Father and daughter enjoy a thrilling ride down the Alpine Slide in Breckenridge. © Aaron Dodds / Vail Resorts

The heat is on, so explore the 33 options for all generations and every interest around Colorado’s ski communities.

By Dan Leeth

When it comes to winter thrills, Colorado ski resorts offer nearly everything snow lovers crave. But just because skis and boards have been mothballed for the summer doesn’t eliminate reasons for visiting slope-side resorts.

Here are 33 summer adventures to be found around Colorado’s top ski communities. Like the trails and terrain, we’ve categorized activities by difficulty—family-friendly easy greens, more-challenging intermediate blues and adrenaline-infused advanced black-diamonds. Pick a pursuit and have some fun.

Aspen/Snowmass

Ride a horse to lunch
Colorado is cowboy country, so an appropriate way to visit the state’s most photographed peaks may be atop a horse. Four-hour lunch rides to the Maroon Bells from T-Lazy-7 Ranch clomp through glades where deer, moose and the occasional bear can often be spotted below three of Colorado’s famed fourteeners.

“Right in front of us is Pyramid Peak,” guide Meghan Little points out. “We’ll see it for a bit. We’ll see the Maroon Bells for the rest.”

At Maroon Lake, guests enjoy box lunches beneath Colorado’s iconic crags. It’s then time to hoof it back.

Bike the Rio Grande Trail
Like most successful mining towns, Aspen grew with help from a railroad. The bygone tracks now serve as a 42-mile bike trail connecting Aspen to Glenwood Springs. The route parallels the Roaring Fork River. Most is paved, and it’s downhill nearly the entire distance.

“When you coast, you coast a long, long way,” chuckles Aspen Meadows Resort’s Doug Crawford.

Once in Glenwood Springs, bicyclists can hop a RFTA bus back to Aspen. Regular coaches hold four bikes in front-mounted racks, and during summer months, there are special, high-capacity bike buses available.

Paraglide off a mountain
The scariest aspects of paragliding off Aspen Mountain are takeoffs and landings. Between those earth-touching events, participants simply sit back, suspended thousands of feet above the ground.

“Smooth as riding the most comfortable lawn chair,” promises Alex Palmaz, of Aspen Paragliding.

Tandem flights begin atop a black-diamond ski run. Harnessed to pilots, participants bound toward what appears to be an abyss. Wings fill, and the pair becomes airborne. Riding rising thermals, Aspen paragliders often reach altitudes loftier than neighboring 14,000-foot peaks. The lawn chair flight ends with a feet-down or seat-first landing.

Beaver Creek

Take a nature hike
Come summertime, the on-mountain Spruce Saddle Lodge offers picnic tables, lawn chairs and calendar-worthy views. Arriving by chairlift, it’s tempting to simply relax and take it all in. But alas, there are trails to tread. Every summer morning, guides from the Beaver Creek Hiking Center lead free, one-hour Nature Valley Spruce Saddle Loop Hikes.

“We talk about the local history, flora and fauna,” explains director Nate Goldberg. “It’s a very interpretive nature hike.”

Those craving more exercise can hike back down on one of the resort trails, with several designated for hikers only.

Zip across a canyon
A platform sits on the rim of Alkali Creek Canyon. Across the abyss stands another. Between them stretches a steel cable. Adventurers clip on and step off, their bodies zinging across the void.

“It doesn’t matter how you’re coming in,” guide Teller Emmer of Zip Adventures assures everyone. “We’ll stop you no matter what.”

Zip Adventures, which operates from a ranch near Wolcott, offers six lines. Each stretches farther or higher than its predecessor with one that’s 1,000 feet long and another topping 20 stories above the canyon floor.

Scale a fourteener
Reaching the summit of a 14,000-foot peak involves hours of gasping for breath while trudging mile after mile up seemingly unrelenting slopes. It hardly fits Beaver Creek’s “not exactly roughing it” motto.

“We’ll be finishing up with drinks, chips and a nice cold towel,” beams hiking director Nate Goldberg. “That’s not roughing it.”

The Beaver Creek Hiking Center offers weekly ascents up a selection of Colorado fourteeners. With gear provided, the trips provide hikers with a hankering to get a chance to stand atop one of the state’s 54 loftiest summits.

Thrill-seeking mother and daughter scream down Breckenridge’s Gold Runner Alpine Coaster. © Leisa Gibson / Vail Resorts

Breckenridge

Scream down an Alpine coaster
With most amusement park rollercoasters, they control the speed. On Breck’s half-mile-long Gold Runner Alpine Coaster you do. The rides, which can be done either solo or in two-seaters, begin with a drop down a long straightaway. Excitement ignites around the first hairpin. Riders soon scream through enough banked turns, dips and twists to make a sidewinder squirm. Some come at ground level with others elevated. Pulses pound, wheels zing, G-forces rip and hands grip brake handles, futilely resisting the temptation to pull. The base area landing comes all too soon.

Mush sled-dog scooters
Huskies are born to pull, and lacking snow and sleds to tow, they get bored. To provide summer action, Orion Paiement of Snow Caps Sled Dogs has his pups pull mountain scooters.

“It was just to get the dogs some exercise,” he says. “Low and behold, it started to become pretty popular.”

Orion harnesses two dogs per scooter, and eager to get going, they tug and yelp until riders release brakes. At full trot, speeds can reach 25-35 mph. Orion warns that this is his highest risk activity with participants required to wear helmets.

Hike a mountain ridge
The Ten Mile Traverse offers what has to be the most ambitious way to get from Frisco to Breckenridge. The route follows the crest of the Ten Mile Range from Peak 1 near Frisco through Peak 10 at the Breckenridge Ski Area.

“It’s definitely a black diamond hike,” says Chris Tennal, formerly of Breckenridge Mountain Outfitters.

Between Peaks 1 and 4, summits are jagged and the scrambling serious. The terrain then mellows into a hump-slogging ridge walk. From Peak 6 onward, it’s possible to quit early and descend through the ski area.

Copper Mountain

Zip across a pond
Some zip lines can be downright intimidating. For folks wanting to try zipping with less apprehension, Copper Mountain’s Alpine Rush offers a friendly launchpad. The 300-foot run stretches a mere 30 feet above West Lake in Copper’s Center Village. The Alpine Rush offers two parallel lines, allowing zippers to race each other at speeds Copper claims may reach 30 mph. With no age restrictions for riders weighing between 50 and 260 pounds, the Alpine Rush may provide an option for youngsters too young to participate elsewhere.

Rediscover Lost Lake
Across the interstate from Copper Mountain lies the Eagles Nest Wilderness, an untrammeled place to get away from it all. A bridge walk over I-70 leads to the Gore Range Trailhead. After briefly paralleling the highway, the route turns into the backcountry where trees muffle road noise. A spur trail leads to Wheeler Lakes, a pair of ponds in a grassy setting. The main path continues upward into a world of forest, grass and rock. Five miles in, hikers discover Lost Lake at the base of a ridge. It’s a scenic lunch venue before the hike back down.

Train for terrain parks
It may be summer, but for those who want to perfect terrain park tricks, Woodward at Copper allows winter to continue. The facility consists of a 19,000-square-foot “barn” split into a Gym-Cross Zone with trampolines and spring floor, a Snowflex Zone with skiable carpet and a Skate/BMX/Inline Zone for skateboarding.

“To be able to learn in a safe context with somebody showing you the ropes can make all the difference in the world,” says head coach Giri Watts.

Woodward offers week-long summer camps with some even geared to adults. On weekends, Woodward opens to the public.

