postaweek Archives - Page 8 of 9 - ETB Travel Photography

Rounding out Cinque Terre…Riomaggiore and Corniglia

Our coffee shop by the passenger tunnel to the train station was closed this morning, so we had to try another place down Main Street closer to the harbor. They made crepes. Heidi ordered a Nutella crepe and I tried a mozzarella asparagus one. For me, it was nothing to write home about, but it was breakfast (the most important meal of the day :-)). Heidi’s looked rather tasty!

We finally confirmed that the entire coastal path was closed except the section that we hiked yesterday and that section was the hardest part! If we chose to take any other paths, we’d have to climb to the top of the mountain. The 1km hike to Riomaggiore from Manarola was estimated to take 1.5 hours!?! I’m still trying to wrap my head around that calculation, though last night when we started walking up the 200 plus stairs, it was slow going. Therefore, train rides were in our future.

Of course, without knowing the schedule we arrived at the station with 30 minutes to spare, so we asked the station attendant the best way to purchase tickets. A pass to get on and off the train anywhere in Cinque Terre lasted 6 hours, otherwise individual ticket purchases were required. Each ticket had to be validated at the entry station, otherwise a 50 euro fine was possible.

Our original plan was to visit Riomaggiore and then turn the other direction, passing Manarola to Corniglia before finally ending the day on a sunset boat ride in Levanto. This was going to take more than six hours, so we purchased individual tickets. While we were waiting for the train, we strolled along the only street in Manarola. The main street of Manarola, lined with boats instead of cars as they are not allowed, came to life at 10am…all six to eight shops opened! Heidi found a lovely painting for her apartment in Chicago.

This time, with the train schedule in hand and the ability to read it, we embarked on our three minute train ride which was uneventful except for the fact the regional trains aren’t terribly timely.

Starting out with the most negative thought first, Riomaggiore was my least favorite town in Cinque Terre. The colors of the buildings weren’t quite as bright…most were in need of a paint job. It was smaller than Monterosso, but larger than Vernazza. Of course, it offered the token church and castle/fortress/palace/tower to visit. I may have simply just had my fill of these types of buildings, though we made the trek up the hill to see each. The information signs were in Italian so it made the clock tower and crosses less interesting since we didn’t understand any of it.

The marina was nice and full of people. After we watched the waves crash over the rock barrier, we browsed the shops. Most the shops carry the same items, risotto, olive oil, limoncello, wine, ceramic tiles, beach bags and jewelry. A few had cute clothes, and I found a lovely dress for 35 euros!

After searching in vain for A Pie di Ma, a must see restaurant according to a blog post I read, we ended up at La Lanterna. Heidi had spaghetti with clams, and I had fried shellfish which included anchovies. I can’t say this satisfied my taste buds too much. Perhaps my tongue was having an off day, though I think the way to go is pasta…each of those dishes has been fantastic.

After lunch, we ventured back through the tunnel to the train station, where we found the next train wasn’t departing for 45 minutes. We forgot to consult our schedule and just missed the previous train. If our final destination weren’t Corniglia, we could have left a little sooner, but regardless we had time to visit the vendors by the station. It was Heidi’s turn to buy a dress.

As we waited on the train and watched the birds line the roof tops, we spotted a restaurant perched on the cliff jutting into the sea. That had to be A Pie di Ma on the other side of the train station from town. Next time!

We eventually made it to Corniglia where we prepared to tackle the 365 steps up to the village from the station. It is the only village that is not seaside, and climbing the stairs is the only way to get there from the train! Heidi had a grand idea to count the days of each month and take a picture of our “birthday step”. My April 14th birthday earned a bench on a landing. Heidi’s August 17th birthday step earned a nice view of Manarola as we were 2/3rds of the way up. We were pleased to find that the San Diego couple we met a few hours ago were correct regarding the difficulty level. The steps were low and the grade was flat as the staircase switched back and forth up the mountain. The couple had planned to hike to all five towns today, 11km. While it doesn’t sound like much, given all the coastal paths were closed and mountain climbing was necessary, we wished them luck, especially when the gentleman claimed he’d do it four hours. Wishful…there are way too many people to succeed at that!

I just absolutely loved Corniglia and its historic charm. I don’t suppose I need to mention the church and the tower by now. We did, however, enjoy walking down the narrow, stone sidewalk lined with shops, bars and restaurants that led to a beautiful panoramic view of the sea coast with Manarola to the East and Monterosso to the West. We also found a soccer “field” which was cement with painted lines and nets hanging to keep the ball from going over the cliff or down the stairs.

