Colorado Hotels & Lodging Outdoor Adventures Shopping The Rockies: Colorado Hotels & Lodging Leadville Outdoor Adventures Shopping The Rockies
by maribeth
Comments Off on Lovely Leadville
Lovely Leadville
Leadville, Colorado
Biking Fun In and Around Leadville
Delaware Hotel: The Grande Dame of Leadville
While I’m enjoying some time with my parents in the Adirondacks, I’ve been marveling at the Facebook posts from friends and contacts in Colorado—an avalanche of images documenting the recent snowstorm across the Rockies. The first big snow always creates a stir, mostly since this indicates that ski season is only a handful of storms away.
From my viewpoint here in upstate New York alongside a glorious lake that I took a dip in just the other day (not intentionally mind you, but that’s another story), I shiver at the idea of snow. Yet when I think twice, the thought of it does excite me—even from afar—mostly because I do love to ski and also because there’s nothing like a crisp, white snowfall to top off an autumnal scene. The trees have barely begun to change in Colorado, so these sugar-coated panoramas will only intensify within the upcoming weeks.
To me, fall, a terrific season for hiking, biking and touring, may best be savored in a quaint town steeped in history, surrounded by an abundance of natural beauty. This describes a good number of destinations in Colorado, however, here I’m focusing on Leadville, an old mountain town I visited last summer and enjoyed immensely.
Colorado Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Telluride: Colorado Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Telluride
by maribeth
Comments Off on Dipping, Dining and Viewing at The Peaks Resort & Spa
Dipping, Dining and Viewing at The Peaks Resort & Spa
Summer Fun at The Peaks Pool
The Lineup of Loungers
Yikes! The summer is just blowing by here in Telluride, Colorado. Even though we enjoyed a good stretch of hot, dry weather followed by a most welcome monsoonal flow, it seems like summer is speeding along way too fast. Good news: The best part about summer winding down means that the golden season of autumn is upon us and ski season is just a good snowstorm or two away. As the saying goes, “In Telluride, most come for the winter and stay for the summer.”
Aspen Colorado Hotels & Lodging Restaurants: Aspen Colorado Hotels & Lodging Restaurants
by maribeth
Comments Off on Great Dining Experiences in Aspen and Snowmass
Great Dining Experiences in Aspen and Snowmass
Corn Soup at Element 47
On a recent visit to Aspen, Colorado I had the pleasure of discovering two of its newest restaurants: Element 47 at The Little Nell and Snowmass Kitchen at The Westin Snowmass Resort. I also carved out the time to revisit Venga Venga Cantina & Tequila Bar, another one of my Snowmass favorites. What a gastronomic trip this turned out to be! All three of these establishments rank tops on my list for ambiance and for providing exceptional culinary moments in a variety of forms.
Aspen, indisputably the swankiest of all our Colorado mountain towns, now offers one of the most sophisticated dining experiences in the Rockies with Element 47 at The Little Nell. I must admit, I felt trepidacious about this renowned hotel’s new signature restaurant. Being the Francophile that I am, I of course loved the classic and oh-so French dining experience offered at La Montagne, The Little Nell’s original restaurant and a landmark of sorts to people from all over the world—just like the hotel’s sunken lounge. Fortunately the lounge was remodeled enough so that it looks fresh and in step with the times, yet not so much that you wouldn’t recognize this “old friend,” a familiar meeting place for the tony crowd of Aspen. The look, however, of Element 47, was changed up completely and the end result is one of sleek, timeless elegance.
Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Pet-Friendly Travel The Rockies The Southwest Travel Utah: Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Pet-Friendly Travel The Rockies The Southwest Travel Utah
by maribeth
2 comments
Dogs on Vacation
DaVinci & Valentino
Mighty Valentino Testing Out the Red Rock in Moab, Utah
Warning: This story includes tons of adorable photos of pups.
Woof, woof. Bark, bark. I’ve never seen so many happy dogs in my life as those that have padded, trotted and trounced through our little mountain town of Telluride, Colorado these past weeks. Little, big, short-haired, long-haired, well-groomed or scruffy, they all have an air de vacances, a certain joie de vivre that makes it clear they’re happy to be a part of their mom and dad’s vacation as well.