Crested Butte

Chase rainbows (plus browns, brooks and cutthroats)
As an observant fly fisherman once noticed, trout live in beautiful places. One of Colorado’s piscine Edens is south of Crested Butte. The Gunnison River’s subsurface residents include rainbows, brooks, browns and cutthroats. Experienced anglers don waders, tie on a fly and cast lines toward lunkers. For neophytes, the best way to sample the sport is to hire a guide from a local outfitter such as Dragonfly Anglers. Not only do they provide equipment, lunch and instruction, but they’ll also help unsnag hooks from streamside vegetation.

Float the Taylor River
Most streams rage with runoff, than taper down as snow disappears from the mountains. Because a dam controls flows on the Taylor River southeast of Crested Butte, the river offers decent rafting well into the season.

“We’re at the top, so all the water comes through here,” explains John “Vito” Covelli of Three Rivers Resort. “It doesn’t get diverted until it goes below us.”

The upper Taylor is Class III with rapids bearing ambitious monikers such as Toilet Bowl and Tombstone. The lower river is more family friendly.

Climb Guide’s Ridge
Serious rock climbers don’t like long hikes. That’s why in Europe, many popular climbs begin from the top of chairlifts. A similar experience awaits on Crested Butte’s Guide’s Ridge.

“You don’t get this kind of lift service to amazing Class IV rock climbing anywhere else in the U.S.,” boasts Tiffanie Simpson of Crested Butte Mountain Guides. From the top of the Silver Queen chair, the route ascends an axe-edged arête to the summit. There’s plenty of exposure, but guides keep participants roped at all times. Then it’s back to the lift for the ride down.

Enjoying some quality family time on the paddleboats in Keystone. © Bob Winsett / Vail Resorts

Keystone

Pedal a paddleboat
It’s easy to miss Keystone Lake. This five-acre pond lies hidden behind the hotels and condos bordering U.S. 6. For those who find it, Adventure Center at Lakeside Village rents family-fun paddleboats.

“The boats can fit four people,” explains employee Tiffany Novak. “Two in front pedal and two in back hang out and feed the ducks.”

Powering paddleboats is like riding a bike. While the effort required is not strenuous, pedal pushers can still get a fair workout, especially when friends decide to race each other.

Paddle a kayak
Along the shoreline of Dillon Reservoir, flat-water sea kayaks maneuvering quietly over the surface give paddlers intimate views of the local bird and animal life. One- and two-person kayaks can be rented from the Frisco Marina with reservations strongly recommended. They also rent canoes.

For those who prefer guided trips, Kayak Lake Dillon offers 2½- and 4-hour family-oriented journeys on the water from the Frisco Bay Marina.

Pedal the park
The sign cautions “Mandatory Air Required,” and it’s not referring to oxygen. It’s a warning about the drops to be found on some of Keystone Bike Park’s gnarliest routes.

“Our black- and double-black-diamond trails are really what has driven our reputation as a bike park,” brags park supervisor Lloyd Morsett.

Perhaps the best known of the park’s 55 miles of mountain bike pathways come in the Drop Zone, a series of ridge-descending alleys with free falls that can launch riders up to 22 feet. Bikers preferring jump trails to big drops will find that Keystone offers plenty of those, too.

William Barney rides a Diggler Mountain Scooter at Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort. © Dan Leeth

Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort

Drift down in duckies
Nicknamed “duckies,” inflatable kayaks provide a splashy way to cool down on a hot summer day with no previous paddle experience required.

“If you’re comfortable around water, we put you out there with a guide-instructor who teaches you all about it and helps you out if you fall into the river,” explains Alex Mickel of Mild to Wild Rafting.

The craft offer the stability of a raft and maneuverability of a kayak, ideal for low and medium water runs down the Animas, which can include rides through several Class II and one Class III rapid en route.

Scoot down in Digglers
It looks like a skateboard mated with a mountain bike. Called Digglers, these heavy-duty scooters have front shocks, disk brakes and knobby tires. Instead of a seat, there’s a skateboard-like platform to stand on.

“We found it’s best to take a wide, snowboard-style stance on it,” Dane Hunsworth of Durango Mountain Resort explains. “That way you get even weight on both tires.”

Lifts haul scooters and riders up to where a designated Diggler trail awaits. Riding down, flexed knees absorb shock, brakes control speed and if things get totally out of control, no seat post makes bailing out a breeze.

Backpack to Chicago Basin
Perhaps psychoanalysts can explain why some folks willingly trade resort comfort for the opportunity to lug loads to campsites high in the San Juans. Maybe it’s the grandeur of places like Chicago Basin. There are two trails to this high altitude Nirvana. One leads up Vallecito and Johnson Creeks to Columbine Pass. The other begins at Needleton, a whistle-stop on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Either way, the endpoint is a lush vale where flowers speckle meadows, deer, elk and mountain goats roam hillsides and a trio of 14,000+ foot peaks reflect sunsets at day’s end.

Steamboat

Indulge an uplifting experience
If there’s a problem with hot air ballooning, it’s that flights take place at the crack of dawn.

“We meet right after the sun comes up,” says Ian Cox of Wild West Balloon Adventures. “We put heat into the balloon and take off.”

Flights last 45 minutes, during which time passengers enjoy eagle-like views of town and country while drifting quietly in the currents. Serenity disappears when burners ignite and roaring flames fill the balloon with more uplifting heat. Add in champagne toasts at flight’s end and the early awakening becomes downright tolerable.

Gallop into the wild
There are two ways to camp in Colorado wilderness. One is the DIY route where everything’s packed on one’s own back. The other is to have horses do the work. Del’s Triangle 3 Ranch offers the latter.

“We ride to a base camp that’s already set up with wall tents and wood-burning stoves,” explains Perk Heid. “We fish rivers around camp the first day. The next morning we ride up to the Continental Divide and fish high mountain lakes.”

Saddle times run two-four hours per day, and packers do all the cooking. Alferd Packer should have had it so good.

Grunt-out the Gore Pass Gruel
To a bicyclist, a 100-mile “century ride” is considered a long distance. The Gore Pass Gruel is even farther. The 111-mile loop begins with a crawl over Rabbit Ears Pass on U.S. 40. It’s then clear sailing almost to Kremmling. The route turns onto Colorado 134, scaling Gore Pass on its way to Toponas. From there, a windy ride down Colorado 131 leads back to Steamboat Springs.

“It offers a challenge and feeling of accomplishment,” sighs bicycle technician Bill Martorano of Steamboat Ski & Bike Kare. “It’s a good, tough ride.”

Telluride

Fly without a motor
The altimeter reads 13,100 feet. Below sprawls the Telluride Ski Resort. Beyond lie creeks, cataracts, lakes and the treeless summits of the San Juan Mountains.

“I had a passenger say they felt as if they’d fallen into a postcard,” Glider Bob recounts as he pulls the stick and the sail plane changes direction.

While Bob’s hybrid glider has an engine for takeoff, it’s shut down at altitude and the propeller tucked away. Floating silently with the thermals, a glider ride is the closest most humans will ever get to mimicking a hawk in flight.

Learn to rock climb
There are two ways to learn rock climbing—1) go with friends or, 2) be taught by pros. Hiring professionals is generally safer.

“All it takes its one time doing something wrong, and you have the potential for an accident,” argues instructor Peter Inglis of the San Juan Outdoor School. “We take beginners to places where they can challenge themselves and not be too afraid.”

One such spot is the Ophir Wall, where beginners can learn knots, commands and how to safely move up the mountain. Friends will be impressed.

Traverse the Via Ferrata
Telluride’s Via Ferrata follows a ledge high up the town’s box canyon cliffs. While sidewalk-wide in places, its narrowest points could be measured in inches. There, hikers clip to cables so that if they falter, they don’t fall far.

At the appropriately named Main Event, the ledge temporarily disappears, requiring hikers to spider across a sheer cliff on rungs bolted to the rock. With a skyscraper-worthy drop down, this is not the place for the acrophobic.

