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Beyond Telluride

By Jesse James McTigue

Moab, Utah is full of some of the most mind-boggling spectacles and seeming impossibilities.   Flowers bloom among the arid, desert landscape; rock-towers spiral skyward; and delicate arches perforate smooth rock formations.

Every October, in the middle of all of this natural wonderment, an even more mind-boggling spectacle occurs – the 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race.

24 hours 1The race occurs at the end of the mountain biking season and has contenders racing from noon Saturday to noon Sunday, for 24 hours straight. Most competitors race on a four or five person team, requiring each individual rider to complete the 15-mile course three or four times. There are also competitors who compete as solo and duo riders and some of these folks do it on a single-speed—a mountain bike with one fixed gear.

Every year, I am amazed at how many people are willing to subject themselves to this race (including myself). Competitors range from professional cyclists to groups of friends looking for a good time and a personal challenge. Some teams are raising money for a cause; others are just hoping to survive.

14 October, 2011 /

DFW

by Tracy Shaffer

Enough of the protest and politics, this weekend I want to occupy some frothy fun! What better place to let one’s hair down than the 2nd Annual Denver Fashion Weekend and 5th Annual Hair Show? 303 Magazine and Schomp Automotive are the presenting sponsors for this three- night extravaganza benefitting Dress for Success Denver. It’s always a kick in the wide-leg pants to see what the local fashionistas are up to, and the 2011 collection of collections is sure to be a round-house.

The runway heats up on Thursday night as personal stylist, Candice Goins launches her private shopping boutique, Candies Closet. Models will stop, turn and pout wearing current and vintage pieces by the fashionably fabulous one-name types including McQueen, Chanel, Dior, Halston, Versace, and Wang.  Hair by Scarlet Salon, make-up by Jade from Gordon’s on Sixth, produced by the renowned Autumn Binion and Au79 Productions.

13 October, 2011 /

by Emily Brendler Shoff

There are some things in life that you just have to bow down and give thanks for, even if you’ve never had an interest in praying before. For me, it’s my friend Molly and Avalanche Ranch.

Molly Presses Cider with the Kids Molly and her family’s ranch just outside of Carbondale is one of those places where the stars have aligned, and a river runs through it. It’s right at the base of Mt. Sopris and nestled in the foothills along the Crystal River, has just the right blend of farmland and mountain topography. When I first visited it on a weekend away from Colorado College, I wanted to cry. I missed my family in Baltimore, and my heart felt frozen with pain. But more than anything, I couldn’t believe that Molly had grown up here. My god, to think, she got to see this everyday?!

09 October, 2011 /

Ragtime arvada mother_baron

Photo by Patricia Switzer

The trees may be getting bare but the 2011-2012 Denver theatre season unfolds in all kinds of glorious color.  In the “not-to-be-missed” category is the Denver Center Theatre Company’s “The Liar”. The David Ives (“All in the Timing”) adaptation fast-forwards Pierre Corneille’s 1644 farce into the present by keeping the structure and tone while updating the language. Matt Zambrano and Drew Cortese lead the way down a path where the disingenuous don’t dare to go: the land of the whopper.  Fluff, fancy and flying flatulence make for a fun, fun, fun night out. Running now through October 16th.

Arvada Center brings a stellar cast together in a stunning production of “Ragtime”. Based on the E.L. Doctorow novel, the musical is a sweeping tale of turn-of-the-century America with all the hopeful promise of the 1900s revealed for our twenty-first century eyes.  The score is exquisite and the Henry Award winning Megan Van De Hay turns in a pitch-perfect performance as “Mother”. “Ragtime” closes at the Arvada Center on October 2, moving to the new Lone Tree Arts Center for an October 6-16th run.

02 October, 2011 /

  It's always fun - for me anyway! - to get up before sunrise and check out the turquoise twilight of impending dawn. This week we witness the slender crescent of a waning September Moon as it moves through the constellation of Leo...

24 September, 2011 /


With apologies to Charles Dickens, it was the best of days. It was the worst of days.

De Kooning, Pink Angels Let's get the bad news out of the way first. When Telluride Inside… and Out visited New York yesterday, we discovered a poster child for Obama's new New Deal. The BIg Apple remains a work in process, its infrastructure falling apart. At one point in our day, a water main broke down so the 7th Avenue subway lines were not running. On our way to the theatre, people were packed like sardines into the overcrowded "E" train. Shades of Tokyo at rush hour. On our way home, access to the upper ramp on the George Washington bridge was blocked. The detour to the lower ramp felt like that really creepy scene from "Bonfires of the Vanities." All day long, streets were blocked with traffic, the ripple effect of meetings at the U.N. Bottom line: moving around town was as always, at best, challenging, but also as always, worth the slog.

First stop: Willem de Kooning at the Museum of Modern Art.

21 September, 2011 /

Home Let's start with Jeff Osaka. The understated elegance and warmth of this chef/owner pervade "Twelve," our "local." When Telluride Inside… and Out heads to our Denver home, one of our first stops is always "Twelve," a favorite restaurant thats feels like our dining room – only with much better food and service.

Located at 2233 Larimer Street, Twelve is a 34-seat restaurant with a 10-seat massive oak bar bar in a neighborhood Denverites call Curtis Park, just blocks away from Coors Field and the heart of the uber hip LoDo district. But rather than an aggressively downtown demeanor, Twelve feels as comfortable as an old pair of slippers: the warm tones of the room, the laid back furnishing, the soft, very flattering lighting are conducive to leisurely dining, lingering conversations and the long glance looks of a romantic evening. The overall effect is warmly contemporary without a sense of trying too hard. Nothing about Twelve screams "Look at me": not the decor, not the patrons, not the farm-to-table menu. At Twelve, artistry and good taste replace the razzle dazzle of virtuosic flourishes, especially when it comes to the food.

14 September, 2011 /

 

In August I was in Washington State to celebrate the 100th birthday of my former father-in-law. I arrived the day before the big occasion and took the time to check out an airplane that interests me in Yakima, and to catch up with family on the East side of the mountains.

I stayed overnight with my brother Denny and family, drank a few beers and told some of the old lies. The next morning I visited with two of my aunts before heading back to the coast.

12 September, 2011 /

On July 9, 2011, our good friend Bean Bowers took flight from his physical, material earth walk and began traveling in the mysterious metaphysical realm of spirit. On Sat. September 10th, friends and family will gather for a memorial service and tribute to the...

08 September, 2011 /

Labor Day in Telluride means the end of the annual Telluride Film Festival. Elsewhere it's a four-day weekend that marks the end of Summer. Designated a holiday since 1884, Labor Day was instituted to celebrate the contributions of labor to the national welfare of...

05 September, 2011 /