Art & Culture Colorado Hotels & Lodging Shopping Telluride The Rockies The Southwest Travel: Art & Culture Colorado Hotels & Lodging Shopping Telluride The Rockies The Southwest Travel
by maribeth
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Touring the Southwest with My Parents
A Great Facebook Profile Picture: Dad at the Grand Canyon
Are you familiar with those digital photo frames that display a continuous stream of select images? Well, I was back east in October visiting my parents and brought one of those frames to them as a gift. We had to enlist outside help (thanks Brian) to transfer my images onto the frame (I’m so eighteenth century), but once it started to flash our faces across the screen, we all beamed. My father especially glowed since he was finally able to see himself backdropped by a parade of images from the Grand Canyon and other notable sites in the Southwest. It was like bringing him back to the South Rim of the Canyon to gaze over the vastness and grandeur of what is most certainly our country’s greatest treasure.
We embarked on our two-week Western Jamboree just about a year ago. Fall and even winter are two fantastic seasons for visiting many of our National Parks, especially the Grand Canyon. During these times the wondrous play of light combined with a lack of crowds make these sites even more enchanting. The focal point of our trip was to be the Grand Canyon, a place my father always dreamed of seeing. At the age of eighty-four, we were ready to grant him his wish.
Colorado Music & Dance Telluride: Colorado Music & Dance Telluride
by maribeth
Comments Off on Halloween in Telluride: Tricks & Treats
Halloween in Telluride: Tricks & Treats
Old Time-y Aviators: Huck Yeager and Amelia Airhead
Happy Halloween everyone! I’m celebrating by eating a Butterfinger and a Reese’s cup and washing it down with a Coke. Sometimes it’s really fun (and necessary!) to get a little crazy.
Actually I got very crazy Saturday night at the KOTO Halloween Party here in Telluride. (Ssssshh, don’t tell anyone.) The radio station’s party has to be one of the best in the country! It’s worth the trip to T-ride just to take it in. There are so many creative people in our little mountain town that the costumes astound and the whole evening becomes one big, psychedelic show. And whatever the band might be, the music never disappoints either. Mark your calendars now for next year’s bash. Most of the hotels have killer rates at that time of year, so it wouldn’t be a high-dollar stay. You can also take advantage of some pre ski season shopping while you’re here.
Have a fun and spooky rest of the day.
Colorado Mountain Living Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies: Colorado Mountain Living Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies
by maribeth
Comments Off on Fall in Colorado: October Snow Arrives with My Woolens and Ski Gear
Fall in Colorado: October Snow Arrives with My Woolens and Ski Gear
Snowy Bikes in Aspen
Woo hoo! It started snowing here in Colorado Tuesday night and the thrill is on. A big storm rolled in just as it’s supposed to—that’s to say in time for most of the leaves to be off the trees (at least at higher elevations) and about a month away from the opening of most major ski areas. It’s time for that white gold to start piling up here in the Rockies. And thankfully, it begins accumulating every year right about now. Our Halloweens are typically snowy as well as spooky.
Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel: Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel
by maribeth
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Teatime with Dad at Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel
Exquisite Treats at Denver’s Brown Palace
Travel is often most rewarding when you step out of your comfort zone, when you do something you’ve never done before. This can mean zooming on a zip-line in the jungles of Costa Rica or just sipping tea at a fancy hotel. I’ve done the latter countless times but it became a more novel experience nearly a year ago when I found myself sharing afternoon tea at The Brown Palace, Denver’s legendary hotel, with my father.
We were together in Denver on our way back east after he’d spent time in his beloved West. At eighty-four years old, those trips have been curtailed from the days when he’d spend weeks on end skiing in Aspen. But still, we’ve all tried to make sure he gets his Colorado fix even if he has to be “accompanied” throughout most of his travels these days.
Colorado Food & Wine Telluride The Rockies Travel: Colorado Food & Wine Telluride The Rockies Travel
by maribeth
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Welcoming Fall with a Feast and a Fine Wine
Scene from a Fall Hike in Telluride
It’s the weekend! And that means it’s time for me to uncork something special. I’m not talking about break-the-bank special—no, I mean something in the $10.-$15./bottle range. My sips during the week typically ring in at under $10./bottle, but I allow myself more of a splurge on the weekends. Hey, what can I say? I’m just a freelance writer. Fortunately I don’t drink a lot or else I’d really be feeling the pinch.
