Colorado Review

I fell in love with the little town of Ridgway (population 800) on a family trip to the southwest Colorado town last September. We traveled right at the peak of the gorgeous fall colors (third week of the month). The San Juan mountain range was covered in fiery hues of gold and orange.

My family of four stayed in one of the two-bedroom condominiums at Chipeta Sun Lodge & Spa, so we had plenty of room to spread out and make ourselves at home. We enjoyed the complimentary lemonade, iced tea and cookies in the lodge’s great room each afternoon. The on-site eatery, Ashe Restaurante, was just being built; we look forward to returning sometime soon to sample the “healthy, Southwestern fare.”

We did dine at the Ridgway’s downtown Adobe Inn, where the Mexican-inspired menu is all natural. My favorites were the Enchiladas Suiza and the Chimichangas, as well as the tasty and light, homemade salad dressing on the mixed greens and the hearty corn casserole.

Other highlights of our Ridgway trip:

- Browsing the antique shops on and just off Main Street (which is charmingly unpaved).

- Playing in Town Park with its playground for kids (and where there’s in-town access to the miles of paved bike trail leading to Ridgway State Park).

- Soaking at the nearby Orvis Hot Springs (where clothing is optional and visitors take advantage of that option! We spent most of our time in the indoor clothing-required soaking area).

- Eating hearty food at the True Grit Cafe, where some scenes of John Wayne’s movie, True Grit was filmed.

The town honors John Wayne’s 100th birthday this fall with True Grit Days, September 8 and 9. What better time to walk the dusty roads just like John Wayne did in his famous Western decades ago.

John Wayne, Ridgway, Colorado, Family Travel

If you’re in Aspen this weekend, check out the “Television’s Impact on American Life” panel discussion (fee $10) at the Aspen Institute, Saturday, August 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Valerie Harper of “Mary Tyler Moore” and “Rhoda;” Phylicia Rashad who played the lawyer, mother, and wife on “The Cosby Show;” Jay Sandrich, director of both shows; Betsy Beers, executive producer of “Grey’s Anatomy,” and that show’s music supervisor, Alexandra Patsavas; and Jon Cassar, director of “24″ will speak.

There is also a two-day seminar from 8:30 to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday for $425 (if it hasn’t already filled). The above participants promise to “delve into the huge impact television makes on our lives, values, culture, and politics.”

This weekend program is the fourth in the Aspen Institute’s new Arts & Ideas series, which considers art as a pathway to broaden and deepen our understanding of contemporary issues. This approach reflects Aspen Institute founder Walter Paepcke’s vision of “the Aspen Idea [as] the cross-fertilization of minds.”

Visit the Aspen Institute’s website for more info.

Aspen, Aspen Institute

Got a hankering for some German beer and bratwurst? Head to one of the state’s many Oktoberfest celebrations held in September and October.

I usually stop by the homespun festivities in Carbondale, in my neck of the woods, but I’ve also danced to the oom-pah bands in downtown Denver, whose annual events draw thousands.

Here’s a round-up of some Oktoberfest fun. Generally, entertainment is free; food and drink will cost you. Let me know in the comments section if I missed your favorite festival for raising a stein (or two). (more…)

I’m all about weekends spent camping somewhere in Colorado with the family. And my husband and I try to regularly book escapes to Denver for a splash of romance in our busy, kid-centric lives.

But if I really want to “recharge and refresh,” I plan a girls’ getaway with my female friends.

My women-only weekends take different forms–sometimes it’s a scrapbooking retreat in Marble or Breckenridge; sometimes it’s just dinner out and an overnight at a hotel in Aspen. But my favorite girls’ getaways involve some sort of pampering spa treatments and outdoor exercise with the glorious mountains as our backdrop. And for that, Beaver Creek in the autumn fits the bill.

Beaver Creek is an Alpine-style village just a few miles from Avon in the Vail Valley. Fall colors are stunning here, and you can’t beat the ease with which you can hike straight up the ski mountain to get the blood pumping. Yes, it can be expensive to stay in Beaver Creek (the drive-through-security-gates resort is exclusive), but I think it’s fun to splurge every once in a while and live the like the rich for a couple of days.

Two upscale Beaver Creek resorts offer fall packages ideal for gal pals. (more…)