Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Spas The Rockies Utah: Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Spas The Rockies Utah
by maribeth
Comments Off on Stein Eriksen Lodge: A Rocky Mountain Classic Where Sunday Brunch Astounds
Stein Eriksen Lodge: A Rocky Mountain Classic Where Sunday Brunch Astounds
An Arrival Circle Fit for an Olympian at Stein Eriksen Lodge
Since I moved to the Rockies nearly ten years ago, I’ve been cultivating a short list of renowned resorts that I’ve wanted to discover. (Anyone that reads this blog with any frequency knows that I love fine hotels and more importantly, the ambiance they create.) Let me see. There’s The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Sonnenalp in Vail and Sundance and Stein Eriksen Lodge in Utah. These are what I consider to be the crème de la crème of the old, established Rocky Mountain resorts and by the time I post this story, I will have experienced all of them. (Feel free to let me know if I’m missing any from this grouping! Yes, I know there are some great lodges in Montana and Wyoming, but I’ll save them for another day.)
There’s a reason these establishments have been world-renowned for decades. Actually at each, you can count many reasons, the biggest one perhaps being that it’s easy to create memories at these properties, unique moments that remain with you forever thanks to the overall feel of the resort. Details such as fresh flowers, hand-carved furnishings, a saloon with a creaky wooden floor and the uniforms sported by the people that work there also help to transport you to a different place.
Restaurants Skiing & Snowboarding The Rockies Utah: Restaurants Skiing & Snowboarding The Rockies Utah
by maribeth
Comments Off on Spring Skiing at Snowbird
Spring Skiing at Snowbird
Snowbird’s Iconic Tram
You know what’s great about sore legs? Afterward—once they’re no longer sore—they feel strong and toned.
That’s how mine are feeling today and I’m loving it. I had quite the workout over the weekend, maybe the biggest of the season. It’s no wonder. I met up with my oldest brother, Frank, and skied with him, some of his buddies and my hunny for two days in Snowbird, Utah. With them, I pushed the limits of my comfort zone on one of the best mountains in the West. And what an initiation it was into the big leagues. These guys don’t mess around.
Mineral Basin: One of Our Favorite Spots on the Mountain—Just Like Skiing on a Glacier in the Alps
Steve and Me on Our Last Day of the Ski Season at Snowbird
I had heard about Snowbird, Utah for years, mostly from Frank who goes there nearly every year. I was eager to discover it, especially since most of the ski resorts in Colorado have ended their seasons. I love spring skiing in April once Telluride has closed and normally meet up with another brother, David, and his wife, Geri, in Aspen. Or I head to Vail. Although this year I was smart to pick Snowbird since this extraordinary mountain still boasts a near ninety inch base.
And whoa, what snow! We didn’t see a single bare spot. They have enough to push around until well into May. “Continuing our tradition of offering the longest ski season in Utah, Snowbird is prepared to stay open for skiing and snowboarding as long as the snowpack permits,” says Dave Fields, V.P. of Resort Operations.
Art & Culture French Life Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance Paris Podcasts Restaurants: Art & Culture French Life Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance Paris Podcasts Restaurants
by maribeth
Comments Off on Terrance Galenter from Paris Through Expatriate Eyes: An American Bon Vivant
Terrance Galenter from Paris Through Expatriate Eyes: An American Bon Vivant
Terrance (Seated in Blue Sweater) and His Cohorts at the Famous Café de Flore
Ahhhhh. April in Paris. It truly is a delightful time for visiting the City of Light. And as Terrance Galenter, emphasizes in my below Travel Fun interview, the month of May is even better.
Terrance, an American that started Paris through Expatriate Eyes ten years ago in California, has been operating from the French capital for the past fours years. He’s your point person in Paree for everything from tours to lodging, restaurant and reading recommendations. “It’s a very small town for a big town,” Terrance says about Paris. And if you make contact with him before or during your Paris stay, he’s sure to make this fabulous city a smaller, more comfortable place for you.
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DC Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Shopping Travel: DC Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Shopping Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Appreciating Tea in D.C.
Appreciating Tea in D.C.
Park Hyatt Washington D.C.: Where Proper Tea Pouring Reigns Supreme
If you’re a tea drinker, you know what it means to delight in a perfect cup of tea. Whether you’re alone or in the company of one or two special people, at home or out, the perfect cup of tea occurs when both taste and ritual come together to create a memorable moment.
That moment is taken to new heights at the Tea Cellar at the Park Hyatt Washington, D.C. Here the centuries-old custom of sipping tea may be savored by connoisseurs and amateurs alike. Case in point: This die-hard aficionado and daily tea drinker took her brother to teatime, a guy who has never consumed a cup of tea (or coffee!) in his life. Yet Frank, my oldest brother, embodies an adventuresome spirit and I was certain he’d enjoy sampling tea with me in such a renowned establishment. And that he did!
Colorado Denver Fashion & Style Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Shopping The Rockies: Colorado Denver Fashion & Style Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Shopping The Rockies
by maribeth
Comments Off on Cherry Creek: One of America’s Top Spots for Chic Shopping, Lodging and Dining
Cherry Creek: One of America’s Top Spots for Chic Shopping, Lodging and Dining
City Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks, Dressed in Holiday Style. It’s Christmastime in the Mile-High City.
