Steak, lobster, chicken, trout: Gourmet fare at a dude ranch in Colorado Springs
By Eileen Ogintz COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — We are at over 8,000 feet up a steep gravel road from Colorado Springs in the Pike National…
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The Ranch at Emerald Valley – history, charm, family-central by The Broadmoor
Today, all that is left of the Nanny’s cabin is the foundation and a huge stone fireplace after a fire many years ago. Camp Vigil is now The Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley.
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A quick fall getaway to Vail. Forget something? The Antlers can substitute most anything
Unlike most rental condos, The Antlers at Vail come equipped with aluminum foil, plastic wrap and containers, a fully equipped kitchen and more. The location also can’t be beat—at the Lionshead base area a short walk on a pedestrian path from Vail Village.
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Better and best: Thoughts on our last day rafting the Grand Canyon
Everyone is glad to have been unplugged from the news for a week, didn’t mind the mitigations that are the result of the Pandemic and are genuinely glad to be here
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Rafting the Grand Canyon with Western River Expeditions
We are diverse group of 32 (not including four guides) on this seven-day rafting adventure in the Grand Canyon, from across the country and generations.
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Pizza in Aspen? Pizza in Heaven? This is Colorado
The Gant Aspen not only is Aspen’s only condominium hotel that offers food and beverage right here, but the new artisanal take out pizzas from Boulder’s popular Boss Lady Pizza has proved a huge hit on weekends.
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To a unique family-owned Montana ranch
A visit to Flathead Lake Lodge, just south of Glacier NP, this pandemic summer is about a lot more than learning a new sport or upping your skill, visiting kids say, especially after being stuck at home for months.
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Families give Paws Up high marks
Suha Jhaveri opted for a mom-son road trip to the Resort at Paws Up, where they stayed in a huge safari-like tent
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Chuckwagon caps a day of weather challenges
When it rains, you just soldier on as we did horseback riding and riding ATV vehicles
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A cold summer rain can’t stop the fun: Paws Up
At least we are cozy and dry in our tent. That’s right—our tent. electricity, an in-suite bathroom, and heated floor.
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At Glacier National Park: a Covid summer like no other
Glacier National Park is only partially open this Covid summer. No park lodging. Eastern side closed completely. So be prepared for scarce lodging, food, even hiking options
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Flathead Lodge: Kids discover friendships and much more
After months sheltering at home, “This place encourages you to make new friends,”
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Best Bacon Ever: On a breakfast trail ride
“The breakfast ride is my favorite thing at the ranch. Breakfast tastes so much better,” says Sydney Byrne, 17, a guest at Flathead Lake Lodge in NW Montana
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Three generations, 75 years: The Averill family and Flathead Lake Ranch
Flathead Lake Lodge is much more than a lodge – it’s a ranch, farm and acre upon acre of wilderness and lakefront.
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A huge menu at Flathead Lake Lodge in Montana
What should we today? that’s the biggest decision a guest must make with nearly two dozen activities—including those just for kids and for teens.
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Flathead Lake Lodge copes well with Covid Summer
At Flathead Lake Lodge, rather than 125 people spread out in 22 cozy log cabins and the main lodge, there are 83, including 30 kids
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On the Road – Covid Summer 2020: 1st stop Jackson Hole; it’s cold, rainy and tourists and businesses are coming back
ckson, of course, is the gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. This time of year, the town should be buzzing with tourists, including many from overseas. Summer is high season—typically.
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Let’s hear it for moms everywhere (grandmas, too!)
Happy Mother’s Day! If there ever was a time to thank moms for all they do it’s this year, as we celebrate the strangest Mother’s Day ever
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Back to Vista Verde Ranch – snowmobiles and more fun in the snow
Welcome to Vista Verde Ranch near the tiny Colorado town of Clark and about a 40-minute drive from Steamboat Springs-and a world away from the busy ski town where you have to jockey on the slopes for a place to sit at lunch time.
