Publication: Weekend GetAways
Off to the beautiful State of Colorado | |
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WEEKEND GETAWAYS - Friday, September 7, 2007
Make The Most Of Your Vacation - From Coast to Coast!
Greetings Getaway Lover,
The ruddy or red-hue rocks found in much of the state,
particularly in the Southwest, give Colorado its name.
The region's terrain varies widely -- from yawning
black canyons and desolate monochrome moonscapes to
pastel deserts and mesas, glistening sapphire lakes,
and wide expanses of those stunning red rocks. It's so
rugged in the southwest that a four-wheel-drive vehicle
or hiker's sturdiness is necessary to explore much of
the wild and beautiful backcountry.
The region's history and people are as colorful as the
landscape. Southwestern Colorado, as well as the "Four
Corners" neighbors of northwestern New Mexico,
northeastern Arizona, and southeastern Utah, was home
to the Ancestral Puebloan peoples formerly known as
Anasazi, meaning "ancient ones." They constructed
impressive cliff dwellings in what are now Mesa Verde
National Park, Ute Mountain Tribal Park, and other
nearby sites. This wild and woolly region, dotted with
rowdy mining camps and boomtowns, also witnessed the
antics of such notorious outlaws as Butch Cassidy, who
embarked on his storied career by robbing the Telluride
Bank in 1889, and Robert "Bobby" Clark, who hid out in
Creede from the James Gang after he shot Jesse in the
back. Even today, the more ornery, independent locals,
disgusted with the political system, periodically talk
of seceding from the union. They can be as rough as the
country they inhabit.
Happy Trails,
Jan
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Grab a pair or two while stock is available. See a picture
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--DESTINATION: Telluride, Colorado
Southwest Colorado offers such diversity that, depending
on where you go, you can have radically different vacations.
You can spiral from the towering peaks of the San Juan range
to the plunging Black Canyon of the Gunnison, taking in
alpine scenery along the way, as well as the eerie remains
of old mining camps, before winding through striking desert
landscapes, the superlative Ancestral Puebloan ruins, and
the Old West railroad town of Durango. If you're not here
to ski or golf in the resorts of Crested Butte, Purgatory,
or Telluride, there's still much to experience in this part
of the state.
Tucked like a jewel in a tiny valley caught between azure
sky and gunmetal mountains is Telluride, once so inaccess-
ible that it was a favorite hideout for desperadoes such
as Butch Cassidy, who robbed his first bank here in 1889.
The savage but beautiful terrain of the San Juan Mountains,
with peaks like 14,157-foot Mt. Sneffels, and rivers, like
the San Miguel, now attracts mountain people of a different
sort -- alpinists, snowboarders, freestylers, mountain
bikers, and freewheeling four-wheelers -- who attack any
incline, up or down, and do so with abandon.
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SHARK POWERED SCOOPER
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Simply release the bag, press the button, and your mess will
be devoured directly in the bag. The unit has a built in light
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Includes an attachable household extender, attachable carry
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--WHAT TO DO AND SEE:
Alpine Loop Scenic Byway
Scenic Drive, Lake City
The inspiring Alpine Loop Scenic Byway joins Lake City
with Ouray and Silverton. This part of the route is only
open in summer and is not paved over Cinnamon Pass and
Engineer Pass. However, this is heaven for four-wheelers,
dizzily spiraling from 12,800-foot-high passes to gaping
valleys.
ARA Mesa Verde Company
Tour, Mancos
ARA Mesa Verde Company runs three- and six-hour tours
of Mesa Verde National Park.
Address: Box 277, Mancos, CO, USA
Phone: 970/529-4421
Box Canyon Falls
Body of Water, Ouray
One particularly gorgeous jaunt is to Box Canyon Falls.
The turbulent waters of Clear Creek thunder 285 feet
down a narrow gorge. A steel suspension bridge and well-
marked trails afford breathtaking vistas. Birders flock
to the park, and a visitor center has interpretive
displays. COST: $3. OPEN: Mid-Oct.-mid-May, daily 10-10;
mid-May-mid-Oct., daily 8 AM-dusk.
Address: West end of 3rd Ave., off U.S. 550, Ouray, CO, USA
Phone: 970/325-4464
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Other Places of Interest:
Balcony House
Native American Site, Mesa Verde National Park
The stonework of Balcony House is impressive, but you're
likely to be even more awed by the skill it took to reach
this place. Perched in a sandstone cove 600 feet above
the floor of Soda Canyon, Balcony House seems almost sus-
pended in space. Even with the aid of modern steps and a
partially paved trail, today's visitors must climb two
wooden ladders (the first one 32 feet high) to enter.
Surrounding the 40-room house are a courtyard with a
parapet wall and the intact balcony for which the house
is named. COST: $2.75. OPEN: May-mid-Oct, daily 9-5,
extended hrs in summer.
Address: 8.5 mi southeast of visitor center on Cliff
Palace Loop Rd., CO, USA
Bachelor-Syracuse Mine Tour
Mine, Ouray
On the Bachelor-Syracuse Mine Tour, a mine train hauls
visitors down 3,500 feet into one of the region's great
mines. Explanations of mining techniques, a visit to a
blacksmith shop, and panning for gold are part of the
experience. Tours depart every half hour.
www.bachelorsyracuse.com.
