Colorado Durango Four Corners Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living: Blue Lake Ranch charming country inn Colorado lodging Durango lodging Mesa Verde
by maribeth
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Blue Lake Ranch: A Hidden Gem in Southwest Colorado
Blue Lake Ranch
The Iconic Sleeping Ute Mountain in Southwest Colorado
I Love Sunflowers
I love living in southwest Colorado. Here in Telluride we’re in a high alpine world surrounded by 14,000-foot peaks, yet within an hour’s drive you find yourself in more arid, Western-looking landscapes sporting temperatures almost twenty degrees warmer. That’s a welcome relief this time of year when most people want to extend summer as much as possible.
Blue Lake Ranch
About this time last year I discovered a wonderful guest ranch that I didn’t know existed: Blue Lake Ranch. And what a discovery it was!
Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Telluride Telluride Festivals: bars Hotel Restaurants Telluride Telluride Film Festival Telluride Film Festival for the Budget Traveler
by maribeth
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A Local’s Take on the Telluride Film Festival and How to Do TFF on the Cheap
TFF: Great Films in a Spectacular Setting
“Aren’t you tired of seeing movies?” my Hunny asked me as I rolled in last night after the last film of the After the Festival Telluride Film Festival viewings.
“No, you know how I love movies, Hun. Plus, I only saw eight over the span of five days. Some people see that many within the first two days of the festival.”
Still, I’m happy that Film Festival has passed. Just like every other festival in Telluride, it represents a workout of sorts. There’s always so much to take in and experience, whether you’re working it or attending it or doing some combination of both (as is the case with most Telluridians); it’s physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting. But it’s still pretty fantastic.
Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel: best seafood Digby Pines ferry to Canada Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel Inverary Resort Liscombe Lodge MacKinnon-Cann Inn maritime vacation Nova Scotia Nova Star
by maribeth
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Nova Scotia Highlights
The Scallop Boat Fleet in Digby
Beddeck on Cape Breton Island
I’m high on Nova Scotia. Really. I recently spent seven days and seven nights in this Maritime province of Canada and I’m busting to tell the whole world about it. Really.
One of a Gazillion Little Boats I Admired in Nova Scotia
Ready for the Bay of Fundy Tides: The Biggest in the World
Lunenberg Loveliness
If you follow this blog, you know that I’m a big storyteller. And I can’t wait to share my travels in Nova Scotia with you. For now though, I’ll keep the words to a minimum and let my pictures tell the story. Hopefully they will be enough to entice you to begin pondering a trip to this charming destination. Spring, summer and fall rank as the best times to go although I’d love to see this endearing land beneath a blanket of snow as fierce gale winds blow in from the Atlantic.
Outdoor Adventures Skiing & Snowboarding The Adirondacks: Adirondacks Lake George summer fun summertime memories waterskiing
by maribeth
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Summer Fun at Lake George, New York
Early Morning Waterskiing on Lake George, New York
It’s My Turn
I’ve been at Lake George, New York the past couple of weeks. With the exception of a stay in New York City, largely to attend the BlogHer 2015 Conference, I’ve been parked at my family’s camp on the east side of this thirty-two-mile-long body of water. Although I’m still spending inordinate amounts of time on my laptop, it has been delightful being at the lake and visiting with family and a few old friends.
My parents’ house, situated on the east side of Lake George, the predominantly residential part of this magnificent Adirondack lake, holds countless memories for me. I have spent many summers here over the past forty-four years and will always feel a very special connection to this place. It had been seven years since I had been here during this blissful season when the days are long and hot and the temperature of the lake is at its peak, so this visit has touched off an overwhelming sense of nostalgia in many ways. Water-wise, from jumping off the boathouse into the silky depths of the lake, to paddling around the bay in a canoe, to enjoying a sunset boat cruise with my parents, my heart has swelled in reliving some of my favorite summertime activities at LG these past weeks.
I didn’t realize that one of my most memorable moments from childhood would be recreated this summer. I never imagined that this summer’s big adventure would occur on Lake George with an adrenaline surge the likes of which I haven’t experienced in years. Twenty-five years to be exact. I’m talking about waterskiing as you’ve likely gathered from the photos at the top of this post. Phew–what a rush! I last waterskied two and a half decades ago in the Mediterranean, however, I hadn’t skied much on water ten years prior to that–in truth, I had hardly skied since I was a kid. Even then, I didn’t do it a whole lot.
Tours Travel: attractions Bahamas brew pub Bahamas live music Nassau nightlife Nassau pirate art pirate culture pirate history pirate life sightseeing Nassau The Bahamas
by maribeth
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Pirate Republic Brewing Company: A Bastion of Bahamian History
Garrrrrrrrvey the Pirate
“Ahoy! Pass me pint a grog, matey.”
“Aye, aye, lemme go fetch it for ya on yer poopdeck.”
“Arrr. Go smartly or you’ll be tossed to sea!”
How’d I do? Were you able to conjure up a few images of snaggletoothed buccaneers, peg-legged tyrants or exotic parrots? How about that grog? Could you taste a frosty drink upon your lips?
You can learn about the rich history of pirates and sip a sweet pint of brew at Pirate Republic Brewing Company, a recently-opened establishment sure to become one of the most interesting places of interest in Nassau, The Bahamas.
