Colorado Food & Wine Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Music & Dance Restaurants Telluride Travel Fun: 20 Years Colorado Hospitality Industry Hotels & Lodging Mountain Lodge Telluride Mountain Village Restaurants Steve Togni
by maribeth
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Celebrating Twenty Extraordinary Years at Mountain Lodge Telluride
In the winter of 2002, I visited Telluride for the first time. I was living in Pagosa Springs, Colorado then and although I was familiar with the grandeur of Aspen and Vail, I was awestruck by the massive log structures of Telluride Mountain Village. I checked into Mountain Lodge Telluride where I was immediately enraptured by its rustic mountain elegance. When I stepped into their Great Room, situated across from their front desk, my jaw dropped.
Reminiscent of the big gathering places of the celebrated lodges within our National Parks and also of the most renowned Great Camps of the Adirondack Mountains, the Mountain Lodge Great Room mirrors the majesty of our magnificent Rocky Mountains. The Great Room at Mountain Lodge Telluride comes with a spectacular panoramic view, one of the best in all of the Rockies.
Despite this striking beauty, the expansive space at that time was dead, completely soulless. There was a bar but it took some doing for the front desk clerk to rustle up someone to serve a couple of drinks. My travel companion and I were the only guests in this awe-inspiring space.
That was before Stefano (Steve) Togni arrived. He took over as general manager at Mountain Lodge Telluride in 2004, fresh off his position of Hotel/Rooms Division Manager at The Peaks. And not long after that, Steve began to shape this property into the vibrant and exciting place of lodging and dining it is today.
Full disclosure: Steve and I have been partnered for almost sixteen of the twenty years he has been at the Lodge, so I have been privy to much of the happenings there. As a serious travel writer and published author, however, I will refrain from boasting too much about Steve. But his accomplishments at this stellar Telluride property are worth touting, especially since he has decided to move on and take a break from the rigorous demands of the hospitality world in our busy mountain town. It’s time for him to recharge; yet before he takes his final bow at Mountain Lodge, I hope that many of you will join me in paying homage to this leading force within Telluride, a man who has given much to our community over these past two decades.
Twenty years: that’s an eternity in the hospitality industry where most senior level managers stay at a property an average of two to three years before moving on to another job. Steve began managing Mountain Lodge Telluride before Telluride, Colorado became known throughout the world as an “it” place to be. Prospect Bowl had recently opened and there was no significant summer tourism up on the mountain. You could still find plenty of parking spaces in town and Mountain Village.
Tourism in Telluride exploded within this period and finding workers has become increasingly more difficult. “What we do isn’t rocket science; finding employee housing is quantum physics,” says Steve Togni.
Blogging was the only real form of social media that existed twenty years ago and even that was just taking off. (That’s partly how we met.) Since then, evolving technologies, social media and customer review sites such as Trip Advisor, Yelp and Open Table have changed much within the hospitality industry. “A critical component of any successful sales and marketing plan today revolves around the strategic implementation of technology. It’s important to continue providing the tools and resources necessary for our team in order to evolve with the new technology,” he says.
And how hard do you think it was to keep a six-acre, full service, 140-room resort afloat during the Covid pandemic? Plus, there were more than one hundred employees to consider. “It was a brutal time,” Steve says. “The Lodge was shut down and I spent three months up in the boardroom pushing numbers and dealing with government agencies trying to figure out how to have the property survive and how to take care of our employees. In truth, I was envious of all those people that were able to stay home for three months.”
He and his team shepherded Telluride Mountain Lodge through that near-disastrous time.
Big hotels require big renovations. At Mountain Lodge Telluride, there were many large capital projects that required attention over the past two decades. At most large properties, these types of major works are undertaken by a broad base of corporate support teams. But at Mountain Lodge Telluride, it has been all hands on deck, directed and managed by Steve Togni. Within the past year, for example, the Lodge had to take on a multi-million dollar roof project when it became challenging to obtain insurance for their shingled roof. That work went on for five months without disrupting the influx of travels that are now the norm of Telluride’s busy summer travel season.
And what about that Great Room? Well, not long after Steve took over, he decided that such a beautiful room deserved a nice restaurant and bar, a convivial place where people could enjoy fine food and drink in a superlative setting. Born in Milan, Steve naturally felt inclined to contact Paolo Canclini, of Rustico and La Piazza fame. Together they created a kitchen (built from scratch!), a bona fide food and beverage plan and launched The View restaurant and bar. This fabulous space has had many iterations since then, often serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and après ski to folks whether they are guests at the hotel or not.
