Anytime I need a getaway, one of those that immerses you in its destination and takes you away from the “world,” I plan a trip to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. It’s just over an hour from my home in Denver metro, but the moment I pull up to the security gate, I feel like I’ve entered another world.

The staff personally welcomes me back (as in “Welcome back, Miss Rowe) as I walk into the historic property and I immediately relax. After we check out our room, drop off our bags, our first stop is usually at The Hotel Bar. Not just because we enjoy having a relaxing drink at the bar, but because the bartender Lynn is like family. She always greets us by name, even if we haven’t visited in months. After all these years of visiting The Broadmoor, she’s family and we really have to catch up. 

Another favorite stop is the Golden Bee, an authentic 19th century English pub, shipped from England in  a collection of panels and fixutures in 1961 and reassembled in Colorado Springs. (Did you know that Colorado Springs once was nicknamed “Little London?”) Order pub-fare (soups, sandwiches, fish & chips + more), order a yard of ale (5 1/2 beers), and listen to the ragtime piano player belt out sing-a-long songs every night at 8:30pm.  Fun, fun, fun English-style.

The best kept secret about this 5-star luxury, historic resort is that it doesn’t have to break the bank.  Their historic 72-hour sale has been extended and ends tonight (April 12, 2010 at midnight). But there’s always deals to be had on their website. Or sign up to receive those deals via email.

I frequently write about The Broadmoor, because, well, there’s so much to write about from taking my grandchildren for family time to taking my man for a romantic getaway.

Now that my mind is rested from my 3-day getaway to The Broadmoor and my body is relaxed from the pampering at their spa, I feel fresh on this Monday morning and ready to start the busy week.

Have a great day — and go check out The Broadmoor.

Diana Rowe, Denver Travel Examiner

Romance is in the air in February, especially in Denver metro, a cosmopolitan, yet laid back metro area that offer offers spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains, from just about anywhere. Perhaps that’s why I think the Denver metro area is so romantic. Check out these suggestions for creating a Denver metro romantic getaway any time of the year: 

Celebrate romance in downtown Denver

Celebrate romance in metro Denver    

Top 10 places to kiss in downtown Denver

Until next time, Diana Rowe
Check out more of my articles as the Denver Travel Examiner

There are 30 million rodeo fans in the United States, according to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and more than 600 professional rodeos are held annually throughout the U.S. and Canada. Pick one or pick ‘em all, but take a look at this article on 14-must see rodeos in Rodeo Travel, appearing in the December 2009/January 2010 issue of American Cowboy Magazine.

Here’s an excerpt of a rodeo in my own backyard, Denver’s National Western Stockshow:

National Western Stock Show, Rodeo and Horse ShowDenver, Colorado

By Diana Rowe

 

The first major rodeo of the year and held each January since 1906, the National Western is a Denver tradition. Filled to the brim with rodeos, livestock, and entertainment, this 16-day festival is more than just a rodeo. Considered the Super Bowl of livestock shows, the National Western is a major draw for serious stockmen. And spectators travel from near and far to view the thousands of cattle, horses, goats, sheep, and poultry competing for ribbons and prizes. Animals long associated with the Rocky Mountains are also on display, including bison, elk, llamas, and yaks.

Click here for more about National Western Stockshow

Until the next time,

Diana Rowe

Nothing brings a bad-ass biker dude to tears quicker than a child in need. Bikers might have a bad reputation, but when it comes to kids, they’re suckers. Combine motorcycles and kids and you have one big fuzzy event.  We call this the Hope House Toy Run, and I’m happy to coordinate and participate in this feel-good biker event.  Click here for picture:  Bikers participating in the Hope House Toy Run

Delivering toys to kids in  needs is an amazing personal experience guaranteed to get everyone all warm and fuzzy — bad-ass biker dudes and chicks alike. We gotour holiday spirit going the Saturday before Thanksgiving during an annual poker run and toy run for Hope House of Colorado. 

This biker event works the same as any other poker run, with stops at bars (In The Zone Sports Bar, Firehouse Tavern, Hoffbrau & Jake’s Roadhouse) along the way where bikers socialize and draw cards competing for best poker hand.  However, bikers are given the opportunity to personally adopt a Hope House teen mom and her kid(s) by purchasing gifts — and giving them in person. Besides the residents of the house, Hope House supports more than 50 families along the Front Range.

With our small envoy of 20 bikes and 2 cars filled with toys, we rode to the church gymnasium to meet the families. The teen moms and their children stood outside in a greeting line, waving and smiling. The knew that the Santa bikers were on their way, loaded down with gifts, and many of the kids even jumped up and down in excitement.  Cllick here for picture:   Kids waiting for Biker Santas

For about 30 minutes, special moments took place as the auditorium filled with shrieks of laughter and paper ripping off the gifts.

Bikers silently watched, many wiped tears from their eyes. Why?  Because of the stories. Stories like one 18 year-old mom who cried because this was the first gift she’d received in her life. Because another mom cried because just 4 months earlier she and her toddler was sleeping in the park.

