Colorado Food & Wine Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Telluride The Rockies: Colorado Food & Wine Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Telluride The Rockies
by maribeth
Comments Off on Great Deals for Public Radio: Summer 2011
Great Deals for Public Radio: Summer 2011
It’ll be Dumping Before You Know It!
Here’s how you can land some great travel deals while supporting KOTO community radio in Telluride, one of the few entirely community-sponsored radio stations in the country. More and more people tune in on the Internet as well during T-ride’s famed Bluegrass Festival (when KOTO broadcasts live) or just any ‘ole day of the year. It’s a great way to get the flavor of a happening mountain town along with some fine music and talk.
If you don’t know about my Travel Fun radio show, please tune in live one of these Tuesdays. Or you may listen to some of my past interviews that I’ve posted as podcasts.
Now for the enticing travel deals to Telluride, Aspen and Denver, Colorado. I’ve highlighted below what you can snatch up in exchange for a pledge; just e-mail me through my Contacts Page to lock in your travel premium. (You can also go there to sign up for my RSS feed and/or to receive bi-monthly Travel Fun announcements. Be sure to provide all your contact information including phone and address (e-mail as well as snail mail, please) and your desired prize. Know that I’m accepting pledges on a first come, first serve basis, so act fast. Once your pledge is accepted and you’ve paid KOTO, you will receive your gift certificate for your chosen premium. more »
Colorado Music & Dance Telluride Telluride Festivals: Colorado Music & Dance Telluride Telluride Festivals
by maribeth
4 comments
Always on My Mind: Telluride Blues & Brews Festival and Willie Nelson
My Guy Willie
O.K., maybe not always on my mind, but at least quite often. I’m crazy about Willie Nelson and I can’t imagine a better place on earth to see him for the first time but right here in my beautiful backyard of Telluride, Colorado. For the eighteenth year in a row, Telluride Blues & Brews is gracing our most golden season—late summer—with a festival that combines world-class music and tasty brews in an unparalleled setting. And this year, Willie is one of the headliners.
View from the Stage at the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
This three-day celebration goes off all over town by day and night in Telluride’s strikingly scenic Town Park as well as in indoor and outdoor venues in town. By day, you can enjoy live blues, rock, funk, gospel and soul and then at night you take it to the juke joints and after-hours jams all around town. The whole festival experience is one big glorious goodbye to summer, hello autumnal glory. This year Telluride Blues & Brews takes place September 16th, 17th and 18th and although lodging sells out fast for this peak weekend, there’s still plenty to choose from for planning a memorable trip to Telluride.
Three Men, Three Telluride Mountain Village Restaurants
Jake Linzinmeir from M’s Restaurant
Every successful venture needs a driving force. This is particularly the case in the restaurant world where it takes a strong presence—whether in the kitchen or front of house—to shape a dining experience into a memorable moment that defines an establishment. Well in my humble opinion, there are a few noteworthy guys creating remarkable dining experiences in three restaurants in Telluride Mountain Village, a town populated by tony part-time and year-round residents and visited by discerning travelers from all over the world. These discriminating diners all know a thing or two about a red-letter night out on the town, so there’s little room for anything short of excellence in Telluride’s Mountain Village.
It came as big news this past spring—especially to locals—that Chef Jake Linzinmeir was taking over the helm at M’s Restaurant, the signature dining establishment of Hotel Madeline, formerly Capella. Jake, long known as the restaurateur extraordinaire of Telluride, having simultaneously owned and operated three best-loved restaurants in T-ride in recent years, seems to be the perfect fit for this swanky restaurant that demands that the cuisine live up to its high-stepping decor. Jake, widely applauded for his versatility and passion for quality, has the presence both in and out of the kitchen to provide a standout dining experience.
M’s Smooth Interior
One of Jake’s Innovative Culinary Creations
If you catch a peek of Jake, you may recognize him from his frequent appearances on The Today Show. But don’t go thinking he’s all about “the show.” No, quite the contrary. Jake presents a Colorado Rocky Mountain Farm to Table Cuisine that features the many exceptional food products for which Colorado is becoming increasingly recognized. From Colorado beef dry-aged onsite to mushrooms picked within the outlying region, Chef Jake’s cuisine reflects the bounty of Colorado flawlessly prepared with the refined palate of the gastronome in mind.
