Colorado Outdoor Adventures Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies The Southwest Tours Travel: Colorado Outdoor Adventures Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies The Southwest Tours Travel
by maribeth
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Adventure Travel Love for You and KOTO
Hiking Mt. Wilson, a 14er: Adventure Travel at Its Best in Colorado
I think it’s so cool that we have some of the best adventure specialists based right here in Telluride, Colorado. It makes sense, since Telluride and the outlying region provide the perfect terrain for heading out and exploring the great outdoors whether you’re cycling, hiking, skiing, fishing, climbing or jeeping. Some of these guiding greats have done so well in the region that they also conduct tours beyond southwestern Colorado, as far away as the other side of the globe, in fact.
A few of these companies have generously offered tours to KOTO’s current fundraising campaign. I’ll be chatting more about these adventure specialists on tomorrow night’s Travel Fun, a special live edition of my talk show on travel, which airs Thursday, September 17, A LITTLE EARLIER THAN USUAL at 6:20 pm mountain time.
I have been doing this show for almost eleven years and you can find many of my interviews posted on my blog as podcasts. If you have enjoyed Travel Fun, I encourage you to contact me to make a pledge or a donation. You can also show your love by snatching up one of the below tours at a deeply-discounted price. Thanks to Lizard Head Cycling Guides, Telluride Mountain Guides, Telluride Adventures/San Juan Outdoor Adventures and Telluride Offroad, here’s what I have to offer:
Colorado France Girl Talk Health & Fitness Mountain Living Outdoor Adventures Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies Travel: adventurer Chamonix Colorado France Hilaree Nelson inspiration KOTO Mountain Living mountaineer podcast radio interview ski camps skier Telluride Telluride Ski Resort Telluride Women's Week
by maribeth
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Hilaree Nelson: Mountaineer, Adventurer, Skier and Tellurider
“We all need a little fear in our lives. If you don’t have it, you’re not overcoming anything.”
I heard those words on CPR (Colorado Public Radio) as a segment of an interview with Hilaree Nelson played the day after her body was found in the Himalayas. She perished on September 26, 2022 as she started to ski down Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world. After having summited this monolithic peak with her partner, Jim Morrison, she sadly triggered an avalanche that swept her away.
Her thoughts on fear have resonated in my head ever since. So this is how Hilaree Nelson became so fearless.
I first heard about her disappearance on NPR (National Public Radio) earlier in the week. Somehow I had missed the update on KOTO, our local NPR-affiliate here in Telluride. It didn’t take long for me to realize, however, that our small mountain community was steeped in grief.
“She was a regular Telluride local,” said Ben Kerr, Station Manager and Program Director at KOTO. “Anybody who can accomplish what she did and maintain that sense of humility is amazing.”
Ben and I talked about Hilaree as I sat down in the studio to listen to a Travel Fun interview she did with me on March 12, 2015. In the podcast we sound like two Telluride gals chatting about travel and adventure almost as though we had met up for an après ski. It was an après ski of sorts because we taped the interview fresh off the slopes during an extraordinary snow week.
We were especially happy to talk about women and skiing, since Hilaree (then O’Neill) had just participated in Telluride Women’s Week, a long-running ski camp for women (actually the first in the country) at Telluride Ski Resort.
For a big dose of inspiration on how to live your best life, listen to the half-hour podcast below.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY INTERVIEW WITH HILAREE NELSON
On Everest and Lhotse
Hilaree talks about her epic 2012 adventure when she linked two peaks: Everest and Lhotse. “It was sort of a never-ending day,” she says. Pringles washed down with instant coffee mixed with protein shakes fueled Hilaree as she went almost fifty hours without sleep. But it was mostly the exhilaration she felt around that expedition that enabled her to accomplish this remarkable feat.
The Zone You Get In Before a Big Adventure
“I can do it,” Hilaree says. She also emphasizes research and gaining as much confidence and knowledge about something before diving in.
About Butterflies
“I like being uncomfortable,” she says. “I like having a big dose of fear.”
Why Telluride
“I couldn’t get enough of the peaks around here,” Hilaree says as she refers to the Fourteeners in the area.
The Motivation
Hilaree and I talk about self empowerment through sport, a theme that has been a big part of my life the past two and a half decades. (It’s also underscored in my travel memoir, A Tour of the Heart: A Seductive Cycling Trip Through France.) “It’s really empowering to push beyond our own walls,” she says. “I get that through being uncomfortable.” You’ll also hear that Hilaree’s adventures offered her a certain level of silence…both externally and internally.
