Category Archives: Travel

*Special Events* El Rancho De Las Golondrinas–Santa Fe, NM

Leave a reply

2011 Festivals & Special Events

El Rancho De Las Golondrinas

Golondrinas - Bob Morada - B

Any weekend visit to the living history museum El Rancho de las Golondrinas provides historic and cultural experiences from the 18th and 19th century. Annual festivals and events promise even more reason to spend a day at the outstanding facility celebrating colorfulGolondrinas Sheep and Lady - B Southwestern heritage.

*June 4 & 5 – Spring Festival & Children’s Fair

Sheep shearing, animals born this spring, entertainment plus lots of games, puppet shows and hands-on activities for kids.

*June 25 & 26 – Fiber Arts Festival: From Sheep to Blanket

Follow the steps to create traditional New Mexico textiles from sheep shearing to elaborate embroidery. Original fiber arts for sale.

*July 2 & 3 – Santa Fe Wine FestivalGolondrinas Swishing Skirts - B

Meet vintners and sample wines from 16 New Mexico wineries. Purchase your favorite varietals, agricultural products and handmade arts and crafts.

*July 16 & 17 – Viva Mexico! Celebration

Celebrate the culture, cuisine and crafts of Mexico through music, arts and food.

Golondrinas - Bob Mill - B*July 23 & 24 – Herb & Lavender Fair

Tour herb gardens and attend lectures on growing lavender. Hands-on activities plus lavender and herb product vendors.

*Aug. 6 & 7 – Summer Festival: Frontier Days & Horses of the Old WestGolondrinas - Two Men - B

Mountain men and women demonstrate skills necessary in settling the West and relate tales of the era. Peruvian Paso horses from La Estancia Alegre.

*Aug. 13 & 14 – Survival: New Mexico

Practice fire starting, building shelters, using an atlati, making adobe and other survival Golondrinas Carding Wool - Btechniques required in Colonial and Territorial New Mexico.

*Sept. 3 & 4 – Fiesta de los Ninos: A Children’s Celebration

A family weekend honoring youngsters with games, crafts and entertainment. Children 12 and under admitted free.

*Sept.17 & 18 – Santa Fe Renaissance Fair

A Renaissance Fair with Spanish flair – defend a Spanish Galleon, games requiring knightly skills, flamenco dancers, turkey legs, ale and mead.

*Oct 1 & 2 – Harvest Festival

Golondrinas Stringing Ristas - BCelebrate the seasons bounty with wine making, grape stomping and stringing ristas at the most popular yearly event.

Golondrinas Pumpkins - B

Colorado Weekend Events – June 3 – 5, 2011

Leave a reply

Colorado Weekend Dozen To Do

June 3 – 5, 2011

Fly Fisherman

             June 4 & 5 – Statewide

             The Colorado Division of Wildlife allows fishing

             without a license the first full weekend of June. Bag

             and possession limits and special regulations apply,

             check website for full details.

             June 4 – Majestic View Nature Center

                             & Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge

                     Free family event focusing on Arvada’s 125 miles of trails and

             wildlife featuring a 5K walk, 20-mile bike ride, nature exhibits, live

             raptors, Eco-Fair and self-guided nature walk.

            June 4 & 5 – Larimer Square

                Free street painting festival with over 200 artists

             including six madonnari – professionals in this

             medium. Youth challenge, kids corner and musical

             entertainment.

            June 4 & 5 – Civic Center Park

             Free admission to multiple stages of local talent,

             arts, children activities, crafts, food, wine pavilion.

             In 40 years this event has grown from 2,000

             attendees to 250,000.

                June 3 – 5 – Casey Jones Park

             Rodeo events sanctioned by Professional Bull Riders and

             the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association. Saturday

             morning parade, evening dance and mutton bustin’ for

             the younger set.

             June 4 – Historic Downtown Louisville

             The 21st annual Taste of Louisville promises tempting flavors from

             local restaurants. The day includes a 5K race, half marathon, arts

             and crafts fair, and Louis-Palooza band concert.

             June 4 – Manitou Springs Soda Springs Park

             Sample wines from 25 Colorado wineries, tasting

             tickets $30, non-tasters admitted free. Food and wine

             related booths, wines for purchase by bottle or case,

             entertainment.

             June 3 – 5 – Reservoir Hill

             The hills are alive with the sounds of folk and bluegrass from

             morning to late night. On-site camping, workshops and kids tent.

             June 3 – 5 – Nature & Raptor Center

             Dozens of bluegrass groups perform on two stages.

             Nature activities, arts & crafts, storytellers, camping,

             Saturday night dance.

             June 3 & 4 – Village Mall/Fanny Hill

             A smokin’ weekend of chili, beers and music.

             Competition sanctioned by the International Chili

             Society, summer ale competition, European and exotic

             beer tasting with over 50 participating breweries.

             June 4 & 5 – Telluride Town Park

             Morning balloon risings plus Saturday evening GLO on

             Main Street.