Table with a View at Allred’s
Mario Petillo from Allred’s
Allred’s, a landmark restaurant, only accessible by the gondola, perched high on the mountain between the towns of Telluride and Telluride Mountain Village, is also undergoing changes that are making it more of a perennial favorite rather than a special-occasion restaurant. With its unique location that furnishes some of the most exceptional views in Telluride, Allred’s deserves to be hopping every night of the week. It seems as though this is quickly becoming the case, especially at the bar where locals are flocking (always a good sign) for killer views accompanied by Happy Hour specials that last well into the night. Just call it Happy Night, featuring the best darn sunset of the Rockies and food and drink at reasonable prices.
Allred’s, Spectacular Year-Round
This concept and so much more is the brainchild of Mario Petillo, the new General Manager of Allred’s, an elegant Italian that has worked in the hospitality industry in Europe and in the United States for decades. He’s been a familiar face on the restaurant scene in Telluride as well, a warm and welcoming gentleman that has the ease and grace to meet each diner’s requirements no matter how great or small. Whether you’re ordering Truffle Fries to accompany a glass of wine as you peruse Allred’s enticing menu or being served a Rocky Mountain Elk Short Loin as your main course, you can bet Mario has a say in how your food arrives at your table. Can’t wait to see the many other ways in which Mario will make this restaurant truly great.
Poolside Dining at The View
If a more relaxed dining experience is calling, head to The View, the tavern-style restaurant housed within Mountain Lodge Telluride. As the name suggests, the views here are nothing short of fabulous. Truly one of the best-kept secrets of Telluride, The View thus far caters mostly to its lodge guests, however, those not staying at this handsome mountain resort are always more than welcome. In the summer, The View’s poolside dining offers a prized experience unique in T-ride; here you sit on (or lounge upon!) teak patio furniture, surrounded by tubs of blooming flowers while gazing at the San Sophia Range, some of the most awe-inspiring peaks of the Rockies. I suggest you order a juicy burger or a BLT salad topped with grilled chicken breast, an Arnie Palmer and slip into vacation mode whether you’re here for lunch or to spend a few days. By night, this handsome pool deck transforms into a different sort of magical place as fire pits are illuminated and margaritas become the drink of choice.
Inside The View, you’ll discover one of the most impressive “great rooms” of the Rockies, characterized by a stunning log interior, an immense stone fireplace, one of the longest bars of Telluride, a forty-five foot soaring ceiling, and expansive windows that furnish spectacular views from nearly every seat in the house. Wooden tables and chairs, cozy couches and two widescreen T.V.s complete the tavern-like feel embodied by The View.
Tommy Tompkins from The View
But what would a tavern be without a warm, genuine welcome from the person in charge? At The View you’re likely to encounter that friendly greeting from Chef Tommy Tompkins, an affable guy that has proved as well versed in the front of the house as in the kitchen. “We try to provide good tavern food as an affordable option for people,” Tommy told me during a recent visit here. “Call it tavern fare with a high-end flare,” he added as he stepped away to say hello to some potential diners that had just entered his space.
Now that’s what I call “being on it,” I thought. In today’s world—more than ever before—you can’t take your restaurant diner for granted. You have to offer them added value each time they walk into your establishment. It takes someone special, someone who cares and has a keen understanding of the hospitality industry to make the difference.
It’s nice to know you can find those key people in Telluride Mountain Village.
Good Eats at The View
Note that only The View (970-728-2413) is open for lunch and dinner; reservations are not required. It is, however, recommended to reserve at M’s Restaurant (970-369-0880) and at Allred’s (970-728-7474) for your dinner plans.
Know that Wednesday evenings are particularly happening in Telluride Mountain Village during the summer when the town hosts a Sunset Concert Series at 6 p.m. from July 6th through August 24th. All concerts are held in Sunset Plaza and are free to the public. Check out the lineup—you’ll discover there are some great acts.