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Under the Devil’s Thumb, a guest ranch for XC, snowshoe and spa lovers
We see that giant snow-covered thumb as we are getting a Nordic classic ski lesson at Devil’s Thumb Ranch, a four-season resort on 6,500 pristine acres about 75 miles west of Denver and 15 miles from Winter Park and its famous downhill slope
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Fun in the snow off the slopes
Spring also is a great time to come to the slopes with plenty of sunshine, warmer temperatures and late season deals
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Beyond the slopes of Beaver Creek, special treats for kids and grownups
I’m in the elevator at the Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa in my hotel-issued robe heading downstairs to the Spa Anjali for a massage. Incidentally, the treatments are focused on three healing mountain traditions—the Rockies, Alps and Himalayas.
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To a special Jamaican villa
The experience, of course, is entirely different, as I discovered. Think being on a mega cruise ship with morning-till-night activities vs. your own private yacht with a staff to cater to every whim
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Food and dining in Vail CO meets everyone’s tastes
Food certainly has come a long way at ski resorts, including options for those who are Vegan, Vegetarian Gluten Free. But it is expensive
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Seeing San Antonio like local families
At the state-of-the-art Naylor Family Dinosaur Gallery at the Witte Museum in San Antonio, where you can step inside a cast of an Alamosaurus footprint at The Dino Lab. What’s different from other dinosaur exhibits? This one is focused on ancient creatures that called Texas home, including ancient fish, turtle and, yes, a full-size Tyrannosaurus rex.
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At this Jamaican villa you won’t go home disappointed
Villa rentals here and elsewhere in the Caribbean have become increasingly popular for extended families looking to get away together. The difference from other popular shared accommodations: A staff to see to your every need—and whim.
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When rain upends your plans on a cruise ship
Weather can derail the best-laid plans. We almost didn’t make it to San Diego and the Oosterdam before she sailed, in fact, because of canceled flights
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On an annual old girlfriends’ getaway – to a fab villa in Jamaica with our own butler and chef
Welcome to Sundown Villa in Discovery Bay, Jamaica right on the ocean. This five-bedroom house adjacent to another two-story four bedroom house, is owned by Gordon “Butch” Stewart, the founder and chairman of Sandals Resorts International.
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The good eats on Holland America’s Oosterdam
If you’ve been aboard a cruise ship lately, you have probably noticed that fitness centers are getting larger while midnight buffets are disappearing
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Rain happens: Making the most of it on a cruise ship
Shore excursions typically go rain or shine — and it’s raining. Pouring actually. We had thought we would go explore before our Sunset Sail but it didn’t look like there would be much of a sunset
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#BestTamalesEver? Try the sweet corn in Matazalan on a local food tour
We are in Mazatlan, Mexico, the second port on our New Years’ cruise aboard the Holland America Oosterdam and we have forsaken a cruise tour today to see the city with a local, through its food.
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Are resorts boring? Some kids think so. This one begs to differ.
The day we were in Los Cabos, we visited Grand Velas—a luxe 307-suite all inclusive resort that also was at capacity with 800 guests, more than 300 of them children.
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On a cruise to Mexico – learning culinary arts, history and culture
This demonstration is part of a larger port-to-table initiative just started and being piloted on the Holland America Ooosterdam
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#BROADMOOR = #BESTHOLIDAYBRUNCH; #BESTKIDSBUFFET
The Broadmoor Christmas brunch also takes tremendous effort. The denouement: The huge chocolate fountain just waiting for strawberries or marshmallows.
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On the newest, glitziest ship afloat
Welcome aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Encore — nearly 1,100 feet long and large enough to accommodate nearly 4,000 passengers and 1,735 crew.
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Rethinking holiday eats
Many families, it seems, are forgoing the traditional home-cooked holiday feast for a restaurant or, like Claridge, a different sort of family celebration. It may be the first year after a divorce or death in the family or simply the desire to do something different.
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Sunday brunch at Safta: eclectic Middle-Eastern cuisine in Denver
Safta, from James Beard Award-winning Executive Chef / Partner Alon Shaya offers signature modern Israeli cuisine, combining the flavors of Morocco, Lebanon, Palestine, Bulgaria and Turkey
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San Antonio has a new kind of “Pearl”
Pearl is the new go-to area of San Antonio – a 22 acre mixed use space for housing, shopping, dining, a year-round farmer’s market, riverside amphitheater and the third campus of the Culinary Institute of America
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Fairmont dominates a hip new downtown Austin
We recently stayed at the year-old, 37-story Fairmont Austin, situated by the lush greenery of Palm Park and Waller Creek, with 1,048 rooms and 60 suites.
