Art & Culture Food & Wine Podcasts Telluride: Art & Culture Food & Wine Podcasts Telluride Telluride Festivals
by maribeth
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Kenny Gilbert: Always a Top Chef
Chef Kenny Gilbert
Wow, did you watch Bravo’s Top Chef last night? Our Telluride favorite, Chef Kenny Gilbert, was voted off the show in a flash in the pan, all due to some kind of flub with beet and goat cheese dishes. I think that was it—it all happened so fast, I couldn’t keep track. I hate this part of Top Chef—how one bad dish can blow your whole chance. I wish they’d find a way of scoring cumulatively, especially since Kenny certainly shined throughout every episode. The other cheftestants even referred to him as The Black Lightening. At least the judges commended him in his final episode for his leadership abilities. It comes as no surprise when you hear about some of his philosophies. Scroll down to his Book Pick at Top Chefs to gain more insight into his approach.
I interviewed Kenny just about a year ago when he was still Executive Chef of a leading hotel here in Telluride. Click on the play button below to hear him chat about how he became a chef and what’s most important to him in the kitchen.
I had chatted with Kenny on the occasion of the Telluride Festival of the Arts: A Visual & Culinary Arts Festival that takes place annually in our lovely mountain town. This year it happens August 13-15. Yes, that means it begins tomorrow, so try to take in at least one event over this fun weekend.
As for me, I’m headed on a rafting trip. But I’ll keep all my favorite top chefs in mind, particularly since Kelly Liken is still in the running and I think she’s looking mighty fine.
Art & Culture French Life French Provinces Hotels & Lodging Paris Podcasts: Art & Culture French Life French Provinces Hotels & Lodging Paris Podcasts
by maribeth
Comments Off on Oh Château Life!
Oh Château Life!
A Perfect French Summer Scene: Colza Fields Blanketing the Château de la Motte d'Usseau Landscape
If you’ve caught any coverage of the Tour de France, you’ve seen some glorious shots of the French countryside dotted with fairy tale-looking castles and elegant manor houses. Families still live in most of these impressive dwellings, many of whom have lived there for centuries. And even better, some of these families of long lineage open up their stately residences to visitors on a nightly or even weekly basis. (Yes, you can easily rent your own château in France for your destination wedding, family reunion or other exciting event.)
Château du Fraisse, A Grand Property Near Limoges
But how do you go about connecting with these people, some of whom may be just familiarizing themselves with the Internet? Enter Diane Ohanian, French château expert par excellence. Diane created au Château some ten years ago, a company and e-newsletter that dials Americans into château life in France. In my Travel Fun interview with Diane (and through her au Château Web site and newsletter), I’ve found her to be an incredible resource on French châteaux and on French life in general. As an ardent Francophile for more than two decades, Diane has made it her mission to suss out some of the most glorious and welcoming abodes in the gallic land. Indeed au Château is a great English-language resource for travelers looking to stay in historic places.
Room with a View at Château Sallandrouze and Many Other Châteaux
Click on the play button below to hear what Diane has to say about château life in France, French hosts and what she appreciates most about life in France. Hint: it has nothing to do with traffic jams and fast food.
Three châteaux have been featured in the above images including Château de la Motte d’Usseau, Château du Fraisse and Château Sallandrouze. (For Château Sallandrouze, please check with Diane directly at inquiry@au-chateau.com for this property’s availability.) Note that au Château boasts nearly eighty members on their site, so you have a variety of experiences to chose from in every corner of France.
Diane (on the left) with One of Her Hosts
Diane on the French as Hosts
“They’re excellent hosts, warm and friendly. The nobility is nice, too. Not at all condescending. I hope it’s not a disappointment when they (travelers) find out that they (the noble families) are like everyone else.”
Book Pick
“The Paris Neighborhood Cookbook: Danyel Couet’s Guide to the City’s Ethnic Cuisines,” by Danyel Couet and David Loftus
Listen to what Diane has to say about this book in the above interview.
Being Green Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Podcasts Restaurants Spas The Rockies Travel: Being Green Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Podcasts Restaurants Spas The Rockies Travel
by maribeth
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Sleek and Sustainable: Two Stellar Colorado Properties
Style-y Dining at Eight K at the Viceroy Snowmass
What does it mean to stay in a green hotel? In the case of The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain and the Viceroy Snowmass, it means stepping into a swanky world where sustainable luxury reigns supreme. I stayed at these two stunning resorts this past off-season and was highly impressed by their look and commitment to preserving the environment.
