Art & Culture Colorado Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Music & Dance Restaurants Telluride: Colorado Hotels & Lodging Joint Point Mountain Living Mountain Lodge Telluride music nightlife parties Restaurants Telluride
by maribeth
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Groovy Times Guaranteed at Mountain Lodge Telluride
Imagine a handsome mountain lodge in a superlative setting with an extraordinary local vibe. Think of a place that puts on great parties for locals and visitors alike. That’s what you’ll find at Mountain Lodge Telluride, one of the top places of lodging in Telluride, Colorado.
As I wrote in my story, The View at Mountain Lodge: Telluride’s Best-Kept Secret, for Telluride Magazine, their restaurant is a favorite place for great food and drink and also a happening place for parties. The View hosts all kinds of events, including weddings. And they also put on some great bashes that embody the vibe of a good ‘ole Telluride party. Joint Point, a favorite local rock band with solid jamming chops, has been putting on shows twice a year here for a number of years. Their Snow Dance the Friday after Thanksgiving and their Electric Luau, a Friday night in the first part of June, have become traditions in Telluride’s roster of good times.
Music festival season is almost here. And there’s no better way to warm up for it than attending a fun evening of music and dance within a fabulous great room, a space surely designed with extraordinary gatherings in mind. Dig out your Aloha shirts, board shorts and flowered sarongs and put your bright on this Friday, June 9th to welcome the summer season.
With chilly temps still bringing in some fresh fallen snow (up high!), it has not felt very summery around this part of the Rockies so far. But we have had some spectacular rainbows and you’re sure to bask in your own kaleidoscopic array of light by attending Friday night’s Electric Luau at the Lodge. Reasonably-priced and super tasty food and drink will be served, so go hungry.
Full disclosure: my guy, Steve Togni, the general manager of Mountain Lodge Telluride for almost twenty years and my significant other for about fifteen of them, usually steps in and plays a song or two with the band. How cool is that? No wonder this elegant establishment can so easily take on a hippie vibe. Anyone in the know, knows that that’s part of the beauty of Telluride. It’s our way of keeping it real.
Know that even if you miss Friday’s party at the Lodge, there are plenty of other opportunities to enjoy this wonderful venue. Check out my story, The View at Mountain Lodge: Telluride’s Best-Kept Secret, to find out more about the restaurant and bar. Note that changes are afoot and there will be a whole new food and beverage team this summer. In keeping with the trajectory of The View since it’s conception in 2008, offerings here are sure to be better than ever.
Colorado Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Restaurants Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride: 2018 season Colorado dining lodging Mountain Lodge Telluride New Sheridan spring breaks spring skiing Telluride
by maribeth
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It’s Time for Spring Skiing in Telluride
Beautiful Telluride, Colorado
OK, in truth we already had a ton of spring-like skiing in Telluride throughout the holidays and into the new year. (Read A Crazy Happy Holiday Season in Aspen, Telluride and Redstone.) What we lacked in snow, we more than made up for in sunshine and warm weather. (And boy does that make most of the visitors happy.)
Gorgeous
Looking Out on Top of Lookout
Adults Having Fun
And then came winter! The storms rolled in with the consistency of a heartsick lover pining over his one true love in February until all became dreamy and white. And then suddenly all was well with the world and the mountain. By mid-February, Telluride Ski Resort snowmaking finally put away their equipment and let Mother Nature take over full-time. They did a stupendous job this year, something that became even more apparent to me when I skied some scratchy and sketchy trails at other resorts. “We wouldn’t open a run until it was really good,” says Brandon Green, head of snowmaking in Telluride. And indeed, the skiing and riding on the manmade and the natural snow have been very good. Yes, despite many people’s fears, the season shaped up nicely.
Kids Having Fun
And now the great spring break week is upon us. Known as “the Texas week,” it’s one of the busiest weeks on the mountain. (But don’t worry, Telluride never becomes that busy.) Then we have three weeks after that until closing on Sunday, April 8th, three weeks that are among the most fun on the mountain due to all the end-of-season partying.
Aspen Colorado Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Telluride The Rockies: Altezza Aspen Aspen/Snowmass Colorado dining Explore Booksellers Home Team BBQ Inn at Aspen Jour de Fête lodging Meat & Cheese Mountain Lodge Telluride Redstone Redstone Inn Snowmass Kitchen Telluride Telluride Ski Resort The Peaks Resort & Spa The View Bar & Grill The Westin Snowmass Tulips Body Waxing Studio
by maribeth
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A Crazy Happy Holiday Season in Aspen, Telluride and Redstone
Hitting the Fresh Pow in Telluride
Fresh Powder Turns Today in Aspen
Yay, I knew that if I were to write this story, the snows would come! Telluride received 9 inches of fresh overnight, 11 inches the past 24 hours and 15 inches the last 48. And boy, was it needed. Aspen is enjoying a good blanketing as well. In addition to the fresh snow, let’s hope this signals a significant breaking down of the high pressure system that has been sitting over Colorado (and Utah, Arizona and New Mexico actually) for the past two months!