Where are you shopping this weekend? With only two weeks left until Christmas, I’d say there’s a good chance you might find yourself in a store. Many Americans will be hitting the mall, a dreaded chore for some unless you’re lucky enough to experience the Cherry Creek Shopping Center in Denver, one of the world’s premier showcases for quality goods from sunglasses to kitchen accessories to classic and up-to-the-minute fashions. Think Tysons Corner and Bal Harbour Shops—if you’ve been to either of these renowned shopping areas you have a good idea of what to expect at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. From Burberry to Juicy Couture to Montblanc to Keihl’s and many more, the finest American and European brands reign here in great force. Macy’s, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus anchor this alluring complex where even during this busy retail season, shopping is a delight. You’ll also find an Apple store among the mall’s 160 retailers, reason alone to hit this celebrated shopping place in Denver. Their jewel-like Ice Palace where Santa Claus holds court distinguishes itself by having a Santa that signs to deaf and hearing impaired children. Indeed, this is not your ordinary mall.
I suggest you plan to spend at least a couple of days in this most gentrified part of Denver. You’ll also want to take in Cherry Creek North, a lively shopping district next to the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, comprised of over three hundred upscale boutiques, galleries, restaurants, salons and spas within a sixteen-block area. I love the leisurely feel of this area where you can shop at big and small emporiums such as Crate and Barrel, Eileen Fischer, Loro Piana, Lands’ End and many more. Why, there’s even an Hermès.
Colorado Hotels & Lodging Restaurants The Rockies: Colorado Hotels & Lodging Restaurants The Rockies
by maribeth
Comments Off on Hotel Boulderado: A Beautiful Destination for the Holidays and All Year Long
Hotel Boulderado: A Beautiful Destination for the Holidays and All Year Long
Christmas at Hotel Boulderado: A Grand Coloradan Tradition
Well, it’s here. Now that I have my turkey carcass boiling on the stove I feel comfortable embracing the holiday season. (I’m not one to rush things—I like each season to be experienced fully before approaching the next.) But now the countdown is on and it’s up to us not to let ourselves get all crazy with the cooking, decorating, celebrating and oh yes, the shopping.
I try to be like the French and adhere to quality, not quantity. I apply that to everything from what I consume to where I choose to spend my time. So let me suggest you buy less but do it in a more memorable manner. That applies to eating as well and even how and where you spend time away from home.
Relishing a moment—whether it’s a few hours or a few days—at Hotel Boulderado, one of Colorado’s most historic properties, will surely make your holidays special. Call it Christmas central. Festooned with holiday decorations from its stained glass ceiling to its tile floor and all around its hand-carved wooden railings, this more-than one-hundred year-old landmark becomes even more splendiferous at this time of year. This glittering Victorian gem draws people from all over and to me, I can think of no other Coloradan establishment that exudes as much charm as the Boulderado during this festive season.
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 DC Music & Dance Restaurants Travel: Art & Cultrue DC Music & Dance Restaurants Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on MLK, DC’s Black Heritage, Chuck Brown, Frankie and Me
MLK, DC’s Black Heritage, Chuck Brown, Frankie and Me
Martin Luther KIng Memorial
With all the press lately about the official opening of the Martin Luther King Memorial, I thought I’d share with you a spirited night in Washington, DC spent with my oldest brother, Frank. He’s a real doer and whether it’s work or personal, he knows how to select and orchestrate all the right elements to achieve maximum results. In this case, it was about showing his younger sister a good time.
He had reserved a late Sunday afternoon and evening for us in August. Chuck Brown, the Godfather of Go-Go, a style of music that incorporates jazz, funk, R & B, hip-hop and dancehall, was to be the main attraction. Frankie had secured the tickets at DC’s renowned 9:30 Club as soon as he knew I was headed his way, about a month before the show. I hadn’t heard anything about Chuck Brown, but trusted that my brother was lining up a fun night out. He’s a big planner—much like me—and that quality along with a nice dose of serendipity laid out an evening that bobbed along beautifully on a helluva cross cultural theme.
Without any discussion whatsoever, the car pointed in the direction of the freshly-opened MLK Memorial. It was the Sunday after Hurricane Irene blew through our nation’s capitol (along with most of the eastern seaboard), so the Memorial’s official opening—slated for that weekend—had been postponed. Frank and I thought we’d check it out anyway since although not properly christened, it was open. No luck. We drove along the Potomac on the roadway bordering the monument, creeping along with the hope that we’d find a car that would pull out and leave its parking space for us. No way. You couldn’t even shoehorn a moped in between the lineup of vehicles. Not surprisingly, most of the visitors headed to or from the MLK Memorial were African-American or at least of some kind of Negro heritage. They had waited long enough for the tribute to their esteemed leader—it was time to take a look. Frank and I gave up searching for a spot. I felt somewhat disappointed but bowed out gracefully with the sentiments that it would be best for us to leave any free parking to the people for whom Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s I’ve Been to the Mountaintop speech meant the most.
