Colorado Review

Well, maybe some clever person can find a link among these COOL prizes and my home state. Just wanted to help these lovely ladies promote their generous giveaway! Click on the icon below to learn how to enter to win some super-fun items.

About 18 months ago, I decided what I wanted to be when I grew up: a travel writer.

Not such a crazy goal, considering that I’d worked in the editorial world in some form or another for more than 15 years. Since graduating from college (I’m showing my age), I’d been a magazine editor, newspaper reporter, corporate copywriter and press-release writer–always earning a living with words in some way.

Once I finished having babies, and my youngest was set to head off to kindergarten (5 full days a week!) I realized that this was my opportunity to start reaching *my dreams.*

So I went for it. And had some fun successes along the way.

My travel articles have been published in the Dallas Morning News‘ Sunday travel section, 5280 (Denver’s city magazine), various regional parenting magazines, and, my biggest coup, a one-page piece in Every Day with Rachael Ray.

I learned how to write for the Internet (totally foreign to me back in late 2005), with stories published on GoColorado.com, GiftedTravel.com and Grandparents.com, among other sites (shout-outs to Amy at write-from-home.com and Angela at writersweekly.com).

And I started blogging about Colorado Travel. Who’da thunk 18 months ago I’d be a blogger? (Did I even know what the term meant way back then?)

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Flash forward to December 2007. I’ve met a ton of my professional goals this year (I sent out 120+ queries to local, regional and national publications, as well as online sites — go me!). But what’s next on the horizon?

Here are my totally reachable freelance writing/blogging goals for 2008:

1. Blog at least twice weekly here at ColoradoReview.net with fun, informative posts about what to see and do in my fabulous home state.

2. Write at least 30 more articles for Suite101.com, where I am a Contributing Writer (or land a Feature Writer position in the travel channel).

3. Land a travel-related assignment from at least one of my dream pubs, which are written in big letters on the giant white board in my office. They range from Sunset and Sherman’s Travel to in-flight magazines like Hemispheres and American Way. That means researching and writing at least three intriguing, intelligent queries each month–and following up on them!

I’m a firm believer in the Law of Attraction. Believe it, and it will happen. (Okay, with a dash of diligent effort thrown in.)

2008, here I come!

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This post is my entry for Week 5 of the Project Blog Challenge. Here are the other entrants’ posts:

1. Winnie, Watching the View: “I can almost picture it now…”
2. Kate, Babylune: “Here’s to a Slower 2008″
3. Sally, Style Fix: “Hunger Pains Drive My Goals for 2008″
4. Jodie, “Big (Dinner) Plans for 2008″
5. Mark, Get Incensed: “The One Habit of a Moderately Successful Person”

Click here to vote for me!

I’ve been remiss in reporting on our weather here in Colorado lately. Here’s the view from my front porch:

The skiing and boarding fanatics are going nuts with all the white stuff that has landed at the state’s ski resorts. In fact, the women’s World Cup races were canceled in Aspen last Friday because there was too much snow! (Is there ever such a thing? Really!)

Here’s the scoop on how much snow has fallen and what’s happening at some Colorado ski resorts:

Purgatory More than 4 feet of snow fell on Purgatory’s slopes in the first week of December, making for a killer opening day, December 8. According to the media folks there, “conditions are epic” and all the snow made for one of the best openings in the resort’s history. Twenty-two inches of fresh snow have fallen in the last 72 hours. The entire mountain is expected to be open this Saturday.

Aspen/Snowmass All four mountains that make up the Aspen/Snowmass area (Aspen, Snowmass, Highlands and Buttermilk) are open for business, with stellar conditions. Aspen Highlands has received 50 inches of snow in the past seven days!

Winter Park It’s a powder day at Winter Park; nearly 9 inches of snow has fallen in the last 24 hours. If you want to be one of the first folks on the mountain this Saturday, consider the “Fresh Tracks Breakfast”: The mountain allows the first 100 guests up the chairlift before it officially opens. It costs $29.99 for adults and $19.99 for kids. After you take your early morning runs, you get a hearty breakfast at Sunspot. Call 800.729.7907 for more details and to register.

