Mountain Living Pot Pourri Romance & Relationships Travel: Mountain Living Pot Pourri Romance & Relationships Travel
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What Kind of a Traveler Am I Anyhow? Part One: Packing
I can be a bit of a kook actually. Sometimes I’m frighteningly calm, other times I’m manic. Doesn’t traveling amplify all of our crazy, quirky, compulsive traits? Travel can be about totally letting go, but it’s also about zeroing in on the most minute details. For me, I love being in this mode of complete bipolarity when it comes to touring and discovery. But when it concerns the logistics of travel—planes and packing, for example—it can make me nuts. Or I just respond with a total laissez-faire attitude that can potentially make others around me go ballistic.
Let’s take packing. I’m from the bring-a-wide-selection-so-that-you-have-a-choice mindset. That’s totally Old School, especially with the baggage surcharges enforced by the airlines today. It’s tough though since I love to look my best when traveling and that often means switching out handbags and shoes along with a few different sweaters and a couple of coats. (We’re already approaching the limit here.) I had a near breakdown when I traveled to the east coast in September which prompted a major intervention I performed on myself (in the privacy of my bedroom, thank goodness) when I prepared for a second east coast trip in October. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I almost choked at the United counter in September when I had to pay $75. for two bags that I hadn’t even registered online. And that was just for the outbound segment. What made it worse was that I was to be spending most of my time in beach communities in Virginia Beach and The Outer Banks. How much room could a couple of bathing suits, sandals and assorted casual wear take up? This is pathetic, I thought to myself at check in. Granted I had a heavy silk dress and jacket packed in there for a wedding I was to attend (with, of course, the requisite matching sandals and bag). I was cursing my boyfriend, Steve, to myself for having urged me to take my sneakers. (Now that’s a space eater if there ever was one—who walks on the beach in sneaks anyway?) I had also thrown in my hairdryer since it appeared I might be without one for a bit. (Who travels with a hairdryer these days?) And my toiletry case ended up being the joke of our ten-day trip since it was stuffed with twenty some odd bottles (mini, but still), containing my prized potions and lotions that I presumably couldn’t live without. Now really? My God, an intervention was definitely in order. Clearly I hadn’t followed my own packing tips outlined here.
I know better. But an overflow of stress, combined with a what-the-hell kind of attitude provoked me to throw all my stuff into one suitcase, a duffle bag and two carry ons. I schlepped this proliferation of possessions from plane, to car, to another car, to taxi, to bus (yes, even on the Greyhound; read Riding the Bus), then to more car, plane and car, cursing myself the whole way. You get the idea.
I swore I’d never do that again. And so I haven’t, at least not on my October trip back east. I followed my own advice and cut my wardrobe selection in half and let it hang on door handles in my room for a few days before departure. Then I thought more about all—accessories and toiletries included—and neatly folded my trim little selection into my suitcase the morning of my departure. Phew! The intervention had worked. Plus I had registered my one bag online within the twenty-four-hour period allowed. Boy was I feeling mighty!
Suddenly I’m struck with that panicky feeling again, a strange sort of anxiety brought on by pre-departure packing plans. I’m leaving tomorrow with Steve on an almost week-long jaunt to Colorado Springs. He’s the General Manager at Mountain Lodge in Telluride and he’ll be attending the annual Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association conference at The Broadmoor. I’ll be joining him at a few events in search of story ideas and more. I already had my wardrobe planned in my head (and on my door knobs), thinking I’d draw from some combination of Rocky Mountain casual and Parisian chic. (It is The Broadmoor after all.) Then suddenly he tells me he’d like to add on a day of skiing on the return trip. “Oh, sure, sure, that’s great,” I said. But then I thought about having to pack my ski pants and ski jacket, mittens, hat, the whole shabang. I had already been wondering where my skis and ski boots were located since I didn’t see them in my storage area in Montrose, an hour and a half from where I live, when I went to pick up my winter things there ten days ago. I’ve been meaning to check my other storage area in Telluride as well as my ski locker at the mountain. My heart quickened. I’ve been on the verge of throwing Getting Ready for Ski Season: Part Two into motion, but now I need to get it into full activation mode. (Fortunately I’m already well into Getting Ready for Ski Season: Part One.)