Regarding Chamonix, France
“It’s French but very international…it was very eye-opening for me.” In our interview, Hilaree talks about this whole new world where the commonality was the mountains. Chamonix is also where Hilaree honed many of her roping skills.
On the French
Hilaree came to appreciate their frankness but was also happy that although she learned French, her language skills were not quite strong enough to engage in conversations about la politique. This extraordinary athlete also loved indulging in many luscious aspects of French life, including les pâtisseries, other French foods and wine. She also very much enjoyed the French people’s appreciation for leisure time.
Advice for Someone that Wants to Have More Adventure in Life
“Figure our what your passion is,” says Hilaree. If you’re really into wine, for example, she recommends going to France in the fall–during les vendanges–to pick grapes.
Cheers to you Hilaree Nelson! Thank you for being such a force and for seizing the day.
Colorado Discovery Map Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Shopping Spas Telluride Travel Fun: Colorado community radio fundraising Guest DJ Day KOTO Mountain Lodge Telluride Travel Fun
by maribeth
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Tuning into KOTO Now and Always
This is a big weekend in Telluride. It’s Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, more casually referred to as Blues & Brews. The air is crisp, there’s a dusting on the peaks, the aspens are changing and the town is poised to say goodbye to summer with its last big music festival of the season. For those like me who are currently not in T-ride, you can tune into this great big musical extravaganza at KOTO.org. Of course you can–because KOTO is the heart and soul of our beautiful mountain town known worldwide for its first-rate music festivals. In addition to broadcasting performances by talented artists such as Ceelo Green, Tab Benoit, John Hiatt and Samantha Fish, interviews with artists by our radio station besties will also be aired during set breaks. So thrown down your tarp, fire up the grill, serve yourself a cold one and party Telluride style. That’s exactly what I’ll be doing from my special beach destination here on the Outer Banks.
If you tune in this weekend or if you’ve listened to KOTO before, you know that our Telluride radio station is all about community. One of the best community-oriented events on KOTO is Guest DJ Day. I was honored to be a part of it this year and wow, I never thought it would be so much fun. But it was! It was one big love fest. And who doesn’t like love? I had an hour on Friday, August 19 to schmooze up the airwaves to raise money for our community radio station’s summer fundraising campaign. And it was all about sharing the love.
The timing of my Guest DJ Day was especially poignant since I had not been on the air in a long time. What a way to make a comeback! Plus, it was the eve of my birthday weekend, so it was a great way to kickoff my celebrations.
Thank you to our beloved Ben Kerr, the driving force behind KOTO, for engineering my show. Thank you to the whole KOTO staff for all your efforts all the time and for making me feel so welcome. I am so grateful to my guy, Steve Togni, for his support and his generous donation of the grand prize of a two-night stay at Mountain Lodge, the beautiful property he manages in Telluride Mountain Village. As usual, he was an interesting and articulate guest. He’s a radio natural, which is why I’ve been trying to convince him to have some fun spinning tunes at KOTO.
Merci mille fois to Johnny Gerona, owner of The Village Table. After Johnny closes his restaurant that we all love so much, he might infuse the KOTO airwaves with a different kind of global dish. It was lovely to have Noah Sheedy, Director of the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School, come by to show support and talk skiing with us. All those smiling faces! Peter Hans, the guy who makes most adventures happen at Discovery Map, called in from a beach in Rhode Island. He brought us some extra sunshine and also chatted about the world of travel.
Thank you also to everyone else that called in, texted and donated to KOTO and Travel Fun, my talk show on travel. You helped me raise a good amount of money for a good cause. Best of all, you’ve inspired me to get back on the air soon. I have the start of the winter season, perhaps just before Thanksgiving, in mind; so stay tuned.
I’d like to once again showcase all of those businesses that generously donated premiums that were used to incentivize donations to Travel Fun. Please patronize them and thank them for supporting KOTO.
Mountain Lodge Telluride and The View restaurant
Counter Culture Kitchen and Catering
It is so wonderful to be a part of the greater Telluride community. It’s so rewarding to be a part of KOTO. Long live community radio! And remember that you can be an active part of KOTO and one of Telluride’s best-loved music festivals by tuning into KOTO this weekend.