“Some people get really spooked,” admits Joe Eppler of Telluride Mountain Guides. “On the way back they’re a bit more comfortable.”

Hikers on the Columbine Pass Trail in the Chicago Basin of the San Juan Mountains. © Dan Leeth

Vail

Forage for fungus
Vail’s AAA Four Diamond Four Seasons Resort offers mushroom hunting in style. In August, they bring in Fungal Jungle expert Larry Evans to host Mushrooms and Mercedes experiences. After morning slideshows, participants ride in Mercedes SUVs to nearby Shrine Pass where they scatter through the forest searching for ‘shrooms.

“The variety we have in Colorado is really amazing,” Larry assures everyone. “There are about 10 different species of mushroom for each species of plant.”

After lunch, participants retreat back to hotel’s Flame Restaurant where chefs sauté some of the wild gatherings.  A mushroom-rich dinner follows.

Inhabit a hut
For anyone worried about having too much luxury in their lives, the AAA Three Diamond Manor Vail Lodge offers their Backcountry Experience Package. Guests spend three nights at the resort with a fourth night coming in a 10th Mountain Division backcountry hut.

Accessed by trail, the huts are shared by 16 people and come equipped with wood burning stoves, propane burners, mattresses, pillows, cooking and eating utensils. Guests bring their own sleeping bags and food.

“It’s an opportunity to experience both the mountains and a great mountain town destination,” explains spokeswoman Nicole Whitaker.

Kayak the Colorado
Kayaking comes in two basic flavors—sea kayaking and whitewater. Alpine Quest Sports serves up the latter.

“We do both group and private lessons,” says Sean Glackin. “We take you to a nice calm lake, go over the basics and get you comfortable with your equipment. We follow that up with a full day on the Colorado River.”

The river day includes Class I and II rapids where students practice paddle strokes, bracing techniques and how to read currents and recognize hazards. The waves aren’t large, but for whitewater neophytes, they’re big enough to get the adrenaline pumping.

Winter Park

Slide Colorado’s longest slide
The snow may be gone, but it’s still possible to slide the slopes of Winter Park this time on Colorado’s longest Alpine Slide. Riders pilot wheeled carts down a pair of 3,000-foot-long concrete chutes that snake down the mountainside. One is a slow lane for poke-alongs and parents with small children. The other is Ferrari fast, where the fearless and foolish attempt to scream down without touching the brakes.

“We don’t recommend that,” warns spokeswoman Rachel Anderson, “It’s just up to how big of a thrill you’re looking for.”

Play disc golf
Mark Twain allegedly declared conventional golf to be “a good walk spoiled.” Maybe if he’d tried disc golf at Winter Park, he would have found it to be a fine excuse for a good hike. Disc golf is like the Tiger Woods variety except that instead of whacking balls toward holes in the ground, disc golfers toss Frisbee-like discs toward elevated targets. The player with the fewest strokes/throws wins.

“It’s a great workout because you’re walking and running all over the place,” says Winter Park’s Rachel Anderson.

Pedal the Trestle
Winter Park and the Fraser Valley long ago declared itself to be Mountain Bike Capital USA. For riders craving purpose-built thrills, Winter Park Resort offers its Trestle Bike Park.

“We’ve been the fastest growing bike park in North America for the past three years,” says manager Bob Holme. “We’re second only to Whistler.”

One of its signature hard-core rides is the Trestle Downhill, a single-track race course that’s rocky, rooty, narrow, fast and steep. Another is Cruel and Unusual, a single-track trail with a combination of jumps and elevated wooden berm turns. Both promise to test bravado.

Writer/photographer Dan Leeth is a lifelong adventurer who has hiked, camped, backpacked, skied, slid, floated, crawled, climbed and dangled over canyons, deserts and mountains around the world. He lives in Aurora with his equally adventurous wife and their two stuffed rattlesnakes. A collection of his work can be found at lookingfortheworld.com

Tourists look at Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park. © Karl Weatherly/Getty Images

The Rocky Mountains cut through America’s West, and a road trip from Colorado through Wyoming to upper Montana is an opportunity to witness the progression of these massive peaks while visiting four national parks. What better way to add to the experience than booking rooms at the historic lodges along your route?

By Christine Barnes

Click to enlarge.

After a one-lane road opened to Estes Park, Colorado, in 1907, F.O. Stanley, of Stanley Steamer automobile fame, decided to build a grand hotel and shuttle guests in his Stanley Steamer Mountain Wagons to Estes Park and his new enterprise, The Stanley Hotel.

Today, drivers’ only care is the price of gas on the 1½-hour trip from Denver via I-25/U.S. 87 north to CO-25 then on to Estes Park. Estes Park has grown into a congested tourist town; yet, the first sight of The Stanley Hotel remains as impressive as it was one hundred years ago.

The hotel opened in 1909, and Rocky Mountain National Park was finally established in 1915. From that moment on Estes Park was known as the gateway to the park. The elegant Colonial Revival hotel had already been recognized as the place for discerning travelers.

The main lounge and lobby of the historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo. © David M. Morris

Step through the beveled glass doors into the exquisitely appointed lobby, and your only wish is that tourists circa 2013 dressed as stylishly as they did in 1909.

Stephen King may have been inspired to write The Shining after a stay at The Stanley, but today the hotel is anything but creepy. Restored over the past two decades, it is a statement piece of architecture that says the surrounding Rocky Mountains may be rugged, but your stay at this hotel will be anything but that.

The hotel markets the paranormal, and guest rooms include “haunted rooms,” among them the Stephen King Suite 217. I prefer sleeping sans ghosts; my favorite rooms are in the front over the verandah. Not only are the views lovely, but also on more than one occasion, I have had a front row seat to a summer wedding. The Stanley is one of the state’s great nuptial venues.

Those wedding receptions and conferences have meant the transformation of historic rooms such as the original dining room, billiard, and smoking lounges into more profitable spaces while leaving the architectural integrity of these spaces. Piano recitals are still held in the Parlor on a Steinway grand piano (a gift from F.O. Stanley to his wife, Flora). The Cascades restaurant offers fine dining, and a more casual menu along with “historic” drinks is served at the Whiskey bar and lounge. A large patio in the back offers a place for lunch or an evening cocktail, although the hands-down best spot for a beverage is on the expansive front verandah.

The 40-room Lodge at The Stanley was originally called The Manor, and was built for “gentlemen guests.” A miniature version of the grand hotel, today it opens it doors to pets and their (male and female) owners.

Hotel ghost tours are popular, but I prefer the historic tours led by museum docents. Visit The Stanley Museum in lower Stanley Village below the hotel where you’ll find a restored 1909 Stanley Model R Roadster, priceless exhibits and virtual tours of both the ghost and historic tours.

The Stanley calls Rocky Mountain National Park its backyard, and indeed, it is. A highlight of the park is the 48-mile-long Trail Ridge Road (U.S.34) from Estes Park through the park to Grand Lake. The “highway to the sky” reaches a high point of over 12,000 feet, and can be part of your journey to Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.(Be aware that Trail Ridge Road is closed from mid-October and sometimes to mid-June due to snow. RVs are not allowed.)

The park-to-park trip can be made in one very long day, but breakfast or lunch at the 1920 Grand Lake Lodge at the end of Trail Ridge Road or a stay in Steamboat Springs on U.S. 40 are both good choices.

Beyond Steamboat at Craig take CO-13 north that becomes WY-789 when you enter Wyoming. Once you reach I-80, head west toward Rock Springs, then north on U.S 191. I like to enter the park through the upscale ski town of Jackson. At Moose Junction take Teton Park Road and stop at the Visitor Center at park headquarters. Once oriented, follow Teton Park Road to Jackson Lake Lodge. Stop at every pullout. Keep your camera ready. Do not rush. Unfolding before you is one of the country’s heart stopping vistas. Unlike other ranges, the Tetons simply soar from the meadows: suddenly, their jagged silhouette is there with pristine lakes reflecting the glorious panorama.