While on the premises I observed a certain amount of sustainable practices on my own, but I yearned to find out more. I posed the question “What makes a hotel green?” to Jeffery Burrel, Director of Operations of The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, and to Jeff David, General Manager of the Viceroy Snowmass, in a recent Travel Fun interview and was interested to hear about what goes into the development and operations of a sustainable property. And I bet you will, too. Here’s a short list of the environmentally-conscious building strategies and operational practices implemented in these and most other LEED-certified properties:
-Many of the building materials are sourced locally. Expect lots of rich stonework and other natural elements.
-Some of the building materials come from post consumer/industrial recycled content. The roof of The Westin Riverfront, for example, is made of recycled automobile tires.
-Lots of glass, made up of high-performance windows, assure sweeping views.
-Low and non-emitting paints, adhesives and carpets are utilized throughout to ensure healthy indoor air quality.
-Much of the resort’s electricity comes from renewable sources.
-Low-flow fixtures help to conserve water.
-High efficiency appliances are used in the kitchens.
-Housekeeping products tend to be non-toxic and non-allergenic.
In addition to the above, each resort implements a variety of other green-oriented practices. At The Westin Riverfront I particularly appreciated the recycling bins in the kitchen and their huge emphasis on fitness. “We have more health and wellness space than banquet space,” says Jeffery Burrell. Indeed I was totally won over by their outdoor saline lap pool which to me, is better than swimming in the ocean. (There’s no black line in the ocean. And if you’re a serious swimmer, you want the black line.) You can bet, too, that their saline natatorium is far better for your health and wellness than swimming in most chlorine-saturated pools.
The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa
At the Viceroy Snowmass, I noticed that the kitchen appliances were unplugged on a daily basis, a smart practice that I’ve since adopted at home. This was also the first hotel where I found 16-ounce bottles of amenities in the bathroom. What a great idea! (See below for more of my thoughts on hotel amenities.)
Don’t for a moment think that cutting-edge and down-to-earth are mutually exclusive in either of these resorts. At both The Westin Riverfront and the Viceroy Snowmass, I was especially impressed by their friendly and efficient service. I also liked their many little touches such as the aluminum water bottle presented to you upon arrival at the Viceroy and the employee name tags stating each person’s passion at The Westin. Both of these features—especially the name tags—provide nice opportunities to engage warmly with the hotel staff.
And best of all, each of these resorts boast outstanding spas and restaurants that you can enjoy even if you’re not a guest of the hotel. In fact both the Restaurant Avondale at The Westin Riverfront and Eight K Restaurant at the Viceroy Snowmass are immensely popular with the locals. As for their spas, zen and nature have never come together in such a sensuous manner in both of these healing spaces.
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Art & Culture Podcasts Shopping Telluride The Rockies: Art & Culture Podcasts Shopping Telluride Telluride Festivals The Rockies
by maribeth
Comments Off on Vive le Plein Air
Vive le Plein Air
Capturing Our Rocky Mountain Landscape
The leaves have popped here in southwestern Colorado within the past ten days and it has felt like full-on summer since last Friday. We’ve been transported from a long, bleak period into a lush, green season as fast as you can paint a scene. The rivers and streams course between and within our mountains, creating a thunderous soundtrack throughout the land; our bright, sunny days are melting the snowpack at twice the usual rate. Today on my walk I spotted my first lupines of the year, tall bushy blooms with purply-colored flowers hanging thick on the stalks like grapes on a vine.
When I interviewed Ronnie Palamar, director of the Sheridan Opera House in Telluride, a few weeks ago for my Travel Fun radio show, the summer season seemed light years away. Now it’s nearly upon us (officially) and what a great season it is for outdoor painting. The Impressionists were particularly consumed with the effects of changing light on color outside. Pissarro, Manet, Monet, Degas and others took to setting up their canvases en plein air, or in the open air, creating some of the finest pieces of the Impressionist movement.
The striking scenery of Colorado, with its often dramatic interplay of light, provides the perfect setting for painting in plein air, especially during the summer when the days are plenty warm for standing outside at great length. Plein air festivals have taken the country by storm in recent years, some of which originated on the coasts. The Telluride Plein Air festival, modeled after the Carmel festival and created by the Sheridan Arts Foundation, is certainly the best known in the Rockies. And now this year this terrific celebration of the arts is also establishing itself in Aspen in conjunction with the Sheridan Opera House and Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House.