We decided after all of our stair climbing, that we deserved gelato. Two gelaterias stood right next to each other. This has been a game for me…to see how many gelaterias I could find in each town. Vernazza won with three in about 600 yards of each other. The other places were home to two though I didn’t look that hard in Monterosso (there were probably more) given the size of the town. Riomaggiore challenged me the most in my “I spy” game…I almost had to leave having only found one, but I spotted a second shop near the train station. While we didn’t eat gelato in every town, I liked the caffe gelato at the gelateria closest to the train station in Manarola the best.

At 4:19, we hopped the sardine packed train back to Manarola, as our sunset cruise was canceled. It was just as well, as we have had very busy days. With one stop on the train and the hike up to our “penthouse”, I was relaxing in the cool breeze on our balcony, a necessity without air conditioning, by 5 pm. Heidi decided to browse a bit more at the stores. As I was staring down at the street at least eight stories below, all I could think was I didn’t want to walk down for dinner in three hours, so I texted Heidi (they seem to work within the Italian network, but not so great from America), “How about pasta and fruit salad?” She bought the goods, and I cooked. I suppose, never say never, as we were eager to use the kitchen we never intended to use! We ate on the patio while we watched the World Cup on her phone as the sun set over the mountain. It was a perfect final evening in Cinque Terre!! Even the seagull tried to get in on the action.

My favorite places in Cinque Terre were Corniglia and Manorola, though they may be a bit quaint for some especially if staying more than three nights. I found them far less crowded than Monterosso, Riomaggiore, and Vernazza, though Vernazza had a charm to it despite all the floods the last few years. I’m not sure how I’ll handle bustling Rome tomorrow, but I am looking forward to seeing all the historic sites! ETB

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Check out the photographic note cards and key chains at my shop. Each card has a travel story associated with it. 20% of proceeds are donated to charity.

photographic note card, old pier in florida — OLD PIER

The Coastal Trail from Monterosso to Vernazza

Oh what day again! It took me nearly 30 minutes to walk down all the stairs, around the footpath, order warm chocolate croissants and coffee, and make the trek all the way back up to our “penthouse suite” in Manarola. I worked off my croissant calories before I even sat down!

Monterosso

After enjoying our breakfast on the balcony overlooking the town and harbor below, we took the train to Monterosso. This may have been the busiest place we’ve been since we’ve arrived in Italy. There were tourists everywhere, pouring down every street. Monterosso wraps around both sides of the train station with the busier side being to the east, so we followed the mobs from the harbor, along the stone path, and through the tunnel to check out the town.

Monterosso has a few main streets lined with cafés, souvenir shops, and of course churches while a few palaces perch on the hillside for protection. It also offers a coast of beaches for sunbathing. We were happy to find three ATMs too, as Manarola’s only cash machine didn’t work. Though so far, it seems restaurants have taken credit cards (we had heard otherwise).

HAPPY HIKING!

Montepulciano, Siena, and Cinque Terre!

Oh what a busy day! We had to wave good-bye to our fantastic host Gianluca and his family as we prepared to go from being 100% spoiled in Tuscany to self-sufficient in Cinque Terre. We left the four house complex that was built in the 1400’s and restored by Gianluca between 1999 and 2007 to take a round-about way to Cinque Terre. First, we stopped in Montepulciano, only 10 miles away and later Siena, a bit further.

As with every Tuscan town it seems, Montepulciano sat up on a hill, was home to many churches, a palazzo, restaurants, and a variety of stores including a famous copper store. Each town, including Montepulciano is laid out with a parking area upon arrival with a posted map and a water closet nearby, all very convenient when we were otherwise feeling constantly lost.

We started our walking tour strolling up a hill, enjoying the view and eventually making it into our first church, Chiesa del Gesu. It began construction in 1691 in the baroque style, was changed shortly after, and finished construction in 1730 under the supervision of three different architects.

From the church, we continued up the hill to the palazzo. Aside from the surrounding park, which didn’t allow futbol, the site wasn’t open so we continued up the hill.

We passed by the torture museum which was advertised on billboards in all the small towns, as we got enough of a taste in the entry before we visited the cattedrale constructed in the 14th century on the Piazza Grande. It was adorned with flowers as it was being prepared for a wedding. No pictures were allowed inside.