Indeed, whether sipping drinks poolside or delighting in an elegant meal inside by the immense stone fireplace, The View has become a happening spot year round. Locals and visitors alike appreciate it for a vibe that reflects much of the fun and free-spiritedness of Telluride.
This flair might not be much on display during one of Mountain Lodge’s elegant wedding receptions but if you’re able to attend one of their special events such as their Snow Dance, Electric Luau, a Fourth of July barbecue and pool party or a drag brunch, you’re immersed in many of the more fun-loving aspects of life in T-ride. Steve, the driving force behind most of these events, likes to have fun.
It takes a tremendous amount of energy, smarts and dedication to run a noteworthy lodging and dining establishment within a world class resort community. Here he has had to answer to homeowners (each of the Mountain Lodge units are individually-owned) as well as hotel and restaurant guests, while managing over one hundred employees. So he needs to play hard. Fortunately for many of us within the Telluride community, Steve has infused Mountain Lodge with much of his idea of fun.
Local band favorite Joint Point has played at Mountain Lodge about twice a year for the past ten years, and these parties are among the best in Telluride. Like at any good concert, dazzling light shows, tasty bites and drink specials are often an integral part of these happenings.
Steve Togni has, in fact, created a culture at Mountain Lodge that has catapulted it from just another big mountain property to something that’s soulful for guests and his hotel and restaurant workers alike. Sure, he has left his mark with little touches such as tie dye flags, illuminated crossed skis on the exterior that can be viewed from the gondola (X marks the spot) as well as a proliferation of blue LED lights that adorn the property’s trees and pool. (They were among the first in Telluride.) Mountain Lodge was also ahead of the curve by providing stunning reusable shopping bags to their guests that feature winter and summer views of the Lodge. They’ve become killer keepsakes that have made it to every corner of the world. They were also among the first to wrap their shuttle in these same gorgeous winter and summer scenes of the Lodge. And get this: their employee shuttle even once sported a flower power motif–much like the Scooby-doo van.
Early on, Steve made sure that the employee break room was dialed in and freshened up, since he knew that that could serve as the hub for forging bonds within the Mountain Lodge team. What started as weekly lunches furnished to Lodge employees later expanded to daily lunches all year long. Served up by The View restaurant, these lunches are most surely part of the reason Mountain Lodge employees feel nurtured, nourished and valued within their Mountain Lodge family. (It’s also a good way to lure employees back in for their shift on powder days.)
“The most essential and indispensable resource to our operation is our employee base; we operate with that as a principle tenet,” Steve adds.
Yes, from the Great Room to the employee break room to the elegant condo units that make up Mountain Lodge to many spots in between, Mountain Lodge Telluride exudes heart and soul, much in the image of their leader in chief, Steve Togni.
For over ten years, there was even a mascot of sorts, a cat in residence, named Mario, that Steve took in from the cold when he clearly had nowhere else to go. Mario has recently settled into the home of one of his beloved Mountain Lodge moms where he can live out his retirement in an especially tranquil setting. He had a good run of it at the Lodge and was the meeter and greater par excellence to many throughout most of his life.
Mario’s exit was the final green light that lead Steve to the decision to leave the Lodge as well.
Our kitties and I will certainly enjoy having him around more. I doubt he’ll be curling up on the couch much but he likely will be doing some extra laps on Gold Hill, enjoying some well-deserved time off.
Steve invites the whole community to help him celebrate a good time in Telluride at his Fare Steve Well sendoff party at Mountain Lodge on Thursday, October 3 at 6pm. Joint Point will be jamming, so put on your dancing shoes. Steve may even join them for a riff or two. Drink and food specials guaranteed, very much along an Oktoberfest theme. In typical Togni fashion, a good time will surely be had by one and all.
Before that celebration, however, tune into Travel Fun, my talk radio show on KOTO just after noon on Thursday, September 26 for a live interview with Steve. Call up to say hi, ask questions and show support. Anyone who makes a $30. donation to KOTO will automatically be entered into my private drawing for a chance to win a very special prize. Just click on donate and be sure to choose Travel Fun as your favorite program.
For more stories that feature Steve Togni and Mountain Lodge Telluride, type in Steve or Mountain Lodge Telluride into the search in this blog and you’ll pull up all kinds of stories from the past fifteen plus years.
