Colorado Review

That short-but-sweet post below is part of Project Blog’s Week 3 competition. Our directive: to write a post in 50 words. Exactly 50 words!

The blogtestants:

1. Winnie, Watching the View: “The State of the View Address”
2. Sally, Style Fix: “Deck My Halls with Lights, and Ornaments, and Shiny New Dresses”
3. Kate, Babylune: “Fifty Words on Babylune for Project Blog”
4. Jodie, Gossip on Sports: “The Supermodel Effect”
5. Mark, Get Incensed: “Project Blog #3: Conveying the Get Incensed Style In 50 Words — Like Speed Chess, Only Harder .. And No, The Headline Doesn’t Count Because Then It Would Be Practically Impossible”
6. Kara, Colorado Review: “Stuck at Denver International Airport?”

Who wrote your favorite post of the week? Vote here. (For me, please!)

P.S. I’ll have you know I had a two-hour layover at DIA today and I did two of the three things I suggest below. I got a 30 minute chair massage at A Massage (heaven) and ate the big ol’ burrito at Que Bueno! It was bueno! (And no, Winnie, there is no sign saying “big as your head.” But it practically is!)

Get Rubbed: Have a quickie at A Massage, Concourse A, Gate 48, or Concourse B, Mezzanine.

Get Stuffed: Eat a tasty burrito the size of your head at Que Bueno, Concourse B, near Gate 50.

Get Cultured: Pick up a self-guided art-tour brochure at the friendly Ambassadors’ booth, Main Terminal.

Everyone in my neck of the woods—the Aspen area of Colorado—is fixated on the sky lately. We’re praying to the snow gods to bring the flakes to our mountains. The snow that was forecast for Wednesday, left just an inch or two in my front yard–and it promptly melted as soon as the sun came out on the day before Thanksgiving.

The “storm,” did, however, dump about 12 inches on Aspen Mountain and 9 inches on Snowmass Mountain. It wasn’t enough for the mountain managers to open Aspen Mountain for skiing on Thanksgiving (the gondolas were free to outdoor enthusiasts who wanted to snowshoe or hike). Snowmass was open—and the lifts were free to folks who wanted make some turns on the limited terrain. (I’m a fair weather/great conditions kind of skier, so my boards remain in my basement for now!)

I thought visitors would be complaining bitterly about the lack of snow, but it turns out, those who traveled from places like Florida and the Caribbean were thrilled to simply be able to play a bit in snow. Of course, the fact that skiing was totally free helped!

It is cloudy here today, and more snow is in the forecast for the coming week. (If my brother is reading, rest assured I’m *sure* there will be plenty of snow for your snowboarding visit over Christmas!)

In the meantime, if visitors want to forego the slopes and enjoy other activities while they’re visiting my fine state, there’s tons to do. Here’s a special I learned about recently:

Reasonable Rates at Hotel Monaco, Denver
Stay at the four-diamond Hotel Monaco, an upscale boutique hotel in downtown Denver, for as low as $104 a night through January 6. You’ll be close to shopping, nightlife, tons of restaurants, and did I mention awesome stores for holiday shopping? Plug in the promo code TZP at the hotel’s reseservations website.

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Don’t forget to vote for me in the second week of Project Blog! Here are the rest of the contestants:

1. Randi, Brad Pitt Watch: “A Blast from the Past for Project Blog”
2. Kate, Babylune: “Has Sex Really Left the City?”
3. Winnie, Watching The View: “Project Blog: Three Ways Rosie O’Donnell Changed The View”
4. Sally, Style Fix: “Because I Slacked on My Promise: A Total ANTM Recall”
5. Jodie, Gossip on Sports: “Project Blog Week Two Challenge”
6. Cynthia, TV of the Absurd: “Supernatural Origins: Take Two”
7. Mark, Get Incensed: “We’re Still Not Friends”

So, I didn’t win the first week’s challenge over at Reality on Bravo’s Project Blog. Kate at Babylune captured the week’s prize, a bracelet from Ecoist.

But I am still in the game! (No one got eliminated last week! Gotta love it.)

This week I’m competing for an e-book from fellow 451 Press blogger Gillian Polack. She blogs about the origin of food at Food History.

Allison Boyer, who’s running Project Blog, says she’s pumped for this week’s prize, since she already owns a copy of Gillian’s “Chronicling the Fifth Deadly Sin.” She says it’s got some tasty recipes from all over the world.

I love to cook and try new recipes (and subject my family to my creations!) so it would be fun to win this book. Some of the recipes in the e-book include Andy’s Hong Kong Curry Triangles, Trudee’s Canadian Chocolate Cheesecake, and Medieval Style Mushroom Pastries.

I’m salivating right now, even after having stuffed myself yesterday at the Thanksgiving Day table.

Anywho, support my efforts by reading this post, then heading over here, and if you think I deserve this week’s prize, vote for me and leave a comment! Then, you, too, can win Gillian’s e-book.