The Grand Lounge at Jackson Lake Lodge offers spectacular view of the Tetons. © David M. Morris

No one was more taken with the Teton Range than John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and his wife, Abby. The park was first established in 1929, and its expansion in 1950 included land Rockefeller secretly purchased. The Rockefeller involvement did not stop there. Jackson Lake Lodge, Rockefeller’s “gift to the American public,” opened five years later. The International-style concrete and glass structure, designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, surprises many visitors. Not an outwardly elegant edifice or rustic log lodge, this building is all about showcasing grand views.

Pull under the porte-cochere (front portico), enter the modern registration area then head up the stairway. Here is the Jackson Lake Lodge moment. Before you, at the end of the Grand Lounge, perfectly framed in 36-foot high plate glass windows is the Teton Range with 12,695-foot Mount Moran standing front and center.

While this is the centerpiece of the lodge, Indian artifacts are displayed in the cathedral-like Grand Lounge and Blue Heron cocktail lounge. Priceless murals line the interior walls in the rustically elegant Mural Dining Room. Make reservations for dinner here then try the Pioneer Grill for comfort food served at the longest counter in the West.

There are 37 guest rooms in the lodge, but a stay in original 1950’s motor court-style units brings back memories of national park tours taken in the family station wagon.

I love this park in June when offspring of the abundant wildlife make their way into the world. While the park is full of hiking trails, view points, and roadways, park rangers are often on hand right at the lodge terrace to point out animals and birds.

The John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway (U.S. 191) links Grand Teton to Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park.

Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park sits on a vast volcanic plateau chocked full of geothermal wonders, cascading waterfalls, soaring mountains, and 50 species of mammals. Simply put, there is no place like it on earth.

The lobby of the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park. © Danita Delimont/Alamy

Naturally, the lodging options are as varied as the terrain. Go for the rustic wonder of Old Faithful Inn built next to its namesake, Old Faithful Geyser or opt for the neo-classical serenity of Lake Yellowstone Hotel along Lake Yellowstone. Better yet, stay at both! If you turn left at West Thumb junction you head to Old Faithful; turn right and drive along Yellowstone Lake to the hotel.

Old Faithful Inn’s massive pitched roof, soaring great hall, and gnarled lodge pole pine accents epitomize the wilds of the West. The Inn, built in 1904, set the tone for rustic park architecture. Designed by Robert Reamer, it is one of the most recognized lodges in America.

I love the authentic 1904 experience, and chose to stay in the “Old House.” These have shared bathrooms, but each room has a sink. The annexes, added in 1914 and 1927, have been updated with new furniture and lovely bathrooms. One tip: carry earplugs and a flashlight, and remember there are no TVs or telephones in the rooms.

Historic lodges were never built for guests who sequestered themselves in their rooms. After a day in the great outdoors, spend your time in the great indoors from the mezzanine and balconies. I like to get up early, grab a cup of coffee at the kiosk on the second level, take a seat overlooking the great hall and feel the Inn wake up. A morning bonus is the lack of geyser gazers when Old Faithful goes off. Simply step out on the porch and there it is!

There are two huge dining rooms, but they fill up fast for evening meals. Make your dinner reservations when you book your room.

For those looking for a room to soothe the soul removed from the action around Old Faithful, the butter-yellow and white Colonial Revival façade of Lake Yellowstone Hotel beckons an attitude adjustment.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel is the oldest standing hotel in Yellowstone. The core of the hotel was begun in 1889 and completed for its opening in 1891. It stands along the northern shore of Yellowstone Lake that once served as a meeting place for Indians, trappers, and mountain men. Lake Hotel was originally much plainer, intended to serve stagecoach guests brought to Yellowstone by the Northern Pacific Railroad. In 1903-1904, Robert Reamer, architect of the Old Faithful Inn, renovated the hotel, adding “colonial” touches such as false balconies, imposing Ionic columns, and dormer windows. Reamer also supervised renovations in the 1920s, including addition of a dining room, an extended porte-cochere, and a sunroom.

Visitors arriving for the 2013 season are in for a treat. In addition to structural and seismic upgrades, the dining and sunroom along with 43 of the second-floor guest rooms have been renovated to the hotel’s original Colonial Revival style completed as Phase 1 of an ongoing project.

(If you stay at Lake Hotel for a few days, walk down the road to Lake Lodge for more casual dining. The big rustic lodge dining room offers the best view of the lake.)

Either exit Yellowstone at the West Entrance via U.S. 191 and head north or if you have not seen Mammoth Hot Springs (a must stop) exit at Gardiner via U.S. 89. Both routes will hook up to I-90 as you head to Missoula. Montana is big sky and big land country, and this is another very long day’s drive. If you take U.S. 89 you will go through the picturesque college town of Bozeman; both routes travel through the more rough-and-tumble mining towns of Butte and Anaconda. Past Missoula catch U.S. 93 north to Kalispell. The drive along Flathead Lake offers a nice introduction to the glories of forthcoming Glacier, and if it’s cherry season, stop at one of the dozens of roadside stands and load up on pit fruit! About 120 miles out of Kalispell, take MT-40 then U.S. 2 to West Glacier. This, for all practical purposes, is where the story of Glacier National Park began.

Great Northern Railway baron James J. Hill and his son Louis quietly lobbied for the creation of Montana’s Glacier National Park. Naturalists, writers, and conservationists rallied for a park, and when it was established in 1910 as America’s fourth national park, it was the financial backing of the Great Northern that helped create the infrastructure.

With their rail line running through the majestic mountain landscape, Louis Hill bet on potential passenger travel to make the construction of a series of lodges and chalets pay off.

The Belton Chalet in West Glacier, Mont. is a favorite stop for rail buffs. © Danita Delimont/Alamy

The intimate Belton Chalet and cabins near the West Glacier park entrance, and the vast Glacier Park Lodge at the East Glacier Park entrance bookend the southern portion of the park.

The historic Belton Train Depot located just across the street from the Belton Chalet. © Danita Delimont/Alamy

Built in 1910, Belton Chalet was the first Great Northern chalet. Louis Hill, a student of Swiss architecture, based the design on a rendering done by Spokane, Washington, architect Kirkland Cutter. The property fell into near ruin, but in 1997 restoration began by the new owners, and it is now a National Historic Landmark.

The complex of lodge (originally the dorm), two cottages, new Adobe House, and award-winning restaurant (in the original Chalet) is a perfectly restored treasure that looks like it was plucked from the Swiss Alps. A favorite stop for rail buffs, the trains stop at the West Glacier depot and run by the lodge both day and night. Guest rooms are elegantly simple; for longer stays, the Lewis or Clark cabins or Adobe House are ideal.

You can use this as a base for seeing the west side of the park or get an early morning start; enter the park at West Glacier and head up the 50-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road for a once-in-a-lifetime drive to the other side of the park. Dedicated in 1933, the road was an engineering feat. Maintenance is an ongoing challenge, so check for any road closures or construction prior to your trip. The approximately 2-hour drive goes by Lake McDonald Lodge (1914), and a stop is well worth your time. Going-to the-Sun Road ends at St. Mary’s where you exit the park and take U.S. 89 south to MT-49 then follow signs to East Glacier.