Painting on Telluride's Main Street
Most of the works on view and for sale in both of these festivals are painted sur place, or on the premises, the week prior to the official festival opening. For me, that’s the best part of this event; I love seeing the artists—some thirty painters in Telluride—set up their easels around town and in the surrounding area at all hours of the day and night. Indeed there’s a certain romanticism about it all and fortunately the artists don’t seem to mind if we peek over their shoulders and perhaps even ask them a question or two.
Both the Telluride Plein Air and the Aspen Plein Air festivals are marked by exhibitions and demonstrations that are great fun to attend even if you’re not shopping for a treasure. Be sure to check out the Quick Draw Competitions where artists must complete an on-site painting within only ninety minutes. Now that’s what I call a showdown.
The Historic Sheridan Opera House
Click on the play button below to hear Ronnie talk about the historic Sheridan Opera House in Telluride and also the seventh annual Telluride Plein Air and the first annual Aspen Plein Air festivals. She tells some wonderful anecdotes about the artists that you won’t want to miss.
Telluride Plein Air, June 28-July 4
Aspen Plein Air, July 6-July 10
Photo Notes
The top photo features Niles Norquist painting in Telluride. Niles will be returning to the Telluride Plein Air Festival this year.
“Home of the Ski Bum” below was painted by Wayne Mckenzie, a local artist that will be featured at both the Telluride and Aspen Plein Air festivals. Ronnie recounts his story in the above interview.
If you’d like to host an artist in Telluride or Aspen during these festivals, contact Ronnie at ronnie@sheridanoperahouse.com. That’s a wonderful way to support the arts for which you’ll even receive a painting as a special thank you. Commissioned pieces may also be arranged for particular scenes; contact Ronnie for those enquiries as well.
Home of the Ski Bum
Beauty Fashion & Style French Life New York Paris Podcasts Telluride Travel: Beauty Fashion & Style French Life New York Paris Podcasts Telluride Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Talking Travel and Style with Kate Betts
Talking Travel and Style with Kate Betts
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Kate Betts
Travel and style go together like form and functionality. I had fun chatting about both and much more recently during a Travel Fun interview with Kate Betts, fashion and style editor extraordinare. Kate has worked as the driving force at illustrious publications including Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. She has also written about fashion and style for the New York Times and is currently contributing editor at TIME Magazine. Kate and I met many, many years ago in Paris when she was an intern at the International Herald Tribune and I was operating Chic Promenade, a shopping service I had created in France. We share many interests, mutual French friends and a passion for France (although we do love to chuckle together about some of our pet peeves about la mentalité française!)
I was happy to snatch her for an interview during her March trip to Telluride. Click on the play button below to hear what Kate has to say about style and travel. As Kate says, “It matters what you look like, how you feel about yourself, how you present yourself.” She provides beauty and packing tips that she uses on all her travels whether she’s off to the fashion shows in Milan or heading out to the Rockies for a ski vacation. I loved what she shared about visualization and I’ve already picked up her favorite all-purpose moisturizing cream that’s her special secret.
Listen to what she has to say about fashion editors. I had to ask her if they’re all hung up on what they wear! You’ll enjoy hearing her response along with her explanation about the difference between fashion and style. People obsessed with fashion follow the crowd whereas style setters follow their own beat.
Kate’s latest project has been the researching and writing of a book about Michelle Obama, entitled “Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and The Power of Style.” “The way she has used style to set the tone has been very powerful for women,” Kate says. “Her voice has been her style. She is the quintessential American woman.” I felt lucky to get the scoop on all this since mine was the first interview Kate conducted about the book, to be published February 2011 by Clarkson Potter. In our chat, Kate also talks about her impressions of our first lady and her charismatic husband.
Throughout our conversation, Kate refers many times to the French, especially in terms of their sense of style. “Style is something you have within you,” Kate says. I guess that’s why I often say that French women are born with the knowledge of how to tie a scarf. They know how to properly apply their make up as well, being careful never to over do it, just like in Telluride. Kate and I commented that we rarely do ourselves up in T-ride but we both smiled about having touched ourselves up a bit for our radio interview. As Kate says, it does matter how you look, how you feel about yourself and how you present yourself, no matter where you are, right?
