Guadalajara's Hospicio Cabañas Fab Faberge Exhibition

Imperial Russian treasures displayed in magnificent Spanish Colonial landmark

The opening reception of the Society of American Travel Writers' 2009 convention took place in Gaudalajara's magnificent, monumental Hospicio Cabañas. Originally a hospital and refuge for the homeless and the helpless, and later an orphanage, it now houses the Cabañas Cultural Institute and its schools for arts and crafts, and it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Aficionados of Spanish Colonial architecture know it for its grandiose presence in the heart of Mexico' second-largest city. Art lovers revere the brooding, dramatic murals painted by Jose Clemente Orozco more than 120 years after the building was completed. Much of Orozco's work in his native country was destroyed, because it was considered to dark and too violent, but masterpiece remains.

That we would see Orozco's work in the Hospicio Cabañas was no surprise. What was a surprise is that at the end of the opening event, someone casually mentioned that the Faberge collection would be left open for us. If you read Spanish better than I do, click here for more information on the exhibit. I have no idea how long this magnificent exhibition of Romanoff treasures will be open, but I was thrilled to have seen it. Photography was permitted -- under the watchful eyes of armed guards --but I was too busy looking and trying to puzzle out the key parts of Spanish descriptions of each object to try to take lots of pictures, and some that I snapped through glass didn't come out all that well. There were, of course, jewel-encrusted compacts, cigarette cases and more; paintings and paper documents; swords and scepters; garments and opulent geegasws, and an intruiging explanation of the role the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis had in protecting (or something) Romanoff treasures when as an editor with Doubleday, she shepherded a book on the topic.

Nearby Mountains Cooler Than the Front Range

Higher elevations = cooler air = relief from daily temps above 90 degrees

Temperatures in the Denver -Boulder area have hit the mid-90s every day for what seems like weeks and weeks -- though unlike the Northeast, where I grew up, the humidity doesn't match the temperature. Even in the height of summer, pockets of snow remain at high elevations, and cool air makes hiking a joy when you start early to beat the high, searing sun on the ascent. Here are some recent getaways within a two-hour drive of Boulder to which we have escaped in the last few weeks:

Ypsilon Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, July 4, 2008

Blue Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness, July 10, 2008


Lake Isabel, Indian Peaks Wildnerness, July 14, 2008

Wilder Gulch, Vail Pass, July 19, 2008

Lake Dillon, between Frisco and Silverthorne, July 20, 2008

Bear Lake-Lake Odessa-Fern Lake Loop, Rocky Mountain National Park,

July 22, 2008

TSA is Reaching Out to Children as Future Recruits

The Transportation Security Agency must be planning to be around for a long time, because it seems to be reaching out to children and appeal to their career aspirations. That's what James the Future Gringo discovered when he got a gate pass to help his mother manage her carry-ons at Denver International Airport. His blog post has several delicious observations and theories as to what this is all about. His efforts to obtain a yellow "DEN Junior TSA Screener" sticker were admirable but fruitless.

Meanwhile, I wonder whether these stickers are for real -- or whether someone with a mischievous but devious mind ordered them from a custom-sticker outfit. Whether the stickers are genuine or a joke, if you are as much of a fan of the TSA as I am (and as James seems to be), you definitely want to click on his post.

Guadalajara: A Wet Welcome

I arrived in Guadalajara on Thursday afternoon for the Society of American Travel Writers' 2009 convention. The sky was gray, but it was not raining when we landed. I know this for sure, because the airport (GDL) does not have jetways (or does not have jetways for all aircraft, and passengers descended dry stairs and crossed a dry tarmac to reach buses that took us to the terminal. Soon affter we boarded buses that would take us to our hotels, it started drizzling.

Then, it started raining harder -- and then harder still. The bus driver kept off the elevated highway and took lower roads -- I would call them service roads. Before long, each road resembled a river. Passing vehicles generated waves of water that washed over curbs. Cars and trucks stalled in water-filled intersections. People huddled under bus shelters and in doorways. I wondered whether Guadalajara had a single functioning storm sewer.

I managed to get only a couple of vaguely decent images through the bus window and the downpour.

Astonishingly, the roads were dry the next morning. I don't know where all that water went, but I'm glad that it did.

Travel Thumbnail #2: Frisco Historic Park & Museum

This is the second of a series of periodic reports on specific places I've visited -- and which you might want see to as well. Post a comment or let me know directly what you think of this new Travel Babel feature.

The Place: Frisco Historic Park & Museum, CO

The Story: This museum and local park containing a complex of historic structures from Frisco's mining heyday is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year -- and next year, the town of Frisco itself turns 130. I've passed the old schoolhouse with the "Museum" sign many, many times, but it was usually before or after skiing, which meant the museum wasn't open, or when I didn't have time to stop and look around. A visit last week was enough to convince me that I had missed a genuine Colordo high-country treasure.