Across from the cattedrale stood the Griffin and Lion well built in 1520. We have seen several throughout the region along with cool old water fountains. As we continued strolling around the streets, we stumbled upon an historic winery, De Ricci. It was free to tour, so we wandered through the dark tunnels storing giant barrels of wine. By now, it was time for lunch, so we ventured back toward the parking and found a trattoria. I tried Pici with pepper and Parmesan, one of Montepulciano’s famous dishes, and it was spectacular. Heidi had the gnocchi.

With a three hour drive to Cinque Terre and a one hour drive to Sienna, we were a feeling a bit pressed for time as we needed to meet Lorella, the lady from whom we rented our apartment. So off we went. As we weaved down the hill through the countryside, we noticed a few bystanders on the roadside. Shortly thereafter, we were waved to the side of the road and a bike race of fifty cyclists came storming through with support vehicles and all! How cool was that!?! Those boys were breathing heavy as they climbed that hill. It turned out it was the Italian National Road Race Championship. Of the 124 riders that started, only 49 finished. Vincenzo Nibali won. The race has been run since 1905 with the exception of the years during WWI. I found it kind of funny that such a big race didn’t even have the roads blocked. Here is the link in cycling news: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/italian-road-championships-2014/road-race/results

After a few interesting turns, we finally made it to Siena and parked by the stadio (this is the best place to leave the car and walk). We enjoyed the nearby fountain, passed by tourist stands, popped our heads in a few leather stores, took a look at St. Catherine’s head in St. Domenico Catherine Basilica, and followed the signs to the Duomo, as this cathedral was supposedly the one to see compared to all others. We only went to the cathedral and library as we didn’t have time for the crypts and baptista, but it was beautiful.

The black and white exterior was magnificent, both near and far. The marble murals on the floor, the carvings beneath the windows, and the paintings that covered every ounce of the church were lovely. Even the wooden chairs were ornate. I’m certain every nook, color and image had a meaning, but we were just there to take in the grandeur before we moved on to Cinque Terre. Sienna deserved more than 1.5 hours, but at least we made it.

In Cinque Terre, we parked on the outskirts because cars aren’t allowed on the interior and rolled our bags through the parking lot and down the street until we reached the stairs. We climbed a few until we reached a sidewalk and found the address, 85. More stairs…ok…to a courtyard, where a couple questioned, “Are you looking for Lorella (in Italian)?”

Si, we replied.

They pointed to a narrow, stone staircase that curved up the hillside and said, “La Scala”. Ok, we could barely fit…but up we went. Lorella met us and commented, “Just a few more steps”. Really!?! We climbed four stories of stairs from their basement to our “penthouse suite.”

And we were blessed with a penthouse view. Our patio looks out over the whole town as the sun sets on the harbor! The two bedroom apartment was quaint with a small kitchen and bath. Another building included a separate kitchen that we will never be using!

We opened the windows, enjoyed the sunset, and set out for 9:30 dinner reservations at the most popular restaurant in town, Billy’s. We had a fantastic waitress who would not tell us her name and joked with us despite not knowing much English (though it was more than our Italian). We had the antipasto seafood sampler which included octopus, cuttlefish, shrimp fritters, a crab cake, two types of anchovies, two types of tuna, and some things we didn’t know what they were at all…12 things in total.

We also opted for the fish of the day, sea bass, and to our surprise she brought over a plate of three dead fish for us to choose from. We pointed to the one in the middle. It was the smallest. Thirty minutes later, the whole thing was presented on a platter. After she watched us attempt to filet it, she came over and helped!

Suddenly, we started making friends. A couple from California asked where we were from and gave us tips about hiking from town to town, and a table full of fun Italian ladies called us over once the free Limoncello and bitters were served. What a fun night until we couldn’t get the gate open to our apartment, “Oh, just force it,” Lorella said. We kind of felt bad to call her after midnight…but what a fun day and night! We’re ready to tackle a hike tomorrow…ETB

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Cycling to Sinalunga, Italy…Rewarded with a Pizza Party!

Before we arrived in Italy, Heidi and I requested bikes because we had always heard of amazing bike tours in Tuscany. After driving around for a day on the narrow and busy roads, we had second thoughts about riding them and had considered different plans for the day but forgot to tell Gianluca.

Gianluca has gone out of his way to give us suggestions and get us what we have needed at all times, so we felt at least obligated to ride down the street and back. We told the family we’d be back in 5 minutes and told Gianluca we were going to Betolle. “That’s only 700 meters”, he responded.