Tim Cahill: The Godfather of Travel Writing
Tim Cahill Canyoning in New Zealand
When I asked renowned travel writer Tim Cahill how he came to be a writer specializing in travel during a recent Travel Fun interview, he answered with all the modesty of a hippo in the bush. “I invented the job,” he said with a glint in his eye. And indeed he did. As one of the founders of Outside magazine, Tim Cahill changed the way a person could read about the great outdoors and adventure travel.
He had worked two years at Rolling Stone in the mid Seventies when the editor approached him with the idea of creating a literate outdoor magazine. “It was a simple concept,” Tim said. But in those days outdoor magazines were more about hunting and fishing, slaying a ferocious wildebeest or how to prime your canoe for the upcoming season. It was generally believed that avid readers of fine prose did not spend much time outdoors.
“We were made fun of by the journalism pundits,” Tim said. “But we did the magazine that we wanted to read.” And not long after their launch, the founders of Outside were proven right, especially after having received top awards in the publishing world many years in a row.
“Outside really gave me my start,” Tim explained. The folks at the magazine realized early on that getting the best ice climber to write a story didn’t produce the results they wanted. Instead it was much better to have someone who could write well team up with the best ice climber and that person became Tim Cahill. (Prior to Outside, Tim was one of those guys that would head out for a weekend of backpacking, but he was no big adventurer.) “I was the inept rookie in the wilderness the first ten years,” Tim chuckled.
Tim’s spiral notebooks grew and it soon became clear that many of his magazine stories were destined to become books. He told me he has written nine in all (but I found way more on Amazon and hence listed ten below). And on their pages you can read some of the most descriptive and poignant tales of adventure travel ever written. “An adventure story does not have to be a lot of gratuitous chest pounding,” Tim said. “If you’re diving and you see a shark, there’s some wonder behind it.” Tim wouldn’t conclude that story with a wielding pen knife and spewing blood and guts. His work is much more refined; he’s in the business of telling compelling stories with finesse.
Tim and I traded tales about the writer’s life and the publishing world as we shared the microphone. We were experiencing a classic KOTO happening, yet another improvisational moment in community radio since all of the extra mikes in the studio had been removed for a special event. We had to get so close that we sidled up to each other like two lovers on a park bench. That definitely helped to break the ice! Tim Cahill no longer seemed like the untouchable travel writer God I had met several years ago at the Travel Writer’s Conference at Book Passage in California. (He was surrounded by so many people that I was barely able to say hello to him then!)
Funnily enough when I asked Tim about his beginnings he told me that when he was young he thought “writers were somehow unattainable Gods”. We both joked about how we found out that that was far from the truth.
He was one of those kids that stayed up reading by flashlight late into the night. Reading is always the best primer for a writer. Tim graciously shared many other tips with me and I’m sure that as I attempt to implement them, I’ll be thinking about him and his dedication to the written word. He did after all invent the travel writer job, you know.
Tim Surveying the External Landscape
Travel Writer Tips from Tim Cahill
-Take contemporaneous notes.
-Write about the external landscape (what you see) and the internal landscape (what’s happening to you when you see it).
-Bring home your notes and then try to write out complete sentences.
-Try to grab the reader around the first paragraph. “I then give the best descriptions about why I was there and I tell stories that I hope will lead the reader to the same conclusion I came to when I was there,” Tim explained.
Tim regularly conducts writer’s workshops for the Yellowstone Association, 307-344-2293, www.yellowstoneassociation.org.
The Book Passage Travel Writer’s Conference takes place annually mid August at the main Book Passage Bookstore in Corte Madera, California; 800-999-7909, ext. 233, www.bookpassage.com.
Book Picks: Tim Cahill’s books, some of which are listed below.