Concannon Crimson & Clover: Our Celebratory Wine
Last weekend my boyfriend and I said goodbye to summer and welcomed fall with a food and wine extravaganza that we’re still talking about. We feasted on heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad, a cornucopia of grilled veggies, hamburgers and the last of Olathe’s corn on the cob. (Yes, it was still sweet and delicious—not at all starchy.) It was all incredibly simple although I did jazz up the burgers by adding fresh ground pork, chopped garlic and Italian herbs and crushed red pepper—perfetto! (Don’t feel you have to cook the burgers to well done with the addition of the pork. You’ll survive just fine with pink and enjoy the juiciness of the flavorful combination of meats.)
We opened a bottle of 2009 Concannon Conservancy Crimson & Clover to accompany this fine meal, an excellent choice filled with the sort of complexity and depth you find in a much more pricey wine. We appreciated its lush blackberry and mocha notes even more at dessert when I served up my peach pie, a real delight made with our famous Colorado peaches. I’ve been a fan of Concannon vineyards for years, perhaps it’s because this vineyard, founded in 1883, was planted with Bordeaux grapevine cuttings. Maybe it’s the rich tradition of wine-making the Concannon family has been committed to for four generations. But first and foremost I’d say it’s because I consistently find an excellent price/quality relationship with all their wines. Read what I have to say about the Concannon Righteously Rosé at Summer Sipping.
All-in-all it was a memorable way to welcome autumn. We were especially happy that we had done a huge hike before sitting down to such a spread. I can’t wait to see what this weekend will bring, especially since it might be the last farmer’s market of the season for me. Buon Appetito!
Note that the fall foliage should be peaking this weekend throughout much of the Rockies, so get out there and enjoy colorful Colorado.
Art & Culture Colorado Fashion & Style Mountain Living Music & Dance Telluride The Rockies Travel: Art & Culture Fashion & Style Mountain Living Music & Dance Telluride The Rockies Travel
by maribeth
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Ferraris, Blues, Brews and the Rocky Mountains
Ferraris Flanked by the Rocky Mountains
Ferrari epitomizes design and style. The Rockies furnish some of the most dramatic and outstanding views in the world. Put the two together and you’ve got one helluva good-looking scene. Add a little blues, brews, and bountiful helpings of food and wine and you’ve got a number one formula for a spectacularly good time. That’s just what you’ll get throughout most of southwestern Colorado this weekend, especially in Telluride when the Ferrari Club of America Rocky Mountain Region is due to cruise into town on Saturday, one of the peak days of the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. Yes, over thirty of these beauties will be lined up on the center lane of Telluride’s main street for all to admire.
“We’ll be there rain or shine,” says Fred Bishel, club member and tour coordinator. “Only a blizzard will stop us,” he adds. From a near-vintage 1988 model to a brand-new 2011, in a regalia of black, silver, yellow and the iconic Ferrari red, this cavalcade of some of the world’s most magnificent cars will be traveling through southwestern Colorado as part of their fall foliage tour. Their journey begins Friday on the Skyline Drive outside of Canon City where they’ve obtained special permission to drive in the opposite direction on this stunning route. From there, they go to Gunnison for lunch and then Grand Junction in the evening. It’s no surprise they’re making Gateway Canyons, home of the Gateway Auto Museum, showcase of the private collection of Discovery Channel’s founder John Hendricks. It’s a key stop at 9 a.m. Saturday before heading to Telluride for lunch. By Saturday evening, these fine Italian specimens (I’m talking about the cars not the drivers although I haven’t met any of them yet!) will be claiming forty parking spaces on Durango’s main drag—what a sight! Sunday they’re off to Pagosa Springs, then over Wolf Creek pass to end with a fundraiser in Saguache. Members of the club will be chatting with admirers and handing out schwag at every stop.
If you love beauty, don’t miss this happening. It’s rare to see so many Ferraris assembled together. The last time I saw such a showing of these magnificent works of art was over two decades ago at an exhibition entitled Hommage à Ferrari at the Fondation Cartier, located outside of Paris in Jouy-en-Josas at the time. Leave it to a world-renowned jeweler to recognize the splendor of this celebrated brand.
Yet to see these sparkling gems set within the stunning vistas of our majestic Rocky Mountains, it looks like we’ll likely out shine them.
The Official Ferrari Tour License Plate
Read Always on My Mind: Telluride Blues & Brews Festival and Willie Nelson to read my take on this year’s lineup. Check out Gateway Canyons: One Big Discovery to learn more about this gorgeous resort.
