Colorado Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Shopping Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride: Colorado Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Shopping Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride
by maribeth
Comments Off on Filling in Nicely in Telluride: Snowstorm After Snowstorm
Filling in Nicely in Telluride: Snowstorm After Snowstorm
Telluride, Colorado
Top of Lift One Taken Yesterday on My Walk: Snow Guns Blazing in Between Storms
Yippee! What a month of November it has been so far—and it’s only the seventh! We’ve had seventeen inches of beautiful white fluff in the past four days and more snow is in the forecast for today and tonight. And then very cold temperatures—as low as single digits Tuesday night. We couldn’t ask for a better set up for a great ski season.
End of October was pretty sweet, too. As I reported in Fall in Colorado: October Snow Arrives with My Woolens and Ski Gear, our weather switched from glorious full-on Indian Summer to Winter and it looks like winter’s here to stay. That’s just the way it’s supposed to be in ski country.
Boy, do I love this place. When people ask me if I miss Paris, I sometimes reply “Have you ever been to Telluride?”
It’s going to be a great season. I’m off to my storage area to pick up my boots and boards.
Art & Culture Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance Restaurants: Art & Culture Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance Restaurants
by maribeth
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DCPA, The Lion King, Kevin Taylor and Other Roars About Denver’s Downtown and LoDo
The Lion King
With Halloween behind us, we can focus more on the real holiday season, the nearly two-month period that begins right about now. (You all must know that it has been moved up!) For me, one of the nicest things to do during this festive period is to go out on the town for dinner and a show, a not-too-easy feat from Telluride but certainly closer than New York.
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) makes such a night out worth the effort since they consistently offer a tremendous lineup of shows and performances, all concentrated within a twelve-acre, four-block complex in the heart of downtown Denver. Did you know that DCPA is the second largest arts complex in the country? Their ten performance spaces beautifully accommodate Broadway touring productions, a major symphony and opera, dance and ballet, chorales and a variety of theater groups. They can seat 10,000 people within their theaters, splendid showplaces of varying sizes connected by an eighty-foot-tall glass roof.
And tonight “The Lion King” opens at The Buell Theatre for a five-week run! This dazzling production enjoyed sell-out shows during their 2002 and 2006 engagements in Denver. Tickets are still available for this stint but as expected, they’re going fast. I hope I can take it in since I love great stories, spectacular shows and cats of all kinds.
Art & Culture Colorado Hotels & Lodging Shopping Telluride The Rockies The Southwest Travel: Art & Culture Colorado Hotels & Lodging Shopping Telluride The Rockies The Southwest Travel
by maribeth
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Touring the Southwest with My Parents
A Great Facebook Profile Picture: Dad at the Grand Canyon
Are you familiar with those digital photo frames that display a continuous stream of select images? Well, I was back east in October visiting my parents and brought one of those frames to them as a gift. We had to enlist outside help (thanks Brian) to transfer my images onto the frame (I’m so eighteenth century), but once it started to flash our faces across the screen, we all beamed. My father especially glowed since he was finally able to see himself backdropped by a parade of images from the Grand Canyon and other notable sites in the Southwest. It was like bringing him back to the South Rim of the Canyon to gaze over the vastness and grandeur of what is most certainly our country’s greatest treasure.
We embarked on our two-week Western Jamboree just about a year ago. Fall and even winter are two fantastic seasons for visiting many of our National Parks, especially the Grand Canyon. During these times the wondrous play of light combined with a lack of crowds make these sites even more enchanting. The focal point of our trip was to be the Grand Canyon, a place my father always dreamed of seeing. At the age of eighty-four, we were ready to grant him his wish.
Art & Culture Girl Talk Hotels & Lodging New England Restaurants Shopping Travel: Art & Culture Girl Talk Hotels & Lodging New England Restaurants Shopping Travel
by maribeth
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A Heartwarming Day Trip to Western Massachusetts and the Norman Rockwell Museum
Autumnal Scene in Stockbridge, Massachusetts
I was back east recently visiting my parents in upstate New York. Mom and I had on our agenda a “day out” to ourselves, one just like the old days. To us that meant planning a jaunt to a nearby destination such as the Hudson Valley region, southern Vermont or the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, all scenic and fairly rural destinations within about an hour’s drive of my parents’ house in Troy, New York. These were the places we would travel to throughout the years, especially when I was growing up. Together we would marvel at the pastoral landscapes while chitchatting the day away. Lunch, a bit of shopping and often a museum visit were all key components of a successful day trip, the perfect female bonding experience for two gals living in a house full of men. (I grew up with five brothers, a father and no sisters.)
It was during these joyous excursions that my love for unique places full of personality and charm emerged. I could hardly tolerate department stores or malls when I was a girl and still have a hard time with them today. Yes, these trips to soulful sites full of history and tradition planted the seeds for the shopping service I founded in Paris some years later and the four books I came to write on shopping and touring in Paris and the French provinces. My philosophy is and always will be about the whole shopping and touring experience—it’s not so much about what you buy, it’s about how and where you buy it and what you learn along the way. Truth is, I’m not even a big advocate of buying, but we all do, so why not have it be something special that you’ve procured in a memorable manner?