            June 2 – 5 – Vail Valley

            Celebration of outdoor adventure sports – pro

            athletes and amateurs complete in 8 sports and 24 disciplines

            including kayaking, trail running, standup paddling,

            amateur climbing, World Cup Bouldering. Adventure

            Film School, photo competition, free concerts, art,

            expo areas and interactive family zone.

Summer Chair Lift

Click on each event name to open website.

Check back each week during the summer for a potpourri of Colorado events and festivals for the upcoming weekend.

Return of–“Where To Go–Travel USA”

Leave a reply

Ready for New Travel Adventures

After 17 months of mobility issues, two surgeries, months of rehab and a six month hiatus from the website I’m ready to get back to work reporting on new activities and adventures plus regular updates. June 1st seems a good time to look forward to summer plans, both locally and across the country.

Crested Butte - Eric - For Blog

Photo and new header provided by

Crested Butte, Colorado resident Eric Yackel

Following a banner year of snowfall the mountains in Colorado promise to be a popular summer destination. Wildflowers should be plentiful and exceptional. Rafters anticipate ample snowmelt for an exhilarating and extended season. Festivals fill summer days with everything from classical music to extreme sports.

Let’s all get out there and Travel USA.

Duke’s Bakery–Alton, Illinois

Leave a reply

Disappointment at Duke’s

During our short visit to Bob’s hometown we drove the streets of his old neighborhood and shared memories. As we headed down Henry Street we point out Aunt Helen’s house, where the funeral home was a decade ago, churches family members attended. And, there’s Duke’s Bakery in the same location since 1951.

Duke's Bakery Interior

We reminisce about how Grandma Mary used to always bring a couple of gooey butter cakes when she came for a visit. One would be consumed immediately and one frozen for a future indulgence. No where in Denver could we find a coffee cake quite like Duke’s.

Deciding we could share one with Aunt Eleanor and family we doubled back to the bakery. The cases were filled with sweet treats including a couple of gooey butter cakes. My selection was easy; Judy chose large iced sugar cookies for each of us.

With the first cookie bite we knew these were going to have to be dunkers. We’d assumed the pumpkin shapes were in honor of Thanksgiving but now think they might have been left from Halloween.

When I cut into the cake a few hours later I immediately felt a stab of disappointment. The cake was dry and obviously several days, if not a week, OLD. Shame on Duke’s!

*Travel Log*–November 26, 2010

Leave a reply

Meeting Harry

Bob and Judy Meet Harry

We stopped in Independence, Missouri today to visit the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. Ever the politician, “Harry” was happy to pose for pictures with Judy and Bob. Portrayed by historian Niel Johnson, the former president greeted visitors and discussed the challenges he faced while in office (1945-1952) including North Korea. Isn’t it interesting that six decades later the same challenge remains a major world concern? Later in the afternoon “Harry” held an impromptu news conference, deftly fielding questions from museum visitors.

The AAA Tour Book recommends allowing 2 hours minimum for a visit to the Truman Library and Museum. We would recommend a half-day, after two hours we needed to hit the road knowing that we had only completed a cursory overview.

Upon entering we were told about the scheduled showing of two films. Unfortunately we were not told there was a great deal of redundancy between the films. With limited time we wish we had only seen one of the movies and had more time in the permanent exhibits.

A 15-minute introductory movie relates Truman’s life up to his inauguration and exits into the museum’s extensive core exhibit, Truman: the Presidential Years.

Oval Office - B

The replicated Truman oval office includes the famous “The Buck Stops Here” sign atop the desk.

*Travel Log*–November 25, 2010

Leave a reply

Thanksgiving 2010

Forget the cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie for this year’s Thanksgiving. The only turkey we saw was one on a diner’s head in the Village Inn in Colby, Kansas.

Turkey Hat Front - B

Turkey Hat Profil - B

              Gobble, Gobble

The gentleman was proud to tell us he had enough similar hats to wear a different one every day of the month. Can you imagine? I think it’s fortunate there’s a holiday for him to feature Tom Turkey.

Bob and I plus my sister Judy spent the day driving east from Denver along I-70. With a promising weather forecast we decided to make a road trip to central Illinois for a special family event. Limited holiday dining options in western Kansas found us having a noontime breakfast at a Village Inn.

Bob and PIzza - BWe stopped for the night in Abilene, Kansas. The helpful desk clerk at our hotel made several calls trying to find an open restaurant – to no avail. After a drive through town we opted for a “To Go” pepperoni pizza from Casey’s General Store. Thankful and mighty glad to indulge in something hot.

With a desire to chalk up mileage we didn’t take time to stop for photographs but we’ll remember the day with mental images: an every increasing number and size of grain elevators plus covered mounds of additional grain awaiting sale or storage, fields girded with stone fence posts, a lone working aged windmill with hundreds of 21st-century wind turbines on the other side of the Interstate, tall church steeples raising above the plains, and a thousand birds rising as one from a barren cottonwood.

A very different, but pleasant Thanksgiving. We have just as much to be thankful for as if we had indulged in turkey with all the trimmings including pumpkin pie.