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.
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by maribeth
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Manchester Memories: Nostalgic About Fall Foliage Trips with Mom
I grew up with five brothers and no sisters. My parents had four boys in a row, then me and many years later another boy. With this configuration, I was destined to be either a tomboy or a girly-girl. My mom was a little of both. But since she finally had her long-awaited daughter, she wanted to make sure I became as much of a little lady as possible. And what’s one of the most feminine pastimes? Most would agree that shopping and going out for lunch rank high in that category. Yes indeed, a tremendous amount of female bonding takes place over browsing the boutiques and chatting about life over a delicious lunch of quiche and salad.
We lived in Troy, New York, just fifty minutes from Bennington, Vermont, close to the New York/Vermont border. Manchester is less than a half hour from there, so in all it would be about an hour and fifteen-minute trip. As soon as we left our house and headed east we plunged into delightful countryside, passing small family farms and traversing quaint villages as rural upstate New York morphed into bucolic Vermont. Rolling through once verdant landscapes kissed by fall’s golden sun and chilly nights, we delighted in viewing an artist’s palette of every variation of red, yellow, burnt umber, sepia and chartreuse. The brush, fields, flowers and trees all revealed their autumn splendor.
As if this festival of colors was not enough, most every house and business was done up with often fabulous displays of pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn (now known as Ornamental corn), cornstalks and sometimes a smattering of ghosts. Here the scarecrows were authentically clad and many had also served a purpose in the fields where crops had been freshly harvested. Today, these colloquial scenes have been souped up with giant plastic blowups in the form of spiders, ghouls and other representations of today’s exuberance over Halloween.
Yet the sincerity of these Vermonters remains true; fall is a time of sensory celebration. As many in the world know, autumn in Vermont stirs all of the senses.
Sure, the traffic through these country roads and towns has increased over the years. But when you’re on a fall foliage tour, leaf peepers don’t care much. That was the case for Mom and me when we had encountered a few jam ups some years back. Those slowdowns provided us with the opportunity to take a closer look because driving to Manchester meant enjoying the sites and scenery along the way. One could take a week going to Manchester from the capital district area of New York, a route followed by many New Yorkers, including those coming up from the city.
Peppered with antique shops, farm stands, all kinds of specialty shops and places to enjoy a bite, this near-famous Route 7 could easily be considered one of the top shopping and touring thoroughfares of New England.
When Mom and I were making Manchester our final destination, we’d typically only allow ourselves to stop at a handful of spots because we wanted to save a chunk of time for this oh-so happening Vermont town. Our goal would often be to arrive at The Equinox, an inn that has existed since 1769. Spotting the tall and stately columns in the front of the inn signaled that we were stepping back in time. Lunch within this bastion of tradition was always very special. Today, known as The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa, this historic property continues to evolve and is now a destination hotel and a Manchester landmark more so than ever.
After lunch we’d mog around the center of Manchester, popping in and out of shops to our heart’s content. By 1977, Mother Myrick’s also rose to the top of our list of must-sees in Manchester. This confectionery began as a small fudge shop and now ranks as a first-class purveyor of all kinds of yummy sweets, including baked goods. People from all over the country order from their online boutique. Mom’s favorite was their buttercrunch, a handmade toffee made with Cabot Creamery butter. So many memories are wrapped up in foods. I’ll have to procure some for myself soon. Is candy a food?
Northshire Bookstore also opened during this era in an historic building that operated as an inn for over a century. One of the best-known small independent booksellers in the country, Northshire Bookstore has grown throughout the decades both in size (10,000 feet) and stature. Browsing here offers a delightful experience. In addition to being a general bookstore, they also showcase a curated selection of magazines, cards, stationery and all kinds of Vermont-made goods from comestibles to crafts. They, too, have a strong online presence and their author’s events are first-rate.
We would usually leave the town center at a reasonable hour to save lots of time at the now defunct Jelly Mill, a huge old barn filled from the floor boards to the beams with an immense selection of gift items. Seeing this beloved establishment close its doors after so many years was sad but thankfully its disappearance allowed smaller boutiques to shine. Manchester Woodcraft and Above All Vermont are a couple of the shops that make this lovely Vermont town worth the trip.
