Art & Culture Colorado Four Corners Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance Restaurants The Rockies: Art & Culture Colorado Four Corners Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance Restaurants The Rockies
by maribeth
Comments Off on Strater Hotel: the Grande Dame of Durango, Colorado
Strater Hotel: the Grande Dame of Durango, Colorado
Strater Hotel in Durango Backdropped by a Quintessential Colorado Blue Sky
If you’ve read some of my posts on my blog and/or if you’re familiar with my books on France, you likely know by now that I love hotels. Historic hotels in particular move me. I’m a big fan of experiencing these bastions of history and tradition during one’s travels, whether it’s to pop in for a drink or to stay a few nights. No matter how you choose to discover these landmark properties, a visit to them allows you to soak up the spirit of the place for either a brief moment or a more luxurious stay. The world is peppered with such places of lodging, steeped in history, that folks have been enjoying in many cases for more than a century. I encourage my readers to seek them out at every turn because it’s often within their splendiferous interiors that we gain the true essence of the place we’re visiting; it’s here we’re able to peer into the past while embracing the present.
In most cases, these fine establishments serve as the cornerstones of the cities and towns we love to visit. Many were built during the golden era of that destination in an effort to express to the world all that the town had achieved, all that the community was becoming. Erecting a notable place of lodging for business and leisure travelers alike was a sure-bet way of putting a destination on the map in addition to providing the right conditions for welcoming visitors in a more dignified and glorious manner.
Nearly every town and city in Colorado boasts a fine hotel, most of which were built during the boomtown era of the mining days toward the latter part of the nineteenth century. It was one of the most significant ways of saying “we’ve arrived.” Finally an old cow town could receive its potential investors and other movers and shakers of the day in a proper manner. The Strater Hotel in Durango, Colorado stands out as one of the finest examples of this necessity to build a handsome place of lodging in emerging towns throughout the West.
Art & Culture Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance Restaurants: Art & Culture Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance Restaurants
by maribeth
Comments Off on Fun this Summer and Year-Round at The Curtis
Fun this Summer and Year-Round at The Curtis
Curtis Philosophy and a Nod to the Beatles
Who says summer fun is all about building castles in the sand, running through sprinklers or taking a dip in a secret water hole? Sure, those activities can provide many hours of giggles and entertainment, but when was the last time you checked into a hotel that really made you smile? And smile. And smile. And smile.
Kids on vacation and weary business travelers alike can’t help being endeared to The Curtis, a Doubletree Hotel, located in downtown Denver. A stay at The Curtis leaves an indelible mark on your funny bone–and every other sensitive part of your body–from the moment you spot their giant building blocks sign that say “all together now” to when you’re back home recalling your fun-filled visit at this unique property.
To me, some of the best hotels are ones that provide a memorable experience, a positive stay that you can’t easily create at home. The colorful and cheery Curtis does this and more. You can just sashay through a Laugh In-like set or pay closer attention to the Light Brite artwork and oversized wooden game board in their lobby. Here it’s also fun to check out the video art that displays favorite retro games and the Cartoon Network playing on the T.V. You can catch up on pop culture trivia in the library or drink a retro soda at the 5 & Dime and nibble on one of the hotel’s fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies on this level as well. If you’re indecisive about personal or professional doings, just ask to play rock, paper, scissors with the frond desk attendant. Head to your room and the real fun begins.
Art & Culture Colorado Denver Fashion & Style Paris: Art & Culture Colorado Denver Fashion & Style Paris
by maribeth
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Yves Saint Laurent Comes to Denver
One of Many YSL Creations to be Shown in Denver
So long cow town, hello haute couture. Maybe I was a bit ahead of my time moving to Telluride, Colorado from Paris, France. Well, there’s nothing like the combination of natural beauty and sophistication and clearly that dynamic duo is increasingly on the rise here in our magnificent Rocky Mountain state.
Mention of an Yves Saint Laurent exhibit in Denver popped out at me yesterday in a piece in the New York Times about Pierre Bergé. (Read Saint Laurent’s Other Half.) My excitement quickened as I discovered that Denver was selected as the only U.S. city to present the major Yves Saint Laurent Retrospective featuring forty years of this world-renowned designer’s creativity, organized by Monsieur Bergé. It came as no surprise that the show will be hosted by the Denver Art Museum (DAM), one of the most stunning showcases of art and history in our country. The show opens March 25, 2012 and will run through July 7, 2012.