Jeez, this is really confusing. And then I wonder how many other people go through these kinds of mind games regarding travel. Our supposedly more relaxed lifestyle of The West can be thrown a curve ball when you add on “just one day of skiing” to a business trip/elegant romantic getaway. One would think I’d be a professional traveler and could handle any scenario. When I’m in full ski instructor mode I sometimes sleep in my long underwear, get up, have breakfast, wash my face, brush my teeth and fly out the door to the mountain in near record time. But this travel combo so early in the season almost seems daunting. I take a deep breath and remember all the calming words I uttered to myself during my little intervention. Ssssh, ssssh, ssssh, stop, I say to myself. So what if I have to take two different pairs of mittens, socks and a variety of layers in order to be properly prepared for any type of weather for our one day of skiing, our maiden voyage of the ski season. I can handle it, I tell myself. And you won’t bring more than one file along with your laptop, I add on, almost as an afterthought. Can it be a fat one? I ask myself pleadingly. All right, all right.
Thankfully Steve, who travels considerably for his work, is no better than me. Actually worse, I think. On our east coast trip in September, he also checked two bags and a guitar! I’m not altogether sure what he had packed in his duffels but he mumbled something about his wetsuit and booties taking up a lot of room. Like my hairdryer, his wetsuit, booties and guitar were used only once during the entire trip. He employed his surfboard considerably more but that he leaves stashed back east. I wouldn’t think of doing a packing intervention on him. In any event, I love the fact that I travel with a guy that brings more stuff than me.
I wonder how it will be for us this trip. I’m already beginning to feel slightly superior after my October test, despite my sporadic mind chatter that has raised some new packing insecurities. We are driving and neither of us has to worry about baggage allotments. Hmmmmm. Oh dear, I sense a binge coming on.
Food & Wine Hotels Restaurants Romance & Relationships Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride: Restaurants Romance & Relationships Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride
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Night Out in Telluride Mountain Villlage
Great Room with a View on a Busier Night
I almost can’t wait for the ski season to end. The key word there is almost. I’d love for the skiing to go on and on but I’m also yearning to spend more time at my desk, something that is indeed a big challenge when the slopes lie right outside your door and you’re caught up in the ski fever that grips every mountain town from late November through a good part of April. Plus I’ve been working a lot on the hill teaching skiing, a very rewarding job that not surprisingly leaves little energy for writing at the end of the day.
Then there’s the near grueling pace of the social life that one must endure in such a happening mountain resort. No matter how much you try to stay in, there’s always a concert (often free!), a dinner, a party or an impromptu gathering to take in. Telluride is a culturally rich, increasingly sophisticated town which consistently goes off at the close of the lifts.
Steve and Me Partaking in Après Ski at The View (Note the G.M.'s Goggle Tan!)
The truth is, too, that a certain man, Steve Togni, entered my life last fall which has inevitably created even more of a distraction for me. (Oh darn, I knew this would be the case!) Fortunately he’s tall, dark, handsome, very smart, charming, a hot skier and appreciates much about me, including my writing and cooking. He’s also a lover of cats, tea and travel. All this and more makes him well worth the time invested. He also happens to be Italian which scores him even more bonus points. I thank Clara, my chubby little cat, for bringing us together since we really connected when I stopped into his lodge one day last September in search of her. His lodge is Mountain Lodge, a topnotch hotel located just across the ski run from me (how convenient!) that as General Manager he runs with all the efficiency and grace of a Swiss tram gliding effortlessly over the mountain tops.
Although we have had many dates and perhaps even more quiet evenings at home, I thought I’d take the opportunity to report on the fun to be had in T-ride during one of our recent evenings out. Of course we had to start at Mountain Lodge in its recently opened restaurant, The View. I timed it perfectly since we sat in the wooded Great Room and gazed out at the peaks as the alpenglow bathed them in a wash that faded from cobalt to sky blue pink to steely grey as the sun set in the distance. The fire crackled beside us in the immense stone fireplace of the lodge and we both felt particularly giddy, mostly because it had been a powder day that had blanketed the slopes in a glorious cushion of fluff. It was also one of the first times we were able to sit and relax at the lodge. (Thankfully I hadn’t made it a habit of “hanging out” there.)
I discovered that The View is known for its flights of wine, a presentation of three samplings of a class of nectars that allow you to indulge in your own private tasting. I chose the Italian Sparkling Wine selection that I was sure would be quite fine since Paolo and Stefano Cancallini, the operators of The View, are renowned Italian restaurateurs in Telluride as well as importers of fine wines. Steve quenched his thirst with a frosty pilsner because he had been lucky enough to work it hard all day on the slopes. (You’ve got to get those powder days when you can, especially at the end of the season!)