So we strapped on our helmets. Lunch boxes were attached to the handle bars held spares tubes, air cartridges, and tire irons. We were set for our adventure, with the first stop being the grocery store for Heidi’s much needed Diet Coke. Of course, we couldn’t find it…a common occurrence. We rode up and down the hills around the three streets and finally settled for water which turned out to be a smart purchase on this warm, sunny day.

From Betolle, we intended on riding to Sinalunga, however, we missed the turn and pedaled down the hill on a busy road. Most drivers were friendly, though one passenger yelled “boo” out the window which was quite a startle. Still in one piece, we decided to pull off the road and map out a different route back to the house.

We turned through a neighborhood and then on to a back country road. Within minutes we were riding along what appeared to be a gravel driveway, but it just kept going. We passed by fields, gated houses, a few signs we didn’t understand, vineyards, roses, and poppies as we admired towns perched on the hills in the distance. As we pedaled along, suddenly a DHL truck was coming toward us, ah…there was an exit!

taking pictures of each other…and selfies

It returned us back to the busy road only a few hundred meters from Betolle. Sometimes mistakes are the best! We had so much fun riding through the country side. From Betolle, and after an hour or so of riding, we thought we’d return to the house, but we missed the turn just as we were heading down another hill, this time in the direction of Sinalunga, so we just kept going. The hills proved challenging as we pedaled as hard as possible. We stopped for more water from the public fountain in Guazzino before riding a few more miles and crossing bridge where we could see Sinalunga perched on a giant hill in the distance! Just the sight of the town on the hill ended our desire and attempt to visit it. The grades for some of the town roads were like mountain passes.

We turned right through the round-about and looked for another way home that might not require us to climb the hill we just road down as Heidi astutely noticed, “There is not a shoulder where I can walk the bike up the hill.” We were headed toward the A1, the main highway with a 130 km speed limit.

“Perhaps it has a side road,” Heidi said to me.

“Would you want to ride on the side road to LBJ?” I responded.

Miraculously, there was another two lane road to follow (Heidi is an excellent navigator), but we certainly didn’t avoid any hills. We rode past old houses, grazing horses, and eventually topped out with a lovely view of Sinalunga.

Two and a half hours later though probably only 10 miles, it was well past lunch-time, so we stopped at the meat market picked up Salami, cheese, bread, soda, water, and a bottle of wine for only 13 Euro! We were proud of our ordering skills…knowing no Italian, we survived.

Lunch by the beautiful pool back at the house, Il Casale del Marchese, was in order. The rectangular pool was flanked by trees and flower gardens with a spectacular bath area. On one end stood the pizza oven and the other end a huge cabana with pool chairs, a ping pong table and a foosball table. We snacked on our tasty purchases as we shaded our arms, legs, and face which were null of sunscreen during the whole ride while worked on tanning our midsection.

Happy hour time soon rolled around and the rest of the family joined us after a day in Cortona. We moved from the pool chairs to the shaded table and chairs by the enormous pizza oven. Gianluca and his mom made us at least ten pizzas with sausage, ham, tomato, olive, mushroom, artichoke, arugula and more. The final one was Nutella! The wine poured all night while Clarke played the guitar which Gianluca secured from a friend. What a great way to spend our last night in Tuscany!

We’ll do some more exploring tomorrow before finding our way to Cinque Terre…ETB

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photographic note card, blue spring in missouri — BLUE SPRING

Cooking and Wine Tasting in Tuscany!

I started my Tuesday morning travel with alerts on Monday night from American Airlines that my flight from Denver to Chicago was delayed. It wasn’t going to matter as I had a long connection time to get to Rome, but it seemed getting out of O’hare wasn’t any better. Our delayed departure due to mechanical difficulties was scheduled to leave just as a storm built into a supercell, thus Heidi and I sat on the terminal floor a bit longer. Three hours later, we finally made our way to Rome on an airplane without wifi or personal TVs. I’m certain some folks were disappointed; I just made my best effort to sleep. After landing, we sifted through customs and wandered around in search of the rental car counter, which turned into another fiasco. All the “joys” of travel were soon erased when we arrived to our 11 bedroom estate in Tuscany just in time for cooking class! Marci, my step-mom rented the lovely place, and we got to enjoy the last few days she had it with my sister Liz and her family and my sister Christian and her family.

We learned how to make spinach and ricotta ravioli along with chicken wrapped around mozzarella, spec, and spinach fastened with a tooth pick. For the ravioli, we kneaded the dough, flattened it in a pasta cutter, folded it over the filling and cut it into squares. It was divine! The chicken was delicious too. It was pounded flat. We placed a piece of spec, some spinach and some cheese on top and rolled it up with a spring of thyme. Gianluca and his mom were excellent cooks and hosts at the Il Marchese house as they served us in a grand dining room.

