Mountain Living Shopping: anniversaries birthdays graduations Mother's Day online shopping The Country Store on Main unique gift ideas Vermont country store Weddings
by maribeth
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The Country Store on Main and Other Great Mother’s Day Shopping Recommendations
The Country Store on Main in Stowe, Vermont
An extraordinary kinship exists between mountain towns whether they be on the west coast, the east coast, somewhere in between or on the other side of the world. It’s the combination of charm, authenticity, history, culture, outdoorsy, down-to-earth vibes and much more that ties us together. Skiing, hiking, biking and lots of long moments by the fire contribute, too.
So it came as no surprise that I fell for Stowe, Vermont, an historic town tucked into the Green Mountains of Vermont, which I discovered last fall with my mother. I soon realized that Telluride and Stowe are very much connected, partly through the love of great skiing, the outdoors and sweet mountain vistas but also because Telluride’s former ski school director now runs Stowe Resort. (Small world! I guess I should add that Vail Resorts now owns Stowe, too.)
Yet perhaps what won me over the most was the shopping. I provide a nice overview of the various boutiques and emporiums that I discovered during my visit at Touring Country Stores in Stowe, Vermont with Mom and Vermont Country Shopping in Stowe, a Discovery Map piece I wrote. The Country Store on Main was one of the ones that stood out to me the most. And, of course, I was delighted to see that they have a beautiful website and online boutique.
Cristina Mink Surrounded by Her Ladies in Her Store
Burlap and Shine Tote
From elegant table arts, home décor items and linens to style-y totes, wraps and earrings for the ladies to gift ideas galore including watercolor scenes of Vermont to adorable little swaddling blankets for baby, there are so many lovely goods to choose from, all curated by shop owner Cristina Mink, a woman of exquisite taste.
Truffle Honey
Vermont Goat’s Milk Soap
Colorful Wool Dryer Balls
And best of all, her online boutique–much like her store in Stowe–showcases products in a wide range of prices from cute and catchy, inexpensively-priced notepads to artisanally-made lamps that would long be treasured in any mountain home or farmhouse.
Watercolor Cows
Transport yourself to Vermont and begin shopping at The Country Store on Main for Mother’s Day and all your other gift-giving occasions. If you’re like my mother and me, you’ll also have to pick up a couple of special items for yourself.
Type in the Promo code BONJOUR to receive 10% off your online purchases.
For more wonderful online shopping purveyors that offer a 10% discount to Bonjour Colorado readers, visit my Online Shopping Page. All provide many unique gift ideas for Mother’s Day and the many other gift-giving occasions of spring such as weddings, anniversaries, graduations and Father’s Day. Don’t forget to pick up a little something for yourself or your pet, too.
Colorado Cycling Mountain Living Outdoor Adventures Telluride The Rockies Travel Trip Planning: Adventure Cycling bike touring cycling adventures Lindsey Mersereau Maggie Schwab Route 66 Telluride Ski & Snowboard School Warm Showers
by maribeth
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Cycling More than Halfway Across the United States
Lindsey and Maggie at the Start of Route 66 in Chicago
It’s off season here in our mountain towns and many have headed out on big travels: surfing in Costa Rica, digging at an archeological site in Peru and skiing in Chamonix, to name a few. I’ve stayed in Telluride to catch up on my writer’s life and take care of some personal business that was put on hold during the busy ski season. Plus, I like the quietude of off season and then going away to more hot and humid locales during the summer.
For now, I’m traveling vicariously through others in my writing, conversations with friends and interviews for Travel Fun, my radio show on travel based here in Telluride. Lindsey Mersereau, a Telluride local, and my guest on tonight’s program, airing at 6:30pm MST on KOTO, provided me with an especially ebullient interview. It’s no wonder she had the energy to pedal well over two thousand miles from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. She’s young, strong (both physically and mentally), enthusiastic and beautiful inside and out. What can I say? She’s a typical Telluride gal.
Colorado Fashion & Style Mountain Living Skiing & Snowboarding: bunny hill skiers Klaus Obermeyer Obermeyer ski fashions ski jackets Telluride Ski & Snowboard instructor women's clothing
by maribeth
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Dear Mr. Obermeyer
Gondola Spotting
Please do not make a gazillion of the same jacket–or any other article of clothing or accessory for that matter–ever again. About a year ago I was thrilled to pick up my first Obermeyer piece in a ski shop at Snowbird, Utah. It was on sale, so I threw it in with a couple of sweaters I had selected that were also nicely discounted. I hesitated because the jacket was white with a faux fur collar, quite different from the more sporty jackets I had been wearing since I moved to Colorado almost a decade and a half ago.
“Does it make me look like too much of a snow bunny?” I asked my boyfriend.
“No, I think you look cute in it, Hun.”
