Aspen Area Hotels at the Base of the Slopes and the Peak of Design

Sky in Aspen and the Viceroy in Snowmass display high style

Just 24 hours in the Aspen area gave the the opportunity to stay at the  super-cool Sky Hotel at the base of Aspen Mountain and attend a reception at another, newer Viceroy Hotel at the base of Snowmass. I'd been to events and had drinks at the Sky before but never stayed there, and I had a hardhat tour of the Viceroy last summer and popped in quickly to look at the lobby last December but never spent any time there. Both of these hotels abound with imaginative design and high style.

Sky Hotel

The Sky Hotel at the foot of Aspen Mountain is famous around town 39 Degrees, its swank, sophisticated lounge, great cocktails, light bites and desserts, huge fireplace and comfy couches and chairs, making it a popular après-ski spot. It's quieter in the summer (at least at the beginning of the summer season), and I didn't have time to linger in the lounge or the adjacent patio. Instead, I checked in for one night and headed straight for my third-floor room before I had to zip out again for a meeting.

The mattress was comfortable, the pillows abundant and the bed linens smooth.

Nice work area with well-lit desk, plenty of outlets, a comfortable swivel chair and a retro ski-fashion poster to gaze at.

Nothing unusual about the small bathroom's standard layout -- tub/shower on one wall, sink and vanity on the other and toilet between them opposite from the door. But quality amenities, more good lighting and soft towels are really what count.

Plush animal-print bathrobes and slippers (complete with price tag to underscore that they are available for purchase) are part of the Sky Hotel's cool factor.

Instead of a mini-bar, there's clear drawer to tempt guests with snacks. I wasn't tempted, because I was heading for a that cocktail reception at the Viceroy. And then, I checked out the next morning.

Viceroy Hotel

When I was in the Aspen area last summer, I was given a hardhat tour of the Viceroy Hotel in Snowmass' new Base Village development. The hotel was to be completed in time for the 2009-10 ski season. And it was. Without a camera, I nevertheless took a quick look at the lobby in December.

A group meeting in Aspen last week held a cocktail reception at this new hotel that has set a new standard for Snowmass Village. In winter, its location at the bottom of the Snowmass ski runs makes it a busy place. On a weeknight before Memorial Day weekend, our group had the place virtually to ourselves for a terrific cocktail party with great drinks, bubbly, wine and beer and first-rate hors d'oeuvres. It was crowded and excessively noisy, as these events inevitably are, so I took only few pictures when I could grab a clear shot of something.

Don't let the one person sitting on a banquette near the front entrance give you the impression that it was uncrowded or quiet in the adjacent spaces. The back wall is a line of aspen trunks upon which the initials of the organization partying there were projected.

Well-stocked and well-lit back bar. The front bar starts in the lobby and continues into the lounge, an interesting, seamless design.

The glass-walled wine storage unit serves as a room divider.

The catering staff put on a splendid spread, but I arrived too late to shoot most of the food before it got picked over and was no longer pretty. It was very food, however, with small pizzas, salads, Mexican items, sushi, a carving station and more -- something for everyone.Below is a cheese selection, and below that is the dessert table.

With a sampling like this, I hope to get back to the Viceroy and get a feel for what it's really like when there are overnight guests and no big private party occupying the lobby level. From the website's home page, click on "Photo Gallery" for the hotel's fine images of its public spaces and accommodations.

Carousel of Happiness Turning in Nederland

Laid-back mountain town's great new attraction is worth a visit

Nederland, just 17 miles west of Boulder, retains a reputation for being a hippie town. Yesterday its new era as a happy town began when the Carousel of Happiness started to turn, the calliope started to play and the face of the community broke into a smile. Yesterday's grand opening brought praise for carousel creator Scott Harrison from national and Colorado carousel aficionado's organization officers and from the mayor, and from Harrison for all the individuals, foundations and local businesses whose generosity enabled him to finish a 25-year project. 

The backstory is fantastic. In 1985, Scott Harrison, a Nederland resident, began carving and handpainting carousel animals, and a year later, bought and set about restoring the workings of an old merry-go-round that long ago graced the Saltair amusement park near Salt Lake City. Since then, with determination, inspiration and idealism, Harrison kept carving and painting animals, restoring the mechanism, and building an energy-smart, 12-sided structure to house it. Over the years, Harrison’s dream became Nederland’s dream. A cadre of dedicated local volunteers joined him to help the project along, investing sweat both equity and financial support.

