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Volume 4, Issue #6 - June 2011

Pagosa Springs, Colorado: A Town for All Seasons

By John T. Egan


“Wolf Creek Pass, way up on the Great Divide; truckin’ on down the other side.” Maybe you’ve heard “Wolf Creek Pass,” the 1970’s country song by C. W. McCall. But did you know there really is a Wolf Creek Pass and, more importantly, did you know there really is a Pagosa Springs, the little town mentioned at the end of McCall’s hair-raising ride down the San Juan Mountain’s western slope on U.S. Highway 160 in southwestern Colorado?

Don’t feel bad if the name Pagosa (Pah-GO-sah) Springs doesn’t ring a bell -- it falls into Colorado’s ‘best kept secrets’ category. The little town nestled at the foot of the southern San Juan Mountain Range isn’t flashy like other Colorado ski towns. It doesn’t have hundreds of pricey pancaked condominiums and there are no four-lane highways choked with throngs of cars crammed with desperate fun-seekers fleeing their urban work-a-day worlds.


What you will find is a real community of Coloradans who live, work and enjoy life in this understated and charming mountain town that offers the savvy traveler 365 days of reasons to visit.


From spring through the dog days of summer rollicking guided raft trips on the San Juan River carom through the center of Pagosa Springs’ downtown to the whoops and hollers of drenched daredevils braving the high speed waterway. Less adventurous -- but no doubt warmer -- visitors relax in the many historic geothermal pools on the banks of the San Juan River in the midst of downtown. The San Juan and Weminuche Wilderness trails give hikers of all skill levels just the right challenge, from a leisurely stroll through an Aspen tree wilderness to secluded Opal Lake south of Pagosa Springs to backpacking the snow-capped alpine peaks in brilliantly bright daylight to relaxing by a campfire on frosty nights above 10,000 feet in elevation along the Continental Divide Trail.


Winter in Pagosa Springs, not unlike so many other towns in the mountains of Colorado, offers plenty of downhill skiing on peaks above 10,000 feet and cross-country skiing in and around downtown Pagosa Springs and outlying areas. But Pagosa Springs’ other big secret is that Wolf Creek Ski Area, a leisurely day ski area about 30 minutes from downtown Pagosa Springs, normally gets more powder snow earlier than any ski area in Colorado, and it is less expensive than most.


Cheaper, less crowded, best snow -- what’s not to love?

 

 

 

 

Accommodations in Pagosa Springs are plentiful and range from quaint and inexpensive downtown ‘Mom and Pop’ style motels to homey rental condominiums and pricey resort properties. Dining is as varied in selection and price as the lodging. Restaurants like The Alley House and JJ’s Riverwalk Restaurant and Pub serve very respectable upscale fine dining that includes steaks, seafood and game along with smart wine lists, while simpler and less pricey dishes can be found at local favorites like The Elkhorn Café and Chavolos Taqueria. (TIP: For a great breakfast burrito or pastries baked on property and coffee that speaks with authority, plan to visit The Pagosa Baking Company on San Juan Street in downtown Pagosa Springs. It’s a favorite spot with the locals and offers that cozy ‘bakery’ feel travelers look for.)


To get to Pagosa Springs, most major airlines will route you into Denver’s international airport (DEN), but the savvy traveler will fly into Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Sunport (ABQ) and drive from New Mexico’s awe-inspiring high desert to the calming alpine forests of southern Colorado. The drive is easy, scenic, quicker (four hours as opposed to six hours) and flatter than the route from Denver. The closest commercial airport is located in Durango, Colorado (DRO), only an hour west of Pagosa Springs. (Pagosa Springs does not have a commercial airport.) There are plenty of flights in and out of Durango, but the airfare will be considerably higher.


For more information including myriad events and music festivals (Four Corners Folk Festival, held over Labor Day Weekend, may be the best small music festival in the country) visit http://pagosachamber.com/pagosa-vacation.asp.


Pagosa Springs may be a ‘best kept secret’ in Colorado, but it can be your personal getaway any time of year. Pagosa Springs is truly a town for all seasons.

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Not Just Pizza, Not Just a Pub

By Manning Lee


Whether you’re looking for a slice of pizza on the go, calling for delivery at the hotel after a long day in the sun, or looking for a great place to go for dinner and drinks after hours, Johnny’s Pizza Pub is the place to go.
Johnny’s Pizza Pub is not just pizza. It’s good ol’ American pub food that features crab cakes, the ultimate cheeseburger, super Italian cold cuts and killer subs, signature salads, and 28 chef-inspired, award-winning, mouth-watering buffalo wing sauces. Plus, Johnny’s Eastern Shore Raw Bar serves steamed shrimp and clams.


