Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe, New Mexico, The City Different, overflows with art, shopping, and fine dining. And, tons of history to boot. One weekend in Santa Fe is good, but you'll just be getting your feet wet with all this cool, historic city has to offer. Spotting the exclusive art galleries and museums is easy, but be sure to check out the hidden nooks and crannies off Santa Fe's square as well. You'll find goodies like strings of dried chili peppers, expensive rugs, and Day of the Dead knick-knacks. Venture a little farther off the square down Canyon Road for more art. A trip to Santa Fe isn't complete without a peek at one of the popular, historic churches. When all the poking around town makes you work up an appetite; try Guadalupe Cafe (in nice weather grab an outdoor seat), Pasqual's (the long line is worth it), and La Fonda's French bakery for breakfast or a sweet treat. I like staying off the square so I can walk a ton of places with ease. St. Francis, La Fonda, and the Inn at Loretto are a few places to consider. There's more to Santa Fe than the historic square, but it's not a bad place to start your adventure.

Vail, my latest European luxury - stateside. Driving to Vail on I-70 just doesn't do it justice. Yes, the scenery is beautiful, but noting like you'll find inside the confines of Vail proper. The highway isn't visible, in fact, the only motorized vehicles you'll see will be the occasional bus transporting people from one stop to the next. Vail is a walkable town, only a mile in length, and no cars allowed. (Park your car at one of the two big parking lots off I-70 then walk down a big flight of stairs for a little piece of heaven.) The newest part of Vail even has a restriction on bicycles so pedestrians can mingle and meander with ease. Vail is lined with more restaurants than I had time to investigate, but you'll have a choice from German to Italian, and Italian, and every choice in between and beyond. Good thing it's easy to get exercise in Vail.

Galleries and shopping draw in everyone from the monied to those wishing to be. I mentally racked up thousands of dollars on fine art, jewelry, and last seasons hottest ski gear and snow bunny attire. While Vail does seem for the rich, it's a comfortable, quaint town with friendly people (locals and visitors alike).

In summer months take the gondola up and hike down Berry Picker trail. It's quiet and gorgeous, but a little longer than it looks so be sure to wear good hiking shoes. My dogs made the ride up and the hike down and loved it. Vail is surprisingly dog friendly.

Next time I plan on skiing down the mountain. Can't wait.

Flyfishing (or just hiking) along Hermosa Creek in Colorado is a blast. It's gorgeous, great exercise, and fun-filled. Hike the trail into the canyon or hit the East Fork of the Hermosa. If you take the East Fork, go far enough until you see the old 1920's car then stop for some cool photo ops. Either way, take extra water and pack your sunscreen.

A few weeks ago I hit the DFW Metroplex and took some time away to spend a little quality time in Grapevine, Texas with some of my gal pals. Grapevine, Texas is a cool, old-fashioned looking town with a hip vibe. Catch the Grapevine vibe at the wineries, several right on Main Street, restaurants, unique shops, and art galleries. A few of my buddies and I hit SuVino Winery and sampled five wines for only $5 per person. We chose a few different wines so we got to sample each others' too. We all left with bottles in hand and plans to return to bottle our own and create our own label. A perfect night out to come for the girls. Cheers!

Check out the Springs Resort and Hot Springs in Pagosa, Colorado. It's perfectly designed for girls to get away. My hubby can't sit still long enough to enjoy the place. Any girls I've ever been to the Springs with love it and we all end up talking (gossiping) and laughing the whole time. The benefit, besides just having fun, is that your body feels rejuvenated and completely relaxed by the all-natural, therapeutic hot springs. It's a great place to get a little sun-kissed too. You'll burn quickly here with the close proximity to the sun, so come prepared. My mom, who's afraid of the water and of showing her legs, loved the Springs so much we had to drag her away (by the end of our day, Mom was even posing for the camera and showing her legs)! Stay at the resort for a package deal and a come and go pass. It's nice to be able to leave for lunch/dinner and come back since there's not much to snack on, on premises (nachos/snowcones/etc.).
Take a look at the details: Pagosa Hot Springs

The cover mock-ups for the books Mark and I are doing (Top 30 Things to do in Durango & Top 30 Things to do in Telluride) are ready and look great. Way to go Wayfinder! They'll be on shelves soon. The books aren't focused on women, but they certainly have plenty of cool things for your gal pals to do together.