Wolf Creek This ski area in the southern mountains of Colorado boasts that it’s the snowiest location in the state. It’s already received a whopping 171 inches of snow this year! (Crazy!) The summit (at nearly 12,000 feet) has received 14 inches in the last 24 hours. And the beauty of skiing at Wolf Creek is that the Pagosa Springs hot springs (The Springs Resort) is just down the hill. A lovely place to rest quivering thighs after a day on the slopes.

All of the competitors in Project Blog have their entries up for the week. Please go here and vote for me!

The blogtestants:

1. Cynthia, TV of the Absurd: “Ode to the Writer’s Strike”
2. Kara, Colorado Review: “More Details on What to Do at DIA
3. Winnie, Watching the View: “The State of The View Revisited: Some Solutions”
4. Kate, Babylune: “Let Me Just Annotate That”
5. Jodie, Gossip on Sports: “The Supermodel Effect Under Investigation”
6. Sally, Style Fix: “Revealed: My New Year’s Eve Dress”
7. Mark, Get Incensed: “More on my Favorite Subject”

I’m thrilled that this week’s Project Blog challenge is to expand on that puny post I put up last week.

Indeed, I do tend to write succinctly, but 50 words to describe how to kill time at Denver International Airport…. well, it just doesn’t do the airport justice.

DIA, which is today the country’s largest international airport (by land size) and voted the best airport in North America by Business Traveler readers, actually had an inauspicious start.

It was besieged by major problems with its automated baggage system and other construction delays. Originally set to replace the old Stapleton Airport in the fall of 1993, DIA actually officially debuted in February 1995.

Since, then, however, the kinks have certainly been worked out. I find it an incredibly easy airport to navigate, and I’ve never had baggage problems when flying in and out (or via) DIA. (And I’ve find myself in the airport at least twice a year for the past 10 years.)

When I drive to this international airport in the Mile-High City from my home in the mountains, I can’t help but grin when I get my first view of its white “circus tent” roof. The 34 peaks, reminiscent of the mountain range surrounding the airport, are actually made of fiberglass coated with Teflon, though they resemble fabric.

Photo courtesy Denver International Airport

And I really do have a routine that I carry out in the B concourse if I have an hour or more to spend at DIA before my flight. (Especially if I’m traveling alone, sans young kids, and can be indulgent with my time!)

I head immediately to A Massage on the Mezzanine level. This is a no-frills, “storefront” massage center (i.e. you’re on display to passersby if you choose a chair massage). Treatments range from a 10-minute, neck/shoulders/back chair massage ($15) to a 90-minute table massage ($117) — yes, table massages are behind a private curtain. I’ve never been disappointed with the rubdowns I’ve received here. I’m typically tense from carrying bags and this seems to put me in a good frame of mind before boarding a plane.

Then, if it’s mealtime (or even if it’s not — since you don’t get freebie meals on domestic flights anymore; better fuel up), I scoot over to Que Bueno! near gate 50 also in Concourse B. Here, for about $7 you can get a Grande Burrito–and it is indeed grande. I always opt for the grilled veggie, which comes with white rice, beans, lettuce, cheese and salsa (sour cream and guac are extra). It’s a tiny restaurant and often hard to find a seat. Get yours to go and eat it near your gate, where you have more elbow room. (Don’t forget a fork and extra napkins.)

Another nifty feature of the airport is its Public Art Program and Art Exhibition Program. There is permanent art displayed throughout the main (Jeppesen) terminal and the concourses, as well as the concourses. A main rotating exhibit gallery is on the connecting bridge between Jeppesen Terminal, Level 6 and the security checkpoints leading to Concourse A.

Basically, this art program consists of 26 site-specific and permanent works of art, ranging from whimsical installations (Kinetic Air Light Curtain, a.k.a. the cool propellers in the underground-train tunnels) to controversial murals (In Peace and Harmony with Nature, which shows children in caskets). One piece is “auditory art�: listen for the tribal chanting and Native American music and as you arrive at an international gate and make your way across the pedestrian bridge to Customs & Immigration.

Pick up a self-guided art tour brochure at the Ambassadors’ booth in the main terminal (ask any helpful Ambassador sporting a white cowboy hat).

If your travels do bring you to DIA, I highly recommend you check out www.flydenver.com to find out what other restaurants (many bars for sampling Colorado microbrews!), services and shops (think last-minute holiday gifts this time of year, or the omnipresent Crocs made here in Colorado) there are at DIA. Or you can always email me for advice!