As time went on and the influx of travelers to Vermont’s Green Mountains grew, so did the shopping scene in Manchester. By the eighties, outlet shopping had become big here and soon Mom and I were spending less time at lunch and more time scouring the discount stores. Favorites outlets have long been Pendleton (for gorgeous woolens), Marimekko (for colorful prints), Le Creuset (for super sturdy cookware from France) and Armani (for fabulous Italian fashions).
We’d sometimes stop into the Orvis store to pick up Christmas gifts for the brothers that liked to fish. (The Orvis family, who once occupied a wing of The Equinox, founded this esteemed company in Manchester in 1856. Known as a world leader in fly fishing, their goods embody the spirit of the Vermont way of life. So it’s only fitting that you’ll find two Orvis stores here, the main one and an outlet.)
Mom and I would pull into our garage past dark with a car stuffed with a prized selection of goods and gifts. Typically we’d only bring the Vermont cheeses, sausages, maple syrup, cider, apples, cider donuts and other goodies into the house. The rest would be stashed away for our own pleasure or for future gift giving to others. Either way, all that we purchased had so much more meaning because of the manner in which we did our shopping and the charming places where our treasures were found.
A Tour of the Heart:
A Seductive Cycling Trip Through France
These trips with Mom were repeated year after year in the fall as well as during other seasons. They left an imprint on me so indelible that I developed an aversion to big cookie-cutter stores. No, I needed to shop in places full of character and charm, even if I only picked up a thing or two.
From Vermont Country Stores to Paris Big Names
With these seeds planted, I eventually founded a shopping service in Paris, France called Chic Promenade. During this time in my life, I organized visits behind-the-scenes to the big names, so that people could learn the story of revered French houses such as Dior, Nina Ricci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton and many others. Chic Promenade also helped visitors discover the lesser-known boutiques of Paris, establishments full of history and tradition that provided a unique experience as soon as you passed through their door.
Before I even conducted my first tour, I began to write about these boutiques as well as the special places of interest, neighborhoods, restaurants, hotels, spas, tea salons and wine bars you’d want to incorporate into all kinds of shopping and touring excursions. In all, I have authored four books on shopping and touring in Paris and the French provinces.
It was a proud day when Mom and I went to Northshire Bookstore for my author’s presentation of one of these books. My passion for shopping and touring in Vermont had come full circle.
Thank you Manchester. Thank you Vermont. Thank you Mom. Merci to all for providing me with such inspiration. I’m sure you’ll find your own form of je ne sais quoi in Vermont when you go as well.
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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.
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by maribeth
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KOTO, Kittens and Kookiness
My Friends and Me at KOTO’s Purple House on Pine
Leave it to KOTO, our beloved community radio station here in Telluride, Colorado, to bring me back into the fold. I’ve been wanting to get back on the air with Travel Fun, my talk show on travel, and start blogging again for quite some time. But life has kept me occupied with other doings and it has been hard finding the time for these two favorite ways of being in touch with you.
My last post, which highlighted a photo of my mother and me fresh from the hairdresser, was in March 2021. Sadly, my sweet mama passed away that following July and exactly three months prior to that–in April–my dear brother, David, succumbed to his three-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Needless-to-say both left a gaping hole in my heart as well as much to do, including clearing out a large family home stuffed to the heavens with belongings and an abundance of memorabilia. The fact that all of that occurred back east–a great distance from Colorado–in the height of a pandemic and after much caretaking made it all the more complicated. But I’m back in Colorado now full-time slowly picking up the pieces of my life after having been intimately involved in theirs for many years.
KOTO is the heart and soul of Telluride. Most of the community, its visitors and folks tuning in from afar turn to our little radio station, an NPR affiliate, for all kinds of musical entertainment, talk, news, the avalanche report and other important announcements such as a lost dog report or road closures and traffic slowdowns due to a mudslide or elk crossings. Plus, they regularly broadcast most of Telluride’s big music festivals, including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride Jazz Festival and Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. Its audience is truly worldwide. So when the bright and shining Cara (Pallone), Executive Director of KOTO, asked me to be a guest DJ for KOTO’s 2022 Summer Fundraising drive, a live one-hour segment Friday, August 19 from noon to 1pm, I was deeply honored and also somewhat daunted; I knew that this marked a time when I was to put it in gear.
And maybe you thought I was just horsing around in my little town of Norwood, Colorado?
