show that will surely tantalize your trip planning ponderings.  Tune in today at 6:20 p.m. mountain time to this special live program at KOTO.org.  Here’s a preview of what we’re offering:

Ashland, Oregon Package

Chuck lives most of the time in this lovely northwestern destination.  He’ll be talking about Ashland’s allure and why its stunning scenery and charming town are worth checking out.  This package includes a two-night stay at Ashland’s Black Swan Inn, a soak for two at Chozu Bath and Tea Gardens and two tickets to the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of the oldest and largest professional nonprofit theaters in the country.  The value of this package is $420.; it can be yours for a pledge in the amount of $250.

Telluride Temptations

Rustic Elegance/$200. pledge: Two nights in a one-bedroom condo at the handsome Mountain Lodge in Telluride. Approximate value:  $500.-750.

Valentine’s Day Treatment/$100. pledge: Delight in an organic Belgian chocolate and Kona coffee scrub, followed by a luxurious massage with organic dark chocolate body butter, valued at $189., at The Himmel Spa at The Fairmont Heritage Place Franz Klammer Lodge.  That sounds like ninety minutes of yum, yum to me. Read about my take on this charming spa here.

Exciting Dining Experience/$75. pledge: Receive a $100. gift certificate to the new Palmyra restaurant at The Peaks Resort & Spa.

Perfect Turns/$75. pledge:  Join an adult group lesson, valued at $130., at Telluride’s most awesome Ski & Snowboard School.

Magnificent Massage/$75. pledge: A ninety-minute massage, valued at $150., with Darren Miller, from Rolling Relaxation Massage, to be provided at Mountain Lodge Telluride.  You may contact Darren at 970-369-5193, 303-257-6070 and rollingrelaxation@hotmail.com.  Read more about this expert healer here.

Rosa Lea and Jackson from Salon 7

Lady’s Locks/$35. pledge: A woman’s haircut, valued at $50., by Rosa Lea at Salon 7, my favorite stylist in town.  You can reach Rosa Lea at 970-708-1266 and rosalea_davis@hotmail.com.  I also wrote about her here.

Peaks Pampering/$30. pledge: Receive a Spa Access Day Pass to The Peaks Spa.  Four passes have been donated.  Approximate value:  $45. each.  Read more about The Peaks Spa here.

Voulez-Vous/$30. pledge: A one-hour French lesson, valued at $50., avec moi! Go to my About page to learn more about me.

Gorgeous Guy/$20. pledge:  A man’s haircut, valued at $30., by Rosa Lea at Salon 7.  (See contact info. above.)

Some Original Ideas

Your Own Tour Guide/$30. pledge: As the author of four books on France, I know a fair amount about Paris and the provinces. This pledge, valued at $50., will grant you a one-hour travel consultation with me on Paris and/or the French provinces.

Blah-Blah Blog/$100. pledge: You, your product or service (or maybe all three) get to star in one of my many postings at BonjourColorado.com.  Approximate Value: Priceless.  Let me spin you and/or your goods into a fun story!

Please note that certain restrictions may apply.  All pledges will be taken on a first-come basis.

Call the studio (970-728-4333) as of 6:25 p.m. mountain time today to make a pledge for any of the above offers.  You may also write me a note on my Contact Page.

Thank you to the above individuals and establishments for your geneous donations.  I encourage my readers to support these fine businesses.  Thanks to all for showing your love for Telluride’s unique public radio station!

Laughing All The Way: Humor and Travel

A smile is the shortest distance between two people.    —Victor Borga

Karyn Ruth White: Motivational Comedian/Author and Twenty Year Road Warrior

Motivational Comedian/Author and twenty-year Road Warrior Karyn Ruth White shared the above quote with me in a recent Travel Fun interview.  I met Karyn Ruth in November when she gave the keynote address at the annual meeting of the Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association.  She had all those hospitality folks in stitches and I’m sure she’ll have you laughing all the way when you hit the play button below.

“Humor allows you to see your world in a much more postitive, enthusiastic way,” Karyn Ruth says.  She emphasizes how humor can be a valuable tool in dealing with all kinds of situations.

Karyn Ruth encourages everyone to pack their sense of humor with them on their travels and to make a conscious decision that your journey is going to be fun.  Think about what attitude you’re taking on your trip and see how that effects your travels.  Just look around airports to see how many people are smiling.  ”How we travel is a great metaphor for how we live our lives,” she says.  ”If you watch someone in the airport it sums up how they live their lives.”

When was the last time you really expressed enthusiasm about traveling?  Do you remember how it was for you as a kid?  I can recall the night before the first time I was to take the train to New York City when I was about eight.  I couldn’t sleep all night!  And that wasn’t about stress—it was due to excitement.

Karyn Ruth points out that we are presented with humor opportunities every day at home and away. Her book, “Your Seventh Sense:  How to Think Like a Comedian,” helps people to see the world in a funnier way. ”Life is hysterical if you’re looking for the hilarity,” she says.

Karyn Ruth White Suggests You Ask Yourself the Following Questions on Your Travels, Especially in Stressful Situations

-Can I find anything to laugh about?

-Am I going to let this ruin my day?

-Would this be funny if it were happening to someone else?

Celebrating the Holidays with the Animals

Winter Wildland at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

I recently had Allen Nyhuis, co-author of “America’s Best Zoos:  A Travel Guide for Fans and Families,” as a guest on Travel Fun.  That’s when I learned about the many glittering light displays that take place during the holidays at zoos around the country. I had heard about Boo at the Zoo (which takes place during Halloween) but didn’t realize that so many zoos also offer a festive setting for celebrating the dark evenings of winter—what a terrific idea! Many of you have perhaps already enjoyed the twinkling light show offered at your local zoo.  If not, know that at most major zoos, you have a few days left to take in this joyful winter fun.