Ron, Liz, Beth, Caroline, Michael, Heidi, Charles, Cliff, Landon, Lindsey, Clark, Connally, Marci, Christian, Craig

Bedtime couldn’t have come fast enough after 24 hours of travel, though a sleeping pill still called my name with the time difference. Heidi and I retired to our apartment, which was attached to the main house, with two bedrooms and a living/kitchen area which was attached to the main house. Each sleeping area was named. Ours was called Tabaccaia.

I squeaked four hours off the sleeping pill and tossed around until about 7:15 before showering and heading down to 8am breakfast. Breakfast included cappuccino, tomatoes, salami and cheese, toast, croissants, lemon bread, cereal, yogurt, fruit, jams, and Nutella. It was a nice spread that we enjoyed at the breakfast table on a manicured lawn (mowed by a self propelled mower named Ambrogio) with a view a converted barn, ivy arch, well, and surrounding landscaping.

Ambrogio

By 8:30, Heidi and I along with Christian and Craig were off to our first wine tasting in Montalcino at Castel Giocondo owned by Frescobaldi. The estate was so large, 2,500 acres, that it did not have an address making it somewhat difficult to find. After a few calls to Nadine, we finally entered through the brick columns and followed a gravel road a few kilometers to the office. From there, our guide Nadine, drove us to the processing area.

The quality of the grapes are monitored throughout the year and harvested between late August and October. The wine goes through two fermentation processes in large steel vats before it is transferred to enormous oak barrels. The oak is used multiple times thus provides little flavor to the wine.

The Frescobaldi family produces 10 million bottles of wine throughout its seven Tuscan estates, but the Brunello is one of the wines that is produced at the location we visited. Brunellos are only produced in the Tuscan region using 100% San Giovese grapes. This particular wine was stored for three years in a smaller French oak barrel that had been used multiple times and then bottled where it needed to age for two more years.

At the tasting we were treated to four wines including their 2007 Brunello which was five stars! I personally liked the Mormento produced in the Chianti region and used it to wash down the meats, cheeses and breads they served with the tasting. I may have had the best salami ever…super tender, not rubbery at all!

After our wine tasting we stopped along the property to enjoy picturesque views before Heidi and I went on to Montalcino. Montalcino is perched on a hill and was once protected by an old fortress, now a place to taste wines. We meandered along the steep streets passing by a few shops, but staying near the city center with easy access to our car as a storm was brewing.

From Montalcino, we moved onto Cortona, about an hour away. Cortona sat high upon a hill as well. It was home to several piazzas, a museum, magnificent views and more, but the storm finally reached, and it was not just a small rain shower. The lightning and thunder struck simultaneously. We were in its center, and it was so loud that a little kid taking cover with his mom next to us under the theater’s portico was shrieking while covering his ears with his hands. Luckily, we had purchased some gelato just before the skies unleashed, so we waited out the storm for the next hour savoring hazelnut and pistachio flavors.

The rain let up just in time for us to get home and prepare to watch the World Cup soccer match. Gianluca led us to Foiano, a nearby Italian town, where we drank Scottish beer in an Irish Pub while watching the USA play Germany in Brazil…definitely international. We had Bell’s Pub to ourselves. Umberto and Lucia were wonderful hosts. They played the game just for us and prepared several crostini appetizers in advance of us arriving. It was so nice of them! What a great way to enjoy an early evening before heading back to the house.

What a fun day! I’m ready for what Italy has to offer tomorrow! ETB

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Check out the photographic note cards and key chains at my shop. Each card has a travel story associated with it. 20% of proceeds are donated to charity.

photographic note card, lake in Yosemite — ENCHANTED

The Rockies: Bear Creek Falls and Bluegrass Music in Telluride!

Telluride offers some spectacular options for hiking when not hanging out at the music festival. This morning, I hiked to Bear Creek Falls, a five mile round trip. The trailhead started at South Pine Street and continued toward town park and the festival to the left. I followed the rocky road that gradually climbed through the aspens to open areas that offered spectacular views of Bridal Veil Falls.