Yet despite the paltry snow conditions, the resorts have managed to crank out a good product.
The Top of Buttermilk this Week
Teaching Snowboarding at Buttermilk
I’m back in Aspen dealing with some family matters. I arrived here Thursday night, just a month after I flew in here from a very extended stay on the east coast. Wow, what a month it has been!
Happy Clients in Telluride at Christmas
Perfect Outside Dining Weather in Colorado this Winter
After an initial few days in Aspen in December, I threw myself into the busy-ness of gearing up for ski season; this entailed rounding up my ski clothing and gear, stocking the house with an almost winter’s-worth of provisions and working my ski legs back into shape by doing my Telluride Ski & Snowboard School training.
Ski School Training in Telluride
Piles of Provisions
A nasty cold almost thwarted the start to my ski instructing schedule but thanks to mega doses of Vitamin C, fluids and fresh, chopped garlic (yes, I even had two cloves for breakfast, lunch and dinner a couple of days–followed by a chaser of Listerine of course) I was able to knock it out of my system pretty fast. I pulled it together–training, shopping, cooking and even a little decorating–to embark upon a super busy holiday season that required me to teach skiing ten days in a row.
Winter Light Show in Telluride
Phew! We always go from to zero to 150mph in no time flat. But that’s life in a resort town, especially one that typically has its busiest week of the year between Christmas and New Year’s.
Torchlight Parade: A Telluride Tradition
Happy New Year to All
By now, you must be wondering when I’m going to mention the elephant in the room–the fact that we’ve all been going about business as usual without much help from Mother Nature. Yes, indeed, it has been shocking how little natural snow we’ve had. Up through the end of last week, the snow totals for the season in Aspen and Telluride rang in at barely 20 inches. Yikes!
Beaver Creek Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Restaurants Spas Telluride The Rockies: Beaver Creek Broadmoor Colorado Colorado Springs Denver Mountain Lodge Telluride Park Hyatt Beaver Creek pools Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch Spas Telluride The Peaks Warwick Denver Westin Beaver Creek
by maribeth
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One Sensational Colorado Spa and Six Perfect Pools
Warwick Denver Hotel
Many people come to Colorado in the summer to hike, bike, jeep, fish and sit outside to enjoy great concerts amid breathtaking scenery. Yes, Colorado ranks supreme for all that, however, this Rocky Mountain state also boasts some of the best pools and spas in the country. They’re terrific because of the mountains.
Mountain Lodge Telluride
Most of the pools highlighted below are backdropped by scenery eloquently described by Katharine Lee Bates in “America the Beautiful.” And because of the purple mountain majesties where we work our bodies to near exhaustion, it’s important to have glorious pools and spas where we can relax and rejuvenate. We have a good amount of them in Colorado, all of which are attached to prized hotels and resorts.
The Peaks Pool in Telluride
See the photos and my blurbs below to begin your journey through some of the best hydrotherapy offerings in Colorado. Whether you’re going to these establishments for a stay, a treatment or a day pass (often in conjunction with poolside dining), go ahead and plan your travels around them. The benefits you derive from these mountain oases will carry you well past the end of your vacation. And best of all: Most of these pools are open year-round because they’re heated.
The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch Resort
The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch Pool and Spa in Beaver Creek
My boyfriend, Steve, and I experienced The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch Spa a while ago during a spring ski getaway. I wrote about it at Pick a Spa, Pick a Ski Destination. We loved it then, however, recently we had an even more extraordinary experience, since we logged some delicious pool time as well.
Ritz-y Pool
Poolside Offerings
Oh, the pool. Drawn in by its black lines, we knew this stunning, infinity pool was the place for us. We arrived at lunchtime on a busy Friday and were thrilled to see that there was still a designated lane where we could do laps away from the din of Marco-Polo and all the other activity that characterizes a day at the pool in summer.
Steve diligently knocked out his sixty lengths while I bronzed, something I rarely find the time to do. I decided to forgo my workout because I had already sunk deeply into a lolling around mood, one enhanced by a stack of magazines and my phone turned off. (It actually went dead because of the heat.)
Bottoms Up
Food tastes best when eaten outside, particularly in the summer when salty chips and fries are de rigueur. We feasted on fish tacos and a grilled chicken wrap served in large Bento-type boxes that far exceeded your average poolside chow. (My phone had died by the time the food arrived, however, I did take a snapshot of the menu!)
Since this is Colorado, the clouds rolled in practically on cue by mid afternoon. Pas de problème. We just snuggled up to their poolside bar and sipped a frothy one, a beer that we found very amusing because it was a perfect pour by Bottoms Up. Many guesses later, we discovered that a magnet holds the key to the beer not bottoming out. You might have seen these beers at stadiums and now it appears they’re gaining popularity at certain mountainside resorts. (Just think après ski/large volumes of beer served/perfect every time.)