This summer marks the Centennial of Glacier Park Lodge with official festivities on June 22. This was first destination for early visitors arriving via train from the East to Glacier National Park. They stepped from their Pullman cars at Midvale station to be greeted by members of the Blackfeet Tribe in full regalia, led under a log pergola, then escorted down a 1,000-foot garden path to their first forest experience. That experience was indoors. The colonnade of Glacier Park Lodge’s “great hall” is lined with forty eighty-foot-tall Douglas firs creating a tame woodland environment. The Blackfeet called it Oom-Coo-Mush-Taw, or Big Trees Lodge, and 100 years later, it still is.

One hundred and sixty-one guest rooms vary with some larger corner room/suites, but most have dated bathrooms. I prefer rooms facing the mountains, and the lower level annex rooms can be a bit dreary. A long breezeway links the main lodge to the annex guest rooms and serve as a game and card room. Stake out a spot at dusk and watch the sky change.

The Great Northern Dining Room does not take reservations. The Empire Bar is a good spot to wait for your table; they also offer a lunch and dinner menu. I prefer the main dining room where the portions and the views are large.

If hiking, trail riding, and exploring is not enough, there’s the 1928 nine-hole golf course and swimming pool. The Museum of the Plains Indians on the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning abutting the park is a worthwhile stop. And if you grow sick of driving, Red Bus tours offer a fun alternative to maneuvering your own vehicle through the park!

No trip to Glacier is complete without a visit to Swiftcurrent Lake and the Many Glacier Hotel (1915), where you can take a boat ride and hike, either before or after your stay at Glacier Park Lodge, about an hour away.

National park status protects and promotes America’s most sacred landscapes. Most of these lodges and hotels are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or are National Historic Landmarks. All are national treasures.

Christine Barnes (greatlodges.com) is an author whose books include Great Lodges of the National Parks (volumes one and two) and Great Lodges of the Canadian Rockies. She served as consultant for the PBS television series of the same name.

Highclere Castle, in Hampshire, England, is the home of the Earl and Countess Carnarvon—€”and it’s also the setting for the PBS series Downton Abbey. © Skyscan Photolibrary/Alamy

History springs to life in England’s south-central counties, where the hit Downton Abbey TV series is filmed.

By Laurel Kallenbach

Star-struck, I promenade across the green lawn toward the spires of Highclere Castle, my heart fluttering with excitement. This elegant mansion, perfectly framed by 250-year-old cedars of Lebanon, is the real star of the PBS costume drama Downton Abbey. Though characters on the show come and go, Highclere never abandons her well-bred role—one this English country manor has played for centuries.

While fictional Downton Abbey is home to TV’s blue-blooded Granthams and their servants, Highclere Castle has sheltered the Carnarvon dynasty for more than 300 years. Today, the Eighth Earl of Carnarvon and his wife, Countess Fiona, are stewards of this 5,000-acre Berkshire estate.

Unlike the TV show, this morning there’s no phalanx of tuxedo-clad footmen to greet my husband and me as we walk through Highclere’s carved double doors and into the entrance hall. Nothing has prepared me for the sheer spectacle of marble pillars and soaring arches, of chandeliers and heraldic shields—although I’ve watched every Downton Abbey episode twice over and read Countess Fiona’s 2011 biography of her husband’s great-grandparents: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey. Even if I’d never seen the series, Highclere Castle’s real-life history would be as spellbinding as its television counterpart.

In 1895, a young woman named Almina, the illegitimate child of über-wealthy Alfred de Rothschild, married the estate-rich but cash-strapped Fifth Earl of Carnarvon, and her generous dowry funded many improvements at Highclere, including electricity and running water. During World War I, Almina donned a nurse’s uniform and transformed Highclere Castle into a convalescent hospital for wounded officers—as did the Downton Abbey ladies.

But real-life history is even juicier: Almina’s husband, Lord Carnarvon, financed the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922 and helped archaeologist Howard Carter excavate its world-famous treasures. Less than five months after opening the tomb, Carnarvon died, fueling“curse of the pharaoh” rumors. In reality, he nicked a mosquito bite on his facewhile shaving and developed blood poisoning. Weakened, he died of pneumonia.

Highclere Is Ready for Her Closeup

The Saloon gallery in Highclere Castle. © Jeff Gilbert/Alamy

Originally built as a grand, but boxy, Georgian house, Highclere got a facelift in the mid-1800s, when towers and spires were added by the same architect who designed London’s Parliament Building. Indoors, Lady Almina redecorated a number of rooms, completing the lavish look we see on Downton Abbey. 

As Ken and I follow the visitor queue through the library, we experience déjà vu. On TV, the leather-bound books, gilded shelves and rich carpets are the backdrop for many scenes, but today we focus on the house alone. In room after exquisite room, staff members answer questions about the home’s furnishings, pointing out embroidered wall panels depicting animals and birds, a desk that belonged to Napoleon and secret cupboards that once hid Egyptian antiquities. The walls are covered with portraits of the Carnarvons—from the 17th through 21st centuries. The modern photos are a reminder that this is still a private home, which is why it’s open to the public only on certain days, mostly in summer.

A highlight of our Highclere tour is parading lord- and lady-style down the castle’s much-filmed oak staircase that leads from the gallery-level bedrooms to a central chamber called the Saloon. Its stone fireplace and gilt-leather wall coverings appear in scenes such as the Servants’ Ball.

Just as we’re leaving the Saloon, a staff member asks whether we met Countess Carnarvon, who was roaming the halls minutes earlier. My heart sinks. I imagine Lady Fiona casually dressed and blending in with the tourists. Although I’m not practiced at curtsying, it would have been fun to say, “How do you do, Your Ladyship.”

My disappointment evaporates as soon as we head downstairs to the Egyptian exhibit. (Downton Abbey’s “downstairs” servants’ scenes are filmed on a London set, not at Highclere.) I’ve been a fan for all three years the show has aired, but my obsession with ancient Egypt dates back to childhood. Now here I am, peering at precious artifacts Carnarvon brought home from many years of archaeological digs.

Highclere Castle landlord and Fifth Earl of Carnarvon (left) with archaeologist Howard Carter at the King Tut excavation in 1922. © David Cole / Alamy

I’m delighted to see a hieroglyphic-engraved jar that Almina helped excavate—she usually accompanied her husband to Egypt—and the reproductions of the Tutankhamun artifacts are riveting. But I get goosebumps looking at a sepia photograph of Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in Highclere’s library poring over maps of Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. It’s not everyday I occupy the same room where history’s greatest archaeological discovery was planned—or walk onto the “set” of an internationally acclaimed TV show, for that matter.

Resting Like an Aristocrat

A footman appears when we drive up to the wisteria-covered entrance to Tylney Hall, a Victorian-era manor house turned luxury hotel. “How was your trip to Highclere?” he asks as he escorts us into the reception hall and invites us for cocktails in the ornate Italian Lounge. After navigating England’s winding country roads, there’s nothing so civilized as a Pimms and canapés served on a silver tray beside a marble fireplace.

Tylney Hall is like our own Downton Abbey—complete with a pool, spa, manicured gardens and silver tea service. That evening, over a candlelit dinner in Tylney’s Oak Room restaurant, we savor our rack of Hampshire lamb and exclaim over the selection of local cheeses. The food isn’t prepared by head cook Mrs. Patmore, but executive chef Stephen Hine knows his way around the kitchen.

Like Highclere, which is less than 20 miles away, Tylney was used as a WWI military convalescent hospital. It languished for decades as a boarding school before being restored to polished perfection. During our two-day stay, we stroll the tree-lined grounds, admire the view of the hall from a small lake, and watch a family playing croquet on the lawn beneath our private balcony. At night, we sink into our king-sized bed with its mountainous feather pillows and sleep like royalty.