Art & Culture Hotels & Lodging New Mexico Travel: Art & Culture Hotels & Lodging New Mexico Travel
by maribeth
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Light and Luminarias in Taos, New Mexico
Taos Mountain from La Posada de Taos
New Mexican Light and Luminarias by Day
It’s been so unusually grey here in southwestern Colorado lately that I can’t help wondering what it’s like south of us in New Mexico. I love the light in that part of the country-––sort of like America’s Provence-––no wonder so many artists such as Georgia O’Keefe have called this land of enchantment home. The wondrous play of light in the sky and on the raw landscapes and adobe architecture especially enchant us this time of year when the sun is low in the sky. These mystical scenes become even more beguiling at night during the holiday season when luminarias light up the rugged southwestern dwellings like candles on a birthday cake. Today many of these small lights or lanterns have been electrified and bulbs have replaced the candles that were originally set in sand-filled paper bags, but no matter-––the effect is still magical and quintessentially New Mexican.
Art & Culture Hotels & Lodging Spas Telluride Festivals Travel: Art & Culture Hotels & Lodging Spas Telluride Festivals Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Royal Fascination
Royal Fascination
Windsor Castle
I don’t know about you but I can’t get enough of England’s royal family these days. Everywhere you turn there’s another image, clip or sound bite of William and Kate. And the world’s just gearing up since their spring nuptials are nearly five months away. Everyone loves fairy tales, and isn’t that what the House of Windsor provides?
Windsor Castle Norman Gateway
The stories wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if they were about perfect people that lead perfect lives. That’s exactly what makes these royals so real, dare I say so relatable? Of course we poured our hearts out for Princess Diana and all the seemingly insurmountable challenges she faced during her life. And who didn’t shed a tear when she met her tragic demise?
But if you really want to embrace a royal story that you can relate to, go see “The King’s Speech,” a feature film that was released nationwide a week or so ago. I was lucky enough to see it in Telluride over Labor Day weekend when it was shown at the Telluride Film Festival. (Yes, like many other films, it actually came here before the Toronto Film Festival.) It deeply moved me not only for its superb depiction of the royal family (indeed, I love all the accoutrements of such elegant lives) but more importantly, for its gripping portrayal of a flawed man who had to become king. It’s clear that the Duke of York, played by Colin Firth (who received a special tribute at the Telluride Film Festival this year), never wanted to become king. But he was forced to step up to this enormous responsibility when his brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry Wallace Simpson, the American divorcée. Assuming this position would be daunting to even the most carefully prepared heir to the throne, but downright frightening for someone that suffered from stuttering. Remember this was the golden age of the radio and speeches needed to be eloquently delivered. Ah, fairy tales always have their twists and turns.
Art & Culture Cycling Denver: Art & Culture Cycling Denver
by maribeth
Comments Off on Hysterical in Denver
Hysterical in Denver
THE Most-Talented Cast of DCTC's "The 39 Steps"
I’ve been traveling tons the past few weeks and as you can see from my last blog, failed miserably at posting stories from the road. I have, however, rounded up lots of material for a great variety of pieces that I plan to publish in the upcoming weeks.
My travels began in Denver where I picked up my parents at DIA for a two-week blitz throughout Colorado and the Southwest. Stay tuned for dispatches about road tripping with seniors (average age: eighty-years young) and the wonders of the West.
My mother and I love going to the movies and the theater together. This time we were particularly well served in the latter at the Denver Center Theatre Company’s (DCTC) staging of the madcap Hitchcock spoof “The 39 Steps.” Boy, did we roar! I have never laughed so hard at the theater and you can bet I was not alone. This lightning-paced comedy has been such a hit, in fact, that “The 39 Steps” has been extended in Denver’s Ricketson Theatre through November 21st. Don’t miss it! You’re sure to be entranced by this hilarious send-up of Hitchcock’s 1935 film noir thriller in which four actors deftly take on over fifty characters. Yes, that’s right––over fifty characters, each one more amusing and convincingly played than you can imagine. The gentleman seated next to us was seeing this production for the second time in as many weeks. If I lived in Denver, I’d sign up for round two as well. It’s great to laugh and delight in such clever entertainment.
