Wealthy Travelers

Winter offers a variety of outdoor winter activities including skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, snowshoeing, as well as sledding and sleigh riding.  Many popular vacation destinations for winter, of course, will be in mountainous areas or within a short distance.  One of my favorite winter destinations is Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Steamboat Springs offers many ski slopes for skiers of varying skill levels, as well as snowboarding. in one of the most beautiful mountainous settings anywhere.  For the non-skiers, there is always a warm ski lodge or large hotel lobby looking out on the ski slopes where non-skiers can sit by a large stone fireplace, and enjoy the winter scenery from the comfort of a cozy overstuffed chair.

And after all the cold weather fun, you can warm up at in the Strawberry Park natural hot springs.  These hot springs boast a comfortably hot average temperature of 104 degrees in a beautiful natural setting.  And for those that want to find that special memento to take home, there is a variety of shops offering local crafts, as well as clothing, jewelry and many other items.  Enjoy winter!

As a young girl growing up on the southeastern coast in Virginia, I remember trick or treating at Halloween on cold, crisp evenings, and walking through the crunchy leaves.  But as soon as Halloween was over, it was time to think about Thanksgiving.  New England vacations at Thanksgiving would be a perfect time to experience the area where Thanksgiving began.  

The memories of Thanksgiving as a child was of cold, crisp, grey days; clouds hanging low as if snowflakes would be falling any moment.  The trees still had some dull, fall foliage, but there was an air of anticipation and excitement as preparation began for all the holiday fare.  And the aromas drifting on the breeze of roasting turkey and stuffing, pumpkin pie and all the other seasonal dishes cooking just added to the anticipation of this delightful holiday.  The words to the song “Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go” fit Thanksgiving in New England….or for that matter….ANYWHERE in the U.S…..perfectly.  Enjoy the holiday season and consider celebrating Thanksgiving in New England.

Isn’t autumn wonderful?  I remember as a kid, living along the eastern seaboard, on a cool, crisp Saturday, walking down the street and playing in the yards of my friends, with a shower of leaves in their autumn colors falling all around me; gathering up piles of crisp colorful leaves in the yard with my friends, only to dive into them to wrestle and scatter the leaves, tossing them into the air and at each other; all the while with the sun shining brightly against a clear blue sky.

Hopefully I’ve painted a nostalgic picture of what was as a child, and can be again in my adult life, by taking New England vacations.  Visiting the east coast and the northeastern coast of New England at this time of year is truly a delightful color explosion of fall colors. 

Choose one of the New England states to visit during autumn, get yourself a map and look for a route that will take you through the rural roads, and off the high speed highways, so you can see and experience for yourself, the explosion of fall colors in the trees that line the road and sit in clusters in the fields and hills around you.  Take the time to get off the beaten path and the fast treadmill of life and delight your senses with the beauty of fall.  Stop at a roadside stand and buy some locally grown apples and homemade apple cider.  Stop and take pictures of the  colorful trees surrounding an old New England farm house; find a covered bridge over a lazy stream; or find a restaurant (it might also be an old, historical tavern from hundreds of years ago) where the locals eat, for a wonderful, home cooked type meal with all the comfort foods of fall.  Take time to slow down, even if only for a weekend, to drink in and enjoy the beauty of the autumn season.

Colorado, during the fall, is alive with colors of gold, yellow, orange and deep reds.  At this time of year, it’s ideal to take a vacation in Steamboat Springs, CO.  Steamboat Springs is located in the northwest corner of Colorado, on the western side of the Rocky Mountains.  The elevation is about 6,600 feet above sea level and is surrounded by national forest and wilderness.  The Yampa River, with headwaters starting in the Flat Tops Wilderness, flows right through downtown Steamboat Springs.

Steamboat Springs is known for it’s world class skiing facilities, with all but one of the USA 2010 Winter Olympic Ski Team hailing from Steamboat Springs.  Although before the snow flies, the fall colors in and around Steamboat Springs are nothing short of spectacular, with hillsides and valleys covered in a mosaic blanket of brilliant yellows, golds, reds and oranges swirled in among the dark green of Ponderosa pines.

Not only can you drive through the mountains to see the fall colors, but there are many other activities available to entertain you.  Mountain biking, camping, hiking, carriage rides, hot air ballooning, or take a stroll in downtown Steamboat Springs to visit quaint shops with crafts made by local artisans; go on a horseback ride on mountainous trails, and then soak your saddle sore body in the natural hot springs.  The fall weather is ideal for taking a quick weekend break, or a vacation for a week.  Enjoy the fall season, for it won’t last long.

With September upon us, we find the hot days turning into warm, and nights changing from pleasantly cool to down right chilly.  And with the cooler weather we begin to see the changing of foliage to hints of red, orange, gold, and yellow; a time when fall vacations in Colorado are at their best.

Plan a weekend road trip through some of the most beautiful fall foliage anywhere in the west.  To highlight a few areas, begin in the southwest part of the state traveling over Lizard Head Pass and Dallas Divide, traveling through Ridgeway, Montrose and Telluride.  Head down Highway 160 which takes across Wolf Creek Pass to see some large fields of golden aspen, and then continue down the highway west into Cortez and the four corners. 

For a unique trip to see Colorado fall colors, take a trip on the Pike’s Peak Cog Railway slowly winding your way to the peak at 14,000 feet through some splendid colors of gold, orange and yellow.  Or travel on the narrow gauge railroad through Georgetown over the Devil’s Gate bridge and wind through a scenic Rocky Mountain pathway with golden fall colors everywhere.  Just about anywhere you decide as a destination in Colorado, you will see spectacular fall colors.