Colorado Four Corners Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance Restaurants Spas Telluride The Rockies: Colorado Four Corners Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance Restaurants Spas Telluride The Rockies
by maribeth
2 comments
Chipeta Sun Lodge & Spa: Spirit of the Southwest in the Rockies
Chipeta Sun Lodge & Spa
Can’t decide whether you want to vacation in the Southwest or the mountains? How about choosing a place of lodging where you enjoy the spirit and landscapes of both? Check out Chipeta Sun Lodge & Spa, a lovely southwestern-inspired adobe retreat set within the majestic San Juan Mountains, just an hour from Telluride, Colorado. Situated in the charming little town of Ridgway (featured in John Wayne films such as “True Grit”), I often recommend Chipeta as an excellent base for visiting the many interesting sites and towns that pepper southwestern Colorado and southern Utah.
If you travel further into the mountains from Ridgway, you can easily explore the historic old mining towns of Telluride, Ouray and Silverton. If you head toward Montrose, you can hit the Ute Indian Museum, a well-worth-the-stop attraction that showcases one of Colorado’s most complete collections of Ute ceremonial and traditional artifacts. Just on the other side of Montrose, plan to spend at least a half day at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, a stunning and somewhat spooky site that provokes nearly as many oohs and aahs as the Grand Canyon. And within a two-hour drive you can find yourself amidst the striking red rock of Moab and other parts of southern Utah in addition to Arches National Park and Canyonlands.
Since there’s so much to visit in the area and most of the lodging at Chipeta includes condo-type units, you’ll likely want to check in here for a week. Plan at least a couple of relaxing rest days where you can stay put at this warm and welcoming lodge just to loll by the pool or enjoy a treatment in their spa.
View from the Porch of Chipeta's Four Corners Cafe
Whether you’re staying at the lodge or just passing through, a stop at Chipeta’s Four Corners Cafe for dinner or drinks is a must. Here you’ll be enchanted by the striking vistas provided from the top-floor location of this casual restaurant and bar. Inside, the scene serves up heaps of southwestern charm within its desert rose-colored interior. As the sun sinks beneath the mountains, you’re bathed in pink light most evenings whether you’re seated inside or out.
The Sunny Interior of the Four Corners Cafe
Indeed this heartwarming lodge is aptly named. It’s called Chipeta, in honor of the lovely wife of Chief Ouray, head of the Ute Indians that once inhabited this land, a gentle woman that eventually became “queen” of both the whites and the Utes of the region. Embracing the rich diversity of this part of the country is what Chipeta, the lodge and the beloved Native American figure, are all about.
Chipeta Sun Lodge & Spa, Ridgway, Colorado, 800-633-5868, www.chipeta.com
July is a wonderful time to visit Chipeta Sun Lodge and its Four Corners Cafe, especially this year with such a rockin’ Ridgway Concert Series lineup. Free concerts take place every Thursday throughout the month from 6p.m. ‘til dark in Ridgway’s Town Park. What a great way to kick off the weekend!
Colorado Music & Dance Telluride: Colorado Music & Dance Telluride
by maribeth
Comments Off on Keller Williams Gives the KOTO Doo-Dah More Doo-Dah and Lots of Doot-Doot-Dah
Keller Williams Gives the KOTO Doo-Dah More Doo-Dah and Lots of Doot-Doot-Dah
Keller Williams: This Year’s KOTO Doo-Dah Headliner
Doot, doot, doot, da doot doot doot. Waaaa, waaaa, ba, boom, ba, doo. Weah, weah, woo. According to my hunny, Steve Togni, and general manager of Telluride’s handsome Mountain Lodge, that’s kind of how Keller Williams sounded during his early years. He would know since they were roommates in college. It was back then that Steve remembered that Keller started to use his vocals as an instrument outside the realm of standard singing. “Sometimes it would sound like percussion, sometimes it would sound like horns,” Steve has told me several times in recent years. This unique hubbub and other noises eventually transformed into Keller’s signature sound and style: that of a one-man jam band that creates music on a variety of platforms.
