Colorado Review

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!

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.

The Arrabelle at Vail Square is the ski resort’s latest luxury property–it’s first new ultra-upscale hotel in 25 years, according to the general manager in an interview with the Vail Daily. Set to open January 5, 2008, it’s already receiving a bit of a media buzz, with its upscale appointments and amenities, including “highly anticipative” concierges who can arrange everything from dinner reservations to in-room massages to ski tuning.

Here are the facts, from the Arrabelle’s public-relations folks:

LOCATION: Steps away from the Eagle Bahn Gondola at Vail Mountain.

THE RESORT: A luxury resort with 36 hotel rooms and up to 50 additional condominium lock-off rooms, The Arrabelle at Vail Square will offer Old World charm and the timeless elegance of Europe’s grand resorts with the romance and world-class style of Vail’s alpine heritage. It will be a true ski-in resort as it is centrally located in Vail Square, just steps away from the mountain. The Arrabelle will also feature a Great Room, offering guests an exclusive outdoor veranda with sweeping views of Vail Mountain. For the summer months, the resort offers a rooftop pool.

VAIL SQUARE: Vail Square will feature an ice rink and fire pit in winter, a terraced area with fountains in summer and a summer
plaza for concerts and activities, over 33,000 square feet of retail space, including upscale boutiques (i.e.: Patagonia, Quicksilver) and restaurants, and seasonal movie nights on an outdoor movie screen.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Richly inspired Lodge Rooms based on the Biedermeier design style will vary from 510 to 710 square feet and feature flat-panel TVs, DVD players, BoseTM MP3/CD alarm-clock radios, complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access, canopy beds, work desk, fireplace, minibar, in-room safe and humidifier. The marble bathrooms will include a shower and separate tub, double sinks, a TV, plush bathrobes and luxury amenities. Junior suites and deluxe king suites are also available.

RESTAURANTS: Centre V will be a brasserie-influenced restaurant specializing in the satisfying cuisines of Paris and Lyon. Chef Thomas Salamunovich, owner of Vail’s acclaimed Larkspur Restaurant on Vail Mountain, will use his culinary imagination and expertise to create the menu and ambiance. Salamunovich studied under various well-known chefs including Wolfgang Puck and Jeremiah Towers. The restaurant will fuse an overall warmth and heartiness along with upscale style and elegance. The menu will include fruits de mer platters, steak frites, and French desserts such as Crêpes Suzette and chocolate pots de crème. Centre V will accommodate up to 200 guests.

SPA: The RockResorts Spa at The Arrabelle will exude fresh, contemporary elegance with a distinct European touch. The 9,000 square foot spa facility will feature six massage rooms, two facial rooms, a Vichy Shower/Swiss Shower room and a couple’s therapy room. Other offerings include an expansive spa boutique and area, an elegant nail salon, locker rooms with water falls, plunge pools, steam rooms and sauna, as well as a couple’s suite with private circle tub. Its 2,000 square foot fitness facility will include TechnoGym equipment.

HOTEL SERVICES: The hotel will offer guests ski and boot valet and storage, personalized butler service, a highly anticipative concierge service, a business library, children’s activities, babysitting services, a gift shop, valet parking in an underground parking area, 24-hour room service and 24-hour front desk service.

ACCESS: The Arrabelle at Vail Square is approximately 30 miles east of Vail/ Eagle County Airport, and 120 miles west of Denver International Airport.

And the rates for all this luxury? In the winter peak season, rooms will cost about $1,300 to $1,400 per night; in summer, about $450 to $500, according to the Vail Daily. Too pricey for you? Check out this Vail condo deal.

Vail, Arrabelle

I’ve made no secret of my fondness for vacation condominium rentals. Why stay in a standard hotel room, when you can spread out in a multi-bedroom unit? Especially for ski vacations, when you’re packing lots of equipment, gear and warm clothes, you want spacious accommodations. Plus, a living and/or dining room gives you room to lounge around apres ski.

The amenities in many vacation homes–whether they are condominiums or freestanding houses–help take the hassle out of a cold-weather, equipment-heavy sport, and the camaraderie can’t be beat. Vacation home rental can even save skiers money, especially when you’re traveling as a family, or with a large group of friends.

ResortQuest, the nation’s largest ski vacation home rental company, has properties in Aspen, Breckenrige, Keystone, Steamboat Springs and Telluride. The company offers the following tips for those looking to rent a ski vacation home this ski season:

Look Before You Book
When shopping for ski vacation rentals, look for companies that offer a simple way to determine a home’s suitability for you and your winter sport companions. Go to the web site: it should provide photos as well as detailed descriptions of accommodations. It should also tell you the home or condo’s proximity to the slopes and available services.

Plenty of Perks
Many vacation rental companies offer renters special perks, from discounted lift tickets to free ski lessons and even entertainment or attraction tickets for time off the slopes.

Check Out The Amenities
Make sure the home has all of the amenities your group needs. Is there space for skis, poles. parkas, snowboards and other equipment to be stored safely? Is the washer/dryer large enough to accommodate all your gear? Will there be enough towels for everyone every day? Call in advance to make sure.