“Thanks. I think it will be versatile–it’s the kind of jacket that should look good both on the mountain and off.”
Me Feeling Stylin’Early On
So once December rolled around, I couldn’t wait to break it out. There’s nothing like a new ski jacket, your go-to item on and off the slopes in every mountain town. I felt good wearing it and although I discovered I needed to wash it frequently, the white made me feel fresh and crisp while the design made me feel totally stylin’.
Bunny Hill Spotting
Then Christmas hit and with that busy time of year came an influx of visitors. As a ski instructor for the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School, I was in my uniform every day but still, I wasn’t immune to the fact that I started to see “my jacket” all over the mountain. I began to count the sightings daily: first one to three, then in peak times four to six. By the time spring break hit, there were days that I’d spot as many as eight or ten on the mountain. Quel horreur!
Colorado Denver Health & Fitness Mountain Living Restaurants Telluride: a community coming together cancer Colorado Colorado pack trips David Clemente Dennis Huis fundraising raffle heart transplants Shaboomee Telluride Telluride Ski School The Village Table Wagner Skis
by maribeth
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So Much Heart
David, Joanna, Dennis and Me at UC Health Denver in Early March
One of the best parts about being sick is seeing how much it brings people together. Amid all the pain and suffering, there is so much love. And, of course, love promotes healing.
I have been living this since early January when my brother, David, was diagnosed with Stage 4 laryngeal cancer. (I’ll post more on this at a later date.)
This story, however, is mostly about my friend and fellow ski instructor, Dennis Huis. Dennis is the lucky recipient of a new heart and although he has a long way to go in terms of healing, he’s already doing so much better.
I saw Dennis, one of Telluride Ski Resort’s top instructors, in December and I could tell right away he was not well. Next thing I knew I learned that he was in Denver awaiting a heart transplant! Wow–you can bet that created a lot of buzz in the locker room. I found out about this about the same time that I began to help my brother sort out his diagnosis and treatment.
Colorado Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Restaurants Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride: 2018 season Colorado dining lodging Mountain Lodge Telluride New Sheridan spring breaks spring skiing Telluride
by maribeth
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It’s Time for Spring Skiing in Telluride
Beautiful Telluride, Colorado
OK, in truth we already had a ton of spring-like skiing in Telluride throughout the holidays and into the new year. (Read A Crazy Happy Holiday Season in Aspen, Telluride and Redstone.) What we lacked in snow, we more than made up for in sunshine and warm weather. (And boy does that make most of the visitors happy.)
Gorgeous
Looking Out on Top of Lookout
Adults Having Fun
And then came winter! The storms rolled in with the consistency of a heartsick lover pining over his one true love in February until all became dreamy and white. And then suddenly all was well with the world and the mountain. By mid-February, Telluride Ski Resort snowmaking finally put away their equipment and let Mother Nature take over full-time. They did a stupendous job this year, something that became even more apparent to me when I skied some scratchy and sketchy trails at other resorts. “We wouldn’t open a run until it was really good,” says Brandon Green, head of snowmaking in Telluride. And indeed, the skiing and riding on the manmade and the natural snow have been very good. Yes, despite many people’s fears, the season shaped up nicely.
Kids Having Fun
And now the great spring break week is upon us. Known as “the Texas week,” it’s one of the busiest weeks on the mountain. (But don’t worry, Telluride never becomes that busy.) Then we have three weeks after that until closing on Sunday, April 8th, three weeks that are among the most fun on the mountain due to all the end-of-season partying.
Aspen Colorado Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Telluride The Rockies: Altezza Aspen Aspen/Snowmass Colorado dining Explore Booksellers Home Team BBQ Inn at Aspen Jour de Fête lodging Meat & Cheese Mountain Lodge Telluride Redstone Redstone Inn Snowmass Kitchen Telluride Telluride Ski Resort The Peaks Resort & Spa The View Bar & Grill The Westin Snowmass Tulips Body Waxing Studio
by maribeth
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A Crazy Happy Holiday Season in Aspen, Telluride and Redstone
Hitting the Fresh Pow in Telluride
Fresh Powder Turns Today in Aspen
Yay, I knew that if I were to write this story, the snows would come! Telluride received 9 inches of fresh overnight, 11 inches the past 24 hours and 15 inches the last 48. And boy, was it needed. Aspen is enjoying a good blanketing as well. In addition to the fresh snow, let’s hope this signals a significant breaking down of the high pressure system that has been sitting over Colorado (and Utah, Arizona and New Mexico actually) for the past two months!
Yet despite the paltry snow conditions, the resorts have managed to crank out a good product.
The Top of Buttermilk this Week
Teaching Snowboarding at Buttermilk
I’m back in Aspen dealing with some family matters. I arrived here Thursday night, just a month after I flew in here from a very extended stay on the east coast. Wow, what a month it has been!