“Buried Dreams: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer”
“Jaguars Ripped My Flesh”
“A Wolverine Is Eating My Leg”
“Road Fever”
“Pecked to Death by Ducks”
“Pass the Butterworms: Remote Journeys Oddly Remembered”
“Dolphins”
“Hold the Enlightenment”
“Lost in My Own Backyard: A Walk in Yellowstone National Park”
“The Best American Travel Writing”
Colorado Cycling Mountain Living Outdoor Adventures Telluride The Rockies Travel Trip Planning: Adventure Cycling bike touring cycling adventures Lindsey Mersereau Maggie Schwab Route 66 Telluride Ski & Snowboard School Warm Showers
by maribeth
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Cycling More than Halfway Across the United States
Lindsey and Maggie at the Start of Route 66 in Chicago
It’s off season here in our mountain towns and many have headed out on big travels: surfing in Costa Rica, digging at an archeological site in Peru and skiing in Chamonix, to name a few. I’ve stayed in Telluride to catch up on my writer’s life and take care of some personal business that was put on hold during the busy ski season. Plus, I like the quietude of off season and then going away to more hot and humid locales during the summer.
For now, I’m traveling vicariously through others in my writing, conversations with friends and interviews for Travel Fun, my radio show on travel based here in Telluride. Lindsey Mersereau, a Telluride local, and my guest on tonight’s program, airing at 6:30pm MST on KOTO, provided me with an especially ebullient interview. It’s no wonder she had the energy to pedal well over two thousand miles from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. She’s young, strong (both physically and mentally), enthusiastic and beautiful inside and out. What can I say? She’s a typical Telluride gal.
Colorado Health & Fitness Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Telluride The Rockies: altitude sickness Colorado Diamox Don Bowie Dr. Peter Hackett Institute for Altitude Medicine lodging Telluride Mountain Lodge New Sheridan oxygen therapy traveling to elevation
by maribeth
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Dealing with Altitude Issues at Our High Mountain Destinations
Almost Summer at Mountain Lodge Telluride
The Town of Telluride, Colorado: Fun at 8,750 Feet
Me Feeling Happy and High at the Delightful Rooftop Bar at the New Sheridan Hotel
I’m long overdue in talking about how to combat the effects of high elevation with you. I apologize. Please forgive me.
In some ways, I’m new to the game myself. Although I’ve lived at heights as great as almost 10,000 feet for fifteen and a half years, I’m somewhat new to a magical little pill that has made a world of difference for me: It’s a diuretic called Diamox.
It was just a year ago that I began taking Diamox, a prescription medicine long touted to me by my ski clients but somehow I was lax in asking my doctor for a script. I finally did last spring and have used it many times this past year as I’ve traveled in and out of Telluride many times. At the risk of sounding like a drug pusher, ask your doctor about it and see if it’s good for you.
In other ways, I’m not at all new to the effects of elevation on my body. I think I first felt them when I went to the Alps during the time I was living in France. I was slammed with a headache that carried all the force of an avalanche down Mont Blanc. Ever since then, I take precautionary aspirins when I first arrive at elevation, even before the head pounding sets in.
But the Alps are nothing–at least in terms of height–to the Rockies. And I found that out when I moved here. Sure, after a few days I adjust to our thin air (about 30% less oxygen when you’re at over 9,000 feet), but if I leave a high destination for over a week, I have to reacclimatize each time, sometimes with effects worse than other times.
It’s no wonder I was fascinated with a Travel Fun interview I did many years ago with Dr. Peter Hackett, a world renowned high altitude expert and director of the Institute for High Altitude Medicine here in Telluride. I am rebroadcasting that interview on KOTO at 6:30pm MST today. Dr. Hackett, a leading authority on altitude illness with years of experience on big expeditions in Colorado, the Himalayas, Denali and South America, talks about his experiences along with, Don Bowie, one of the world’s top climbers. Don also shares sketchy elevation issues he has succumbed to during some of his adventures. It’s important to note that elevation sickness is genetic; it has nothing to do with what kind of shape you’re in.
Faves
There’s nothing like someone providing firsthand recommendations for lodging and other travel services. It’s even better when those tips come from a travel writer.
Well, that travel writer is me! I’ve written four guidebooks on France and have traveled the world, so believe me when I say I’m very particular about where I choose to stay. A place has to have charm, warmth and a feel of its own. Luxury helps, too, but as long as a property possesses spirit and authenticity, then I’m apt to add it to my list as well. As far as the travel services are concerned, the product has to be top notch.
The below establishments and services now sponsor me in my endeavors. I discovered them first and made up my mind that these were the kind of travel suppliers I wanted to recommend to you, my dear reader. I do indeed consider them among my faves or favorites.
I encourage you to contact them directly for the best deals and feel free to mention BonjourColorado.com. Here’s an important travel tip: It’s a fallacy to think that you’re going to obtain the best deals on sites such as Expedia.com. Once again, it’s best to check out the property’s own site for the best rates and then even call them for a possible upgrade.