Allen Nyhuis: Animal Lover Extraordinaire

Now about Allen.  This guy surely ranks as America’s top zoo aficionado.  Did you know that some 150 million people go to zoos every year?  That’s more than the number of people that attend professional baseball, basketball, football and hockey games combined.  And visiting a zoo is one of the most affordable means of entertainment in our country, yet surprisingly most people don’t go much on vacation; they mostly just patronize their local zoo.  Well, I think it’s a great thing to do on your travels and I’m more convinced about this than ever after having connected with the giraffes, elephants, hippos, tigers, apes, Rocky Mountain wildlife and much more on a recent visit to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs.  I was lucky enough to experience the fantastic natural setting of this mountain zoo (the only one of its kind in the country) after a fresh snowfall.  This not only enhanced the beauty of the zoo but it also drove the crowds away and kept many of the animals indoors where they were easier to view.  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

I encourage you to tune in to listen to Allen’s excellent interview.  You’ll also hear how he responds to my question regarding the happiness of animals in a zoo.  Just hit the play button below.

Thank you to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Allen Nyhuis for the above photos.

Snowboardcross World Cup: Telluride Goes International

Catching Air During the World Cup in Telluride

It was quite the scene here last weekend.  Actually the excitement grew over a two-week period which culminated with the Snowboardcross World Cup Finals at the Telluride Ski Resort last Sunday.  It was the first World Cup event to take place here and it certainly won’t be the last.  Aside from sailing over the course on the chairlift one afternoon early on, I didn’t see any of the events.  But I did breathe in the international flavor at a number of venues around town.  There’s nothing like that foreign flair and best of all, I learned that our international visitors were totally enchanted by everything Telluride has to offer.

Our stunning mountain resort does welcome a certain amount of foreign visitors during the winter and summer seasons but for this World Cup snowboard event, they came in throngs in the form of athletes, coaches, press, fans and more.  My first introduction to their descent onto to T-ride came early last week when my hunny, Steve, and I dined at The Peaks. Here their Great Room was loaded with young and fit athletes, clearly having a good time laughing, singing and drinking (although not too much beer swilling we remarked).  It was a glorious fashion parade since most were still wearing their team jackets and hats—yes, indoors as is the case at most après ski gatherings. Brands such as Fila and Colmar reigned supreme, with “the wet look” in jackets turning heads the most.  Steve and I agreed that the Italians won the prize for the best turned out team of them all.

The official kick off party of the World Cup came a couple of nights later at The Peaks, recently re-opened under new management as a Grand Heritage Resort & Spa. Half the town of Telluride showed up for that bash which turned out to be the “it” party of the season.

Still, I felt like I was missing out on something since I wasn’t able to attend any of the competitions.  So when I heard that the French team was staying right across the ski run from me at Mountain Lodge (which Steve also happens to manage), I wrangled a chat with some of the leading snowboard dudes just before they headed out for their race on Sunday.  My biggest dilemma was what to wear.  Suddenly my ski clothing seemed old and tired compared to what these world-class competitors were donning on and off the slopes. Fortunately I had picked up a new Eisbaer ski hat at Alpen Schatz, a Telluride boutique and online emporium of alpine treasures.  Eisbaer is the official hat of the Austrian ski team from what I observed at this World Cup event, the must-have accessory off the slopes.  (Everyone, of course, wears helmets while competing.)  My friend Mary Dawn, owner of Alpen Schatz, reassured me that I would be tops in this, especially since it’s such a hard-to-find item outside of Europe.

Eisbaer Hats: All the Rage

The guys met me in jeans and T-shirts and seemed totally unimpressed with my hat. (Wouldn’t you know? Although I did run into some other athletes at the lodge that were also wearing Eisbaer and I could have sworn they gave me a nod.)  I was disappointed to learn that the French team did not have a particular sponsor that outfitted them à la Yves Saint Laurent when he dressed the Air France flight attendants.  ”On est standard, rien d’éxtravagant,” they informed me practically in unison. Yet I did learn that their achievements—including numerous World Cup and Olympic victories—were nothing less than extraordinary.

We enjoyed chatting in French celebrating Franco-American relations for a brief moment within the cozy confines of Mountain Lodge.  I learned that they all thought Telluride was magnificent, “une très belle station,” and that the course was superb. As for Mountain Village, they found it to have a very European feel with its big old stones, more modern renditions of traditional ski lodges and concentrated configuration of buildings in the village core.  The town of Telluride was praised for its “esprit Far West” and they spoke just as glowingly about the American welcome they encountered here.  Polo de Lerve, bronze medal winner in the last Olympics, beamed when I asked about their impressions of American food.  He gave me a big thumbs up for La Coçina de Luz, a local’s favorite, and Rustico.  His friends, Pierre Vaultier and Vincent Valery, joked that Polo is the Gault & Milau of the World Cup.

Zee Snowboarders and Me (in Eisbaer!) in Front of the Mountain Lodge Telluride

So I guess Telluride is making its mark on the world map.  When asked if there was anything else that struck them about the area, they marveled about our natural beauty and most especially how trees grow at such a high elevation here—decidedly quite unlike the Alps.  They’ll be back, they promised.

I couldn’t help but wonder if next time they might be outfitted in le dernier cri des pistes, or the latest fashion of the slopes.  The French do have an image to uphold, don’t you think?