A tour of “Hope House” next door revealed a tight ship with rules created to form a stable home and future for the young families.

When we returned to the parking lot, one young boy, barely walking, was fascinated by the bright orange color of a chopper, so entranced that he reached out to touch it reverently. The guy who owned the chopper had that classic sterotyped biker look — tough, leather, tattoos, long hair, but talk about bad-ass biker turned to taffy as he smiled while the little boy drooled over his bike. 

Click here for picture: Biker watches little boy drooling over his chopper

Other youngsters wrapped their arms around their “adopted” biker squealing in delight as the bikers putted through the parking lot giving the little guys short motorcycle rides under the watchful eyes of the teenage moms. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the first step to a future biker.

I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas gift — and we donated nearly $1,500 in gifts and $700 in cash!  God bless the teen moms and their kids.

Until next time,

Diana Rowe

 

$25 per person/$40 per couple (100% donated to Hope House) **Feeling Lucky??? DRAW AGAIN $5.00 each additional Card (Unlimited)****Prizes for both winning and losing hands of poker – and one random hand. POKER RUN SCHEDULE

 1ST STOP:In The Zone Sports Bar, 44th & McIntyre, Golden, CO (303-279-3888) 1st bike out 10:00/last bike out 10:15 2ND STOP:           Outlaw Saloon, 160 E. Main St, Lyons (303-823-8201)1st bike out 12:15/last bike out 12:30 3RD STOP: Windjammer Bar & Grill, 3431 North Carter Lake Road, Loveland,1st bike out 1:30/last bike out 1:45 (**longest ride)                        (970-667-0454) 4TH STOP: Jerry D’s, 6048 State Highway 52, Dacono (303-833-3469)1st bike out 2:30/last bike out 2:45 

5TH STOP:  Wide Open Saloon @Top Gun; I-25 & 58th, Denver (303-657-3550)

All Bikes OUT together: 4:30 **Let’s show Hope House our support. Please hang tight at Top Gun Motosports. Please all bikes leave together in a show of support approx-4:30 pm

***Return to In The Zone Sports Bar Patio for Raffles (2 for $1/15 for $5), 50/50, Beer, Food & Live Music by Brethren Fast. 

Until you have a set of your own, you won’t have any idea of the bond between a grandmother and her grandchildren. I mean I love, love, love my two daughters, but hey, I lived with them through their teenage years! And who doesn’t know how interesting those years can be, especially with girls?

Anyway, I digress. My latest article is actually as a guest blogger for Away.com: excerpted here:

The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs: “Our Princess Land”

By Guest Blogger
07/16/2009

Comments (0)

“Welcome to my princess land, Gramma” is how my four-year-old granddaughter greeted me at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs on our recent visit there. I could see how the historic towers might resemble a castle to a four-year-old enthralled with the storybook world of princesses and princes. Perhaps the only missing structures were a drawbridge and moat, but Kaydence didn’t seem to notice.

Enjoy and be sure to click here to read the rest of the article about taking the grandkids to The Broadmoor and Colorado Springs.

thanks, Diana

Did you know you can kayak in downtown Denver? Explore more than 850 miles of paved, off-road bike trails? And let’s not get me started on the fabulous hotels, ranging from the luxurious Ritz-Carlton to the historic Brown Place to brands like Grand Hyatt Denver and Westin Tabor Center — oh and my favorite the hip and funky Hotel Monaco! Denver is also gaining quite a reputation for its culinary offerings.

All this and more is included in my recent article in the Business Traveler, entitled “Summer in Denver.”  See below for an excerpt and here’s a link to the article:

Summer in the City

Diana Rowe finds that summers in Denver are action-packed too When the Democratic National Convention (DNC) selected Denver as its host city, and some 50,000 delegates and visitors descended on the city last summer, many speculated that the seven-county metro area couldn’t carry it off. But the success of the pivotal four-day convention has helped put this old mining town back on travelers’ maps.
    Says Mayor John Hickenlooper, “Denver is the largest city in a 600-mile radius, so we have become the cultural, sports, shopping and nightlife capital for a vast region of the country. The DNC allowed us to showcase our great city.”
    Traditionally, travelers think of Denver as a winter destination, and they should—the majestic, snow-capped Rocky Mountains are less than an hour away. The landscape beckons even city slickers, but it’s more than a state filled with skiers and scenery. With 300 days of sunshine per year—that’s more than Miami or San Diego—Denver is a brighter place to visit year-round.
    The Mile High City’s mild climate is its best-kept secret, with low relative humidity and summertime averages at just 86 ˚F. Locals anticipate the summer almost as much as the snowpack. In fact, many transplants will say, “I moved here for the winter, but stayed for the summer.”
    Perhaps that’s why the streets of Denver bustle with a constant flow of business and jogging suits—the perfect blend of work and play. Hickenlooper notes that Denver “has the nation’s largest city park system, with more than 850 miles of paved, off-road bike trails to explore. It’s not surprising then, that Denver is continually named America’s thinnest and fittest city.”Until next time — and hopefully sooner!  (Where has the time gone…)Diana