Why a carousel? When Harrison was in Vietnam with the Marine Corps in Vietnam, his sister sent him small music box that played Chopin. It had a clear side so that the mechanism was visible while the music played. Coming back from patrols, the mechanism and the music were an antidote to what he had seen. The Vietnam vet has since sought to make the world a more peaceful place. In 1975, against all odds, he and his wife, Ellen Moore, founded and co-directed Amnesty International’s Urgent Action Network to respond to genocides and other human crises around the globe. It now has tens of thousands of members worldwide.

His efforts are now more community-focused. Nederland artist George Blevins, whose angels decorate the carousel house, says of his friend’s upbeat project, “The carousel is one more insane dream in a crazy world. Now let’s finish this and do world peace.”

When my husband and I attended a fundraiser foe the carousel, he bought $20 worth of raffle tickets and won a coveted first ride. With warm childhood memories of Connecticut carousels, I invoked spousal privilege and asked for the first ride. Here I am, in the blue cap, waiting for the first tide to commence.

The day made for one warm, wonderful party, with free entertainment by a local marimba band and free Italian sausages, hot dogs and popcorn. A Native American group came to chant, drum, dance and celebrate with Scott Harrison. Hundreds of people gathered around, greeting old friends and making new ones -- and drinking in the atmosphere of this handsome carousel and the grand opening festivities when west side of the Caribous Shopping Center, where the carousel is located, was turned into one big party area..

The Carousel of Happiness operates daily during the warm months, and sequestered in a well insulated, energy-efficient carousel house, it will operate in winter too -- at least on some/most weekends and holidays. Rides are just $1. Don't miss the great gift shop either.

Images of Egypt: Cairo Street Scenes

A regular tourist's glimpse at Cairo street life

The view from any motorcoach window is of an exotic, vibrant city. There's nothing unusual or privileged in these images, which were all taken with a point-and-shoot on common tourist routes from venue to venue. Excuse the occasional glare, reflection or shaky focus. Of course, there is a modern Cairo too and many citizens who go about their business in Western garb, but these images are more interesting and more, well, Egyptian.

Along the Nile

And no, this drive-by didn't make me homesick

I Fought Jet Lag and the Jet Lag Won

Cairo to Colorado: nine time zones and an 11 1/2-hour flight just to reach New York

For the record, I rarely have serious jet lag flying eastbound across the Atlantic. It's always an overnight flight with a morning arrival on the other side, and whether it's a short or long flight, and I sleep well on airplanes (especially if I've had a bit of wine with dinner on board). More to the point, I'm excited to land someplace new or someplace I've been before and love. The adrenalin kicks in upon landing, I stay awake all day, go to sleep the first night and wake up my first full day wherever, more or less adjusted.

Westbound is another story entirely. Departure is during the day (usually late morning), arrival on the East Coast is sometime in the afternoon and, now that I live in Colorado, the day stretches even longer because I have another flight and two more time zones.

In the past I've tried:

• Melatonin - No significant effect on me.
• No Jet-Lag pills (right), an over-the-counter, homeopathic formulation that I buy at Changes in Latitude, a local travel store. It seemed to work a little better, but I forgot to get some this time.
• Flying from the US West Coast, which means for longer flights, which is even better for my body clock on the eastbound portion but makes the westbound trip even longer, because I have to backtrack one time zone.

I have not tried:

• Sleeping pills, mainly because on principle, I don't take sleeping pills on land, let alone in the air. I'd rather be tired than drugged.
• The anti-jet leg lag diet, because it's complicated and requires a multi-day regimen of meal manipulation.

This time, flying from the West Coast was not an option, because Egyptair only flies from New York. And I rejected melatonin, which I have at home, because it doesn't work all that well for me and besides, I recently read a post on Upgrade: Travel Better about a traveler who was jailed in Dubai for possession of of melatonin. Egypt and Dubai are not the same place, law-wise, but they might be on the same Moslem wave length. If it worked better for me, I might have put some in an aspirin bottle, but it doesn't, so I didn't.