We'll Save the Dip at the Lodge for Later!
We refrained from ordering some of their tempting apps such as bresaola, a thinly sliced cured beef, served with anchovy-stuffed olives, caper-filled red peppers, garlic cloves in EVOO and marinated grilled eggplant. We almost folded with the tuna carpaccio served over crostini, but we knew we had to save our appetites for The Onyx, the signature restaurant of the newly christened Capella, the latest luxury hotel to open in Mountain Village, the more modern part of Telluride increasingly known for its chichi places of lodging, restaurants, boutiques and spas. We didn’t have to travel far since this was to be an entirely Mountain Village soirée which had begun by the two of us crossing the ski slope hand-in-hand, from my place to the lodge. Steve had his shuttle driver drop us off down the road at Capella and as we stepped inside the high-styled interior of this sleek establishment, I could tell we both enjoyed feeling like tourists in our own town.
The Onyx at Capella
Telluride has much to offer in terms of dining and it seems as though the standards are raised with the arrival of each new restaurant on the scene. I had heard many rave reviews about The Onyx in the less than one month since it had opened, so I was eager to experience it myself. Steve ordered the Creamy Wild Mushroom Risotto as a starter and promptly declared that it was one of the best he had ever tasted. (Wow, that’s quite the endorsement, especially from an Italian!) I delighted in a plate of Iberico Ham, served with goat cheese and poached kumquats. The velvety Barbaresco that Steve selected accompanied this first course and our main dishes beautifully. The menu places a heavy emphasis on red meat and as much as i was temped by the Kobe beef, I decided to go regional by ordering the Colorado lamb. Steve settled on the Black Angus Filet that was as tender as first tracks down the mountain in fresh fallen pow.
View of Our Table Overlooking The Onyx Bar
We enjoyed congenial, expedient service throughout the meal as the evening passed seamlessly. The contemporary-styled dining room buzzed with the sort of din that indicated that everyone was having a fine time. We both marveled at the chocolate-y richness of the chef’s Warm Liquid Spanish Hot Chocolate Cake and almost as though he heard us singing his praises, Chef Kenny Gilbert appeared to say hello. With a bio steeped in Ritz Carlton experience and stints at some of Europe’s finest restaurants, we came to better understand the breadth of his culinary offerings as well as his often innovative approach. Then came the candy cart. Wheeled in like a three-tiered Parisian pastry cart on steroids, this chariot of sweets was stocked with candy store favorites such as jelly beans, sour worms, marshmallows and more. I almost sniffed at its commonplace offerings until I learned that Kenny gained much of his inspiration for the cart from Paul Bocuse’s candy caddy served up in his multi-Michelin-starred restaurant in Lyons. (I’m not a snob, but I suppose more than a decade of living in France sometimes prompts me to have snobby moments.)
Chef Kenny Gilbert
A porcelain plate of chocolate-covered almonds and pretzels, dried fruits and white chocolate shavings was delicately served up for me. Steve appeared even cuter than normal, respectfully poised in front of his plate of Swedish fish. We relished every bite with surprising indulgence, savoring little sips of a late harvest Merlot from Colorado with every sweet. We both greatly appreciated the dried strawberries and blueberries that rivaled any highfalutin house made confection typically offered at the end of such a fine repast.
Our plans to ride the gondola up to the ridge for a nightcap at Allred’s fizzled with our last bits of decadence. Instead we settled on gazing at the full moon as we padded out of Capella. We were happy we didn’t have far to go and grateful we had found our bliss in so many different ways in Telluride Mountain Village.
The View, 970-728-2413, www.mountainlodgetelluride.com
The Onyx, 970-369-0880, www.capellatelluride.com; click here to check out some beautiful images of The Onyx and other Capella highlights.
Other Recommended Mountain Village Dining Establishments
La Piazza, 970-728-8283, www.lapiazzadelvillagioristorante.com
The Hop Garden, 970-728-7467, www.tellurideskiresort.com/Tellski/info/on-mountain-dining
Note that Telluride Ski Resort has extended its season through April 12. It’s also possible to find many other great places to ski out West through the end of April. The spring skiing promises to continue to be fantastic throughout the month.
