Archive for the 'Rocky Mountain States' Category
Ken Burns’ contribution to the Democratic National Convention
August 25, 2008 5:09pm
The eight-minute video tribute to Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy that will be shown tonight at the Democratic National Convention was directed by Ken Burns and Mark Herzog, according to the lineup on the DNC website.
So what else has Burns been up to? He’s been casting his eye on national parks for an upcoming 12-hour, six-part film documentary that will air in fall 2009.
Staff writer Christopher Reynolds caught up with him and his crew at Glacier National Park in Montana and turned the camera on Burns. Take a look at the video Chris shot called “What is Ken Burns Doing on Your Summer Vacation?”
–Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times staff writer
Denver 101 for Democratic Convention delegates
August 25, 2008 3:05pm
The Democratic National Convention has just kicked off. Staff writer Christopher Reynolds offers some sterling suggestions on things to do in Denver for “superdelegates, standard delegates … would-be VPs and all-access VIPs” who are attending the Convention this week.
[Don't know Denver from Minnesota's Twin Cities, where the Republicans will hold their national convention next week? Take our photo quiz to see if you know the Mile High City from St. Paul. ]
Let me supplement the list of things to do, only because Denver deserves kudos for pulling itself up by its cowboy bootstraps.
Read the rest of this entry »
What to do in Denver while you’re waiting for the Democratic National Convention
August 22, 2008 4:23pm
Step away from the computer and your hotel’s TV. If you’re in Denver waiting for the Democratic National Convention, see some sights already. There is free bus transportation, a historic restaurant that serves buffalo and rattlesnake, and a bunch of music concerts to enjoy. Here are suggestions for what to do and where to eat and drink in the Mile-High City.
Five Popular attractions in Denver:
1. The Denver Art Museum | Photos of the Museum
3. Denver Zoo
Music during the convention: Denver is rocking with music events Aug. 23–30, 2008. Don’t worry if you didn’t get an invite to Green Sunday at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, you can see popular artists such as Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper and Rufus Wainwright at the Fillmore (Aug. 25), get patriotic with Willie Nelson at Red Rocks Amphitheatre (Aug. 26), get electronic with Moby at the Church (Aug. 27) or feel the anger of Rage Against the Machine at the Denver Coliseum (Aug. 27). Wanna dance? Get your groove on at Discobama 2008 all week at the Shag Lounge. More info: Rock the Convention, Denver.org
Where to eat and drink: Gayot’s Hot 10 Restaurants in Denver list includes Bistro Vendôme, Deluxe, Elway’s Cherry Creek, Fisher Clark Urban Delicatessen, Fruition, Izakaya Den, Mizuna, Osteria Marco, Rioja and Sushi Sasa.
Denver magazine’s Lori Midson has a fun article called “Campaigning for Cocktails” highlighting Dixons Downtown Grill that is pouring politically themed drinks such as the “Obamapolitan,” [Editor's note/update 11:05 p.m: Will there be Bidenapolitans, too?] “Barack Me Slowly” and the “Hillarini.”
At Utah’s Arches National Park, it’s one down (Wall Arch) and 2,000 more to go?
August 13, 2008 2:52pm
[Wall Arch before the Aug. 4 collapse]
After one of the famed red-rock arches at Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, collapsed earlier this month, it begs the question “Which arch might be next?”
“Arches are temporary features,” said chief park interpreter Paul Henderson, commenting on the demise of Wall Arch on the night of Aug. 4. “The last part of the sandstone fin is finally completely eroding away. It’s just a question of time before every arch in the park collapses.”
[Wall Arch after the collapse]
JetBlue: Last-minute airfare sale ends tomorrow
August 5, 2008 3:55pm
Aren’t they funny? JetBlue is having a sale because its chief financial officer is away. Clever, guys. But the real reason I’m mentioning this sale is because our readers can get up to Portland, Oregon (pictured) or over to Austin, Texas, for $79 each way, pre-tax from Long Beach. That’s not too shabby. Long Beach to San Jose starts at only $39 one way.