Mark and I each presented at the Panhandle Professional Writers Conference today, Frontiers in Writing. It went well and everyone is excited about the upcoming Girlfriend Getaways book. I don't know any girls who don't love a girlfriend trip or outing. The book is changing focus a bit, but I'm excited and will share more once things are finalized. Girlfriends, pack your bags. We have some more traveling to do.

My recent multi-purpose trip to Dallas was fun-filled, and way too short! I got to catch up with long-time friends, see my nephew and his fiance, and even see a few former students. Of course (as usual) I ran through DSW looking for the gotta have shoes. My gal pals and I also made our yearly journey to Pete's Dueling Piano Bar in Addison. They put us front and center because they figured we'd be fun, or rather entertaining. Go figure! One of my buddies and I stayed at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine so I could do some investigating and writing about its staycation and girlfriend getaway qualities. I'm happy to say that the property passed on both accounts. Check out my article on Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-3825-Dallas-Getaways-Examiner~y2009m5d20-Staycation-getaway-at-the-Gaylord-Texan-in-Grapevine-Texas

(Click on the brochure to enlarge.)

Mark and I will both be presenting at the Panhandle Professional Writers Association this summer. Come check it out.

The books are turned in! We're getting a few photos together, but that's no sweat. Our recent trip to Telluride and Durango was worthwhile for some fact checking confirmations, but it turned out to be a much needed getaway.

Off season in Telluride is something not to miss. It's calm, quiet and the lodging is at a discount. A lot of the stores and restaurants are closed, but that adds to the quite (almost locals only) charm. Of the shops opened, most have deep discounts you (we) just can't pass up. Most everything will be opening up for summer between now to the end of May.

Give Mountain Lodge at Telluride a try; we loved it. (Advice, make sure you know how to heat up the hot tub before jumping in.) http://www.mountainlodgeattelluride.com

I'll be in Dallas (Grapevine) soon to check out the Gaylord Hotel for a Staycation and Girlfriend Getaway locale. I can already tell it will fit both perspectives perfectly. I hope to make a visit to the Grapevine Winery, get in some good shopping, and eat out at some non-Amarillo restaurants.

Stay Tuned.

I've been busy working and writing two books for Wayfinder Press (with Mark), both due in May, on the Top 30 Things to do in Durango and the Top 30 Things to do in Telluride. Unfortunately travel has been limited lately due to such a busy schedule. I did manage a great trip to Durango (for fun) and one to Houston (for family) and have plans for a Telluride trip next month.....thank goodness.

I'm now the Dallas Getaways Examiner for examiner.com and have been writing to keep regular posts. Look for my upcoming article on Costa Brava, Spain. Explore the rest of the site too, it really has a lot of great info from writers around the country on all kinds of subjects.

My latest article for the Amarillo Globe News will be out this Sunday. All you flyfishers be sure to give it a read for some tips on getting ready for Spring fishing.

More to come....

I'm back from a winter wonderland, snow-covered Durango trip. The snow was gorgeous and made for some excellent skiing up at "Purg." The best part was getting to make fresh tracks on the barely accessed back of the mountain - even late in the day. Next time I'm heading to the back side first thing and staying right there for the day, or at least till I need a good dose of hot chocolate. The base area has changed a bit in the last year, with new lodging and busy-ness. I never found the best new place for non-skiers to hold up for the day, but I'll be back soon for some more skiing and will investigate the amenities a little better.

The Seasons, my favorite Durango restaurant, is getting ready to reopen after a devastating fire last year. I can't wait! It looks like it will have an outdoor balcony overlooking Main Street - fun! In the meantime check out Randy's for delicious dining, the pork medallions are to die for.