This special day to ourselves was more challenging to organize since we don’t leave my eighty-five-year-old Dad alone much any more. With a hearty, microwavable meal prepared in advance at the ready, cell phones listed in plain site and the reassurance that his Life-Alert was in working order, we said “Hasta la Vista,” knowing full well that we’d all appreciate the much-needed time away from each other.
Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel: Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel
by maribeth
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Teatime with Dad at Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel
Exquisite Treats at Denver’s Brown Palace
Travel is often most rewarding when you step out of your comfort zone, when you do something you’ve never done before. This can mean zooming on a zip-line in the jungles of Costa Rica or just sipping tea at a fancy hotel. I’ve done the latter countless times but it became a more novel experience nearly a year ago when I found myself sharing afternoon tea at The Brown Palace, Denver’s legendary hotel, with my father.
We were together in Denver on our way back east after he’d spent time in his beloved West. At eighty-four years old, those trips have been curtailed from the days when he’d spend weeks on end skiing in Aspen. But still, we’ve all tried to make sure he gets his Colorado fix even if he has to be “accompanied” throughout most of his travels these days.
Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Romance & Relationships The Outer Banks Travel: Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Romance & Relationships The Outer Banks Travel
by maribeth
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The Outer Banks: The Perfect Hideaway for a Travel Writer and a Hotel GM
Our Path to Paradise
Summer is on the wane. And if you’re like me, you’re looking forward to embracing fall while clinging to your favorite memories of summer. I shared my best trip this summer with my boyfriend, Steve, an overworked hotel general manager. It occurred late summer on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and it included everything you’d ever want from a great vacation. Yes, you guessed it! Just as Serge Gainsbourg sang in his late 1970’s hit “Sea, Sex and Sun,” we had all the key components of a perfect beach getaway.
Our First Dinner Out
More Wonderful Seafood from Awful Arthur’s
Shucking Oysters: A North Carolina Speciality
Oh yes, we reveled in extraordinary surf, the main reason so many people love the Outer Banks. We also took immense pleasure in the beach throughout our entire stay. We feasted on seafood, lots of fried food, doughnuts and ice cream. (It is the South after all.) We savored swills of wine and frosty beers perched high on the dunes at sunset. We sipped tea together and marveled at the sunrise (they’re the best here) one morning when we managed to pry ourselves out of bed. We accompanied each other on long walks on the beach and drive-arounds to scout out the best surf spots of the day. We shopped for food, surf wax, salt water taffy and bikinis, potentially loaded forays that tested our togetherness, especially when the bikini was not found. We chilled in our modest—but wonderful—seaside apartment, cooking huge breakfasts, eating leftovers from our big nights out and listening to the Grateful Dead, Merle Haggard and other classic tunes. Our days were measured by the tides and the swells; our nights were punctuated by the moon and deep sleeps made possible by the incessant crashing of the surf outside our window. Either way, the presence of the wind and water lulled us into a continuous state of happiness, the sort of euphoric sense of well-being and relaxation that’s best achieved at the ocean or perhaps after a day on the slopes.
Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Restaurants Telluride The Rockies: Colorado Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Restaurants Telluride The Rockies
by maribeth
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Great Rocky Mountain Decks: Spectacular Views Year-Round
Late Summer Fun: The Deck at 9545
Aah, that golden time of year. Yes, it’s quickly approaching—pretty much here in fact. The aspens are beginning to change and the sun is hanging low in the sky, casting long shadows and a flaxen glow on all that meets its warm embrace. We’ve had our first snows already high up on the peaks, sugar frostings that render our glorious autumnal panoramas all the more endearing. To many, this is the best time to be in the Rockies. Leaf peeping really goes off here, more than all those New England fall foliage goers could ever imagine. We’ll be in full splendor within the next couple of weeks.
The Pool Deck at Mountain Lodge Telluride
Partying at The Peaks
I’ve enjoyed a few spectacular decks here in Telluride all summer long: one at 9545, located within the Inn at Lost Creek, the other at the Great Room at The Peaks Resort & Spa, the other at Mountain Lodge Telluride. And it’s my plan to find myself out on them as often as possible during these upcoming weeks, basking in the halcyon days of fall in the Rockies, toasting myself in the Indian Summer warmth of southwestern Colorado. Sunsets here are the best and this being the mountains, these establishments are well-prepared for that chill in the air since a brigade of fireplaces and a battalion of heaters stand at the ready year-round. Yes, these folks know how to warm you up since seizing the great outdoors is really what it’s all about in the Rockies. Come winter, the decks at both 9545, the Great Room and Mountain Lodge abound with winter sports enthusiasts that just can’t get enough of our spectacular mountain views. Fortunately all three restaurants serve libations and food of the finest quality, necessary ingredients for keeping you well-fueled for hours.