Tested fares out of Long Beach (LGB):
Round trip, including taxes.
Las Vegas (LAS): $129 (Aug. 26-29)
San Jose (SJC): $99 (Sept. 8-10)
Oakland (OAK): $129 (Sept. 12-15)
Portland (PDX): $179 (Oct. 23-28)
Austin (AUS): $163 (Oct. 29-Nov. 1)
Salt Lake City (SLC): $159 (Sept. 4-9)
Travel Ticker website from Hotwire focuses on bargains
July 21, 2008 12:01am
The unemployment rate in California is up to a five-year high, and that tells you nothing good about the economy in the Golden State or anywhere else.
So the timing for Travel Ticker (www.travel-ticker.com), a new bargain website from the Hotwire people, probably couldn’t be better. It makes its debut today.
“We love to read about deals so we wanted to have something that was enjoyable to read and peruse and would inspire travel among enthusiasts,” said Barbara Messing, vice president of Travel Ticker.
Unlike some sites that suggest bargains that aren’t bargains for West Coasters, Travel Ticker uses “geo-targeting,” meaning you’ll see bargains appropriate to where you live. Read the rest of this entry »
Lake Powell: free final fueling on discounted houseboats
July 18, 2008 12:00pm
Looking for a relaxing getaway with a large group? If you’d like something leisurely, where you’ll be given all the clearance you need to do little but swim, sunbathe, relax and maybe even shop, then a houseboat may be your answer. On Lake Powell — houseboat central on the border of Utah and Arizona — you can find some deals this fall. And a bonus: Water levels are higher than they have been in ages, opening up Castle Rock Cut, a passage that cuts 12 miles of lake travel.
Deal: Through Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas, rent a houseboat for five days or more, and receive your final fueling for free. Big deal, you might be thinking — a free tank of gas? Yes, but these houseboats are gas-ravenous. For instance, the 46-foot houseboat Expedition (which sleeps six) holds 110 gallons of gas, so figuring $5.50 per gallon, that means a fueling charge of $605. As with a rental car, you have to refill the tank before you return the houseboat.
Lake Powell’s rising waters open up a shortcut
June 21, 2008 7:01am
We all know that what goes up must come down.
But at Lake Powell, the centerpiece of 1.25-million-acre Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on the Utah-Arizona border, the reverse is also true, it seems.
Record snowpack and melt is expected to nearly fill the lake this summer after a multiyear drought that lowered the water level by more than 100 feet, shrank the lake’s length by more than 40 miles and forced officials to close beaches, docks and visitor facilities in areas that had become unnavigable.
Grandparent-grandchild getaways through Elderhostel
June 16, 2008 9:20am
Calling all grandparents: Want some quality time with your grandchild this summer while winning major brownie points with her or his parents? Invite your budding young traveler on an educational adventure –- a trip that will teach you both a little something but is disguised as (totally) fun.
You could plan something yourself, but that might prove a headache. Or you could trust the very established Elderhostel, a nonprofit organization that runs educational travel programs internationally for seniors. Their experts do the planning for you in their wide range of summer “intergenerational tours,” organized into domestic and international destinations.
Sample tour: The upcoming tour Big Island of Hawaii Odyssey: Earth, Sky, and Sea, from June 29 to July 10, 2008, is set up for grandparents accompanied by a child 9 to 12 years old.
Colorado ski country isn’t just for skiing
April 24, 2008 4:18pm
Summer is just around the corner.
If you haven’t made vacation plans yet, check out this deal that may provide your kids with some new experiences like rafting the Arkansas River, hiking, boating and horseback riding while they explore Colorado’s great outdoors.
The five-day package is $229 per person for a family of four (total $916). It includes a four-night stay at the Ski Town Condos in Monarch/Garfield, Colorado, in a two-bedroom, one-bath condo. Read the rest of this entry »