Want two more chances? Leave a comment on this post on Reality on Bravo with one “food fact� that you’ve learned from any post on Gillian’s website. Or blog about this contest on your own site and email the link to Allison at allison.boyer-at-yahoo-dot-com.

I’m going to eat something now!

It’s coming! But it’s not here yet!

I’m sitting in my mountain home at 7,000 feet elevation — 30 minutes from Aspen’s slopes — and it’s 60 degrees outside. According to one of the local papers, the Aspen Times, Aspen Mountain and Snowmass will open on Thanksgiving Day with very limited terrain. Jeff Hanle, an Aspen Skiing Company spokesperson is suggesting that locals not even try to hit the slopes. He’s quoted in the paper as saying, “It’s not going to be the best conditions in the world, so we may want to leave it to our visiting guests.”

Other ski resorts in the state have opened, but conditions are reported marginal elsewhere, too.

That all said, according to the Weather Channel, a storm is moving in, at least in my neck of the woods, and we can expect some snow starting late tonight. In Aspen tomorrow, the high is expected to be in the 30s, with morning snow showers. Another storm is moving in later in the week, with some snow expected on Friday, as well. Denver’s high is forecast to be only 28 degrees, also with snow on its way tomorrow and Friday.

Even though the ski season is starting slowly around here, I’m not worried. If temperatures do drop this week as forecast, the snow-making machines will be running on overdrive to fill in those patchy spots on the slopes. And I’m sure Mother Nature will help out by the time visitors arrive in droves for the busy Christmas-to-New-Year’s Week, which can be hectic in Aspen, but oh-so-fun for celebrity spotting!

Photo by Hal Williams. Courtesy AspenSnowmass.com.

Why do I blog about travel in my home state of Colorado? Let me count the ways. (Ten to be exact.)

10. I’m a longtime journalist — 17 years in the biz — and I’ve covered everything from babies to buffaloes, muffins to mayors, for magazines, newspapers and online outlets. But until three short months ago, I hadn’t blogged. So, when an opening here at Colorado Review came up, taking on this travel blog seemed like a natural way for me to get my proverbial feet wet in the blogosphere. The timing was perfect; I’d decided toward the end of 2006 that I wanted to do more travel writing — really focus my efforts on this genre.

9. My family and I travel regularly outside of the state — Hawaii, California, Mexico, New Hampshire, Utah in the past year. But the bulk of our getaways happen in-state, naturally, since a) it’s cheaper to travel by car and b) we just got a new pop-up camper we wanted to try out LOTS this summer.

8. Colorado rocks. Literally. The first time I saw the Rocky Mountains, I was road-tripping from N.H. to Aspen, where I was going to live for the summer (*just* the summer, then I was going to return to the East Coast; yeah, right). It was 13 years ago, and I still remember the feeling I had when my friend’s Saab crested a hill as we were leaving the Front Range outside of Denver. I had this phenomenal view of jagged, snow-covered mountains stretching as far as the eye could see. I was blown away. The Rockies were nothing like the mountains “back home.” (No disrespect to New Hampshire’s White Mountains, but really, there’s no comparison.)

7. Colorado is so easy to write about. Need a romantic angle? How about a soak in some remote hot springs with your honey or a fancy night on the town in Denver. Adventure travel? Um, how many outdoors sports can you take part in here: kayaking, mountain climbing, skiing, backpacking, hiking, river rafting, snowshoeing…. the list goes on. Family vacation? Hit the Denver Zoo, the ski resorts or Elitch Gardens amusement park.

6. If I blog about travel in Colorado, that means I need to get out there and experience it as much as possible (i.e. screw the housework or the lawn care; let’s stick the kids in the car and go climb a mountain)

5. Okay, the mountains again. To say, “I’ve stood at 14,000 feet above sea level” is REALLY cool. There are 54 mountains over 14,000 feet in elevation in Colorado. Most of them can be climbed in a day trip. A pair of them are connected by a saddle (ridge) so you can actually summit two in one afternoon (Grays & Torreys, and I bagged those, thank you very much).

4. As a travel writer, I get the scoop from various hotel PR departments and the media folks at city visitors’ bureaus on all the goings-on in the state. Usually it’s news about hotel deals, off-season discounts at the mountain resorts, new restaurant openings or annual festivals. I like being in the know.

3. Colorado is the best state to live in, and I like showing it off to visitors. California is too populated. New Hampshire is too uptight. Florida is too humid. Montana is too cold. Indiana is too Midwest. Yes, Colorado *is* landlocked, but it’s not devoid of water–river rafting, fly fishing, swimming, boating (visit the Aspen Yacht Club) and kayaking can all take place on its rivers, lakes and ponds.

2. Colorado is full of quirky sights (the gator farm) and funky festivals (the annual celebration for Mike the Headless Chicken).