Many local small-town museums are a jumbled hodegpodge of anything anyone chose to donate, from genuine historic treasures to old trash. Unlike such museums, which do have their own funky charm, Frisco's is sensibly laid-out, well lit, clearly labeled and truly informative -- in short, it was curated, not thrown together.

The museum (built in 1899 as a saloon, later the town's schoolhouse, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places) features a working railroad layout (put a quarter in the slot and watch the train go around), old school desks that children love to sit in and a variety of such displays as glass-cased objects from the Swan River Valley's past. Recent civil engineering history spotlights the construction of the nearby Dillon Dam and Eisenhower Tunnel. In the natural history realm, there several taxidermed specimens of local fauna.

Beside and behind the museum are nine relocated buildings. The oldest is an 1860 cabin, before there really was a Frisco. Others range both chronologically and functionally from the 1881 jail to the 1943 Log Chapel. Most date from the 1890s, and all contain additional historic displays from mining, ranching and trapping in the valley. Household goods, furnishings, clothing, the role of women in the valley, ski history and more are documented. Some structures also include recorded, push-botton audio narrations in voices from the past. In all, it is extraordinarily well done.

Tips for visiting: If you are interested in American history, Western history, Colorado history or mining history, be sure to allot a couple of hours for your visit.

Cost: Free

Coming Event: The museum's official silver anniversary celebration of the park and museum takes place August 15-17, 2008, featuring an art and antique show, an old-fashioned ice cream social and live music.

More Information: The Frisco Historic Park & Museum is located at 120 Main Street; 970-668-3428. Click here for the museum's own audio-video preview, or see my almost-silent movie by clicking on the image below. It is my first effort at including a video segment, so please excuse an amateur's technical inadequacies.



Summer hours (May-September), 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Winter hours (October - April), Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Closed Monday. The park tself is open, even when the buildings are closed.

Frisco's Main Street is roughly parallel to Interstate 70. Take exits 201 or 203, and follow the signs.

Weirdest Air Travel Instructions Yet

"Present your picture ID and boarding pass."

"Place all liquids in a one-quart clear plastic zipbag."

"Remove your laptop from your carryon."

"Empty your pockets."

"Remove your shoes."

"Board only when your row is called."

"Do not leave your luggage unattended."

"Report any suspicious behavior to an airline employee or TSA representative."

"Fasten your seatbelt."

"Stow your carryons completely under the seat in front of you. or in the overhead compartment."

Now comes a new request of air travelers: "Use the restroom before boarding the aircraft." Huh? Is this like your mother telling you to "go potty" before getting into the car?

Actually, according to a CNN report, it is All Nippon's request that is part of its environmental stewardship policies. "We are making these items lighter -- and making the passengers lighter, a little bit," All Nippon's Megumi Tezuka said. The airline estimates that if 50 percent of passengers relieved themselves before boarding, it would reduce carbon dioxide by 4.2 tons a month. Flights will also show educational films on the environment, according to CNN.

What's next?

2009-10 Ski Season About to Start

Single-digit October opening dates signal beginning of lo-o-o-o-o-ong season

Colorado's Loveland (top right) is starting lift operations on Wednesday, October 7, and Arapahoe Basin (bottom right), just on the other side of Loveland Pass, gets going on Friday, October 9. Loveland's first trails to open will be Catwalk, Mambo, and Homerun served by the triple chair from the Loveland Basin base for a 1,000-vertical-foot top-to-bottom run for the earliest season start in 40 years. A-Basin will open the Exhibition chairlift to the public at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. October 9 is the earliest date in its history. Skiers and riders will start with 18-inch base on the intermediate High Noon run and six features in the High Divide Terrain Park. After a day's eager edges, who knows how the snow will hold up? Loveland stays open through the second weekend in May, while A-Basin keeps going as long as there is snow on the ground and butts on lifts. June is not uncommon; July is not unheard of.

If you're itching to start making turns (and unless you have your own rock skis), this might be the time to rent boards for the day. Breeze Ski Rentals' Dumont location is offering daily ski and snowboard rentals for only $5 a day for kids' or adults' Basic Sport packages from Wednesday, October 7 through Sunday, October 11. There won't be any black-diamond terrain open, so basic will probably be just fine. The rental shop is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reserve online or call 303-567-2087.

On the outskirts of Sin City, Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort, which claims a location just 45 minutes from the Strip, opens limited terrain at 12:00 noon on October 7 -- seven weeks ahead of schedule. You might say that this a lucky seven sign for Western skiing this winter.

And in California, Boreal Mountain Resort (originally called Boreal Ridge) has announced an October 10 opening date, also the earliest in its history. It plans to operate just on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during this super-early season. Back East, fall foliage is at its peak, with some resorts operating their lifts for leaf peepers rather than snowriders.