For added fun, take a Denver pedicab to or from the theatre. These three-wheeled bicycles are perfect for the mile-high city where fair weather is more the norm than visitors realize. You can hail these environmentally-friendly rickshaws outside of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts complex as well as at most other tourist attractions. My Mom and I did just that and continued to laugh all the way back to our hotel.
Denver Ricketson Theatre Tip: Order your libation before the show and it will be ready for you at intermission without the wait.
Sam Gregory as "Richard Hannay in "The 39 Steps"--just one of many modes of transportation you'll experience in this show!
Art & Culture Being Green Colorado Springs Four Corners Hotels & Lodging Telluride: Art & Culture Being Green Colorado Four Corners Hotels & Lodging Photography Telluride Telluride Festivals
by maribeth
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Colorful Colorado
Telluride’s Valley Floor
Wow. Wow. Wow. What an extraordinary end of summer/fall it has been. We’ve had nearly three weeks of breathtakingly-beautiful weather here in the Rockies and the forecast promises more sun and warmth for the upcoming week. The colors have popped. It looks like the leaves in the San Juan Mountains, the range located in the southwestern corner of Colorado, will be peaking this weekend. Usually when that happens, a snowstorm blows in, but this year we’re to be blessed with more fine leaf-peeping days throughout a good part of October. Scenery like this makes me wonder why people battle the crowds and traffic jams of New England for their annual fall foliage tour. I recommend you sign up for the wide, open spaces and shimmering aspens of the Rockies next year!
Art & Culture Paris Restaurants: Art & Culture Paris Restaurants
by maribeth
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Rubens, Poussin and Seventeenth Century Artists at the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris
Louis Le Nain, Le Concert
Peter Paul Rubens, Le Bain de Diane
It promises to be a gem of a show in a jewel of a museum. And it’s opening very soon, September 24, to be exact. Thank goodness it runs through January 24, 2011. That still gives me time to figure out how to beam myself over to Paris for this most alluring exhibition. You see, along with eighteenth century France, I’m passionate about the seventeenth century, especially when it comes to Flemish Baroque and French Classical school paintings from that era. And that’s exactly the focus of this Rubens, Poussin and Seventeenth Century Artists exhibition at the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris. Think fleshy figures by Rubens, dramatic displays by Poussin, pleasant scenes by Le Nain, all masterfully painted in the richest and most penetrating colors imaginable.
My first visit to Europe was to Antwerp, Belgium, home of Peter Paul Rubens, grand master of the Baroque. I visited The Rubens House, an impressive dwelling that looks like it’s just out of the film “The Girl with the Pearl Earring.” From there, I traveled to Paris and as they say, the rest is history.
The Pastry Selection of the Musée Jacquemart-André
This exhibition offers a unique view of these two great artistic movements of the seventeenth century. And best of all, these extraordinary works will be presented in one of the loveliest and most intimate museums of Paris. I can imagine no better setting. A visit to the Musée Jacquemart-André is a must, even if you can’t make this show. It is a glorious temple of art, originally a private home of notable art collectors, where you can admire significant pieces from the Italian Renaissance, eighteenth-century France and Flemish masters such as Rembrandt at any given time.
But here’s the pièce de résistance of the Jacquemart-André museum: They boast an exquisite café/tea salon that makes you feel as though you’re sitting in a painting while you enjoy your perfect respite within this most elegant museum. Mais attention! Too many gâteaux from the pastry cart are apt to leave you feeling decidedly Rubenesque. Only kidding, enjoy to your heart’s delight! Isn’t that sometimes what Paris is all about?
Musée Jacquemart-André, 158 boulevard Haussmann, eighth arrondissement, 33 (0)1.45.62.11.59, Musee-Jacquemart-Andre.com
The Café/Tea Salon of the Musée Jacquemart-André
Nicolas Poussin, Coriolan
Thank you to Sofiacome and FranceGuide for the above images.