Steve and I—along with a good part of Telluride and the outlying region—are excited about Keller coming to play in T-ride next Saturday, July 9th. Steve, of course, knows his friend’s music well and even had the opportunity to pick with K-Dub on occasion way back when. He told me of one lazy afternoon where in spite of Keller’s most focused attempts to teach Steve Dylan’s “Stuck Inside of Mobile with Memphis Blues Again”—a relatively easy song—Steve never got it right. For me, seeing him in concert will be a first. Keller’s the main draw at this year’s fifteenth annual KOTO Doo-Dah, the summer concert put on by my beloved radio station here in Telluride that has showcased other illustrious artists over the years including Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett and Bob Dylan.
Being Green Colorado Mountain Living Telluride Telluride Festivals: Being Green Colorado Mountain Living Telluride Telluride Festivals
by maribeth
1 comment
Welcoming Summer and Contemplating Climate Change
Telluride House Band Including Jerry, Tim, Sam and Béla at Bluegrass
Some 12,000 people ushered in summer over the weekend at the thirty-eighth annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival here in my pristine mountain town. That’s about four times the year-round population of Telluride, a town that has remained picture-perfect partly due to its remote location. Just over 4,000 of these folks were campers, many of whom came from all over the country to attend this world famous four-day happening of sun and song, free spirited-ness and fun. If you look around T-ride today, you’d hardly guess that the town of Telluride and Planet Bluegrass had put on such a party just a couple days ago. Even throughout the festival, there’s scant evidence of un-managed festival waste and even fossil-fuel burning vehicles are kept at a minimum. (Lots of bicycles and enthusiastic walkers though.) Indeed, the organizers of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival know that our majestic mountains and verdant valleys are as much a prized part of this great summer solstice gathering as the picking and strumming of festival regulars Sam Bush, Tim O’Brien, Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan and Béla Fleck. Festival organizers have imparted this love and will for preserving the environment to their devoted festivarians and best of all, facilitate people’s ability to reduce waste at every turn.
Colorado Fashion & Style Hotels & Lodging Telluride The Rockies: Colorado Fashion & Style Hotels & Lodging Telluride The Rockies
by maribeth
Comments Off on Oprah Visits Telluride Region for Ralph Lauren Interview
Oprah Visits Telluride Region for Ralph Lauren Interview
Sneffels: The View from Ralph Lauren's Backyard
I’m sure more than half the country—at least half the female population—is excited about Oprah’s interview with Ralph and Ricky Lauren that airs tomorrow. It certainly is a scoop to be visiting with this American icon of fashion and style at his southwestern Colorado ranch, his beloved enclave that’s remained extremely private until now. I wonder what we’ll see of it? I’m sure lots of plaid blankets and other Native American and Western-inspired motifs.
The Dragonfly Room at the Beaumont: Where Oprah Slept!
I doubt, however, that our gorgeous scenery will be showcased much. We’re in the middle of off-season here, also known as mud season, a time when the views rank less spectacular than the rest of the year. Still, though, I can’t wait to see Ralph’s digs, an undoubtedly heartwarming house crafted in wood, tucked into the folds of a sprawling ranch. Situated just over a half-hour drive from Telluride, the Double RL Ranch encompasses majestic scenery the likes of which you see nowhere else in the world. Just think of the landscapes of westerns such as “True Grit” and “How the West Was Won.” (Indeed, John Wayne was a big fan of the area before Ralph ever came along.) An unassuming wooden Double RL sign post serves as the only indicator that Ralph’s place lies within this prime parcel of the West. During fair weather, one can note a grouping of teepees set up in the distance, playful white cones that conjure images of fantastic sleepovers or festive afternoon gatherings.
Oprah is no stranger to the area since she once owned a home in Telluride. It’s been said that she comes back from time to time, but one can’t know for sure since Telluride is extremely discreet and reports about celebs in the region are few. (Sorry if I’m breaking any unwritten rules here!) Oprah was in T-ride about a year and a half ago to conduct her Tom Cruise interview, but even that visit remained hush-hush among the locals.