1. Yep, I’m back to Colorado’s glorious mountains again. Just a few miles from my home, I get to go biking and hiking and I’m rewarded with views like this:

Photo by Tom Stillo

By the way, my idle chatter about my adoration of Colorado isn’t just babble. I’m competing in Project Blog. Read about this week’s challenge (our first) here, and feel free to cast a vote for me!

Here are the other blogtestants:

1. Kate, Babylune: “The Blog I Write and the Woman Who Writes It”
2. Randi, Brad Pitt Watch: “The First Challenge”
3. Jodie, Gossip on Sports: “Project Blog: Week One Challenge”
4. Cynthia, TV of the Absurd: “The Five TV Shows that Changed My Life”
5. Winnie, Watching the View: “Project Blog: Why I Blog the View”
6. Sally, Style Fix: “The Fashionable Child Who Writes Becomes the Fashion Writer”
7. Mark, Get Incensed: “Project Blog. Bravo”

Colorado

Regular readers know how much I love traveling in my home state of Colorado. Well, I’ve got another fave (okay, perhaps it’s a vice). I do love my reality TV. I’ve actually weaned myself a bit from shows like The Bachelor and do you remember that old For Love or Money?

Anywho, I can’t wait for the season premiere of Bravo’s Project Runway. I’ve followed the last three seasons faithfully.

This year I get to follow along at home (sort of) since I’m competing in Reality on Bravo’s Project Blog competition. As of last count, there will be 11 of competing to win weekly prizes and immunity for the next week. We’ll have “challenge posts” each week, and someone will get eliminated (or not depending on what’s happening on Project Runway — maybe no one, maybe two of us, maybe one of us). Follow it all on Allison Boyer’s great Reality on Bravo blog. (And feel free to vote for me!)

This week’s prize sponsor is Ecoist. One of the Project Bloggers, as well as a lucky reader, will win a “Stop Global Warming” bracelet from the company.

These eco-friendly bracelets are created for recycled papers like candy wrappers and soda labels, and for every “Stop Global Warming� bracelet sold, the company will plant a tree.

Says Jonathan Marcoschamer from Ecoist, “Our objective is to merge design with social and environmental consciousness to provide stylish, functional, and durable products that people will love to own. All our products are made from recycled, organic, or earth-friendly materials, and are manufactured through our network of fair trade partnerships around the world.�

They don’t just make bracelets either. At Ecoist’s website, you can find all sorts of handmade items made from recycled products. Check out the movie billboard handbags, the recycled records bowls, the reusable shopping bags, and all of the other great products available for purchase at their site. The best part? Everything is moderately priced, so you don’t have to break your budget to grab some great gear.

Want a chance to win this week’s prize? You can enter up to three times! For one chance, leave a comment on this post on Reality on Bravo with your favorite product from Ecoist’s website (make sure to use a valid email address to win). For a second chance, blog about this contest on your own site and email the link to Allison Boyer at allison.boyer-at-yahoo-dot-com. Want a third chance? Check back on Reality on Bravo on Friday, vote for your favorite in our Project Blog competition, and leave a comment showing support! The winner will be drawn at random from all qualifying entries.

In the November 2007 edition of SKI magazine, two Colorado resorts are named to the list of “7 Great Mountains to Ski with Your Kids.”

One is Beaver Creek, and my regular readers know how much I love this exclusive high-alpine resort. (Catch up here, and read more about why it’s so great for kids in the wintertime here.)

The other is Durango Mountain Resort, a.k.a. Purgatory, which I also give high marks to, although I’ve only been there in the summertime, when the mountain morphs into a family-friendly playground with an alpine slide, climbing wall and mini-golf course. So, I guess it’s no wonder it comes recommended for families in the wintertime, as well.

In the article, Purgatory is hailed for its “rolling steps that are roller-coaster fun, but never intimidating.�

The resort is pinpointed as being a great location for kids because of the family-friendly atmosphere at both the resort and in town. “With the one-two combo of town and resort, families find great skiing, comfortable digs and an authentically Western experience,� says the magazine noting Mesa Verde and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad as excellent side vacations for families.

One factor placing Durango Mountain Resort on this elite list of great mountains to ski with kids is the Mountain Master Plan that includes new condo accommodations, swimming facility, restaurants and retail outlets and more family-friendly amenities. Purgatory Lodge is the resort’s largest development in history and is currently taking shape in the heart of Purgatory Village.

With an expected completion of phase one in winter 2008-09, Purgatory Lodge will feature new skier services, including a ticket office, rental and retail outlets, bathrooms, lockers, a swimming pool and spa area and a new Purgy’s Day Lodge; perfect for parents watching their children come down the mountain.

Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort is scheduled to begin the 2007-08 winter season December 1 with the 15th annual Benefit Day. (An earlier opening date is possible as winter weather moves into the area.) Benefit Day features $15 lift tickets with all proceeds going to local non-profit organizations; this year’s benefactors are Durango Nature Studies and the Durango Winter Sports Foundation. Season Passes and daily lift tickets begin December 2.

Photo by Scott W. Smith.

skiing, Durango, Colorado