Click on the play button to hear lots more good stuff from Kate.
Colorado Hotels & Lodging Podcasts Restaurants Telluride: Colorado Hotels & Lodging Podcasts Restaurants Telluride
by maribeth
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New Sheridan Hotel: Telluride’s Historic Gem
The New Sheridan Forever Backdropped by Our Majestic Peaks
Most towns and cities boast at least one landmark hotel that embodies the spirit of that destination. Think of Claridge’s in London, Le Meurice in Paris, The Drake in Chicago and in Colorado, The Brown Palace in Denver, Hotel Jerome in Aspen, well you get the picture. Here in Telluride, we’re blessed with the New Sheridan Hotel, a most historic property whose orgins date back to 1891, the beginning of the boom time in mining for this Rocky Mountain town.
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Podcasts Travel: Humor Podcasts Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Laughing All The Way: Humor and Travel
Laughing All The Way: Humor and Travel
A smile is the shortest distance between two people. —Victor Borga
Karyn Ruth White: Motivational Comedian/Author and Twenty Year Road Warrior
Motivational Comedian/Author and twenty-year Road Warrior Karyn Ruth White shared the above quote with me in a recent Travel Fun interview. I met Karyn Ruth in November when she gave the keynote address at the annual meeting of the Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association. She had all those hospitality folks in stitches and I’m sure she’ll have you laughing all the way when you hit the play button below.
“Humor allows you to see your world in a much more postitive, enthusiastic way,” Karyn Ruth says. She emphasizes how humor can be a valuable tool in dealing with all kinds of situations.
Karyn Ruth encourages everyone to pack their sense of humor with them on their travels and to make a conscious decision that your journey is going to be fun. Think about what attitude you’re taking on your trip and see how that effects your travels. Just look around airports to see how many people are smiling. “How we travel is a great metaphor for how we live our lives,” she says. “If you watch someone in the airport it sums up how they live their lives.”
When was the last time you really expressed enthusiasm about traveling? Do you remember how it was for you as a kid? I can recall the night before the first time I was to take the train to New York City when I was about eight. I couldn’t sleep all night! And that wasn’t about stress—it was due to excitement.
Karyn Ruth points out that we are presented with humor opportunities every day at home and away. Her book, “Your Seventh Sense: How to Think Like a Comedian,” helps people to see the world in a funnier way. “Life is hysterical if you’re looking for the hilarity,” she says.
Karyn Ruth White Suggests You Ask Yourself the Following Questions on Your Travels, Especially in Stressful Situations
-Can I find anything to laugh about?
-Am I going to let this ruin my day?
-Would this be funny if it were happening to someone else?
Celebrating the Holidays with the Animals
Winter Wildland at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
I recently had Allen Nyhuis, co-author of “America’s Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans and Families,” as a guest on Travel Fun. That’s when I learned about the many glittering light displays that take place during the holidays at zoos around the country. I had heard about Boo at the Zoo (which takes place during Halloween) but didn’t realize that so many zoos also offer a festive setting for celebrating the dark evenings of winter—what a terrific idea! Many of you have perhaps already enjoyed the twinkling light show offered at your local zoo. If not, know that at most major zoos, you have a few days left to take in this joyful winter fun.
Allen Nyhuis: Animal Lover Extraordinaire
Now about Allen. This guy surely ranks as America’s top zoo aficionado. Did you know that some 150 million people go to zoos every year? That’s more than the number of people that attend professional baseball, basketball, football and hockey games combined. And visiting a zoo is one of the most affordable means of entertainment in our country, yet surprisingly most people don’t go much on vacation; they mostly just patronize their local zoo. Well, I think it’s a great thing to do on your travels and I’m more convinced about this than ever after having connected with the giraffes, elephants, hippos, tigers, apes, Rocky Mountain wildlife and much more on a recent visit to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. I was lucky enough to experience the fantastic natural setting of this mountain zoo (the only one of its kind in the country) after a fresh snowfall. This not only enhanced the beauty of the zoo but it also drove the crowds away and kept many of the animals indoors where they were easier to view. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
I encourage you to tune in to listen to Allen’s excellent interview. You’ll also hear how he responds to my question regarding the happiness of animals in a zoo. Just hit the play button below.
Thank you to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Allen Nyhuis for the above photos.