Happy Clients in Telluride at Christmas
Perfect Outside Dining Weather in Colorado this Winter
After an initial few days in Aspen in December, I threw myself into the busy-ness of gearing up for ski season; this entailed rounding up my ski clothing and gear, stocking the house with an almost winter’s-worth of provisions and working my ski legs back into shape by doing my Telluride Ski & Snowboard School training.
Ski School Training in Telluride
Piles of Provisions
A nasty cold almost thwarted the start to my ski instructing schedule but thanks to mega doses of Vitamin C, fluids and fresh, chopped garlic (yes, I even had two cloves for breakfast, lunch and dinner a couple of days–followed by a chaser of Listerine of course) I was able to knock it out of my system pretty fast. I pulled it together–training, shopping, cooking and even a little decorating–to embark upon a super busy holiday season that required me to teach skiing ten days in a row.
Winter Light Show in Telluride
Phew! We always go from to zero to 150mph in no time flat. But that’s life in a resort town, especially one that typically has its busiest week of the year between Christmas and New Year’s.
Torchlight Parade: A Telluride Tradition
Happy New Year to All
By now, you must be wondering when I’m going to mention the elephant in the room–the fact that we’ve all been going about business as usual without much help from Mother Nature. Yes, indeed, it has been shocking how little natural snow we’ve had. Up through the end of last week, the snow totals for the season in Aspen and Telluride rang in at barely 20 inches. Yikes!
Art & Culture Elderly Parents Restaurants Troy: holiday decorating ideas Holiday Greens Show memorable holiday events patriotic Christmas Peck's Arcade Rensselaer County Historical Society Troy Van Rensselaer Garden Club
by maribeth
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Visiting the Holiday Greens Show in Troy, New York with Mom
Mom Enjoying the Holiday Greens Show
A Patriotic Christmas
Home for the Holidays
The Grand Entranceway
I’m back in Colorado cherishing a very special holiday moment I shared with my mom in my hometown of Troy, New York just before I left. It was extraordinary for many reasons. It was the first time since 2001 that I was with my mother in December, which allowed us to do something Christmas-y together. (I moved to Colorado in January 2002 and became a ski instructor shortly thereafter. Once ski season starts, I hardly travel anywhere except perhaps to another ski destination.) I also relived childhood memories that I know have played a formative part in my life.
Mom and I picked up on a tradition that began some sixty-one years ago at the Holiday Greens Show, a glorious open house of sorts at the Hart-Cluett House, home to the Rensselaer County Historical Society. I believe mom started going to the Greens show from the beginning and she first brought me there some fifty years ago. Decorated from balustrade to mantelpiece with an abundance of fresh greens, Christmas trees, fresh and dried flowers and a treasure trove of memorabilia by the Van Rensselaer Garden Club, this mansion shimmers with all the beauty of the holidays every year for four days during the beginning of December. It’s like stepping onto a Hollywood set of a nineteenth-century film filled with elegance and grandeur, merrymaking and holiday charm.
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by maribeth
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Care-taking and Top Picks for Falmouth, MA
My New Mantra
I’ve come to know Falmouth, Massachusetts quite well these past few years. So when it came to writing about this alluring Cape Cod destination for Discovery Map, I found it hard to limit myself to just two pages of content for Falmouth, Mashpee & Woods Hole. But I did because that’s what the assignment required. Take a look at Instagram-able Places and Eat Your Way Through Falmouth, Mashpee & Woods Hole to find out some of the reasons why you should visit this beautiful New England coastal area.
So how have I come to know Falmouth so well? I am lucky enough to have a few friends that live there, however, I haven’t been able to spend much time with them. The main reason I’ve visited Falmouth a lot these past few years–especially this past year–is because of my mom’s oldest and dearest friend. Let me call her El. She’s like an aunt/second mother/good friend to me and since she doesn’t have any children–or even many family members left in her life–I’m like a daughter to her. I love her dearly and have been happy to visit her in her little Cape Cod house (and during one visit by her bedside at the hospital) numerous times in recent history to bring comfort, aid and hopefully a bit of cheer.
Autumnal Glow in Falmouth
That was my mission this past holiday weekend when I cooked up a plan to drive my mom to Falmouth and spend Thanksgiving with her best friend. Well, like most of you perhaps, I took on too much and as I digest the events of our visit, I’m sifting through and cherishing the good moments and yes, well, letting the shit go. Don’t get me wrong–we had a lovely visit and there’s plenty to savor. But dealing with two very strong-minded 84-year-old ladies suffering from an array of health issues is a tall order. Add to that all the stress that comes with holiday gatherings–no matter how small–and you’ve got a scenario best handled by the truly robust. I must admit that’s not me these days because I have been working through my own health issues.