It came as no surprise to me, however, to learn that during Oprah’s visit for her RL special, she stayed at the lovely Beaumont Hotel & Spa in Ouray, a charming mountain town just over a half hour from the Double RL ranch in the opposite direction of Telluride. I can imagine Oprah ensconced within the elegant confines of this historic hotel. I’d guess that she and her staff debated between a stay at the Beaumont or at our stunning New Sheridan Hotel here in Telluride. Both of these destination hotels exude the grandeur and refinement of the Victorian Era, the boom time for Colorado mining supply towns such as Ouray and Telluride. (Thankfully both of these historic treasures have being lovingly restored—to the tune of millions of dollars—within recent years. Today, they’re worth the trip to southwestern Colorado just to nestle into their sumptuous interiors.)
“Guests were nicely surprised to find Oprah having her make up done in the atrium,” Jennifer Wyrick, the new owner of the Beaumont, informed me regarding the Queen of Talk’s descent on this sleepy mountain town. Apparently Oprah remained pretty low-key during her stay at this boutique hotel; although she did take a hike down the main street, one of the few paved roads in this town, often referred to as The Little Switzerland of America. Boy, would I have loved to run into Oprah there.
There was little chance to broadcast her arrival though since the Beaumont was only contacted on that Monday for a reservation the weekend of May 6th. The hotel didn’t even find out until that Thursday that the rooms were reserved for Oprah and her staff. She checked in under a pseudonym, precautions that seem almost unwarranted this time of year when there are likely more critters ambling about in Ouray than people.
Oprah conducted the interview with Ralph Lauren and his family on that Saturday. Apparently only her staff stayed at the Beaumont Saturday night, so perhaps she enjoyed a rockin’ good time at the ranch. Or, maybe she just headed home.
She is after all wrapping up twenty-five years of informing, entertaining and enlightening America. She’s got to be in need of a good rest. I hope she’ll come back to the area to get it once the wildflowers are in bloom.
For more of my impressions of the Beaumont Hotel & Spa and Ouray, check out Our Ouray. To find out more about the New Sheridan Hotel & Chophouse and to listen to a podcast, go to New Sheridan Hotel: Telluride’s Historic Gem. There you can also learn about some of the reasons that make Telluride so unique.
Thank you to Merrrick Chase, Neil Hastings and the Beaumont Hotel for the images featured in this post.
Last Saturday's View of the Double RL Ranch
Aspen Colorado Food & Wine Telluride Telluride Festivals The Rockies: Aspen Colorado Food & Wine Telluride Telluride Festivals The Rockies
by maribeth
Comments Off on The Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest: When Snowmass Sizzles
The Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest: When Snowmass Sizzles
Chili Fun at Aspen/Snowmass
With all the chilly weather and snow we’ve been having the past few days, I’m ready for some hot, hot, hot. (Can you believe it? It has snowed nearly two feet in Telluride this week and here it is almost mid-May.) It’s all good though—that just means that the rivers will be flowing longer and the meadows will be greener come June and July. At this rate, the peaks should remain snowy white for quite sometime, making for a gorgeous backdrop for all the hikes, festivals and events that take place in our mountain towns from Memorial Day on.
Judging the Hot Stuff
I kick off the festival season here in Telluride with Mountainfilm, certainly one of the best gatherings in the world for drawing awareness to all kinds of issues from protecting the Grand Canyon from uranium mining to taking action against “big coal” and mountaintop removal. At Mountainfilm, you can also delight in viewing lots of films and photos about adventure travel, mountain life and other diverse subjects. Most of that weekend, however, is spent inside, so some of us almost hope for rain.
But come the first weekend in June, I’ll be praying for blues skies and warm days since I’m headed to Aspen to attend the eighth annual Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest, a weekend of good food and music that jump starts Aspen’s festival lineup. I’ve actually been invited to be a judge this year at this widely popular event that features a Regional Chili Cook-Off and a Champion Chili Tasting. The heat is on because we all know that there are lots of folks out there that take their chili very seriously. Also, the two main chili competitions are organized by the International Chili Society and I’d bet they’re not made up of a bunch of mandy-pandies. In an effort to set myself up well in advance, I’ve opted to judge the chili verde for fear that the red chili and salsa categories might work me up into too much of a lather. Thankfully I can always cool myself down with samples from over seventy breweries, representing top microbreweries from all over the country as well as many brew masters from Europe and other distant lands.