One open area was a shrine to cairns. Rock piles balanced on other rocks, fallen trees, and grassy knolls. Another open area, very close to Bear Creek Falls offered amazing views of the valley below. The flat spot next to an enormous boulder seconded as an outdoor yoga studio.

cairn garden

Here the road narrowed to a tight trail that weaved through bushes all the way to the falls where I enjoyed a brisk spray from the water tumbling over the sheer cliff on this humid, cloudy day. Being used to zero percent humidity, twenty-two percent felt like a blanket!

After my hike and shower, I joined everyone at Elk’s Park to watch Dave Bruzza & Paul Hoffman while testing out the gourmet grilled cheese. All were fantastic! In fact, the food vendors did not disappoint. The gyros were delicious as was the chicken and waffles. The flank steak sandwich and the spinach and cheese wontons were super.

The festival called our names by 2:15 again. Punch Brothers were scheduled to play…followed by Yonder Mountain String Band and which we took a short rest before returning for Sam Bush who has played for the last 40 years at the festival, only missing the first one. After Sam Bush, Leftover Salmon geared up for its set at 10:30. I petered out early as I had to leave first thing in the morning. Everyone else soaked in the tunes and got to enjoy a heavy hitting line up on Sunday. ETB

Bridget protecting her dragonfly

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Check out the photographic note cards and key chains at my shop. Each card has a travel story associated with it. 20% of proceeds are donated to charity.

photographic note card, elk in rocky mountain national park — ELK

The Rockies: Telluride Bluegrass Festival!

We awoke to frost. I felt frosty and headed to the coffee shop for some heat (and coffee). Dave huddled in line waiting for a good number. I must say, after 40 festivals, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival has got this event running like clock work.

Cars are stopped at the town entrance and directed to parking areas. Volunteers man the entrance of the campgrounds. No one can get in without a wristband. Volunteers man the high school locker rooms. They charge $4 for a shower and the money is used to support their sports. Volunteers hand out the numbers to those waiting in line. Arriving around 6am earns a number around 250 which is handed in when the gates open, today at 9am. To keep the line moving, bags are checked between the numbers being doled out and the gates opening.

Once the tarp run is complete, everyone else may enter. Bags are checked individually as are wristbands. The volunteers give the bands a little tug to make sure they haven’t been cut. Glass, dogs, and alcohol are not allowed into the festival, but just about everything else is fair game. The grassy field is lined with food and shopping vendors, including a free hydration station. Most meals were around $8-10, not too bad, and the beer after purchasing the $10 cup was only $4 a glass, quite a bargain compared to most concerts I’ve been too! There was also a cell phone charging station at the festival and several makeshift ones at the high school and campgrounds.

For those who couldn’t or didn’t want to get a ticket to the festival for all four days, there were several workshop events at Elk’s Park available for free. These events were extremely quaint and nice. Our group bounced between Elk’s Park near town center and the festival at Town Park. We also took retreat from the sun at camp. It is amazing how hot 62 degrees is in the mountain sun and how cold 62 degrees is at night. Nothing like needing a bathing suit top and a parka in the same day.

Ashley

Beth and Bridget

Serena

Chris and Dave in the background

According to the experts, Ashley and Dave, must see’s were Jason Isbell at 2:15 and Bela Fleck with the Colorado Symphony at 6. A pleasant surprise (and new favorite I think) was Dave Rawlings Machine who played in between Bela Fleck and Steve Winwood. Dave and I had gone back to camp (probably a mile away from the festival) and could hear the crowd go wild at the end of Dave Rawlings Machine. It was pretty cool!

Speaking of a mile away, for a mountain town, Telluride is pretty big. It’s main street, as I mentioned seemed to be a mile long, is peppered with restaurants and shops. Several side streets also include markets and shops and one street is home to the base of the gondola. It was a nice walk back and forth to the festival, but it was also nice to have our bikes and a lot of available bike parking! I’m looking forward to another hike and some more music tomorrow…ETB

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Check out the photographic note cards and key chains at my shop. Each card has a travel story associated with it. 20% of proceeds are donated to charity.

photographic note card, longhorn — LONGHORN

The Rockies: Music Festival and Hiking Trails in Telluride

We all made it to Telluride at different times today. Ashley, Dave and Bridget arrived first and staked out a camping area for us at the high school. We paid for a four day pass to camp here for the 41st Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Chris, Serena, and I brought up the rear around 5 pm, unloaded, popped up our tents and shade tents, and prepared to go into to town to get our music festival bracelets and dinner.