As a confirmed cat person, I hadn’t had much experience traveling with dogs up until over a year ago when I went on a road trip with my friend Mary Dawn (MD) and Valentino, her beautiful Bernese Mountain dog. Our travels, which I recount in my story, Travels with Valentino, culminated with the choosing of DaVinci, a new brother for Tino. As of last fall, we thought DaVinci was big enough to accompany us on a couple more trips: one to Moab and Salt Lake City, Utah; the other to Denver, Beaver Creek and the Vail Valley. I tell you, these dogs get around. And wherever they go, they are greeted with a fanfare of enthusiasm that makes me happy to just be tagging along. Here are some of the highlights from the best pet-friendly properties we visited on our jaunts:
Colorado Hotels & Lodging Podcasts Restaurants Telluride: Colorado Hotels & Lodging Podcasts Restaurants Telluride
by maribeth
1 comment
Telluride Tourism’s Top Dogs
Telluride on the Fourth of July
Telluride Celebrating America’s Birthday
Phew! What a holiday weekend it was! Tourism here in Telluride, Colorado, was cranking. I think half of Texas and Arizona found their way here at some point this past week. Not to mention all the east coasters that were surely breathing a sigh of relief when they found themselves away from the humidity and hubbub of their densely populated places of residence. And who could blame them? It has been hot, dry and sunny here in Telluride but our warmth is nothing compared with what most of the rest of the country has been experiencing. During the summer, we still enjoy cool interiors without the need for air conditioning. Evenings require a blanket—perhaps two, if you’re camping.
I’d like to take this opportunity to salute all those that work in the hospitality world in Telluride and other big vacations spots around our country. Here, as in many other locales, the period surrounding the Fourth of July ranks as crazy-busy as the week between Christmas and New Year’s. What’s even more of a challenge for Telluride hospitality workers is that our season goes from just a smattering of business to sold-out-status within just a few week’s time. Finding good, reliable help in such a seasonable environment is always a challenge but somehow most establishments—from a high-end hotel to the local pizza place—pull it off, for the most part flawlessly. Unfortunately I think a lot of the stress and strain of doing business in such a fickle environment falls on the ownership and most definitely the management.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Art & Culture Colorado Four Corners Hotels & Lodging Telluride The Southwest Travel Utah: Art & Culture Colorado Four Corners Hotels & Lodging Telluride The Southwest Travel Utah
by maribeth
Comments Off on The Lone Ranger Showcases Monument Valley, Southwest Colorado and More
The Lone Ranger Showcases Monument Valley, Southwest Colorado and More
The Lone Ranger and Tonto in Monument Valley
“Hi-Yo, Silver! Away!”
Such are the famous words shouted by the Lone Ranger as this masked man gallops off on Silver, his handsome white stallion, the same words shouted by kids throughout the decades as they head off on an adventure. Ever since the original radio show aired in 1933, through the popular TV series of the forties and fifties, across the pages of comic books and then highlighted in films, “Hi-Yo Silver!” has captured the excitement and dashing spirit of the West for the better part of a century.
Colorado Durango Hotels & Lodging Outdoor Adventures Travel: Colorado Durango Hotels & Lodging Outdoor Adventures Travel
by maribeth
1 comment
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: An American Treasure
The Durango Train in Southwestern Colorado
Spring has sprung here in southwestern Colorado, although there has been snow on the Peaks these past couple of nights and frost on the ground this morning. These dustings just make for prettier panoramas, something we’re not lacking here in Colorado. The leaves have popped within the past week and the tourists are beginning to arrive from nearby and far flung destinations.
If you’re looking to maximize your sightseeing and experience something real old timey in the process, I recommend you book a trip on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, one of the most exciting train rides in the world. The train rattles and chuffs along tracks as narrow as 36 inches wide (along the mountain passes) from May through October, offering breathtaking views to visitors from all over the world.
The first train arrived in Durango, Colorado during the summer of 1881. Within less than a year, workers managed to lay track all the way to Silverton, an almost unfathomable feat accomplished largely by the quest for gold and silver up in the mountains. Yes, these were the boomtown days of mining and during that time this narrow gauge railroad between Durango and Silverton played a pivotal role.
Europe Hotels & Lodging Travel: Europe Hotels & Lodging Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Hotel Skeppsholmen: A Gem of a Boutique Hotel in Stockholm
Hotel Skeppsholmen: A Gem of a Boutique Hotel in Stockholm
Room with a Splendid View at Hotel Skeppsholmen in Stockholm
It’s hard to believe we’re already practically on the eve of Memorial Day Weekend, America’s unofficial start to the summer. Here in Telluride, Colorado—like in other mountain towns across the West—this weekend marks the end of off-season, also known as shoulder season. Yes, from now through almost the end of September/early October, our prized tourist destination will be flooded with visitors from all over the world. Indeed, the town’s population will go from scant to near overflowing (at peak times such as during the Bluegrass Festival and over July 4th).
Even the locals are back in full swing, many fresh off of fascinating travels to far-flung lands. Most have come back with tales of adventure and chance encounters in foreign countries. Since I’ve been largely holed up at my desk, I’ve been listening with particular interest to their stories and impressions, while taking inventory of must-see places on my personal list. Europe still reigns supreme for me. And although I have traveled a lot throughout this storied continent, I’m continually drawn there for this reason or that.