My epic return journey from Cairo to Colorado on Tuesday, February 10, was as follows:

• 7:30 a.m.: Departure from hotel in Cairo.
• 8:00 a.m. +/-: Arrival at airport to stand in long line for baggage X-ray/metal detector just to get into the terminal. Once inside, long line to check bag and get boarding pass. Long line for X-ray of carry-ons and stroll through metal detector. Short line for Egyptian passport control. Wait for boarding.
• 10:15 a.m.: After a third X-ray/metal detector process that included TSA requirements (shoes off, laptop out of case, discard bottled water except that sealed and presented with a receipt from an airport shop) and another presentation of the boarding pass to an official stationed on the jetway, boarded the plane for the scheduled departure of Egyptair 985 from Cairo.
• 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time: Arrival at JFK International Airport. Mercifully short line for immigration, bag landed on the carousel fairly quickly, walk through customs and on to Delta terminal.
• 6:55 p.m. Eastern Time: Departure of Delta 167.
• 10:46 p.m. Mountain Time: Arrival in Denver, which meant that I got to the main terminal and baggage claim a few minutes after the 10:18/10:25 RTD bus left for Boulder. I toughed it out for the bus an hour later. As I walked toward the bus, whose door was open, my water bottle fell out of the side pocket out of my day pack, which I had over one shoulder. I bent over to retrieve the water bottle without smashing my laptop against the concrete, and when I stood up, the bus was pulling out.
• 11:35 p.m.: I gave up on RTD and took SuperShuttle, which dropped me off at my door an hour later.

My failed Wednesday, February 11, attempt at combating jet lag, which is the point of this post, involved waking up at 3:30 a.m. after less than four hours of sleep, staying up all day even if not hitting on all cylinders, attending a media event in Denver (I didn't drive and I didn't drink) and going to bed at 8:45 p.m., shortly after I got home. Result: Another short night (I woke up at about the same time on Thursday, February 12 but took three lengthy naps in the course of the day and evening. I woke up in the wee hours again today (Friday, February 13), but at least I've overcome my sleep debt, even if I'm not over jet lag yet.

I am trying to draw a conclusion or learn a lesson from this, but so far, I haven't succeeded. I do know that seeing Egypt's incomparable antiquities was worth the jet-lag misery. And at the end of the travel day, that's all that matters.

Affordable Aspen

You can spend a lot or a little in Colorado's most glamorous resort town

I just returned from a couple of days in Aspen, the first time in several years during the non-snow season. As I wandered around town, which is pretty quiet until Food and Wine Classic in Aspen rolls in during the third weekend in June, I was struck by the contrast between how much luxury is available and how many options there are for a very affordable visit. Locals and visitors alike have more options than the stereotype would lead people to believe.

Getting Around

Some people drive around in the town's many Cadillac SUVs, Lincoln Navigators, Audis and BMWs.

Others use the exemplary RFTA public bus and van service with free or cheap transportation around town and down-valley.

Still others use two wheelers -- motorized and otherwise. Downtown Aspen has designated parking spaces for motorcycles and scooters.

Dining Out

Some of the most elegant and/or stylish restaurants, best chefs, most attentive waitstaffs and priciest menus can be found in Aspen.

But so can informal and reasonable bakeries, cafes and even a few remaining hole-in-the-wall restaurants, as well as the famous Popcorn Wagon, permamently parked at the corner of Hyman and Hunter.

Shopping

Dior and Gucci are right next door to each other on Galena Street.

Across the street is The Gap.

 

And  around the corner are fantastic consignment shops with designer and brand-name clothing for a song. It helps to be a size 6 or less.

Lodging

I don't even have to do a compare-and-contrast visual here. Off-season lodging prices are ridiculously low in the off-season to begin with, and through October 31, the Perfect Summer promotion gives you a third night free when you book two nights -- or a fourth night free when you book three. In addition, you'll get a Perfect Summer Pass for deals on arts and cultural events, outdoor adventures, dining and nightlife and spas for Aspen/Snowmass style pampering. A page on the website lists current specials in Aspen and nearby Snowmass. Book through Stay Aspen/Snowmass by calling 888-649-5982 or Emailing info@stayaspensnowmass.com.

Family Activities

I can't think of a much better family deal than an all-day $59 ticket for two adults and two youngsters to ride the Silver Queen gondola to the top of Aspen Mountain, an ideal place for a family hike on a high peak and a picnic. Some activities do carry an additional charge, but there are also free ones. The free mountaintop obstacle course course is full of natural and man-made obstacles like logs, rope swings, cargo netting and more that is fun and challenging for the whole family. Also free and a whole lot of fun is the silver mine sandbox where kids can go back in time to the turn of the century and Aspen's silver mining history. Dig in the silver mining sandbox to uncover silver nuggets of all shapes and sizes. They can take small silver nuggets as a souvenir. All of these free activities operate daily from June 18 to September 6.  You must buy family day tickets must in person at the Aspen Mountain ticket kiosk.