We mounted our bikes and pedaled away in an unorganized fashion. We managed not to run into to each other, but it was close. I wonder if the result will change with our sobriety level? We enjoyed a relaxing dinner at Brown Dog Pizza before meandering back to camp to watch the night sky fill with stars as the temperature plummeted. Chris had an app that tracks the path of the international space station, and at 10:06 it was scheduled to fly just above the mountain around 36 degrees in the sky. Low and behold, we watched it go by!! It looked like a plane without any flashing lights. It was the coolest thing. After that, I had to turn in because my toes were frozen and needed the warmth of my tent and sleeping bag. If only my eyes wanted to close and my ears couldn’t hear anything in the relatively quiet campground. Oh well.

Dave, Serena, and I woke when the sun came up. We walked to the opposite end of town near the entrance of the festival and held our spot in line to earn a number. Number holders get first entry to the festival when the gates open at 10. We refer to this as the tarp run. Festival goers run to claim their spot by laying out a tarp. We were all set…stage left, next to the tower, and in front of the foot path. The spot allowed for high back chairs, but no sun shades and was in a calmer area, where we could sit versus stand during the more rambunctious evening activities.

Waiting for our number

tarp run

claiming our spot

While Serena, Dave, Chris, and Ashley listened to the first band, Bridget was bagging Wilson Peak, one of the few fourteeners she has left, and I was climbing to Station St. Sophia, one of the gondola stops on the ski mountain. I began at South Pine St. where I planned to follow Bear Creek Trail to a waterfall. I didn’t have a map and saw a trailhead to the right without a mile marker and followed it. It lead to a road, which I assumed was the one I started on which switched back. This turned out not to be true, so when I turned right, I ended up on Camel’s Garden Trail instead of Bear Creek Trail and set out for an adventure.

The path, lined with wildflowers climbed beneath the aspen as snowmelt rushed down the mountain and across the path in multiple places. Camel’s Garden Trail turned into Telluride Trail, a ski road that zig-zagged up the mountain beneath the gondola. At times it was rather steep. Eventually it connected to Coonskin Loop, of a lesser grade, which circled around a nature center near the top of the gondola at 10,535 feet.

can see the moon

The views of town, Bridal Veil Falls, our campground, the music festival below, as well as the craggy peaks across the valley were magnificent. Part of what makes Telluride Valley so beautiful is that the U shaped valley was carved by glaciers 1.6 million years ago. The glaciers melted around 18,000 years ago, leaving behind the San Juan Mountains, the range in the Rockies.

The festival

I thought about riding the gondola down to enjoy the views on this crystal clear day, but since it was only 2.6 miles up I decided to walk and sometimes slide down the 2,000 foot descent. I reached camp around one, snacked on some lunch and headed to the show where I found Dave and Ashley basking in the sun. We listened to The Lone Bellow for an hour before retreating to the shade of camp.

dragonfly

After a few relaxing hours at camp, we headed back to the festival for a night of music showcasing an excellent lineup including Del McCoury Band, Nickel Creek, and Brandi Carlile. While most of us turned in after Brandi Carlile, Dave and Ashley enjoyed the Nightgrass festivities too! They got tickets to Jason Isbell with The Lone Bellow who played at the high school. It was a great day of hiking and music in Telluride.

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Check out the photographic note cards and key chains at my shop. Each card has a travel story associated with it. 20% of proceeds are donated to charity.

Rambling into Love in Ludington

Stealing a few words from The Four Seasons, “Oh, what a night”…late May in 2014 (and day too)! I spent a very short weekend in Ludington, Michigan to celebrate Chas and Ellen’s wedding, and Saturday was a big day!

I started out with a light breakfast at the Holiday Inn with my mom before we parted ways. I ventured to Ludington State Park, located between Hamlin Lake and Lake Michigan. The park offers a variety of trails, and I chose two different hikes after paying the $9 entry fee.

My first hike followed the 3 mile Lighthouse Trail, essentially an unpaved road that fit between the foredune and the forested backdune. I chose this trail first as I felt its openness to the sun as it followed behind the dunes might be warm later in the day. The foredune is created by pioneer grasses. Marram grass slows the blowing sand thus building dunes. Behind the foredune is a trough where water collects in small ponds. Amazingly, there were not any mosquitoes as I searched for snakes, frogs, and dragonflies around the edges.

sand shipwreck

For the most part, I stuck to the unpaved road with exception of climbing over the dunes to the lake’s shore where a sign pointed to an old shipwreck. I tried in vain to find remnants of this shipwreck, but it eluded me. Instead I found sand art of a ship. Maybe all the bad weather this winter blew sand over the excavated portion of the wreck.

