Lois and Richard Friedland have lived in the foothills of Colorado's Rocky Mountains, 35 minutes from downtown Denver, for more than 25 years. Lois is an award-winning freelance journalist who specializes in travel, skiing and golf. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Travel and Leisure, Dallas Morning News and Colorado Avid Golfer. Lois was About.com's Adventure Travel Guide for seven years and a coauthor of Frommer's 500 Adrenaline Adventures guidebook. She has written a Frommer's guide to Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs; and she has contributed sections to several Fodor's Colorado guide books. Richard is an avid outdoors-man who particularly enjoys skiing, golf and tramping through the woods. He has a passion for the arts and is rarely without a camera.
The terrain at Snowmass, Colorado, is so vast that it would be hard to ski or snowboard every run more than once in a day. There are about 150 miles of trails spread over 3,332 acres of terrain. Even better? There are plenty of choices: 21 lifts move you around runs, glades, steeps, terrain parks and halfpipes. Where to begin?...
As great as Beaver Creek is for skiing, the summer and fall seasons are just as special. You can relax and do little; or mountain bike, hike among the wildflowers, take jeep tours, play golf, or go horseback riding — all amidst spectacular scenery. Beaver Creek Resort opened for the 1980-1981 ski season and has become one of the premier...
Rafting the Arkansas River, zip lining at Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, wine tasting and hiking … all surrounded by spectacular views are fun for people who want to go adventuring near Colorado Springs. These activities are located in and around Canon City, called the “Corrections Capital of the World” for its 13 prisons or “gated communities.” But, more important...
Mountains march through the Mountain States of Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, creating vast playgrounds for active travelers. But, tucked among the mountain ranges are flatlands with entertaining cities, including culture-rich and sport-minded Denver. Mountain States: Colorado A playground climbing more than a mile high Colorado is so much more than a $4.8 billion-dollar ski industry and legalized cannabis. The...
You’ll never ski or snowboard everything at Vail (unless you’re a ski instructor who has worked here for 15 winters). But you can reach all Vail terrain from two gondolas and lots of chairlifts. Trails, glades and vast bowls stretch more than seven miles and 3,500 vertical feet. The area is so large — with roughly 5000 skiable acres —...
Vail’s ski runs are green in the summertime, and mountain bikers fill gondolas and chairlifts with bikes rather than skis attached. Travelers hang out on patios at lunchtime listening to laughing kids on inner tubes floating down the stream through town. Plan a trip around a festival, schedule a visit to coincide with Bravo Vail outdoors concert, or block off...
Beaver Creek has a lot going for it in winter, including a great layout of trails and sufficient skiing and riding for all levels. Also, because it’s a bit too far from Denver for a quick day trip, it’s generally less crowded than Breckenridge, Keystone and Copper or Vail and Beaver Creek. Beginners learn on a network of green and easy...
Take a Telluride time out with this 2 day itinerary. It would be easy to spend a month here. Over time Telluride has transitioned from a rough and tumble mining town where Butch Cassidy robbed his first band, to a small, funky ski town to a full-blown resort. The original town sits at the base of ski slopes, and there’s...
Durango, which grew because of mining, ranching and the railroad, is located in Colorado’s four corners area — about a hour’s drive from where Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona meet. Imagine walking where Ancient Puebloans (formally known by the Navajo name, Anasazi) trod, or peering down hundreds of feet as the train chugs along a track clinging to a canyon...
A Rocky Mountain National Park road trip along Trail Ridge Road is worth the effort. The highest continuous paved highway in the world climbs more than 4,000 feet to reach 12,183 feet above sea level. Around every bend is another chance to photograph breathtaking scenery. Visitors normally start the 3-4 hour drive in Estes Park after picking up a Trail Ridge Road...
Grand Junction, an outdoors city in a beautiful setting, offers so much that you could easily spend your entire summer vacation here. You can hike past fossils, take a day trip to Dinosaur National Monument or join MyGatt-Moore expeditions and dig for bones. The region attracts hikers and bicyclists who enjoy exploring wine country and red-rock canyons. And many short...
Head to Cherry Creek, Denver, for haute couture, easy-fit jeans and tops, or unusual one-of-a-kind crafts. (If you are staying downtown, Cherry Creek is easily reached by cab.) With more than 300 shops and galleries in the Cherry Creek Mall and Cherry Creek North, plus a large number of great restaurants, you’ll find enough to satisfy a shopaholic. Start at...
Want to see Denver’s best in just half a day? Say you’re in Denver on business or heading up to a mountain resort, and you only have a few hours or half-day to explore. You’re in luck. We’ve got you covered with an art district just five minutes from downtown, and quiet foothill walks, brewery tours and lively pedestrian malls....
You can’t explore Denver in two days, but these highlights turned Denver into a destination instead of a quick stop on the way to the Rockies. Day 1 can be done without a car. Day 2 is easier with a car but you can always take a taxi or Lyft. Mix and match activities between the two days. If you’re...
Ready to escape Denver, explore nearby mountain towns and take in a Red Rocks concert? A short drive to Morrison and Evergreen offers opportunities to hike, enjoy dramatic mountain scenery, and walk main streets where Denverites escape to and smart Coloradans live. Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre Start in Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, where you can hike or watch...
Take a Denver art walk. Its vibrant art community is spread around the city, so you’ll have to choose which museums, galleries and artist’s studios you want to explore. Spending a day at the Denver Art Museum and the adjacent Clyfford Still Museum. Peek into Golden Triangle galleries and catch working artists in the Santa Fe Art District. Where to...
The region around Colorado Springs really rocks for families; kids are entertained while adults have a good time. Mix and match a walk or hike alongside The Broadmoor Seven Falls; a train to the top of Pikes Peak; heading underground in The Cave of the Winds; exploring the Manitou Cliff Dwellings that ancient pueblo Indians built more than 800 years...
Gold was discovered in Colorado’s Cripple Creek in 1890, and as a result, it and nearby Victor grew into large mining camps which produced more than $500 million in gold. Today, with the exception of an open pit mine near Victor, most mining operations have ceased. The 44-mile mountain drive to Cripple Creek from Colorado Springs is spectacular. In 1991...
Play for days and indulge your senses in Colorado Springs and the surrounding area. Hike in the Garden of the Gods, get cooled from the spray at The Broadmoor Seven Falls, and take the cog railway to the top of Pikes Peak. To hit the highlights, a minimum of two days is necessary. The attractions are spread over a wide...
Summertime in Breckenridge and Summit County at the top of the Rockies has a different vibe. Visitors eager to hike up mountainsides rather than slide downhill, ride in jeeps or ATVs to ghost towns and play in adventure parks designed for adults and kids. If you’re heading to the high country, wrap your visit around a festival. The resorts —...
We were scuba diving with some dolphins of Freeport,Grand Bahama.
In an instant the dolphins disappeared and a group of sharks came into the area.
We’ve learned to be flexible and open to know adventures. If you take a wrong turn, unexpected surprises will be waiting for you.
We prefer traveling together and often with friends because sharing reactions to new places and adventures enriches the experiences.
Treat it as a chance to look around and see where else our travels take us and who else we might meet.