2 Apr 2019, 11:31am
Arizona Discovery Map The Southwest:
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Top Reasons to Go to the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff, Arizona

The Mighty Grand Canyon

Happy 100th birthday to you, Grand Canyon! February 26, 2019 marked the 100-year anniversary of when the Grand Canyon was designated a national park, however, events to commemorate this great milestone are taking place all year long. Find out more at the Grand Canyon National Park Centennial page of the National Park Service.

I’ve been twice and was awestruck each time. My most memorable visit was with my parents in 2010. It was always my father’s dream to see the Grand Canyon before he passed and he sure wasn’t disappointed. You can read about that trip and also our travels to Monument Valley at Touring the Southwest with My Parents.

Dad Flanked by Mom and Me at the Grand Canyon

I revisited this magnificent site (in my mind this time) when I wrote it up recently for Discovery Map. Check out Historic Highlights of the Grand Canyon and Historic Highlights of Williams to find out why you should plan a good amount of time for traveling in this part of the Southwest.

Only about eighty miles from the Grand Canyon, people often combine a trip to Flagstaff with one to the Grand Canyon. It’s a must for lovers of the outdoors! Read Flagstaff Outdoors and Flagstaff History to learn about some of the highlights that I think are noteworthy. 

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2 Feb 2019, 5:26pm
Mountain Living Skiing & Snowboarding The Southwest:
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Comments Off on Angel Fire Resort:  On Fire with Shovel Racing and Family Fun

Angel Fire Resort:  On Fire with Shovel Racing and Family Fun

Angel Fire Resort

What are you doing next weekend? Down in New Mexico they’re going to be having a helluva time at Angel Fire Resort. Young and old will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of an event that began with the lifties (lift operators) sliding down the hill on shovels at the end of their shifts; they’ll be holding their World Championship Shovel Races on Friday and Saturday, February 8th & 9th. And I bet there are plenty of folks doing warm up laps this weekend, even if it’s on a slope near their house, perhaps on the icy hills of the Midwest.

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Top Reasons to Go to Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale, Arizona

Desert Owls

Last week in my story Feeling English at Teatime in Arizona, I highlighted the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree, Arizona. This spurred me into thinking about this destination, one of my favorite places in the Southwest. If you’re going to Phoenix or Scottsdale, you must add on a few days and spend some time in Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale. Or, you could make it a destination in and of itself–there’s that much to do there. From the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert to terrific dining, lodging, shopping and spa-going, this area enchants me in so many ways and I’m sure you’ll feel the same.

Picture Perfect Sonoran Desert

Sonoran Desert

It was the first destination I wrote up for Discovery Map; check out Embrace the Desert and Desert Dining and Shopping to find out the top reasons why you should visit this part of America. I also chose to start with this destination because Discovery Map Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale is owned by Margie Hans, a childhood friend. She lives in Carefree, practically across the street from the breathtaking Boulders Resort & Spa (more on this fabulous place later). She became involved in the map business via her brother, Peter Hans, another old friend of mine, who is the owner of Discovery Map International. Yes, it’s a franchise business with well over 150 maps across the U.S. and beyond. 

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Feeling English at Teatime in Arizona

Mom and Me Having Tea at the Arizona Biltmore

Sigh. It was just over a week ago that our minds and hearts were flooded with images of the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, now the Duke and Duchesse of Sussex. I drank English Breakfast Tea and nibbled on scones as I watched the coverage and yes, I even donned a fascinator to accessorize my silk pajamas. Didn’t you? There were so many reasons to be enchanted by this marvelous show of pomp and elegance, love and inclusion. I think most of us wanted to feel part English, part Black and oh yes, part royal. At least for a day.

The Recent Royal Wedding

It all reminded me of two exquisite teatimes I shared with my mother in Arizona, one at the charming English Rose Tea Room in Carefree, the other at the resplendent Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. Mom and I dressed the part on two different occasions and even donned large picture hats that I had transported in an over-sized shopping bag as my carryon piece of luggage from Colorado. We savored every sip and tasty treat and indeed we felt oh-so British. It was most memorable and I know we have both thought about all the fun we had during these two special outings many times over.

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The Western: An Epic in Art and Film

The Western: An Epic in Art and Film

Denver Art Museum Entrance

Love this Remington

A Great Synopsis of Westerns

Symbolism in Art

I love Westerns. I love the Denver Art Museum. I love the exhibition The Western: An Epic in Art and Film. Sorry for gushing but I think it’s wonderful!

I saw it in Denver a few weeks ago and I had a smile on my face as I walked through every room of this beautiful show–once again DAM has done a magnificent job with this installation, which creates a setting that makes you feel as though you just stepped into the wild, wild West.

Tune into KOTO.org at 6:30pm MST tonight to listen to my Travel Fun interview with Thomas Brent Smith, co-curator of the exhibition The Western: An Epic in Art and Film. Even if you’re not able to attend the show in Denver, which runs through September 10, you’ll learn much about Westerns and why we love films and artwork that depict the great American West. Thank you, Thomas, for such an eloquent and articulate conversation about the show and why Westerns conjure up such an array of emotions for so many.