Word Of Mouth
What better way to gauge the quality of a ski rental property than to find out if other people liked it? Ask the rental company if a property has a high percentage of return guests. Or check online forums to see what people have to say.

Sleep Tight/Ski Right
Decide in advance who bunks with whom and where (especially, who gets the master bedroom). Take into account when travelers plan to hit the slopes and match roommates accordingly. Look for vacation accommodations where each bedroom has its own bathroom, or set up bathroom usage schedules in advance.

Feeding the Hungry
Everyone will be famished after a long day careening through the white stuff. Can arrangements be made in advance to have the pantry stocked? Are there places nearby from which food can be delivered? Decide in advance on how to share costs of food and beverage, who cooks and who cleans up. Could anyone arrive early to get the grocery shopping done and unpacked before everyone else arrives? Another option is to decide who will be bringing what from home.

Just in Case
Ensure that the property has the ability to help take care of urgent needs–from getting an extra toothbrush to assisting with accidents and other medical emergencies. This is best accomplished when there is a local management office or representative from the rental management company available to assist around the clock. Let’s face it–heaters and refrigerators can break down, so you’ll want someone on-site to quickly make it right for your ski group.

skiing, Colorado, condominiums

Planning to be in Denver this weekend when the Colorado Rockies face the Boston Red Sox in Games 3 & 4 of the World Series? Chances are, even if you wanted to go to this exciting match-up, you won’t be able to get tickets. That is, unless you pay the big bucks from ticket brokers like TicketsNow.com. On this site, they range from about $750 to $1500!

Yesterday, Rockies management began selling tickets online for a much more reasonable $65 to $250. However, a whopping 8.5 million users jammed the server within 90 minutes of tickets going on sale. The server crashed and the site closed soon after.

Needless to say, Rockies baseball fans were a bit disappointed. Colorado newspapers today published many stories of folks who took off from work, or went to public libraries to use Internet-connected computers and came up empty.

Originally, the Rockies were going to sell tickets in person at Coors Field on Monday. But then came up with the online-only plan to make ticket buying more fair.

Ha!

Seems like ticket brokers with several servers and/or speedy Internet connections may have bought many tickets (or at least they were among the throngs of people logging on to buy them). Only a few hundred tickets were sold before the ticket-selling website had to be shut down.

Now, the Rockies will re-launch the ticket-selling website today, Tuesday, at noon. The company that runs the computers for the Rockies’ ticket sales promises that is has a back-up system in place, according to the Associated Press. The company also claims that the servers went down yesterday because of a “malicious attack” (but no further details are available).

Only about 19,000 tickets of more than 50,000 seats are for sale. The rest of the seats/tickets go to season ticket holders and members of the team and Major League Baseball.

Colorado Rockies, Major League Baseball

You’ve gotta love Travelzoo. I certainly click on its Top 20 email as soon as it lands in my in box. Even if I’m not planning on traveling anywhere anytime soon, I do like browsing the specials the staff has turned up — which could be anything from great cruise deals to cheap flights to incredible all-inclusive vacations at rock-bottom prices.

Again this week, there’s a deal at a Colorado hotel. This time it’s the Holiday Inn Summit County Frisco. Through December 24 you can stay at this three-diamond, centrally located hotel for just $59/night.

Don’t expect fancy accommodations. But if you’re in Summit County for skiing the fresh champagne powder, you won’t have the energy to do much at night anyway before pass out in a comfortable bed!

The Holiday Inn Summit County-Frisco is in downtown Frisco, 80 miles west of Denver and just off I-70. It’s close to Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Copper Mountain ski areas. It’s got a nifty indoor “holidome” with an indoor pool, two hot tubs (nice for soaking weary muscles after a day on the slopes), sauna and arcade room. The hotel is pet friendly.

To book the $59/night special, which also includes a $10 food and beverage credit at the hotel’s restaurant and lounge, call 970-668-5000 and use the code TRL. The only blackout dates are November 22-24.

Here’s another deal I first heard about on Travelzoo’s Top 20 list. It’s for a Crested Butte lodge.

There’s already glorious snow in the high country. So don’t delay and get up here to the mountains!

Travelzoo, Colorado, Frisco, Breckenridge

The second-annual Denver Marathon was held in the Mile-High City Sunday in the pouring rain. But that didn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm of participants and supporters who lined downtown Denver streets. More than 7,500 runners battled freezing temperatures (it barely reached 40 degrees) and constant drizzle and downpour over the course of the race.

While you’d think mid-October would mark the end of road-race season here in the Rockies, there are actually dozens more community running events happening in the coming few weeks. If you’re interested in participating in a local race, many of which often benefit charities, here’s a list to help you with your travel plans:

October 20
Golden
Compass Montessori Harvest Festival 10k run or 1k walk

Grand Junction
Holy Family Hallelujah 5k

October 21
Arvada
5k/1k Run with Rocky

October 26
Denver
Scream Scram
5k plus 100-meter Spooky Sneak (with treats at the finish line) for kids. Washington Park, 6 p.m.
Wear your costume! Benefits the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

October 27
Alamosa
Monster Mash Dash 5k, inaugural event
Wear your costume!