Me Down on the Farm in Norwood
Admittedly I love the peace and tranquility of this old ranching town less than an hour from Telluride and I have been hooked to the Netflix series “Heartland.” But you can take the girl out of Paris but never Paris out of the girl. As much as I’ve embraced a more down-to-earth lifestyle in Colorado, there’s still a big part of me that’s every bit of a Parisian sophisticate.
With KOTO’s Summer Fundraising theme of Across the Universe, I thought I’d dust off my cowboy boots (gardening clogs, actually) and tell you my story.
I’ve been a travel writer since the late eighties. I lived in France eleven years and have traveled back to Paris and the French provinces considerably since I moved back to the States in 1994. France has always been my specialty but since I moved to Colorado over twenty years ago, I have also become passionate about and well versed in the American West. I authored five books on France, three shopping and touring guides to Paris, one shopping and touring guide on the French provinces and one travel memoir entitled A Tour of the Heart: A Seductive Cycling Trip Through France. I segued into travel writing after I had created a shopping service in Paris, called Chic Promenade. During those years, I lead people on the discovery of off-the-beaten-path boutiques and also arranged behind-the-scenes visits of the big names such as Hermès, Dior and Nina Ricci.
My Travel Memoir: Tour of the Heart
I’ve traveled extensively throughout the world to places as far-flung as Guilin, China, and big parts of Morocco and Nova Scotia. I’ve written about many of these places at my blog, www.BonjourColorado.com. I’ve fallen way behind on posting there because I have been involved in lots of family doings since 2016. But I’m back at it now!
In past years, I’ve freelanced for Forbes, The New York Times Syndicate and a number of other outlets. I currently write online content for Discovery Map, a company that publishes those colorful, hand drawn maps that you find in about 150 destinations throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. For them, I’ve written about great places to visit such as the Outer Banks, of North Carolina, Cape May in New Jersey and Bozeman, Big Sky and Livingston, Montana, to name a few. And yes, I even wrote about Telluride because there’s a Discovery Map here as well. I have to admit it’s the longest and most inspired writeup of all that I’ve done. I also recently wrote a blog for them entitled “Summer Travel Woes: How to Make the Best of Your Airline Experience,” which anyone planning to hop on a plane anytime soon should read.
Steve and Me at Telluride Jazz Festival
I am happy that a few special guests will be chiming in during my big Guest DJ appearance on Friday. Steve Togni, General Manager of Mountain Lodge Telluride and also my partner of almost fourteen years, will be there to talk about the hospitality industry in Telluride and also to tout a very special Mountain Lodge premium that he has graciously donated.
John Gerona, Owner of The Village Table in Telluride Mountain Village and another of my favorite persons, said he’ll stop by. That will give us the opportunity to thank him for providing a super convivial and delicious dining experience to the community for the past ten years.
On Duty as a Telluride Ski Instructor
Noah Sheedy, Director of the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School, will be popping in as well. I’ve been a ski instructor in Telluride for almost nineteen years, a profession that has helped to balance out my writing career–and me–in many ways. If KOTO is the heart and soul of Telluride, then Telluride Ski Resort encompasses a good part of the rest in our majestic mountain town.
Peter Hans, the driving force behind Discovery Map, will be calling in either from their headquarters in Waitsfield, Vermont or from his sailboat in Newport, Rhode Island. We’re similar in that we summered together up in the Adirondacks, both lived for a long time in Europe and then settled in quaint mountain towns in America where we continue to live out our passion for sharing travel and ski experiences with others.
Victoria at Her Paris Boutique
If the lines aren’t too busy, I hope to have a special phone call from Paris from my friend, Victoria Wolff. I met her during my Paris days and her boutique, Wolff et Descourtis, is still my all-time favorite address in the City of Light. Her family has been in the textile business since 1875 and at her Galerie Vivienne showcase (and online) you can buy the most magical shawls you’ve ever seen. La beauté française est extraordinaire!
Mountain Lodge Telluride
And yes, I have rounded up quite a few premiums–or gift certificates–from some of my favorite places within the region. The grand prize is a Mountain Lodge premium for a two-night stay in a one-bedroom residence, valued at approximately $1500, at this beautiful slopeside property.