Additional free kids' activities on Aspen Mountain are offered on a weekly rotating schedule: the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies live animal program, Mondays, 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.; the Jammin' Jim show and juggling workshop, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.; and storytelling, Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. And for folks who love bluegrass, there are free concerts with various local and national groups on Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m.

Have fun!

Look! Up in the Sky. It's a Canopy of Stars!

Summer stargazing in Utah national parks

The clear, dry desert air makes for great astronomical opportunities. Below are three programs you can take part in with National Park Service rangers and volunteers to help you identify and understand what you are seeing through the telescope.

Cedar Breaks National Monument. With some of the nation's darkest night skies, Cedar Breaks National Monument celebrates and shares the beauty of these "ebony skies." Monthly “star parties" (June 10, 12 and 14; July 8, 10 and 12; August 7, 9 and 11; September 6, 8 and 10) are conducted by park staff and astronomy volunteers with a special evening program in the campground amphitheater, followed by star viewing through several large telescopes at Point Supreme. Admission is free. For more information, call 435-586-0787 or 435-586-9451.

Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce Canyon National Park's Night Sky Team is a national program stationed at Bryce Canyon that has, in the park service's words, "an attitude toward the conservation of one of the last great sanctuaries of darkness." Each night 100 to 300 visitors gather around telescopes to look up at the universe. Viewing programs are offered three times a week and monthly full moon hikes end with stargazing through telescopes. The cost is $10 - $20. The 10th Annual Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival (July 7-10) is a four-day event packed with activities for all ages. They include the planet walk, model rocket building and launching, presentations by national park rangers, and of course, star-gazing and constellation tours. 435-834-5322.

Natural Bridges National Monument. The National Bridges National Monument spanning southern Utah and northern Arizona is known for three of the world’s largest natural stone bridges, originally formed by stream action in White Canyon. Of course, if the Colorado River had not been dammed to created Lake Powell, there might be more such bridges that are now submerged. In any case, the Monument was designated as the world’s first International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association. Each summer the Astronomy Ranger conducts Night Sky Programs at The Lees Ferry Campground in the Glen Canyon Recreation Area. For more information and a full schedule, call 435-692-1234.

Egypt: Parking and Pollution

The automotive age challenges the land of the pharohs , the pyramids and the Nile

Cairo and Alexandria weren't built for vehicles. There's no room for them on ancient city streets. The highways and arterials are chronically congested. And when drivers want to park, there's no place for them all. As in the fast-sprawling cities of all developing countries, vehicles have become a necessity. Cairo has a two-line subway system, but average people ride buses and vans that spider out to place beyond the subway's reach. I haven't seen one that wasn't jammed. Passengers cram in -- all but sitting on the drivers' laps. Those who can afford to do so take taxis. The one I took last night from the Khan al-Khalili market area to the hotel had no shocks and, how shall I put it?, a well-broken-in back seat. I don't want to think about what came out of the exhaust pipe. And people who can really afford it have private cars.

Add to the traffid the steady flow of pedestrians who dart among vehicles at whim making moves that would probably get them run over in most countries, and in the middle of the mix, in some neighborhoods, are donkey carts, market stalls set up in the street and the ubiquitous roadside tire changers and car repairs . Traffic jams are traffic jams, but I can't resist sharing a few images of creative parking as practiced in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt's two largest cities, that give eloquent testimony to the country's vehicular woes.

Parking Practices

Drivers park their cars bumper to bumper, up on the sidewalk, out in the street, wherever -- both a symptom of too many cars and a contributor to congestion.

Sharing the Road

As a bonus, I present the image below. Note that the cart is going against the traffic on a divided roadway:

Further Fall-Out: Bad Air

Wicked pollution (below), which harms health and damages buildings. This morning, the pollution layer is clearly visible from my 17th floor hotel room. I can enjoy the antiquities and ambiance of contemporary and traditional Egypt, and then leave. Millions of people must endure the air that is making my eyes sting and my throat hurt. A very sad byproduct of modern times.