Situated within the very heart of Telluride Mountain Village, the deck at 9545 draws a large, stylish crowd on Wednesday evenings throughout summer during the Sunset Concert series. It’s always a happening and I took full advantage of it this summer, showing up almost weekly at this Wednesday evening “mixer.” At the end of the summer, I came by for a celebratory lunch (for my b-day) with a friend and finished off a tasty meal consisting of a Cuban shaved ham and slow-cooked pork sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries. All this was topped off with a tequila chocolate mousse and my first fried Oreo. Truly decadent! And there’s no doubt the whole experience was enhanced tenfold by 9545’s tranquil mountain setting. Doesn’t everything taste better when dining al fresco?
One of Many Views from 9545
Winter Fun at The Peaks Deck
At the Great Room Deck, also located in Telluride Mountain Village, I savored the longest and most stunning sunset of the summer. Ensconced within the cushy banquettes of their expansive deck, laughing and partying with friends, we all ooed and aahed about the transformation of the evening sky for hours. O.K., the sensations might have been augmented by a handful of G & Ts but still, I’ll never forget that moment. And isn’t that what dining (and drinking) affairs are all about? Thankfully we had munched on some excellent apps that carried us well into nightfall. We all sunk farther into the couches to admire the flourish of stars in our clear Colorado sky. No doubt about it—this is where you can savor one of the best sunsets in the West.
All Set for a Blazing Good Time at The View
The pool deck at Mountain Lodge is the envy of most visitors to Telluride. They sail over it in the gondola as they travel from the Mountain Village Market and parking complex to the Village core. And then they pass over it on the way back, forever commenting about the allure of the deep blue pool and hot tub, the stunning lineup of teak tables and chairs, the fun people always seem to be sharing below. Sadly few realize that they, too, can experience this spectacular site—all part of Mountain Lodge’s restaurant and bar, aptly named The View—by popping in for lunch, afternoon drinks or dinner. Yes, indeed, this handsome deck, restaurant and bar is open to everyone in addition to the guests staying at the lodge. From the gondola you see that The View offers stunning vistas of the San Sophia Range, some of the most striking peaks in the region. Sit down and delight in a glass of Cab and one of the best burgers in T-ride. I assure you you’ll pass a moment that you’ll never forget.
Cosseted interiors with blazing fireplaces are a welcome relief on many a foul day and a necessity for most romantic evenings. But there’s nothing like a great deck that offers killer views. Here in Telluride, we’re well served.
9545 Restaurant & Bar at Inn at Lost Creek, 970-728-5678 and 888-601-LOST (5678); open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks.
Great Room Deck at The Peaks Resort & Spa, 970-728-789-6800 and 800-789-2220; open 11 a.m. to sunset. Call ahead to find out about their live entertainment.
The View at Mountain Lodge Telluride, 970-369-5000; open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. in the summer and for breakfast, après-ski and dinner in the winter.
Panorama of Part of the San Sophia Range from The View
Winter Sunset from the Great Room Deck
Check out my story, Sleek and Sustainable: Two Stellar Colorado Properties, to find out about the deck at Avondale at the Westin Beaver Creek, one of the most happening spots in the Vail Valley.
Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Restaurants Shopping The Rockies: Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Restaurants Shopping The Rockies
by maribeth
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Peachy Keen on Palisade
The Real Deal: Peaches from Palisade, Colorado
Oh, those Colorado peaches. There’s nothing like them. I heard so much on national news this summer about South Carolina surpassing Georgia (in triple) as the peach capital of the United States, but nary a whisper about Colorado’s peaches. I waited until my recent trip back east—to North Carolina—to fully weigh in on America’s peaches. Well, just as I suspected, the south doesn’t have anything on what we have here in the Rockies. I’m talking about fat, flavorful peaches that explode with juice as soon as you slice into them. True peach enthusiasts bite into them and delight in their sweet nectar, a heavenly liquid that gushes out of your mouth and rolls down your chin until you wipe it off with the back of your hand, leaving only a wide grin behind. Those are our Colorado peaches, mostly from Palisade, a charming little town tucked between the Colorado River and red rocks, just outside of Grand Junction on the western slope.
I’ve been feasting on these peaches ever since I arrived in Colorado nearly ten years ago. I’d zoomed by Palisade many times on the Interstate without ever stopping. This summer though I made it my mission to check out the source of this delectable fruit, the provenance of so much of Colorado’s bounty including grapes, lots of other fine produce and more recently, lavender. Indeed, I discovered an air of Provence in this incredibly hot and arid climate, made lush by a vast array of irrigation systems, some dating back to when the first pioneers settled here about a hundred years ago.
My friend, Fran, and I scouted out the little town of Palisade first off since the day was waning and we wanted to suss out a good place for dinner. The shops were already closed by then, a welcome relief of sorts since we both felt that we could have dropped a bundle at A Peachful Place, a quaint and colorful little shop filled with vintage bric-a-brac and other random treasures. We stood in front of it, peered into its windows and drooled. Then we popped in next door at the Palisade Cafe and Grill to inquire about dinner. When we learned that they only had one piece of peach pie left and that they stopped serving at 8 p.m., we decided to inspect another dining establishment in town, the Red Rose Cafe. A peek in here assured us that we didn’t have to rush and that we’d be able to dine here after eight.