The Magic of Stonehenge

How do you top Highclere Castle? By visiting another nearby iconic place: Stonehenge. For my 50th birthday, I have a special, advanced-reservation ticket to enter this prehistoric monument after hours. Kitted out in rain gear and wool caps to protect us from the evening’s chilly drizzle, Ken and I—along with 24 other lucky people—follow a trio of guards into the circle of stones.We have one hour to roam amongst the megaliths, some of which weigh 40 tons. No touching or climbing allowed.

The guards keep a sharp eye on all of us, but they’re happy to point out details you can’t see from outside the barrier rope: carved signatures, chisel and cup marks, the mortise-and-tenon joints that kept the massive horizontal lintels atop the upright stones. When I ask one burly guard whether he has a favorite stone, he points without hesitation to a smaller bluestone on the inner circle. “I like how it looks,” he says. “It has a sort of personality.”

Walking in the shadow of these ancient rocks puts my meager half-century into perspective. In fact, I feel quite young by comparison. For my final 15 minutes, I sit beside Ken in the damp grass soaking in thousands of years of prehistory and contemplating my own life—as I suspect humans have for as long as the stones have stood.

Afterwards, we return for a late dinner to Rollestone Manor, a charming country-house B&B in Shrewton that boasts 900 years of its own history. Although Stonehenge is easily accessible from the nearby cities of Salisbury or Bath, Rollestone is just four miles from the Neolithic stone circle, which means we skip the after-dark drive. Instead, we dine well and sleep in a lovely room named for Lady Harriet, a Yorkshire heiress who lived here in the late 1700s.

Downton Abbey’s Country Village Life

Church bells peal as we arrive in Bampton, a village 20 miles west of Oxford. On foot, we follow the exuberant clangingto St. Mary the Virgin, a 12th-century parish church that we immediately recognize as the setting for two weddings and a funeral on Downton Abbey. A bride and groom emerge from the honey-colored, Romanesque church and brave the gauntlet of rice-throwing wedding guests before ducking into a vintage Rolls Royce.

Inside, Ken and I admire the stone-and-stained-glass sanctuary as wedding candles are extinguished and flower arrangements carried away. At the back of the nave, we discover a flyer showing Bampton’s Downton Abbey locations—all on Church View Road, a row of old houses and stone walls. We follow the descriptions on the photocopied sheet, and there, outside the churchyard walls, is Churchgate House, which serves as the exterior for the Crawley house where Isobel and Matthew live. (The interiors are filmed elsewhere.)

Just down the block is the slate-roofed Bampton Library, which doubles as the exterior for Downton Hospital, where Dr. Clarkson treats the sick and wounded. We amble down the lane, noticing doorways that pose as Downton’s post office and the Dog & Duck pub. All these locations look vaguely familiar…but not quite. Our guide sheet reveals that modern fire hydrants, litter bins and utility boxes are masked by shrubbery or fake postboxes to accomplish an early-1900s look.

After our Bampton outing, we explore another quaint Cotswold village, Old Minster Lovell, a surreally pretty hamlet with thatched-roof cottages and rose gardens. We stroll beside the River Windrush to the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall, originally home to Richard III’s henchman, Lord Lovell. Today, teens kick a soccer ball in the grass where the villainous king strode during the 1400s.

Over the three-day Bank Holiday weekend, Ken and I are spending a few quiet days in a simple cottage just eight miles from Bampton. England’s National Trust rents historic houses country wide, and we’ve reserved a row cottage on the Buscot Estate just outside of Faringdon, Oxfordshire. Built in the 1870s, these cottages originally housed Buscot Estate’s agricultural workers. Our Rowleaze Cottage is just the sort of place Anna the maid and Mr. Bates the valet and would settle down.

Our modest abode is ideal for day trips to villages and other sights, including the White Horse of Uffington, a Bronze Age equine outline chiseled into the white-chalk bedrock of a hillside that’s visible for miles. One day we arrive in the Tudor village of Winchcombe just in time to watch the annual Country Show parade. A troupe of morris dancers wearing tatter-coats and bells on their shins goes jingling through the streets, followed by septuagenarians driving vintage tractors. Later, we start hiking a scenic portion of the Cotswold Way footpath, only to turn back when high winds and rain accost us. Instead, we head to Sudeley Castle, once the home of Henry VIII’s sixth wife, Katherine Parr, where we meander through sculptured gardens with fountains and pay respects inside the lovely chapel where the former queen is buried.

At the end of our village days, we return “home” to our humble cottage to nap, do some laundry or plan the next day’s adventure while sitting on our backyard patio. Then we cook dinner and eat by the fireplace, content in our English country hideaway.

Upstairs, Downstairs at Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace gardens and café. © Laurel Kallenbach

We relinquish our rental car in the gargoyle-adorned city of Oxford, where we enjoy a walking tour of the colleges; sip a pint at the Turf Tavern, a film location for PBS’ Inspector Morse and Inspector Lewis shows; and tour the Duke Humfrey’s Room in the Bodleian Library, featured in the Harry Potter movies.

But we have one more Downton Abbey-related stop: Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill. The Oxford bus delivers us to the gates of this World Heritage site, where we walk through acres of gardens and what feels to our feet like miles of richly appointed rooms filled with ornate tapestries and golden flourishes.

Just when our eyes glaze over from excess grandeur, we take the multimedia “Untold Story” tour, which offers a servants’ perspective on life at Blenheim. The ghost of Grace Ridley, a lady’s maid to the first Duchess of Marlborough, guides us through 300 years of palace history and scandal. Along the way, we learn interesting tidbits about the servants who laid fires, emptied slop pots, prepared banquets, dusted and polished. As on Downton Abbey, there’s a domestic hierarchy: from the well-paid French hairdresser, who created two-foot-high coiffuresfor her lady in the 1700s, to the lowly boiler boy of the 1800s, who slept by the kitchen door to make sure hot water was ready at any hour.

By the end of our southern England excursion, I’m eager for the next season of Downton Abbey to begin. What started as my obsession over a soap opera with historic underpinnings is now a deeper understanding of Britain’s culture and class system. Witnessing how aristocrats and servants coexisted, harmoniously or not, on real estates will stay with me for years—far beyond the life of a TV show.

Inspired by Highclere’s King Tut history, freelance writer Laurel Kallenbach (laurelkallenbach.com) hopes to float down the Nile exploring Egypt’s antiquities.

Tours offer visitors an in-the-field education on the art of growing lavender. © Debi Boucher

By Debi Boucher

Prized for its aromatic, medicinal and culinary qualities for some 2,500 years, the Romans favored it for bathing, thus the Latin derivative lavare, “to wash.”

Cultivated commercially in France, (which produces more than 50 percent of the world’s lavender), England, New Zealand and Australia, more than 200 tons of high quality lavender oil is produced each year for use in perfumes, soaps and aromatherapy products.

Due to the ease and profit of growing lavender, cottage industries have sprung up throughout the United States.

Dayspring Farm grows several varieties of lavender. © Debi Boucher

When Master Gardener Kathy Kimbrough asked her mentor, Curtis Swift, Ph.D., of the Colorado State University (CSU) Extension, if lavender could be grown commercially in northwestern Colorado, he suggested she research it. So she did, attending a lavender conference in Sequim (pronounced “squim”), Wash., where folks had been growing lavender as a cash crop and a means of promoting agriculture and tourism for 15 years. What Kathy learned sent her home with an unquenchable and determined enthusiasm that quickly spread to the farmers of the Palisade area near Grand Junction.

Resting at the foot of the Bookcliffs Mountain Range, the area has been known for its peaches, wine grapes and produce for more than a hundred years. Now 25 farms also produce lavender.

In 2011, Kathy, Lavender Association of Western Colorado Board President, and with a lot of help from her friends and fellow board members, organized the first annual Colorado Lavender Festival held at Palisade Memorial Park. The festival was a huge success with more than 2,000 folks attending.