Denver
Gorilla Run, 5.6k
Everyone who participates wears a head-to-toe gorilla costume! Benefits the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund.

Erie
Eerie Erie 5k

Manitou Springs
Mayor’s Cup 5k

October 31
Denver
Halloween Hustle 5k

November 3
Loveland
Heart Center of the Rockies Half Marathon, 10k, 5k

Grand Junction
Harbert Lumber Fall Festival 5k

November 4
Littleton
Littleton Stride 10k or 5k

November 10
Longmont
Turkey Trot
33rd annual 10k or 2 mile race

November 11
Boulder
Panicking Poultry 5k

November 17
Brighton
23rd Annual Turkey Trot
5k

Colorado, road races

It’s not often you’ll find recipes here at Colorado Review (I leave that to my friends at the Food, Cooking & Wine Channel, like Earthly Eating.) But this one sounded too good to refrain from sharing–a hearty Chicken Gumbo for cool fall evenings. It’s from the sous chef at the Garden Terrace at The Inverness, a recently renovated hotel with brand-new spa in suburban Denver.

New Orleans favorites are served at the Cajun Creole buffet Friday nights through November 30. Buffet pricing is $26.95 for adults and $13.95 for kids. The menu includes everything from poached catfish, peel & eat shrimp and blackened pork and cabbage salad to po’ boy sandwiches, red beans and rife and shrimp etoufee.

Cajun Creole Chicken Gumbo
Executive Sous Chef Anthony Sinese

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp vegetable shortening
2 tbsp flour, all-purpose
2 onions, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
5 cups warm chicken broth
8 tomatoes, peeled/chopped
1/2 lb okra, cut into 1/4″ pieces
1 1/2 tbsp filé gumbo (powdered sassafras leaves used as seasoning and thickener)
1/2 cup uncooked rice
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 broiler-fryer chicken, cooked

PREPARATION:
In large Dutch oven, melt shortening over low heat; add flour and cook, stirring, until brown, about 10 minutes (do not hurry; if flour burns, roux is ruined).

Add onions and bell pepper; cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Slowly add warm broth; stir until broth reaches a boil.

Add tomatoes, okra, rice, celery, salt, filé gumbo, pepper, thyme and bay leaf; bring to a boil.

Add chicken; when mixture boils again, reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 20 minutes.

Stir and cook, covered, 20 minutes longer. Serves 6.

Denver, The Inverness

My family doesn’t have much of a reason to head about an hour’s west to Rifle, Colorado. Just off of I-70 on the Western Slope, Rifle isn’t known for much besides its outdoor recreation (Rifle Gap and Rifle Falls state parks; great rock climbs). It’s the site of the annual Garfield County Fair, and it’s home to Super Wal-mart (that’s why we made the trip on a recent, rainy Sunday afternoon).

But my family did discover a little slice of sophistication in this old West town. On 3rd Street, just off of the main downtown drag (Railroad Avenue), we ducked into Creekbend Bistro for brunch. Although next to Texas Mesquite BBQ & Bar, across the street from Miller Dry Goods and around the corner from the Moose Lodge, this eatery is no typical diner.

You won’t find mundane French Toast here. Instead it’s Parisian French Toast made with wheat pecan shepherd’s loaf with grilled plantains. Forget a ham & cheese omelet. Instead sample the Tucson Cactus Omelet, with Nopal cactus and housemade chorizo-infused rancho sauce. And don’t expect farmer flapjacks. On this menu it’s Taos Pinion Nut Pancakes.

I had the wonderfully tasty Monterey Feta Omelet. The lightly sauteed veggies–sugar snap peas, fresh green beans, spinach, mushrooms and potatoes–weren’t cooked in my eggs, but rather smothered an omelet. My husband gave high praise to the Blues Brothers’ Steak Sandwich (he especially liked the soft roll). And my kids ordered Silver Dollar Pancakes off the children’s menu. They cleared their plates of three silver dollar pancakes (WAY bigger than a silver dollar) and two slices of bacon each.

Surprisingly, despite the number of alcoholic morning drinks on the menu–Bloody Mary, Mimosa, Espresso Martini–I couldn’t order a drink. “We’re not serving alcohol,” the waitress said. When I questioned why, she replied, “Oh, it’s nothing bad. [The owner] just didn’t renew.” She meant the liquor license. However, I read in that morning’s paper about a sting on local bars and restaurants. Many were fined for serving underage patrons. (Just made me wonder…)

Though I couldn’t wash down my meal with a stiff one, I very much enjoyed my meal. We’d return the next time Super Wal-mart beckons.

Creekbend Bistro & Catering is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Serving both breakfast and lunch foods on Sundays until mid-afternoon. East 3rd Street, downtown Rifle, 970-625-3131.

Colorado, Rifle, restaurants