Pirate Republic Brewing Company in Nassau, The Bahamas
Their Beers
“Nassau was a haven for some of the more notorious pirates that landed in the area in the 1700s,” says Susan Holowesko Larson, CEO of Pirate Republic Brewing, or PRB. “They practically settled here because The Bahamas were very close to the major shipping lanes of the day,” she continues. “Also our topography–comprised of tiny islands and shallow reefs–made it possible to hide ships and escape from authorities.”
Discover this huge part of Bahamian history and hear tall tales of unsavory characters such as Blackbeard and Calico Jack during one of PRB’s mid afternoon tours, conducted almost daily. Within crow’s nest view of the cruise terminal on Woodes Rogers Walk, the visit also showcases the dramatic Pirate Art of Antonius Roberts and a pint of beer from PRB, the first and only craft brewery in The Bahamas.
France French Life Paris Travel Writing & Books: A Tour of the Heart beautiful images Champs-Elysées France Out and About in Paris Paris Paris finish Tour de France travel information
by maribeth
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Out and About in Paris Showcases the City of Light and More
Happy Bastille Day from Out and About in Paris
Happy Bastille Day everyone! It’s France’s National Holiday and a good day for us Francophiles to raise our glass to the French and all that we love about France and Paris.
The Tour de France Arriving in the French Capital
There are two days–both in July–when you want to be on the Champs-Elysées in Paris: today, July 14 and the last day of the Tour de France bike race which typically occurs the third Sunday in July. On both these occasions, you can witness magnificent displays of color and might on one of the world’s most beautiful avenues in one of the world’s most magnificent cities. The parade has already passed by today, but mark your calendar for Sunday, July 26 when the Tour zooms into Paree.
Dining in France According to Out and About in Paris
Ah Paree
How do you keep up with what’s happening in and around Paris? Where do you find your daily dose of alluring images of this top travel destination? The website/blog Out and About in Paris is your answer to this and beaucoup plus! In addition to reading their blog posts, plug yourself into their social media and you’ll be gloriously showered with all that you know and love about the City of Light. The oh-so dynamic and très internationale Mary Kay Bosshart is the driving force behind all that is Out and About in Paris. Honestly, I don’t know how she keeps up with her reporting and postings but she does with great enthusiasm and panache.
Beauty Colorado Denver: Alan la Noue blowouts Hair by Alan hair salons Cohoes hair salons Denver hair salons Telluride long hair Matthew Morris Salon Salon 7
by maribeth
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Hair Salon Magic at Matthew Morris in Denver
The Four-Handed Blow Dry at Matthew Morris Salon Denver
I don’t know how I ended up having long hair for so long. Up until the time I moved to Colorado–now over thirteen years ago–I mostly had short hair. I’m talking about super-short, pixie-cut-like hair. My shortest was from a top stylist in Paris who once said, “Very few women look good in long hair.” Mon dieu, tell that to all the American ladies from New York to L.A.
The Very Dapper Alan la Noue
Mom and Alan
Alan and Me
My first short haircut was from Alan la Noue, my Mom’s stylist of the past forty-five years or so and owner of Hair by Alan. Yes, he’s like a member of the family and I’m thrilled when I’m able to see him and have him do my hair on trips back home to upstate New York. He christened me with a short “do” when I was nine, a cheeky little cut complete with a widow’s peak à la Liza Minnelli in “Cabaret.” I’ve often been told I have a face best-suited for short hair yet in the West, long, almost hippy-like hair takes center stage.
Mom and Me Meeting Up with Alan for Lunch after Being Coiffed
So here I am a not-so-young lady anymore with locks long enough to donate to Locks for Love, or a similar type of organization. We often have Locks of Love events here in Telluride, so I think the next time one happens, I’ll step up to the chopping block. For now though I struggle with the maintenance required of long hair, the lengthy shampoos and conditionings as well as all the exhausting contortions required when I decide to step it up and smooth my hair with a long, arduous blow dry. No wonder the French call it un brushing.
Aspen Colorado Crested Butte Cycling Shopping Telluride: Aspen Aspen/Snowmass bike rentals bike riding bike tours Bootdoctors Colorado mountain towns Crested Butte Crested Butte Mountain Resort Cycling Four Mountain Sports Sheraton Steamboat Resort Steamboat Springs summer fun Telluride Telluride Ski Resort
by maribeth
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Bike Riding In and Around Our Beautiful Mountain Towns
Biking in Telluride
Family Bike Adventure in Crested Butte
Penelope Gleason from Bootdoctors in Telluride
The hills are alive with the sound of cyclists clicking their way over all kinds of bike trails from single track to old railroad grades to paved bike paths to smooth and bumpy swaths cut through our forests for your recreational pleasure. Our towns and valleys are popping with cyclists clad in brightly-colored garb, too. Whether you’re looking for a scenic ride along one of our rushing rivers or interested in snagging a momentous climb or a descent of World-Cup order, Colorado’s mountain towns offer some of the best bike riding options in the United States. Young or old, skilled or amateur, mountain biker or road rider, there’s something for everyone set within some of the best drop-dead gorgeous scenery in the world.
Below is a rundown of a few of Colorado’s major mountain destinations and some of the cycling options they offer. Read them over, make some enquiries and/or reservations, then enjoy the ride. Most of the mud has dried up and the wildflowers are beginning to bloom, so there’s no better time to freewheel it through and around our mountain towns.