Mountain Lodge: A Great Place to Party
And here’s the fabulous news:
ANYONE DONATING A MINIMUM OF $25. TO KOTO WITH THE TRAVEL FUN DESIGNATION WILL BE ENTERED INTO DRAWINGS to win my premiums. That means that if you make your donation at KOTO.org or call the station at 970-728-4334, you have a chance of winning either the grand prize of two nights at Mountain Lodge or one of the other great premiums I’ve also rounded up. The drawings will take place at the end of my Guest DJ segment, which is Friday, August 19 from noon to 1pm MST. Remember that you can tune in online at KOTO.org if you’re not local. Note that your chances of winning are quite strong, since I likely will not have a gazillion donors. You can enter as many times as you want as long as you make a $25. donation each time. Tell your friends and family! I will start out with the Mountain Lodge drawing at about 12:50pm MST and make my way down the gift certificates listed below with their corresponding values:
Aveda Telluride Spa, one of my favorite spas in T-ride has generously offered one custom facial valued at $170. and one custom massage valued at $150. Merci mes amies!
Mesa Rose Kitchen + Grocery
Mesa Rose Kitchen + Grocery in Norwood, the best address in Norwood for fresh foods and a real community vibe: two gift certificates, each worth $50.
Coffee from Telluride Coffee Roasters
Telluride Coffee Roasters, the premiere coffee purveyor in Telluride that also has an online boutique: $70.
Arena Hair Studio
Arena Hair Studio: Sandra Arena, my gal in town (Norwood,) who knows how to make me beuuuuuutiful: $60. gift certificate for any service.
Beaucoup de Breakfast at The View
The View restaurant at Mountain Lodge Telluride, excellent food and drink with spectacular views: $50.
Loving La Coçina
La Coçina de Luz, super fresh Mexican food restaurant: $50.
Cindybread: Pains aux Chocolat Just Like in Paree
Cindybread Artisan Bakery, an all-time délicieux bakery in Lawson Hill: $50.
Sawpit Mercantile
Sawpit Mercantile, a fabulous pitstop for barbecue, gas, liquor and other much-needed goods: $50.
Nails with Mandie
Nails with Mandie in Naturita: one of my new West End discoveries for having my nails done: $40. gift certificate for a pedicure.
The Friendly Folk at Counter Culture; photo credit: Michael Mowery Media
Counter Culture Kitchen and Catering, for great takeout sandwiches also in Lawson Hill: $25.
Thank you to all that have generously donated gift certificates that will be used for my KOTO fundraising campaign!!!
Remember that if you donate $100. you will also be entered into two separate KOTO drawings: one to win a brand-new SOL GalaXy paddle board and the other to land yourself a two-night stay at The Peaks Resort & Spa package.
Our Happy Place with Our SOL Paddle Boards
Steve Paddling at Sunset in Norwood
And if you donate $50., you will receive a KOTO sun shirt (in addition to being entered into my drawings). Super cool. The supply is limited, however, so act fast.
Note that all proceeds are tax deductible and all go to KOTO.
Once again, in order to be added to all of my drawings, donations must be paid in full by the end of my show by let’s say 12:50pm on Friday. So break out the plastic!
With added luck, I might even have some additional premiums come Friday.
The Superlative Setting at The Peaks Resort & Spa
In terms of music, I, of course, I will be playing some French and maybe some Chinese and Moroccan tunes as well. I’ll also have bluegrass, which I’ve come to love since I’ve been in Colorado. And since I’m originally from New York (upstate) and love Frank Sinatra, I’ll definitely be playing “New York, New York.” I’d also like to work in some Dooby Brothers and/or Eagles because they remind me of summers spent at Lake George, New York.
Had I not taken a hiatus from Travel Fun, my talk show on travel, I’d be up to almost nineteen years of doing radio at KOTO. Yet between the pandemic (when I only did a handful of shows remotely) and spending lots of time back east for family matters, I’ve had to take a break from doing my show. I look forward to being back on the air on a regular basis very soon. For Travel Fun, I’ve enjoyed interviewing all kinds of people about travel, beauty, fashion, food and wine and a variety of other subjects including one program entitled Sex, Travel and Fun. Travel, of course, can be very exciting. Guests on my show have included lots of locals, many second-home owners and a good amount of “outsiders” I contacted because I thought KOTO listeners would enjoy hearing what they had to say. One such example is Graham Watson, renowned photographer of the Tour de France bike race.
I’m most definitely an avid listener of KOTO. I love radio in general, so much so, in fact, that I don’t even own a TV.