Check it out — new post budget friendly luxury travel at The Broadmoor

Denver Travel Examiner: Budget friendly, spring break getaway to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs

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Technically it IS winter, but with temps in the high 40s in Steamboat Springs (and Denver breaking records in the 70s), it doesn’t feel like that bone-chilling cold that the mountains often receive in the late winter/early spring.  The weather is just one reason why there’s never been a more perfect winter to take a break and head to the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

A couple of days ago, I wrote about my snowshoeing adventure in Steamboat. Today, I’m feeling the effects of my first skiing adventure in nearly 5 years!  Yikes, I had no idea how out of shape I am. (NOTE TO SELF: get back on the exercise routine - Pilates and exercise bike.)

Not a lot of pictures to show of the intense blue skies and champagne powder that Mother Nature blessed Steamboat with on Monday morning because, well, I’m an amateur skier at best. Translation = I fall down the slope. Not a good plan with expensive camera equipment, so the camera stayed home when I rode the first (and last) lifts/gondola up the mountain. (But my BFF Diana brought her lightweight digital camera — see picture below — and yes that’s me on the top of the mountain. Read further..)

Renting skis and purchasing lift tickets is convenient when you stay at the Steamboat Sheraton Resort.  Steamboat Ski & Sport is located within the Sheraton on the basement level at the gondola base (Sheraton slopeside).

My ski-mates were my friend Diana and 18-year-old, snowboarding Hutch. I began slow enough, trying out my skis and stopping ability, citing the mantras “french fry” or “pizza.”  Then we all boarded the ski lift to the top of the green runs, Stampede and Lil’ Rodeo. Not so bad, so I did a few more runs. Apparently, I felt brave, so was convince by my ski-mates to brave the gondola and move further uphill. I was assured that more greens were in my future.

[Click here for picture Steamboat Springs, base of mountain
near the Sheraton Steamboat Resort]

At the top of the Gondola, we exited right — when we should’ve exited left to ski the nice ‘n easy Why Not green run. Huck went off on his own to snowboard; Diana stuck with me. We proceeded to get lost in the maze of trails, ending up at the top of the mountain, Sunshine Peak.

It was without a doubt absolutely stunning beautiful, wide open vistas, white-packed snow. At first, I skied without fear, but then my out-of-shape calves gave up the ghost. I was done, but we couldn’t figure out how to get down to the gondola. A few more missed turns and runs, including the last one where I did a splendid fall, lost a ski, and finally slid down on my bum to a more even surface to get my skis back on.

Let’s just say my sweaty and sore body really appreciated the two cold beers at 3 Saddles in the Sheraton Steamboat Resort lobby. (Diana said I practically threw my rental skis at the dude at the ski shop — her story not mine…)

I enjoyed a fabulous evening meal at Cafe Diva, a short walk from the Sheraton’s front entrance, feasting on a tasty bottle of chardonnay, appetizers (favorite: crab cake); soup (yummy! tomato and crab bisque); and slightly spicy scallops, a house speciality.  A tired and sore Diana crawled into bed.

 The next day I woke up ready to get home, although I did look longingly at the mountain, and had the fleeting thought of tackling the Why Not green run — just to say I could. I resisted, and packed up the SUV and headed back to Denver.  Maybe next time — and Why Not?

Until the next time, Diana
Denver Travel Examiner

P.S. next week it’s off to Puerto Rico to watch the Puerto Rico PGA at Trump International Golf Club, March 9-15 — and maybe even play some golf.

I arrived yesterday at Steamboat Springs, a less than 3 hour drive from Denver, and my first visit in nearly 16 years. I’m here to check out the extensive renovations of the Sheraton Steamboat Resort.

With its champagne powder, Steamboat has long been a playground for everything winter: alpine and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, + more.

 As you might recall from my Quebec City Ice Hotel adventure, I’m not much of a winter person, but how could I resist an opportunity to snowshoe? Snowshoeing is simply hiking in fancy shoes through the snow, right? 

The temps were 40’s, and all the layers of clothing were way too much. I ended up snowshoeing with my ski jacket tied around my waist.  The Rocky Mountains provided the backdrop as my friend Diana and I snowshoed the groom trails at the Steamboat Touring Center.  

A short hour later, we returned to the center and made our way back our rooms at the Sheraton, via their courtesy shuttle.

The invigorating “hike” was complimented by drinks and appetizers at 3 Saddles Bar & Grill, the hotel’s lobby bar.  My drink of choice was White Out–a white chocolate martini, and appetizers included yummy hummus and pita bread, and bite-sized chicken, salmon and beef with sauces. My favorite was the Wasabi.

Located at the base of the ski area with views of the Silver Bullet Gondola, Sevens, their newly reopened, on-site restaurant, served an paired glass of Sauvignon Blanc with wild boar — mmmm. 

Today I’m going to brave the mountain and put on a pair of skis. Steamboat should be very scared!

Until next time, Diana
Denver Travel Examiner