Colorado Fall Color – October 5, 2010

Leave a reply

LaVeta Pass – US160

Aspen on LaVeta Pass - B

Drove US160 from Fort Garland to Walsenburg crossing LaVeta Pass, elevation 9413’. The aspen were gorgeous, as nice as we’ve seen this year. The yellows were bright and shimmering. While some groves had already dropped their leaves there were still some holdouts awaiting their change. Splashes of orange enhanced the stunning slopes. There was one glorious stand of orange aspen right along the road on the north side near the summit. We didn’t stop for pictures because the thickening clouds were only minutes from precipitation. LaVeta Pass, properly known as North LaVeta Pass, is an easy drive over the Continental Divide in Southern Colorado.

If you’re anywhere near the area in the next week check out the autumn color.

Aspen on LaVeta Pass 2 - B

Artist of the Day – Taos Quick Draw Artists

1 Reply

10th Annual Quick Draw and Art Auction

Taos Center for the Arts – September 25, 2010

Quick Draw Today - B 

Paint Brushes - B Couldn’t pick just one from the dozens of Taos artists taking part in the 10th Annual Quick Draw and Art Auction so we salute all the participants and their creativity. Paint brushes, tubes of paint and  sculpting tools stand at the ready as the noon hour approaches. Local artists in a wide range of media begin work on creations that must be finished on site by 3pm. Patrons and browsers wander among the easels and work tables chatting, asking questions or just standing back to watch the process as each work takes shape.

Leigh Gusterson Cropped - BAt 2:50pm we hear the announcer, “Artists, you have ten minutes to finish your work.” As each piece is completed, signed, and framed they are taken to the finish line. The public can view, appraise and sign up for a bidding paddle. The auction starts at 4pm, action lively and sometimes quite competitive. Proceeds benefit the Taos Center for the Arts which provides facilities, programming and education in the visual, performing and media arts.

In the morning we viewed the shows comprising the Taos Fall Arts Festival. Quick Draw offered an opportunity to see many of Doug Scott - Bthe artists in action whose works we’d admired in the shows.. An ever changing gathering watches as horses charge across Doug Scott’s canvas. Ed Sandoval’s personality and painting quickly draws a bevy of art enthusiasts as he captures a Northern New Mexico fall scene. Pat Woodall intensely adds vibrant colors to his Ranchos church. We stop to watch Leigh Gusterson whose art we frequently admire.

In addition to painters, sculptors, potters and jewelry makers work in stone, glass, wood and silver. Live music and an appreciative audience add to the festive Pat Woodall - Batmosphere on a perfect autumn afternoon in Taos.

Ed Sandoval 2 - B

 

Taos Artist of the Day – Angie Coleman

1 Reply

Angie Coleman

Woodblock Prints, Oils, Pastels

 

Angie Coleman Studio - B

Taos artist Angie Coleman is well known for her woodblock prints. The image of each relief print is produced from the raised surface of a woodblock. As each color is printed more of the background is carved away. One block is used for each limited edition.

The process intrigues me, I can’t imagine the vision and planning required for each new creation. As each layer is chipped away there is no going back; one slip of the chisel and the result is changed. The process produces subtle variations with each print.

Coleman graduated from the California College of Arts and Crafts and has been included in many national juried shows. Her work received the best of printmaking award at the “2007 Taos Invites Taos Show” and the Harwood Museum purchase award in the “Originals New Mexico Show” in 2007. In addition to woodblock prints she also works in oil and pastels.

Angie Coleman's - Winter Scenes - B Many of Coleman’s subjects reflect her years of living in Taos, New Mexico and her love of hiking and camping in the mountains ofColorado and New Mexico. We’ve collected a number of her works over the last ten years. Each day we enjoy Coleman’s images of chamisa, golden aspen, antique truck and rustic adobes in our home. Add to that today’s purchases of two winter scene miniatures and her last available print of Apples and Adobes.

When in Taos visit Angie Coleman in her working studio/gallery at 207 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur, two blocks south of Taos Plaza and immediately north of McDonald’s. The studio is generally open Monday thru Saturday, call 575-779-4658 to confirm hours. Visit her website for more details on the woodblock process and the “Gallery” pages to see the range of her work.

Apples and Adobes - B

New Mexico Fall Color – September 23, 2010

1 Reply

Cimarron to Taos

US64

Aspen Promises - West of Angel Fire - B

Aspen Glow - B Green predominates through Cimarron Canyon. Views from Eagle Nest include splashes of colors on Wheeler Peak. As soon as the road turns west from the Angel Fire intersection the promise of fall color increases. Twisting up Palo Flechado Pass many of the aspen are in transition, some green leaves edged with yellow. The peak is yet to come but scattered groves gleam golden or a lone tree absolutely glistens.

Proceeding down Taos Canyon roadside color enhances with yellow-topped chamisa, silvery white dried seed heads, multi-hued grasses and red and orange shrubs against a background of dark green pines.

Roadside Color with Chamisa - B

 

 

 

Further down the canyon willows and cottonwoods add a palette of yellow and gold. A number of artist studios along the route welcome visitors. Combine autumn and art for a engaging tour.

Bright Aspen - West of Angel Fire - B