Steve and Me at the Poolside Bar of The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch
Colorado Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Telluride Travel Trip Planning: Bootdoctors Colorado free air fare Holiday Prelude Inn at Lost Creek Mountain Lodge Telluride New Sheridan Hotel special deals Telluride Telluride lodging Telluride Resort Lodging Telluride Ski Resort The Peaks Resort & Spa
by maribeth
Comments Off on Yay for Skiing, Riding & Holiday Making in Telluride
Yay for Skiing, Riding & Holiday Making in Telluride
Telluride, Colorado
Telluride Town All Wrapped Up for the Holidays
Yay, it’s December! Yay, the ski area is open! Double yay, we have a good amount of fresh snow–a season total of over fifty inches so far! Yay, it’s the most beautiful time of the year in the most picturesque mountain town in America. Really. Telluride, Colorado gives festive new meaning all winter long and most especially right now and throughout these upcoming weeks.
Driving Toward the Mountain
Getting Closer
After a super warm and dry November, the Telluride Ski Resort lifts are finally powering us up to the tops of the mountains we love so dearly.
Do you remember how you felt on Christmas Eve when you were a child? Well, that’s how many of us have been feeling lately. The excitement is palpable; it seems that just the thought of cruising down the hill basking in the fun and freedom that’s part of most every on-mountain experience has half the town giddy. I woke up at 5:30 in the morning on opening day in anticipation of the thrill of being out on the hill.
Colorado France Hotels & Lodging Telluride Trip Planning Writing & Books: A Tour of the Heart expert travel advice for France KOTO fundraising Mountain Lodge Telluride Telluride lodging deal
by maribeth
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Luxurious Telluride Stay and Travel Planning to France at a Discount
Mountain Lodge Telluride
Icicle View
Yay! It’s KOTO fundraising again. This is when you can snatch up all kinds of great deals on hotel stays, restaurants and other travel perks. I applaud the generosity of so many that donate alluring premiums to our community radio station during this time. Thank you also to those of you that bid on them. It makes the fundraising for Telluride’s homegrown radio so much more fun.
Summer at Mountain Lodge Telluride
Chef Bud Serving Up the Smores at Mountain Lodge Telluride
Mountain Lodge Telluride, one of my favorite properties in our beautiful mountain destination, has once again stepped up and donated a two-night stay in one of their handsome condos. Valued at $1,000., these superlative accommodations come replete with a king-sized bed, leather pull-out sofa bed, fully-equipped kitchen, gas fireplace, balcony and all the amenities that come with a stay at an elegant mountain lodge. (There are even robes in the closet–a rarity these days–which you can use to pad over to the outdoor heated pool and hot tubs.)
Ski in/ski out in the winter, hike in/hike out in the summer–no matter the season, you’ll enjoy the convenience and breath-taking views of Mountain Lodge’s location.
Situated in the main lodge, The View Bar & Grill has become a favorite for locals and visitors alike due to its excellent food and fun, heartwarming ambiance. They haven’t let their success go to their heads either because they still offer one of the best price/quality relationships on their food and drink around. Read my story Chef Bud Creates an Elevated Dining Experience at Mountain Lodge Telluride.
I’m setting the opening bid at $250. for this two-night stay with all proceeds going to KOTO. Contact me ASAP to make a bid or a pledge. I will close out the auction Friday, March 11.
My Travel Memoir
Pondering a trip to France? If so, my Travel Planning Consultation might be a good fit for you. After having lived in Paris eleven years and written four guidebooks on shopping and touring in France (three on Paris and one on the French provinces) as well as a travel memoir that leads you over hill and dale in this glorious country, I do know how to help you plan your travels to this top destination.
For a $40. donation to KOTO, I will chat with you for an hour about your trip planning to France. Valued at $70., this premium also includes a copy of A Tour of the Heart: A Seductive Cycling Trip Through France, my travel memoir that will also inspire you to explore some of the most scenic regions of France along with the City of Light. For this, too, please contact me ASAP.
Voilà! That’s all folks. Thank you in advance for supporting KOTO community radio in Telluride. I hope you will find the opportunity to tune into Travel Fun, my talk show on travel, which airs every other Thursday at 6:30pm MST. You can tune into it at KOTO.org and also listen to some interviews that I’ve posted as podcasts here.
Colorado Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Telluride: Chef Bud Thomas dining Telluride Mountain Lodge Telluride The View Bar and Grill
by maribeth
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Chef Bud Creates an Elevated Dining Experience at Mountain Lodge Telluride
Chef Bud Thomas at The View at Mountain Lodge
“We’re delighted to have Chef Bud with us,” says Neil Hastings, Sales and Marketing Director for Mountain Lodge Telluride during a recent dinner at this renowned place of lodging in Mountain Village. “He really elevates our food and wine experience here at The View Bar and Grill.”
Ever since word began to leak out this fall that Chef Bud Thomas was leaving Rev, the signature restaurant of the Hotel Madeline and the establishment he catapulted to Forbes Travel Guide five-star and AAA five-diamond standing over the course of the more-than two years he worked there as Chef de Cuisine, diners in-the-know have been abuzz about this unexpected change.