Happy travel planning!
COLORADO PROPERTIES
New Sheridan Hotel: A Real Gem
New Sheridan Hotel, Telluride
This Telluride landmark has served as the hub of T-ride for well more than a century. Definitely check out my story on this destination hotel here. It also includes reasons why Telluride is so great. I also mention the New Sheridan Hotel in Fall in Telluride: A Beautiful Time for Sightseeing and Winter Travel Planning, Filling in Nicely in Telluride: Snowstorm After Snowstorm, Colorado: A Stunning Place for Weddings, Grateful for Telluride and Telluride Ski Resort, June in the Rockies: A Gorgeous Time of the Year and Dealing with Altitude Issues at Our High Mountain Destinations. The terrific New Sheridan Chop House is reviewed in Favorite Telluride Restaurants. This stellar property and Ray Farnsworth, the New Sheridan’s GM, is featured in Telluride Tourism’s Top Dogs.
Mountain Lodge, Telluride
Mountain Lodge Pool Deck
Stay at this handsome lodge to experience luxury mountain living in Telluride. (Most of the units and all of their high-end cabins boast fully-equipped kitchens.) Located in Telluride’s Mountain Village, Mountain Lodge Telluride also offers great ski in/ski out access. There’s mention of Mountain Lodge Telluride in the following posts: Night out in Mountain Village, Togethering in the Rockies, Telluride’s Beauty Boutiques, Three Men, Three Telluride Mountain Village Restaurants, Great Rocky Mountain Decks: Spectacular Views Year-Round, Filling in Nicely in Telluride: Snowstorm After Snowstorm, Great Fall Travel in the Rockies, Ski In/Ski Out to Great Snow in Colorado, Colorado: A Stunning Place for Weddings, Chef Bud Creates an Elevated Dining Experience at Mountain Lodge Telluride, Grateful for Telluride and Telluride Ski Resort and Dealing with Altitude Issues at Our High Mountain Destinations. Steve Togni, Mountain Lodge’s GM and my beau, is highlighted in many of these stories, most notably Telluride Tourism’s Top Dogs.
The Peaks Spa: Where I Go to Relax
The Peaks Resort & Spa, Telluride
As one of the anchors of Telluride Mountain Village, locals and visitors alike enjoy experiencing The Peaks Resort & Spa year-round. I’m crazy about their spa and love the feel of their Palmyra Restaurant, a stunning showcase for panoramic views and fine culinary offerings. On a nice day—winter or summer—their expansive new deck is a must. Read about The Peaks at Telluride’s Ultra Luxe Mountain Spas, Spray Tanning: Bronzage in a Bottle, Great Rocky Mountain Decks: Spectacular Views Year-Round, Filling in Nicely in Telluride: Snowstorm After Snowstorm, Ski In/Ski Out to Great Snow in Colorado and Dipping, Dining and Viewing at The Peaks Resort & Spa.
Camel’s Garden, Telluride
Camel’s Garden on the Gondola Plaza
If you’re looking to stay in the historic town of Telluride and are perhaps in search of a condo-type unit, I recommend the Camel’s Garden. Situated at the base of the gondola, you can’t beat its central location. And since this fresh-faced property also operates as a hotel, you enjoy all the amenities offered by a fine place of lodging including in-house breakfast, concierge service and more. Read more about this boutique hotel at Camel’s Garden: A Telluride Favorite and Ski In/Ski Out to Great Snow in Colorado.
Sheraton Steamboat Resort
Sheraton Steamboat Resort
There’s nothing like being right at the base of a ski mountain and at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort, that’s exactly where you’ll be. You can ski, hike and bike right out your door. Read Skiing Steamboat Powder and Bike Riding In and Around Our Beautiful Mountain Towns to find out what I have to say about Steamboat as a destination and this premier resort.
Cozying Up at the Redstone Inn
Redstone Inn, Redstone
Just fifty minutes outside of Aspen and nestled in some of the most unspoiled nature of Colorado, you’ll find the quaint town of Redstone with the Redstone Inn as its anchor. Read about this charming place of lodging in the stories Redstone Rendez-Vous and Bike Race Spectating, Colorado Touring, Book Promoting, Travel Adventures Galore Oh My.