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Celebrating 100 years of Our National Parks at Mesa Verde

Spruce Tree House Cliff Dwelling at Mesa Verde

Spruce Tree House Cliff Dwelling at Mesa Verde

Me Overlooking Spruce Tree House

Me Overlooking Spruce Tree House

Touring Mesa Verde National Park

Touring Mesa Verde National Park

You’ve probably heard that 2016 marks the one-hundred-year anniversary of the National Park Service. Often referred to as America’s Best Idea, there are more than four hundred parks within our beautiful country and I think fall is one of the best times to visit them. In celebration of this milestone, there’s one more entrance-free day left and I find it appropriate that this one takes place on Veteran’s Day, November 11.

To me, it feels like I’m living within a national park in my home of Telluride, Colorado. I believe that Ken Burns, renowned filmmaker of America’s National Park series and many other inspiring documentaries, feels similarly. Perhaps this is why he spends so much time in our little box canyon mountain town. I did an interview with him a while back on our national parks that is still very pertinent today. Do check it out here.

Even so, I love venturing out and exploring the real deal. Fortunately, we have a couple national parks in Colorado within about an hour-and-a-half drive of Telluride: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Mesa Verde National Park. (The latter is also a World Heritage Site.) I visited the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park with my parents six years ago toward the end of a big southwest tour that also showcased Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. Click here to read Touring the Southwest with My Parents, which features those two world-renowned destinations. At the end of that trip, I also visited the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park with them and I highlight this amazing national park in Part Four of a series of stories I did about rafting in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. After you read about this little-known national park, check out Rafting and Roughing it on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Part One, Part Two and Part Three–it was a big outdoor adventure that I hope to do again some day. You just might want to plan a similar trip there yourself.

Speaking of world famous sites, it always strikes me that at America’s National Parks I see an overwhelming number of foreigners. Sometimes I think they value what we have more than most of us. Possibly. In any event, I hope this story and the photos herein will prompt you to break out and savor what we are so blessed to behold within our nation’s borders. I also think it might be a great way to blow out some election overload!

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Touring Iconic Monument Valley

Deep Within Monument Valley

Deep Within Monument Valley

We’ve delighted in exceptionally warm and sunny weather these past five to six weeks here in Colorado. And the colors have been glorious. A cold front blew in over the weekend, however, and now most of the trees are bare. It’s been raining a lot these past twenty-four hours and although the peaks are capped in white, our mountain landscapes appear ready for a big snowstorm. Let’s hope the fluffy white stuff starts piling up from here on out and that we have a great ski season in Telluride and the rest of Colorado.

Until that happens though, many Coloradans will be heading to the desert; it’s not far for most of us and it’s a great way to extend summer. Plus, the crowds of tourists have dispersed, which makes experiencing these wondrous places of nature more enjoyable. I’ve taken some of my best trips to Utah, Arizona and New Mexico during the fall and spring and I’m sure I’ll hit the road to one of my favorite Southwestern destinations within the next few weeks as well.

Monument Valley Is Calling Me

Monument Valley Is Calling Me

Touring Monument Valley with Goulding's

Touring Monument Valley with Goulding’s

Less than a four-hour drive from southwest Colorado, Monument Valley, one of America’s most spectacular sites, is one of my top choices. Situated both in Arizona and Utah, the panoply of sun-baked reds, russets, ochres and golds of the monuments appears even more magical beneath the burnished glow of autumn. In Touring the Southwest with My Parents, you can read about a trip I took to this part of the West with my parents during fall a while back. My parents loved it although I think they might have thought I was a little crazy with all my oohing and aahing. But at least I didn’t let my commentaries interfere with the solitude one feels at such an awe-inspiring place.

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Ten Reasons You Should Take the Durango Blues Train

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Blues on Board

Blues on Board

Oh Yeah!

Oh Yeah!

Me Sipping Wine Before Boarding

Me Sipping Wine Before Boarding

1. It’s more fun listening to music when you’re in motion than on solid ground.

2. The Durango Blues Train is put on by Steve Gumble, founder of the renowned Telluride Blues & Brews Festival; he and his staff know how to create memorable events. On the Blues Train, you can hop from car to car and rock on to great music from bands and solo acts from all over the U.S.

3. Not that you need an excuse, but this great train excursion gives you a reason to visit the fun-loving Western town of Durango, Colorado. Be sure to spend the night at either The Rochester Hotel or The Strater.

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    This blog is a personal blog written and edited by Maribeth Clemente. This blog sometimes accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content. The owner of this blog is sometimes compensated to provide opinion on products, services, Web sites and various other topics. Even though the owner of this blog receives compensation for certain posts or advertisements, she always gives her honest opinions, findings, beliefs or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blogger's own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question. This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
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