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Did you like the information found in this post? If so, vote for me in this week’s Project Blog challenge. Links to other contestants are found here. But you can just skip on down to my button below, click on it and “Vote”!

Project Blog is an on-going competition at Reality on Bravo where top-notch bloggers from around the world (hey, that’s me!) are competing to be named the ultimate “top bloggerâ€?. There are some great prizes lined up, and there’s good news - you can win too!

Week Four’s Sponsor: Solay Wellness, Inc.
Week Four’s Prize: Himalayan Bath Salt Crystals

Ah…who doesn’t like a nice, relaxing bath? (And come, all my male readers, admit it–whenever you’re lady’s out of town for anything, you like to relax with a bubble bath too!!! Ok, even if you don’t, I bet your wife/girlfriend/mother will LOVE this prize!)

Thanks to some awesome sponsorship by Solay Wellness, Inc., we can all de-stress a bit with some Himalayan Bath Salts. Solay’s Himalayan Bath Salt Crystals contain 84 essential minerals (more then any other salt) such as magnesium, potassium, bromide, and calcium. These minerals are all readily absorbed into the skin, giving you that calming, age-defying effect.

Solay’s products are all naturally harvested from mineral-rich ocean waters that dried and crystallized 250 million years ago. This makes an especially great Christmas gift for that lady who has everything. Just add a few ounces to your bath, put on some relaxing music, pour some wine, and tune out the world. Ahhhhh…..

Have I convinced you to check out the site yet? You can buy bath salt products here, or you can peruse the other salt products they have for sale.

Note: The weekly winner for Project Blog will be receiving a set of Himalayan Salt Tealight Candle Holders - but if you want to snag them, you either have to suck up to the winner or head over to Solay’s site!

Want a chance to win this week’s prize? OF COURSE YOU DO. You can enter up to three times this week:
* For one chance, leave a comment on this post on Reality on Bravo with the product from Solay’s site that you most want for Christmas (simply head to Solay’s website and browse around until you see something that catches your eye).
* For a second chance, blog about this contest on your own site and email the link to allison.boyer-at-yahoo-dot-com.
* Want a third chance? 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. You can vote once per day for your favorite (and please do), and you can comment once to be considered as entered into this drawing.

The winner will be drawn at random from all qualifying entries. Deadline is Monday, December 10 at noon EST.

From my home in the Colorado Rockies, I’ve got a choice of airports.

Aspen (ASE) is only 30 minutes away, but usually prices to fly in and out of this chi-chi resort are steep, especially in the high season (summer and winter).

Grand Junction (GJT) is about 90 minutes from me, but it works if I’m flying to the West Coast (usually via Salt Lake City or Phoenix).

Denver (DEN) is a nearly-four-hour drive, but since it’s a United and Frontier hub, I get the best deals here. If I’m flying somewhere with the whole family (four of us; five if my mother-in-law comes along) we’ll make the drive to Denver and stay overnight in an airport-area hotel before our flights. We typically do this for long-haul trips to Mexico or the East Coast.

My preferred airport, however, is Eagle/Vail (EGE). Why? That’s easy: FREE PARKING!

How many regional airports these days offer totally free short-term and long-term parking? Not many, I don’t think. All the parking spots are within walking distance to the main terminal–no shuttle service needed. That’s a beautiful thing.

For me, the airport is an hour from my home. That means it’s about an hour and a half from Aspen. It’s also less than 30 minutes to Vail’s slopes, and not that much further to Breckenridge.

Basically, if you’re coming to the Rockies to ski, consider EGE if you don’t want to make the lengthy drive from Denver International Airport. Colorado Mountain Express vans make scheduled runs from EGE to the various Western Slope ski areas.

The Vail/Eagle County Regional Airport also offers free wireless internet service throughout the terminal. It’s spacious and always clean. A newly remodeled coffee shop and deli offers healthy food before your flight.

And the airport does accommodate jet service, which is great for me, since I hate flying on small propeller planes (yes, the irony of being a travel writer and dreading small-plane flying does not escape me). Boeing 757s regularly fly in and out of EGE.

For your next vacation in Western Colorado, I highly recommend checking out EGE. It’s truly the most convenient airport to most of the Rockies resort locations, and has many non-stop flights from major U.S. cities. Read more about EGE here.

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”