Chipeta Sun Lodge: Southwestern Charm in the Rockies
Chipeta Sun Lodge, Ridgway
Conveniently located near Telluride and Ouray, Colorado, this Chipeta Sun Lodge provides the perfect base for experiencing the best of the San Juan Mountains. Chipeta also offers an affordable alternative to staying in Telluride and most of their units have been outfitted with kitchens. Be sure to check out Chipeta Sun Lodge & Spa: Spirit of the the Southwest in the Rockies and Garden Love.
Gateway Canyons, Gateway
Southwestern Sensation Just Minutes from the Mountains
What kind of a retreat do you think would be created by the man who founded the Discovery Channel? A pretty, darn spectacular one, don’t you think? Gateway has become one of my favorite resorts in the West. Read what I have to say about it at Gateway Canyons: One Big Discovery, Going to Gateway, BBQ, Blues and Beauty at Gateway, Ferraris, Blues, Brews and the Rocky Mountains and Road Tripping in the Great American West.
Rochester Hotel, Durango
Rochester Hotel, Durango
A wagon train of western movies were made in and around Durango, Colorado and the Rochester Hotel pays tribute to many of them. I love this hotel, one of the coziest outposts in the West! Read more (and listen to a podcast) about Durango, the San Juan Skyway and the Western Movie Culture of the Four Corners Region here. The Rochester is also highlighted in On the Trail of Western Movie-Making in Colorado and Utah and Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: An American Treasure. Check out Sultry Summer Evenings at Durango’s Rochester Hotel to find out about some of their special events.
More Fine Colorado Hotels
For families visiting the lovely little mountain town of Ouray, I recommend Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs. Read about it at Our Ouray. You can also peruse my Colorado hotel category here.
UTAH PROPERTIES
Goulding’s Lodge, Monument Valley
Monument Valley
The Four Corners area is about a two-hour drive from Telluride, Colorado, my home base. Just a couple of hours beyond that, you find yourself at one of the most spectacular sites in the United States, Monument Valley. This historic lodge, trading post and museum is a must. Read what I have to say about Monument Valley and Goulding’s Lodge at Touring the Southwest with My Parents, On the Trail of Western Movie-Making Culture, The Lone Ranger Showcases Monument Valley, Southwest Colorado and More, Telluride, Monument Valley and the Oscars and Road Tripping in the Great American West.
Hotel Monaco, Salt Lake City
Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City
The place to stay in SLC, you’re always guaranteed a fun time at this swanky hotel. Dogs love the Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City, too, as you can tell from my story Dogs on Vacation.
OTHER U.S. HOTELS
If you’re headed to Washington, D.C., be sure to experience—even just for a drink—The Fairfax at Embassy Row. I feature it and its renowned restaurant, The Jockey Club Restaurant & Lounge, in The Elegance of Paris in Our Nation’s Capital: The Fairfax at Embassy Row.
Check out my Hotel category for many other lovely establishments around the world.
MORE TRAVEL SUPPLIERS AND EVENTS
Gorgeous Golfing at Telluride Ski & Golf
Telluride Ski & Golf
As a travel writer that lives in Telluride and more than moonlights as a ski instructor at the Telluride Ski Resort, I’ve posted a gazillion stories on this blog that highlight Telluride Ski & Golf. Here are just a handful of them: Grateful for Telluride and Telluride Ski Resort, Telluride, Forbes and Me, Girl Power Extraordinaire: Women from the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School, Part One, Skiing with Rock Stars: Schussing with Telluride’s Synchronized Ski Teams, Reflections on My Ten Years as a Ski Instructor, More Expert Ski and Snowboard Instruction and Fun in Telluride, Teaching, Training and Torchlighting with the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School, Telluride Ski Resort Opening Weekend: A Great Kickoff to the Season, Ski Fever, All in the Day of a Ski Instructor, Ski In/Ski Out to Great Snow in Colorado, Telluride Women’s Weeks 2015, Telluride Women’s Week: Skiing and Fun for the Ladies, Talking about Telluride Ski and Snowboard School, Why Telluride, Playing Tourist in Telluride, Snowboardcross World Cup: Telluride Goes International, Family Fun Facilitators. By now you should gather that I think a visit to Telluride, Colorado should be tops on your list.