The three-day festival begins with a Friday bus tour of some of the lavender farms in the area, where the owners open their doors to visitors and share their successes with lavender cultivation and uses.

Saturday’s Festival and Craft Show in Memorial Park includes events such as workshops and seminars on growing lavender, landscaping and aromatherapy, cooking and craft making.

Hugely popular is Sunday’s self-guided tour of several different and unique local lavender farms, orchards, and wineries where visitors are welcome to “come for a visit—bring a chair and stay!”

By 2012, the festival had grown to 31 booths offering everything from lavender bundles and wreaths to soaps and essential oils and fine art.

The tremendously popular bus tours left at 8 a.m., Friday morning from the AAA Three Diamond Wine Country Inn, an elegant hotel nestled in a 20-acre vineyard. It’s named as one of seven premier vineyard properties in the U.S. and is the perfect choice for your weekend lodging needs. The busses took us on a tour of five lavender farms, each very different from the next.

The first farm we visited was Sprigs ‘N Sprouts, a new lavender farm run by Ruth Elkins and Linda Bailey. Ruth described for us how they broke ground for the farm and gift shop just one year ago, and how they painstakingly planted 1,100 French lavender, and 830 English lavender plants that are now thriving in the hot Colorado sunshine. Be sure to pick up a jar of their lavender pear jam, and a jar of the lavender wine jelly (great on a pork roast!).

For the self-guided tour folks on Sunday, Ruth and Linda hosted live music and a cookbook signing by Lida Lafferty, author of ‘Spike It With Lavender’.

Our next stop was High Country Orchards, owned and operated since by Scott and Theresa High and their three children. They treated us to a guided tour of their farm overlooking the Colorado River which includes 32,000 peach trees, and 1,500 sweet cherry trees, as well as vineyards, a Country Store and their Colterris wine tasting room.

Theresa is experimenting with lavender varieties in her beautiful garden, having planted them with varying purposes, including a couple varieties for culinary use.

Scott also showed us their state-of-the-art packing operation, including a camera that photographs the peaches and then sorts them according to size and condition, and explained how their peaches are picked and shipped the same day to be in stores by the next morning.

Look for their peaches and other products in Whole Foods stores around Colorado, or better yet, purchase them in the nostalgic Country Store, where you can also buy delicious fresh preserves and salsa.

Held in conjunction with the Palisade Peach Festival in August, the High’s host the Feast Of The Fields, an elegant farm-to-table dining experience held under the stars in the orchard with live music. Seating is limited and reservations are required.

Sage Creations Organic Farm provides visitors baskets to pick lavender, or purchase fresh cut bunches. © Debi Boucher

Sage Creations Organic Farm is a certified organic family farm, owned by Paola Legarre. Paola was the first lavender grower in the area, putting in her first crop six years ago. She has 50 varieties of lavender on 2½ acres. The farm store offers lavender plants and fresh and dried bundles, lotions and oils, as well as hand-crafted lavender products such as neck wraps and sachets, and culinary lavender.

At Sage Creations, you have the option to “pick ‘ur own” lavender bundles directly from the field. We gratefully partook of the crisp fresh taste of lemonade spiked with lavender and basil, and lavender and cherry jam with crackers that awaited us in front of the gift shop, then set off to tour the farm with Paola. As we wandered through the rows of lavender, I discovered that the slightest disturbance, such as brushing up against the plant, releases the scent.

Paola explained the differences in the varieties and colors of the lavender flowers, and invited us to pick sprigs from the different plants to learn about the variations in scent.

On Sunday, visitors on the self-guided tour had the opportunity to learn how to grow lavender successfully, make wreaths, enjoy a craft tent for the kids and a tasting of lavender accented dishes from a cooking demonstration.

We piled back onto the bus and headed for the 33-acre Dayspring Farm in Olathe, run by Bob and Roxanne Lane, fifth-generation farmers. Bob is a lavender distillation expert, and explained the process of making hydrosols (“flower water”).

Bob and Roxie treated us to a BBQ lunch. Sunday activities include live music, farm tour and distillation demonstration, and kids activity tent.

The last lavender farm on the tour, Sunny Acres, is a four-acre masterpiece of restoration. Bob Hoinghaus and Sunny Howland took the neglected parcel and created lovely gardens and a fabulous water feature, to go with an 1800’s homestead with a magnificent view of the valley.

Several rows of fragrant lavender near the edge of the property offers a splendid place to enjoy the view along with refreshments—lavender-laced cookies, locally made cheese, and peach sangria. None of us wanted to leave.

Boarding the bus for our last stop on the tour, we headed to the Grand River Vineyards, owned by Stephen and Naomi Smith, pioneers in the Colorado wine industry. Here in Palisade, they produced the largest grape crop in the state of Colorado from 1990–2006. Today, the winery produces 5,000–7,000 cases of wine per year, much of it their flagship Meritage Red, a blend of four Bordeaux varieties. Their wines have won more than 400 awards.

Grand River Vineyards is happy to host special events, and each summer they present the “Hear it Through the Grapevine” concert series featuring live music, good food and great wine. Proceeds from many of the concerts support charitable causes in the region. In the welcome coolness of the winery, we were served a light meal with refreshing drinks, and had the opportunity to taste the wine created especially for the 2012 Lavender Festival. Lavande Vin Blanc, a collaborative effort by Naomi and Paolo Legarre, is a wonderful dry and crisp Sauvigon Blanc with just a hint of lavender.

The Lavender Festival & Craft Show offers everything from lavender wreaths to lavender-laced lemonade. © Debi Boucher

Until I learned of the Lavender Festival, I had no idea these farms existed in Colorado. I came away from my visit filled with a new appreciation for lavender and a respect for the qualities of this plant that has been venerated all over the world for hundreds of centuries. Used as medicine for its healing and antiseptic properties, in perfumes, (rumor has it Cleopatra used it to seduce Julius Caesar and Mark Antony), as an aid to relaxation, and even as an insect repellant, lavender’s many uses will undoubtedly insure its cultivation for thousands of years more.

(Tip: A friend of mine uses lavender oil to heal sunburn)

The northwestern area of Colorado is an incredibly beautiful part of our state with a diverse landscape, and terrific people who are eager to share their part of the world and welcome the rest of us into it. This year’s festival will be July 12–14, 2013. For more information and bus tour tickets, visit the Lavender Association of Western Colorado.

Debi Boucher (dboucher-photography.com) is a freelance writer and photographer based in Colorado Springs.

Drive-in theaters, a popular pastime from the late 50s, can still be found around the state. Courtesy of Star Drive-In Theater/Chris Tolvo

By Debi Boucher

After a great deal of backyard experimentation, Richard Hollingshead Jr., opened the first-ever outdoor theater in New Jersey in 1933. It didn’t take long for the concept to become a national pastime. Parents loaded their kids into Buicks and Chevys and headed off to one of more than 4,000 drive-ins across America in the late Fifties.

One of the joys of summertime for my brother and me was an early bath and changing into jammies for a double feature. Once Dad parked the car and hung the big metal speaker on the car window, we would pad off to the brightly lit snack stand for popcorn. Mom and Dad would wait patiently for us to stop our chatter and fall asleep, which we invariably did before the second feature had begun.

But viewing habits soon changed. Families began gathering around the TV instead, and a housing boom overran drive-in real estate. Only about 10 percent of drive-ins remain—400 nationwide and, by my count, just six (of the original 60) in Colorado:

Courtesy of Star Drive-In Theater/Chris Tolvo

Monte Vista Billed as the world’s only movie motel, the Star Drive-in at the Movie Manor Best Western opened in 1964 and added a second screen in 2003. Travelers can watch movies on the big screen from their motel rooms or their car from mid-May to mid-September. For reservations call 800-771-9468.