In past years, I was very involved with volunteering at KOTO events, which was always fun and super interesting. I hope to get back to that soon as well. Some of my most memorable gigs included being in charge of the green rooms for KOTO Doo Dahs and other happenings. I did this for Jackson Browne, the Subdudes, Bob Dylan, Lyle Lovett, Michael Franti and some LIp Syncs. I was also in charge of KOTO merchandise for Bluegrass a number of years and yes, I had my stints working the KOTO beer booth at Bluegrass and doing endless hours of decorating for the fabulous KOTO Halloween parties. A lot of this I did with Jumpin’ Jan, which made it all the more meaningful.
KOTO is my family. I love being a part of the ski school family and my KOTO family. I started both in December 2003. That was when it was not very popular to be writing about France. (Remember Freedom Fries?) So I switched up my life and the rewards have been far better than I ever could have imagined. A very well known travel writer once told me that having a radio show is a great way to build your audience. Far more than that, however, it has made me feel very loved. I have truly enjoyed working with KOTO staff and DJs and it has been fun, too, when people recognize my voice and say things like “oh, you’re the travel lady.”
If you’ve made it to the end of this story, you deserve a glimpse at my kittens. They are the ultimate kure-all for all kinds of kookiness.
It’s a Star-Spangled Blue-Eyed Holiday Everyday with Our Kittens
Thank you to Amy Peters for her great coverage of this summer’s Guest DJ Day in the Telluride Daily Planet and the Norwood Post. Her piece, KOTO Radio Takes Over the Universe, will tell you even more about what’s happening at KOTO and what’s in store for all on Friday, August 19.
France Hotels & Lodging Restaurants: Anglet Basque Country Bidart Chateau de Brindos fine French dining Guéthary Les Frères Iabarboure
by maribeth
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Giving Thanks for Elegant French Meals
Feeling Beautiful in the French Basque Country
I’ve been very spoiled in my life. Not spoiled in general. But most definitely spoiled with fabulous meals. As a travel writer, one with an expertise in France, I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy some very fine dining. And each experience remains etched in my mind. Really.
Part theater, part culinary extravaganza, part voyage à deux, or among a few and yes, even all alone, dining out promises an all encompassing sensory journey, especially when it takes place in France.
Here I want to highlight two extraordinary meals in the Basque country of southwest France that I shared with my guy, Steve Togni, an Italian-born hotel general manager (in Telluride) who is–not surprisingly–blessed with a discerning palate. These dinners were all the more exceptional because they took place during a surf trip to the French Basque country. Well in truth, it was a vacation for both of us with a very strong emphasis on surfing for Steve. Typically during such trips, he’s to bed by 9pm because when it comes to surfing, he’s all business. His dinners usually consist of a plate of grilled fish, rice and beans and a couple of cold beers, particularly when he travels to countries such as Costa Rica and Nicaragua. But he told me he’d be up for nice dinners out and boy was I happy that he more than obliged.
Colorado Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Music & Dance Restaurants Telluride: dining DJ Posh Josh Donavan Daily's Speakeasy Jazz Quartet Durango Funk Allstars Joint Point lodging Mountain Lodge music New Sheridan nightlife parties Ray Farnsworth Steve Togni Telluride The Gold Kings The Parlor The Phoenix Bean The View Bar & Grill
by maribeth
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Happening Telluride Hotels
Party Scene at Mountain Lodge Telluride
Whoa, it’s been one heck of a summer season in Telluride with fun times that animated our beloved historic town as well as Telluride Mountain Village.
Whether it’s a festival in Telluride Town Park or a get together with friends in a more dialed down setting, music often ranks as an integral part of the scene in our beautiful mountain town.
Some of the best times may be found at two of Telluride’s top hotels: the New Sheridan and Mountain Lodge. And it’s thanks to two guys–two hotel general managers (GMs)–in particular that you can enjoy an authentic night out even if you’re here during the height of the season. Ray Farnsworth has stood steady at the helm of the New Sheridan Hotel and the Chop House Restaurant & Bar for over twenty years, an eternity in the hospitality industry where GMs typically change it up every 2.5 years. Steve Togni, the #1 at Mountain Lodge Telluride, has been in charge for fourteen. Both locals, through and true, they’ve created happening scenes with a strong local’s vibe by lining up entertainment and organizing events practically year-round at their gorgeous properties. (And that’s in addition to offering great food and drink to their hotel guests, visitors and locals at their restaurants and bars.)