Bootdoctors/Paragon Outdoors
Bootdoctors/Paragon Outdoors
As a ski instructor and outdoor enthusiast, you can bet I have favorite shops and outfitters here in Telluride. Bootdoctors/Paragon Outdoors, a beloved choice by locals and visitors alike, keeps us active types properly suited up and geared out all year long. And they actually guide us to the fun here in southwestern Colorado. Read my story Spring Skiing, Spring Shopping to find out how they got me hooked up with great skis. Check out Bootdoctors Offers Further Adventures and Bike Riding in and Around Our Beautiful Mountain Towns to hear about their summer doings. Read The Look on the Slopes: Early Ski Season 2013-2014 to find out about their fantastic array of fashions and Finding Happy Feet at Bootdoctors to learn about the magic they can work on your feet and Grateful for Telluride and the Telluride Ski Resort to find out how much they’re loved by us locals.
Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
Telluride Blues & Brews Festival: The Place to be Mid-September
You have to experience a Telluride festival at least once in your life. And if you’re like most people, once you take in one of our renowned gatherings in our pristine mountain setting, you’ll be back again for more. Telluride Blues & Brews Festival is one of the best, especially since it takes place during the golden season of late summer, usually the third weekend on September. Read Always on My Mind: Telluride Blues & Brews Festival and Willie Nelson, Telluride Blues & Brews Promises More Fun than Ever this Year, Film, Blues & Brews, Telluride Makes Saying Goodbye to Summer Easy and KOTO Broadcasts the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival to All. Listen to my interview with the founder of this festival at Steve Gumble Brings Us Telluride Blues & Brews and More.
One of Au Château’s Many Grand Properties
au Château
What could be more dreamy than staying in the French countryside in a centuries-old château? You can find just the place suited to your taste and itinerary at au Château. Read what I have to say about this wonderful lodging experience at Oh Château Life!
TLC from Medjet Assist
Medjet Assist
Do not leave home without it, especially if you’re an active person! I’ve obtained a special 10% discount for BonjourColorado.com readers so if something not-so good happens to you while you’re away, you’ll be taken care of with much TLC. Click here to find out more and to sign up; note that prices have already been discounted for you by 10%. Read my story and listen to the podcast here.
Fine China
Imperial Tours
Thinking about taking that once-in-a-lifetime trip to China? Or maybe you want to go back to this fascinating land to take a closer look at perhaps the gumdrop mountains of Guilin or the brave faces of the Terracotta Warriors. The main thing is to do it right and whether you’re interested in a private or group tour, you’re sure to do it in style with Imperial Tours. Check out my story Touring China: Imperial Allure. There you can also listen to a podcast that provides lots of information about travel to China. Read Imperial Shopping to China to find out about a special shopping trip.
French Life Shopping: charming online shopping Mother's Day gift ideas
by maribeth
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Mother’s Day Gift Ideas-2015
Lovely Lily of the Valley
It’s almost May 1st, or May Day, a holiday widely celebrated in Europe. My favorite part of this fête nationale in France is the muguet, or lily of the valley, that delicate flower with droplets of blooms that resemble little white wedding bells. You can enjoy its fresh, redolent scent in Diorissimo, a signature fragrance of the House of Dior. Christian Dior’s favorite flower was, in fact, le muguet, one of the most beloved symbols of happiness in France. On le premier mai en France, most everything is closed, but you can still find all kinds of bouquets of muguet sold throughout–from street corners to flower shops.
Telluride Truffle Mother’s Day Gift Box
Telluride Truffle Spring Gift Box
Ruth’s Toffee
Pink Champagne from Henri’s Reserve
Voilà there’s one terrific gift idea for the lovely lady in your life for this Mother’s Day. Read about many more at my Online Shopping page. Many of the online boutiques I feature actually showcase European goods or goods of such fine quality that they could pass for European made. Telluride Truffle and Ruth’s Toffee are such examples and indeed the quality of their products rivals some of the delectable treats I’ve sampled from France’s top chocolatiers. What mom wouldn’t be thrilled to receive some sweets from these two Colorado-based confectioners! Pay close attention to the instructions on my Online Shopping page to receive a 10% discount on online orders from these two purveyors and all others highlighted on that page (and below).
Nothing says holiday like bubbly, especially when it’s champagne. Send mom a beautiful bottle of champagne rosé from Henri’s Reserve to celebrate her. I promise she’ll be tickled pink.