Delta The Tru-Vu Drive-in sits along the railroad tracks on Highway 92. It first opened for business in 1954, with space for 300 cars. The metal speakers on their posts remain, but you also have a choice of AM or FM radio sound. Call 970-874-9556 for show times.

Across the highway from the Tru-Vu, the long abandoned Big Sky Drive-in, also opened in 1954, remains as a ghostly reminder of the days of popularity when one small town could support two theaters.

Fort Collins The Holiday Twin Drive-in opened in 1968, and added a second screen in 1976. Movie art aficionados can check out their website for original movie posters: holidaytwindrivein.com.

Commerce City Open Thursday–Sunday, the 88 Drive-in’s three screens serve 300 cars. Vehicles are parked according to height, so no worries about getting stuck behind a minivan. Subscribe to the drive-in’s email list, and be notified of new movies and upcoming events:  88drivein.com.

Pueblo The Mesa Drive-in opened in 1951 and added two more screens in 2009. With space for 615 vehicles, it is the largest drive-in still operating in Colorado. Sound is delivered via FM radio, and the gates open at 7:30. Showtime is at dusk. For more information, visit mesadrive-in.com or call 719-542-3345.

Montrose The state’s first drive-in is still open, but after 63 years of continuous family ownership, the Star Drive-in is in financial trouble. The new digital systems now required for operation will cost $100,000. Visit Stardrive-in.com to see how you can help.

Debi Boucher (dboucher-photography.com) is a freelance writer and photographer based in Colorado Springs.

Cooling off

© Randy Ruder

Randy Ruder of Centennial took this picture of a polar bear playing in the water at the Denver Zoo while testing out his new camera lens. His camera: A Nikon D5100 with a Tamron 70-300mm lens.

Scenic beauty

© Wendy Fellner

Wendy Fellner of Frisco photographed these beautiful wildflowers against the purple mountain backdrop along Vail Pass. Her camera: The HD camera on her iPhone.

Tony DeNovellis, AAA Colorado President and CEO

It’s nighttime, and you are stranded on I-70, miles from the nearest exit. You call AAA for help, or requests assistance through the AAA Mobile app on your smart phone. Why should you trust the roadside technician who arrives in response to your call?

Well, here are just a few of the things AAA Colorado does to ensure that you experience safety, security and peace of mind when you need it most:

• The first thing you will hear from our call center staff is “Are you safe?” If you don’t feel safe, we will send the police at your request.
• AAA Colorado asks that roadside technicians wear uniforms and an ID badge, carry business cards, and address members by name.
• AAA Colorado requires that all its roadside technicians know how to get your car back on the road, and if that’s not possible, safely tow your vehicle to the repair shop or destination of your choice.
• AAA Colorado roadside technicians drive trucks with the best towing equipment and tools available, in trucks clearly labeled AAA.
• AAA Colorado technicians carry plenty of insurance—not just standard liability insurance, like others do, but policies that cover every aspect of roadside assistance.
• AAA Colorado conducts a thorough investigation of every technician, including a seven-year felony background check nationwide.
• AAA Colorado meets face-to-face with all its contractors two to four times a year. Visits may be unannounced.
• AAA Colorado surveys members for their opinion of the service they received.
• AAA Colorado conducts mystery shopping, especially when we hear complaints about a particular technician.

We know that any breakdown is stressful to our members. Your safety, security and peace of mind is our number one priority.

With more than 150 projects on state and interstate highways in Colorado this year, motorists can protect themselves and others by driving safely and responsibly in work zones. As an extra incentive to drive “Slow for the Cone Zone,” fines for most infractions in a work zone will be doubled.

AAA Colorado, along with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), asks motorists to keep these tips in mind:

• Expect the unexpected. The work zone you’ve driven through before may have changed since your last visit. Out-of-state motorists won’t be familiar with lane changes, uneven surfaces and lower speeds and may take sudden, evasive actions.
• Don’t tailgate, even when other motorists cut into the safe space you’ve created behind the car in front. This will require patience.
• Slow down and move over in the presence of road workers and emergency responders. It’s Colorado law, and it’s a life-saving practice.
• Obey road crew flaggers. Ignoring them, racing past them, or expressing anger toward them only will endanger and aggravate other drivers.
• Minimize distractions. Focus, focus, focus. Store your smartphone, make your call later, occupy your children, don’t reach for food or a soft drink, turn off or turn down the radio or your music device—in other words, drop anything and everything that would prevent you from seeing and obeying road signs, steering clear of roadside workers, and hearing emergency vehicle sirens.
• Be patient and stay calm. This may be the most difficult step of all, because who doesn’t want to reach their destination sooner than later? AAA Colorado and CDOT want you to arrive safely, and we want roadside workers and emergency responders to live to see another day.

To help motorists plan ahead, CDOT offers several free resources to provide motorists with updates on road conditions, construction projects, and other CDOT news. Take none of these steps—none—if you’re operating a vehicle. Resources include:

• Visit cotrip.org
• Call 511 from anywhere in Colorado.
• Free email/text message alerts at coloradodot.info. Click on the green cell phone icon in the upper right corner (standard text messaging rates do apply).
• CDOT App: Text “CDOT” to 25827, go to cotrip.mobi, or download “CDOT Mobile” from your App Store. Available on Droids and iPhones.
• Twitter: @coloradodot
• Facebook: facebook.com/coloradodot

As a AAA Colorado member (primary or associate), you are covered, 24/7/365, for up to four (4) roadside assistance events per membership year in any eligible vehicle* you are traveling in—even if it’s not yours—as long as it can be safely reached from any normally traveled, maintained road or established thoroughfare. You may call for additional assistance beyond the four (4) covered events as needed; however, you are responsible for the costs at time of service.

For identification, safety and security purposes, we request that you be with the vehicle when the service vehicle arrives. Your valid membership card and identification may be required, and benefits are nontransferable.

If AAA Colorado assistance is requested but not available, you may seek alternative service and submit your receipt for reimbursement consideration; restrictions apply. When you call for assistance, we will attempt to make your vehicle drivable using the services listed below. If these attempts are unsuccessful after a reasonable effort, we will tow the vehicle to a repair facility of your choosing.

If an open repair facility cannot be located, we can assist you in obtaining lodging or alternative transportation at your cost.

To place a request for roadside assistance:

Call: 303-753-8800 Denver-metro area
800-AAA-HELP (800-222-4357) elsewhere in the state (and U.S.)

Click: AAA.com/RoadsideAssistance.

Mobile: AAA Mobile app for Android or iPhone
AAA FindMe for AT&T and Sprint customers (AAA.com/AAAFindMe).

As technicians at a AAA-approved auto repair facility, we see vehicles all the time with check engine lights lit and presets lost, or the antitheft systems that won’t let cars start. The culprit is typically a weak battery.

Years ago you waited until a battery failed, and you replaced it, resetting your clock and radio stations. Today’s cars won’t let you wait until complete battery failure. A weak battery can’t handle the demands of your vehicle when you start it. The vehicle may sound normal, but system voltage drops below normal, disrupting computers and modules that depend on stable voltage. Weak batteries can cause premature failure of starters and alternators. Batteries are such a big deal that we replace more today than ever before as preventive maintenance.

Keep these things in mind:

• Ask for a battery “health test” next time you’re in the shop for service.
• If at all possible, replace the battery before it fails, or about every three or four years.
• Replace the battery with a quality product. Saving a few dollars may cost you extra cash down the road.
• Get the correct size and amperage for your vehicle.

By performing regular inspections and reasonable maintenance, you’re less likely to experience system failure, which makes for a much happier driver.

Brent Wells is owner of Autotailor, Inc., a AAA-approved repair facility (AAR) in Denver.