Eventually I reached the lighthouse. I believe it took me an hour to walk the quarter mile through the absolutely packed campground and the 1.5 miles along the trail. It would have been good to know the lighthouse doesn’t open until 10am and there is a $3 charge to climb to the top. The Big Sable Point Lighthouse was built in 1867 after Congress appropriated $35,000 for its construction the prior year. The 112 foot tall lighthouse was important to the lumber industry as multiple ships sank in the area prior to the shoreline being well marked.

Upon completing the Lighthouse Trail, I rushed to the other side of the park to try out Lost Lake Trail. The 1.5 mile path circles a watery cove off Hamlin Lake beneath a canopy of trees. I thought the shade would be perfect for beginning shortly after 11am, though I knew I was giving up my opportunity to spot a significant amount of wildlife by starting later in the day. Instead I watched park goers fish, canoe, and kayak around the lake. Clearly, water sports is the popular choice in Michigan. I, on the other hand, enjoyed following the footbridges from island to island as birds chirped all around me. Robins, woodpeckers, and red winged blackbirds flitted from tree to tree, swans dunked their heads underwater in search of food, and a heron glided into shore. A turtle sunned on a log in the tranquil water that offered marvelous reflections. This wooded hike was lovely.

It was almost noon, and I had to be ready by 1:15 to drive out to Ellen’s parents ranch for the wedding ceremony. As such, I zipped back to town, asked the waitress at House of Flavors if she could rush an order on a Reuben sandwich, and rewarded her with a healthy tip. I say healthy, I gave her a whopping $2.50 instead of the customary 20% tip of $1.50, and with a smile she replied, “Thanks, are you sure?” Really? She totally hooked me up! I had 45 minutes to prepare for the wedding. Yes, I’m sure! The hostess was great too. The people of Ludington are very friendly!!

Twenty-three miles later and after Come to Me by the Goo Goo Dolls perfectly played on the radio, I arrived at “the Tank” near Manistee. Villanova and Michigan State flags flew at the entrance of the driveway, pots of flowers lined the stone walls, and guests gathered in the shade of the towering trees. We all meandered to the open, sunny area and found our seats complete with sunglasses stamped with Chas and Ellen’s special day. What a sunny day it was! Given all the cold, snowy, and wet weather around the country this winter and spring, sun was very welcome, but when I say it was scalding hot, I’m not exaggerating. A family friend pointed to my chest later in the evening and asked, “where did you go to get so red?” I pointed to the white chairs! I suppose I should have remembered sunscreen. 🙂

The ceremony was lovely…both traditional and unique at the same time. All the nieces and nephews participated. The oldest was a groomsman and the rest held other duties. Two passed out flowers, one young man carried the rings down the aisle in a wooden canoe (cute since Chas was a fishing guide for years), and another young boy pulled a wagon down the aisle carrying the youngest niece! But that’s not all, with several artists in the family, two nieces held a banner letting Chas know that his lovely bride was about to arrive.

Ellen, donned in a beautiful white dress, wore giant smile as her father walked her to the alter. Beige was the chosen color for the bridesmaids and groomsmen who looked quite handsome surrounding the happy couple. The priest performed a full mass and offered some sage advice to the newly weds and congregation. Upon completion of the ceremony, Chas’ best man, Travis, rowed the two down the river while the guests wandered the grounds. There were a few hiking options through the woods and by the river. I considered a short walk, but the swarm of mosquitoes at the trailhead turned me back to the bar, red barn that Chas painted with a brush this week, the house, and the dinner tent.

The dinner tables included runners and utensil holders handmade by a friend of Ellen’s family. The juicy, prime rib dinner buffet hit the spot. The dessert table included sugar cookies, Rice Krispie treats (my favorite), cake and pies…a slight detour from the traditional! The bride and groom danced their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Chas Marsh. Ellen danced with her dad and Chas with his mom. Then the guests joined the dance floor to the live music. The fun continued past nightfall. This far north, it doesn’t turn dark until close to 10pm. What a busy day and nice evening! I’m so glad I got to celebrate Chas and Ellen’s joyous occasion. ETB

Shop

Check out the photographic note cards and key chains at my shop. Each card has a travel story associated with it. 20% of proceeds are donated to charity.

photographic note card, cowboy boots on fence — BOOTS

Towering Monoliths at Colorado National Monument

I was asked to be a guest blogger on a travel site called darjeelin. Here is my featured post!

http://www.darjeelin.com/blog/towering-monoliths-at-colorado-national-monument#.U3-Ur_ldVlo