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Examples of Published Articles

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Riding the old Rio Grande (Adventure Cyclist)

Living in Colorado ever since I was a hormonally-challenged middle-schooler, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of what my magnificent state had to offer. I’d done a great deal of horse-back riding, hiking and driving through the wilderness. Even taken a narrow-gauge railroad or two in the Rockies. Nothing compared, however, to the excitement I felt while cycling from Aspen to Glenwood Springs on the newly inaugurated Rio Grande Trail in the Roaring Fork Valley.

Duncan Adams (Breckenridge Magazine)

Halfpipe star Duncan Adams, at just 18, has had some amazing career highlights. In Breckenridge since 14, he grew up in Stowe, Vermont, and has been skiing since two. He’s been on the cover of Powder (February 2010) took third in that issue’s ranking of the top 20 skiers under 18, took third place in the Breck Dew Tour '08 (and was the youngest ever to place in the top three,) fourth place overall in the Dew Tour '08-09 season, fifth place at the X Games 2010, and sixth at the X Games 2009, where he was the youngest men's competitor when he made the skiing SuperPipe final .The lanky, tousle-haired athlete/writer/philosopher/Colorado Mountain College student recently joined the interviewer at funky, tiny Kava on Main Street for hot chocolate and just-made minidonuts.

Idyllic Designs (Broadmoor Magazine)

Spencer Penrose envisioned a set of traditionally American-style cottages at his beloved Broadmoor back at the turn of the last century, creating a painstakingly detailed set of blueprints and designs. While the dream never became reality during his lifetime, those involved with bringing the cottages to life took his plans and vision very seriously. Just two years ago, five cottage buildings opened to the public at the Broadmoor.

Olympic Hopeful (Colorado Expression)

It all started when he was two. Jeremy Abbott’s mother, Allison Scott, took him to the local rink in Aspen for a public session and the rosy-cheeked toddler was transfixed and transported. His life gradually became one that centered on ice-skating. Abbott won his first regional medal, a bronze, at the Southwestern Regionals when he was just ten, following that with a silver two years later. Indeed, when Abbott was twenty, his mother quipped, “for probably fourteen of the last twenty years, it seemed like the only thing I said when coming into or out of a rink was “Who died and made me a Sherpa?” Scott, now Director of Public Relations at the venerable Broadmoor Hotel, says those days began with wake-up calls at 4 a.m. in order to drive the young athlete 16 miles to the Aspen rink with a myriad of heavy bags filled with school books and supplies, snow pants and gloves and all of the necessary skating equipment.

The Mediterranean Way (Costco Connection)

Remember the trendy South Beach, Atkins, and Scarsdale Diets? Only too well, if you are like most people! Nowadays, what many people are excited about is the ancient Mediterranean Diet, which really isn’t a “diet” at all, but a way of life, an attitude, a celebration of food. Eat this way and enjoy pizza, pasta, cheese, nuts and wine. You won’t feel deprived, unless you crave store-bought cookies, processed meats and powdered sugary drinks. You also won’t find tedious measurements and prescribed menus, rather, you’ll learn a relaxed, simple way of eating and living, based on foods grown and consumed in the region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea for thousands of years. Get ready to feast!

Home on The Range (Mountain Living)

Last night I awoke to appalling sounds - police sirens, the milk truck barreling down the street with my dog barking after him and revving motorcycles. What a difference from the serenity and stillness of the week my family had just enjoyed at the Paradise Guest Ranch in northern Wyoming. There, nights consisted of inky skies glittering with stars, aspen leaves rustling gently and cool mountain air snuggling us into the soft blankets. The only sound was a whinny or two from the horses in the pasture below. It truly was paradise.

Turning Fifty on Safari (Home & Away)

I’ve been called many things in my life – both good and bad. But never had I been called a male lion. Yet here I was on a warm Sunday morning, somewhere deep out in the Maasai Mara savannah, bending down with a throng of Maasai cattle-herding boys from about 5 to 15, all eager to touch my humidity-challenged “lion’s mane” hair. Some giggled, some shreaked, but none were too shy to give it a go. After all, when living in dung huts surrounded by wilderness in every direction, it's not every day one gets to touch a 'mzungu's' hair. That's what I was called in Kenya - a mzungu, Swahili for foreigner, or white person.

Oleshargegilololtoriroi (thankfully also known as Joseph,) the Maasai guide who escorted me on this nature walk, was decked out, as always, in his flashy traditional garb of red plaid wraparound blanket, infinite colorful beads and an exotic leather braided headgear that made him look positively royal. He carefully translated for us and told me that the boys were on a mission to collect branches for their teacher. Each politely shook my hand. Maybe I was the only ‘mzungu’ they had ever met. I’m sure I was the only one whose hair they had touched!

Top Guest Ranches (Creative Living)

Viva Puebla (Pueblo Chieftain)

A light drizzle started to fall just as my daughter and I stepped on to the narrow cobblestoned Callejón de los Sapos (Alley of the Toads), refreshing the warm air with its coolness. We ducked into the tiny folk art shop next to us to stay dry, and gazed at the impossibly vast array of wares on its narrow walls. A tap on my shoulder surprised us, as the handsome young clerk of our next-door hotel, Mesón Sacristía de la Compañía, had hunted us down on the street with an umbrella. “I thought you might need this,” he smiled. Not only did we need the umbrella, but his friendly and hospitable touch started us off on a delightful, if moist, afternoon in Puebla.

Rhones-Alpes: Undiscovered riches just two hours from Paris (Vancouver Sun)

It’s pre-dawn in old Lyon. The antique streetlights cast a romantic peachy glow. The only sound is the clip-clop of my shoes on the cobblestones, echoing on the centuries-old walls just arms length from me on both sides. As I walk through the aged terra-cotta buildings, tiny ivy and geranium-bedecked passageways beckon me to explore their hidden courtyards. I seem to be the only one awake in this very Italian French city, until I reach the boulangerie. Here I buy a buttery almond croissant, fresh from the oven and a cup of steaming cafe au lait. I feel as though I’m on a movie set, but these 700-year-old streets are real, as are the sleepy folks around me calling friendly “Bon jour’s” to each other as they dash off to work with their morning pastries.

A whole new Thanksgiving dinner – say “Cheers”with beers! (Wild Blue Yonder)

My 93-year-old dad was dubious, to say the least. “Thanksgiving with BEER?!,” he grumbled. “We’ll get full enough just with the food! Beer is for sausages and potato chips, not Thanksgiving turkey!” Ah, but Dad, I pleaded, just give it a try. Four courses later, he was more than ready to dive into the pumpkin pie and cranberry torte – both married to their perfect craft beer mates. What did my dad say then? “This was the best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had!”

Pumpkin pie is sublime served with a rich porter, and a sage-crusted roast turkey pairs beautifully with red ale. I’m not talking chugging a bloating brewski. I’m talking small sipping amounts of craft and microbrews matched to complement and enhance the tastes of the dishes with which they are served. The United States has more beer varieties than any other country in the world and the industry is growing exponentially – worth $3 billion. Why not jazz up your holiday meal this year, and serve it as a fun, classy beer pairing?