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In Denver: learning to make tamales for the holidays
Tamales are a traditional holiday treat in a lot of the American Southwest and South of the Border. I’ve loved them since I was a kid growing up in Texas. But I never knew how to make them.
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A New Adventure: Re-Learning How to Scuba Dive in Belize
I had been to Belize once before on a venture grant from Colorado College six years ago when I last went scuba diving
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In Denver, a huge new taste of Maine!
Maine Shack in Denver has a devoted following who come for the five varieties of Lobster Rolls, chowder and much more
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To Belize for sun, sand and adventure
Belize boasts more than 500 species of fish and marine life. The water is so clear you can see the reef, sea turtles, rays and more from a kayak too
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To a kid-friendly Vancouver
Welcome to the Kids Market on Vancouver’s Granville Island, which draws 10 million visitors annually to its famous public market, restaurants, theaters, galleries, studios and pop-up stores
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A Visit to Lamers Dairy In Appleton, Wisconsin
Lamers Dairy and Store is family owned and operated since 1913. Five generations of the Lamers family have worked hard to produce the highest quality milk products that are distributed under the Dairyland’s Best name and Farmer’s Best home delivery service
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A family vacation in Turkey
People are first amazed by Turkey’s warm hospitable atmosphere, pristine beaches, nice weather, affordability, and the family-friendly resorts are difficult to beat
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Bringing home the Halibut in Alaska
I’m still dubious when we put the baited and weighted hooks in the ocean. They go down 200 feet but immediately one person gets a bite… then another… and another
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Peace, Solitude, Activity, Yums, more — at Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge
We’ve canoed and hiked a mile through the forest and canoed some more across Addison Lake where the salmon are spawning, thinking we might see a bear snacking along the shore
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All the good eats aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner
No wonder the fitness center is so busy at 7 am—when people are on vacation.That’s because aboard the Regent Seven Seas Marinerthe food is not only plentiful but delicious
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Kids Take Alaska Aboard Regent Seven Seas Mariner
When it comes to dinner, Alex (short for Alexandra) Makaev, 9, says that when she is aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner she prefers Dover sole or Black Angus filet mignon.
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Fairmont WaterFront in Vancouver: The Bee’s Knees
Welcome to the Fairmont Waterfront, which takes that commitment seriously — complete with 250,000 bees producing 125 pounds of honey every year.
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A Wok Around Vancouver’s Chinatown
We are in a Chinese herbal medicine store, one of 11 here in Vancouver‘s bustling Chinatown, which is one of the largest in North America. There are fish bladders, all varieties of ginger, hair moss, ginseng…
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Visiting Sandy Springs GA: What To Do, See, And Eat With Kids
Sandy Springs is fast become the go-to area for families looking for something fun and unique right outside the thriving metropolis of Atlanta
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To Philadelphia and America’s most historic square mile
Philadelphia is a terrific place to celebrate our country’s birthday. Not only can you walk in the footsteps of the Founding Fathers and mothers (maybe even meeting one or two), but you can also celebrate big time with the Wawa Welcome America Festival, starting June 29
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Dinner and drinks in a Galaxy Far Far Away
Fans of “Star Wars” can now join Jedis in training in drinking inter-galactic blue milk at Disneyland and, beginning August 29, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando
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Meet Carly Copley, the star of the Fairmont Copley Plaza
Carly Copley does her job supremely well. She allows the pats on the head, the selfies and even walks-and-talks with equanimity. Of course her team updates her adventures on Facebook and Instagram
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Looking to Plan a Last-Minute Vacation? Dude Ranch!
Still looking for a great summer vacation? Dozens of fabulous dude ranches in the western US are offering great deals and incredible family adventures
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Never tried cruising? Now’s the time!
It turns out that the vast majority of people recently surveyed about vacations who have never been on a cruise — 94 percent — said they’d like to try cruising.
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Rating our way across San Francisco
San Francisco is a terrific city to encourage kids to experience new foods, starting with dim sum where they can point to what they want to try on the cart and commit to just a bite or two, starting at $6 for a portion
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Taking the Kids — to Portugal
Portugal, it seems, is drawing more Americans and American families. It’s safe. It’s affordable and there is great food and wine, of course. And plenty of sunshine.