Electric Luau at Mountain Lodge
The Gold Kings at The Phoenix Bean at the New Sheridan
The Back Courtyard: A Nice Place to Gather at The Phoenix Bean
Mountain Lodge has held a number of big parties that have become the talk of the town during shoulder season. OK, let’s just say they know how to put on a bash. They’ve featured Joint Point, a jammy rock-and-roll band and a T-ride favorite, numerous times at their Electric Luau parties, typically held in June and September. “The Electric Luau was initially created as a simple thank you to visitors and locals alike for a great summer season at the Mountain Lodge,” says Steve. “It was such a success and we enjoyed doing it so much that it became a twice annual event. Joint Point was the obvious choice as they have evolved into a top local act over the years. Since the inception of these events, we’ve broadened the scope of having “fun” and talented bands to include others, such as the Durango Funk Allstars who will be firing up the Disco Party this weekend.”
Colorado Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Music & Dance Restaurants Spas Travel Vail: Colorado pools Django Festival All-Stars Four Seasons Vail Hotel Talisa Hotel Talisa Spa music scene Telluride Telluride Blues & Brews Telluride Jazz Festival Vail Vail Chophouse Vail dining Vail Jazz Vail lodging Vail summer fun
by maribeth
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Vail Getaway
Poolside Lunch at the Four Seasons in Vail
Phew! It’s been a busy six weeks filled with all kinds of travels for a variety of reasons.
I spent the first two weeks of July in Denver–sword-drawn–helping my brother battle cancer. (More on that at a later date.) On both ends of the trip, I sampled Colorado Greyhound service for the first time. (It’s much like I’ve found it to be on the East Coast: colorful and crammed on certain trips, sparsely populated and cruise-y on others, all punctuated by sketchy wifi throughout.) Still, I feel that it often beats driving the approximate seven hours between Telluride and Denver. I wish train service was better along this route but that’s likely a dream for years to come. Shuttle service between these two destinations is sadly nonexistent as well.
Lots of People Traveling with Pets These Days
The first week of August I arrived back in Telluride from a whirlwind three-and-a-half-day trip to the East Coast to drop off my seventeen-year-old-cat Clara for an extended stay with my eighty-five-year-old mother–double phew! (Had my travels not been canceled due to weather on the outbound, it actually would have been a two-and-a-half-day trip.) Clara is a great traveler although it could all have ended poorly this time because she nudged her way out of the zippered closure of her carrier beneath the seat in front of me while mommy was catnapping.
“Excuse me, miss. Is this your cat?” a kind-faced young man asked as he hovered over me in the aisle, cradling Clara in his arms. “She made her way to the back of the plane.” Fortunately the other passengers chuckled and I refrained from having a heart attack.
A Disgruntled Clara on Her Layover
I’ll was in T-ride less than a week before I headed back to upstate New York with her brother, Leo, another old kitty, a fluffy miniature lion-like orange tabby as his name indicates. Don’t ask–but know that only one pet per passenger is allowed in the cabin. Thankfully we’re all adaptable travelers. If only they could rack up frequent flier mileage, too!
TSA Hold Up with Leo’s Suspicious-Looking Kitty Litter
Leo: Old and Grumpy yet Very Happy to Be at Grandma’s
In the middle of all this movin’ and shakin’, I delighted in three lovely days in Vail, Colorado with my boyfriend, Steve. Ahhhh, yes, aside from the usual email checking, note taking and social media posting, it felt like a vacation, a much-needed one because as you can perhaps gather from the above, it has been a hectic year.
Cheers to Getaways
We often have a summer getaway in Vail, largely because he has business meetings that take him there–he’s a hotel GM–and I tag along and do my travel writer thing and steal some quality time with him. As residents of Telluride, we regularly enjoy the many benefits of living in a beautiful mountain town, but as we all know, it’s different when you go someplace else, especially when you stay in a luxury hotel where neither of us has to get bogged down with daily household chores or catering to our four cats. (Yes, we each have two and together we formed the Brady Bunch cat family.)
Hotel Talisa Vail
This time we enjoyed our stay at the newly renovated Hotel Talisa (formerly Vail Cascade) within a smooth, style-y decor that made us feel oh-so pampered. The staff makes lots of efforts with the service as well, something that as a demanding hotel GM and travel writer, we inevitably test to the max. (Hint: Always ask for a room change if you’re not quite happy with the one you’re given upon check in and don’t be afraid to suggest some kind of compensation–some sort of a gesture–if there’s a goof up during your stay.)