Address: 1222 County Rd. 14, Ouray, CO, USA
Phone: 970/325-0220
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Brubeck Returns To Moscow on DVD
Here is a DVD that will be cherished forever. 10 years after
his first trip to Moscow, celebrated jazz/classical pianist
Dave Brubeck returns, this time to join the Russian National
Orchestra.
Playing both with a small group of jazz musicians as well as
with the orchestra, Brubeck illustrates his mastery of two
separate styles of music and allows the virtuosity of the
Russian musicians to shine through.
More than just a concert video, the program features rehearsals,
Brubeck's musings on his long career, a jam session with Russian
jazz musicians, and a rare seminar given by Brubeck. Grab a copy
and own a piece a music history. Just $14.99. Visit:
Brubeck Returns To Moscow on DVD
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--WHERE TO SLEEP:
Anasazi Motor Inn
$70 to $110, Cortez
This is definitely the nicest motel on the strip,
mostly because its air-conditioned rooms are spacious
and pleasantly decorated in desert colors. The pool is
a godsend after a long drive. 86 rooms. In-room:
refrigerator (some). In-hotel: restaurant, bar, pool,
airport shuttle. AE, D, DC, MC, V.
Address: 640 S. Broadway, Cortez, CO 81312, USA
Phone: 970/565-3773 or 800/972-6232
Fax: 970/565-1027
The Animas B&B at Wingate House
$70 to $200, Silverton
Owner Judy Graham, a landscape artist, adorns the walls
of this 1886 inn with her own work and family photos
dating from the Civil War. The library of books on hand
are souvenirs of her travels. The effect is both
sophisticated and homey. The breezy front porch overlooks
Kendall Mountain, a majestic "thirteener" (a mountain
higher than 13,000 feet). Large, sunny rooms are filled
with antiques and beds piled with down pillows and
comforters. A well-set dining room table is the scene of
breakfast, with home-baked treats. www.wingatehouse.com.
5 rooms, 3 with bath. In-room: no a/c, no TV. MC, V.
Continental breakfast.
Address: 1045 Snowden St., Silverton, CO 81433, USA
Phone: 970/387-5520
Fax: 970/387-5520
Apple Orchard Inn
$111 to Over $200, Durango
About 8 mi from downtown Durango, this little gem sits
on 5 acres in the lush Animas Valley. The main house
and six cottages surround a flower-bedecked pond, com-
plete with friendly geese. Cherrywood antiques, fluffy
feather beds, and handcrafted armoires add a graceful
touch to the handsome rooms. In the evening, relax on
your cottage swing, enjoying views of the surrounding
cliffs. The owners' experience at European cooking
schools is evident in the breakfasts -- and in the
"train cookies" sometimes sent along with guests who
make the journey to Silverton. www.appleorchardinn.com.
4 rooms, 6 cottages. In-room: no a/c, VCR (some). In-
hotel: no-smoking rooms. D, MC, V. Full breakfast.
Address: 7758 County Rd. 203, Durango, CO 81301, USA
Phone: 970/247-0751 or 800/426-0751
Fax: 970/385-6976
--WHERE TO DINE:
# 1 Old Firehouse
Cafe, Under $8 to $12, Creede
The decor in this casual restaurant, ice-cream parlor,
and Internet café reflects the building's heritage,
with old-fashioned fire equipment, red ladders, and
patches from fire departments around the country left
by customers. The food is Italian, with such items as
pizzas and lasagna. Step up to the marble bar with its
antique stained-glass back for a variety of ice-cream
flavors. In summer the restaurant is open for breakfast,
lunch, and dinner daily; wintertime it's only open
Wednesday to Sunday for breakfast and lunch. D, MC, V.
Closed Mon. and Tues in winter. No dinner in winter.
Address: 123 N. Main, Creede, CO, USA
Phone: 719/658-0212
221 South Oak Bistro
Contemporary, $19 to Over $25, Telluride
In a pretty Victorian cottage, this elegant bistro
entices you to linger with its soft peach walls, blond-
wood bar, and soft music. Chef-owner Eliza Gavin, who
trained in Paris, New Orleans, and the Napa Valley,
creates such dishes as Muscovy duck breast with duck
confit, spinach, shiitakes, spinach, and pine nuts; rack
of lamb with zucchini and potato-chèvre ravioli; and
potato-crusted halibut with asparagus and fennel. Most
people come only for the fine food, but some regulars
schedule their visits to sample special martinis on
Wednesday evenings. AE, MC, V. Closed Sun., early Apr.-
mid-June, and early Oct.-early Dec. No lunch.
Address: 221 S. Oak St., Telluride, CO, USA
Phone: 970/728-9507
Carver's Bakery & Brew Pub
American, Under $8 to $18, Durango
The "Brews Brothers," Bill and Jim Carver, have about
eight beers on tap at any given time, including such
flavors as Raspberry Wheat Ale, Jackrabbit Pale Ale,
and Colorado Trail Nut Brown Ale. If you're feeling
peckish, try one of the bread bowls filled with soup
or salad. There's a patio out back where you can soak
up the sun. From breakfast to the wee hours, the place
is always hopping. Reservations not accepted. AE, D,
MC, V.
Address: 1022 Main Ave., Durango, CO, USA
Phone: 970/259-2545
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The travel destinations and events that appear in this
newsletter have been selected by our editors. Apart from
those offers clearly set apart from the text, none of the
links presented here are paid promotions for any company
or organization.
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