Art & Culture Colorado French Life Music & Dance Telluride Telluride Festivals: Art & Culture Colorado French Life Music & Dance Telluride Telluride Festivals
by maribeth
Comments Off on Silence is Golden on Telluride Film Festival’s Silver Screens
Silence is Golden on Telluride Film Festival’s Silver Screens
Buster Keaton in “The General,” a 1920s American Silent Comedy
Who said silent films are a thing of the past? “The Artist,” an ebullient silent film depicting Hollywood during the roaring Twenties, generated quite the buzz this year at both the Cannes and Telluride Film Festivals. I missed it since I was away for most of this year’s festival in T-ride but hope to catch it after its November 23 release in movie theaters (likely art houses) across America. Directed by Michel Hazanavicius and starring Cannes Best Actor winner Jean Dujardin, leave it to the French to create and produce a silent film in the year 2011.
I was, however, able to catch “From Morning to Midnight,” a German silent film from the Twenties the last night of this year’s Telluride Film Festival, a showing made memorable by the accompaniment of the Alloy Orchestra. The film itself was rather macabre (dare I say very German?). But I was highly entertained nonetheless by watching and listening to the Alloy Orchestra, a Telluride Film Festival favorite that has been gracing this world-renowned festival with their presence for about two decades. This three-man musical ensemble has played the world, bringing silent films magically to life in such distinguished cultural centers as The Louvre, Lincoln Center, The Academy of Motion Pictures, the National Gallery of Art and more. If you ever have a chance to see them, seize it! This year was my first in the eight years I’ve been attending the Telluride Film Festival and I’ve become a huge fan.
Colorado Mountain Living Outdoor Adventures Podcasts Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies Travel: Colorado Mountain Living Outdoor Adventures Podcasts Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Ryder-Walker: Global Trekking Specialists
Ryder-Walker: Global Trekking Specialists
Trekking in the French Alps with Ryder-Walker
It should come as no surprise that we have one of the world’s best alpine adventure companies based here in Telluride, Colorado. Our surrounding peaks rival the mightiest of the Alps, so it’s no wonder that Peter Walker, founder and president of Ryder-Walker alpine adventures feels right at home in our mountain town. Here he has also enjoyed a great rapport with the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School for many years, a fruitful relationship that has enabled him to enlist some of their top instructors as Ryder-Walker guides year-round. “We have the passion of an insider and an outsider,” Peter told me during a recent Travel Fun interview, referring to his company’s approach and philosophy both in the Alps and in Telluride.
Peter Schussing at the Matterhorn
Peter and head guide, Ken Fuhrer, talk with me in the below podcast about how Ryder-Walker has grown over the past twenty-seven years and why it consistently ranks as a top travel company among discerning travelers. National Geographic, in fact, has rated Ryder-Walker as one of the top ten best outfitters on earth. “We bring a very fresh perspective to everything we do,” Peter explains in the interview. This, combined with a depth of knowledge about the Alps and other destinations they feature on their tours, has assured them a devoted following partly made up of clients that have been taking trips with them for years. Kenny, a top ski instructor, emphasizes the adventure as a whole. “It’s the group experience that makes it so special,” he says in the interview, explaining how people feel about themselves and others at the beginning and then at the end of the trip. I’ve known these guys for a number of years through Telluride Ski & Snowboard School and I can tell you that in addition to being highly skilled mountain guides, they’re fun, enthusiastic, great people-persons and highly professional.
Trekking season is winding down in the Alps but it’s a good time to start planning for next year since many of the Ryder-Walker tours fill up fast. They offer a terrific trek in and around Telluride in the fall and a tour to the desert Southwest in the spring. Their success has lead them to create tours and programs in far reaching countries such as Slovenia, India and Bhutan as well. I was happy to learn that there are rumblings about Ireland, too. Know that Ryder-Walker can set you up with many self-guided hikes and no special request has proven too tall for them. (Champagne toasts roped down to a client on a high peak have become almost commonplace for these adventure specialists.)
Two Great Guides: Daniel Sundqvist and Kenny Fuhrer
Listen to the below interview to hear more about this dynamic company. Peter also talks about how he recently came to create a unique relationship with PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America). Yes, with side country skiing growing and pushing all kinds of boundaries, it’s no wonder PSIA asked Ryder-Walker to become a member school. Someone needs to instruct all those instructors!
Kenny also talks about Alpenglow Ski Safaris and Telluride Mountain Guides, two sister companies of Ryder-Walker that also offer some fantastic opportunities for being expertly guided through the mountains.
Click on the play button below to listen to our interview.
Break Time in the Italian Alps with Ryder-Walker
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