Since Johnny has been making pizza for thirty years, he knows how to make a great pizza. Johnny’s singular style gives each pizza an original flavor all its own. The new pizza this season is the Neptune Seafood Feast Pizza. Literally a seafood feast for a king, it’s loaded with crab imperial sauce, shrimp, jumbo Maryland blue crab, and extra cheese -- a meal that will satisfy any appetite for seafood. Other international pizzas include: Aloha Pizza, Jamaican Jerk Pizza, Thai Chicken Pizza, and Mediterranean Chicken Pizza.


Johnny’s offers super fast delivery. With their midtown location in the heart of Ocean City on 56th Street bayside, a driver is always ready for a speedy delivery to your door. After a long day on the beach you may have no desire to go out or make dinner, but the kids (and you) still have to eat. Johnny’s Pizza is a great solution to the dinner hassle, with their ‘no hassle’ delivery to any hotel room or condo in town.


Looking for a place to meet up with friends for a few drinks and catch a live band on the weekend? Johnny’s books some of the best emerging acts on the East Coast, and there’s never a cover charge. Johnny’s bar has a state-of-the-art sound system, and wall-mounted flat screen televisions with the latest technology are everywhere! Johnny’s brags about serving the coldest beer and the biggest pitchers in town. The bar has a cool tropical feel, and with an imported tiger wood bar and master tile the pub is one of the most upscale on the beach.

Insomniacs, night owls and partygoers unite for the “after” party. While bars in Ocean City close at 2 a.m., Johnny’s grill doesn’t close down until 4 a.m. It’s perfect for a sober-up, or to satisfy any late night munchies with their Philly Cheese Steaks and Jumbo Cheese Pizza slices, or to finish out the night playing Keno at the bar.

In the morning, after a late night out, why wait in the long lines at all the well-known breakfast spots? Come early -- or mid-morning -- for breakfast at Johnny’s. It truly is one of the best kept breakfast secrets in town. They feature Bloody Mary’s, mimosas, breakfast pizzas, breakfast sandwiches and the rise-and-shine classics. Dine in from 9-11:30 a.m.

Whatever you need to satisfy a big appetite, fast, Johnny’s Pizza Pub is sure to satisfy. Call for delivery at (410) 524-7499 and don’t forget to ask for delivery specials.

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Autumn Glows in Idyllic Deep River, CT, Full of Historic Intrigue

By Lindsay Godfree

ITWPA Member


Discover the glow of glorious autumn leaves in Deep River, a picturesque New England village where you can appreciate the history of the area while strolling on a sunny autumn day. The foliage of orange, red and yellow sashays lazily from the trees and forms a colorful potpourri on the water. The town’s water feature cascades over reflections of multicolored trees in a lovely central park that beckons you to stay awhile.


Everyone has told you that you will love Connecticut in the fall, with the crunch of dried leaves under your feet and colors dripping from the trees all around you. Indeed, how could you not love it? Just wandering around town for a few hours can turn your thoughts to New England again every autumn.  


 

 

 

 

 

 

After thoroughly soaking up the colors, the splashing water sounds, and the crisp, earthy smells, you can stop for a delightful lunch at The Ivory Restaurant & Pub at #1 Kirkland Street. Relax on the outside patio and enjoy their famous Lobster Bisque or Blackened Salmon and Spinach Salad while surrounded with trees in their golden glory. Outside on the wall is an informative plaque explaining the historical significance of the restaurant’s name.

 

 

 

 

 

It seems that the historical intrigue of Deep River dates back to 1635 when sloops and schooners were built here to sail to Africa to import the curved ivory tusks used to manufacture piano keys and hair combs. The ships also sailed to cities not so exotic but still exciting with the hustle and bustle of import/export trade, such as Philadelphia and New Orleans, to deliver locally-hewn granite.

 

 

The manufacturing of ivory products began when George Read started a business at the site now occupied by Piano Works Condominiums. The town grew up around this industry and for generations the children of Deep River “cut their teeth on ivory rings,” as they say. Their parents were skilled at turning ivory into combs, buttons, and piano keys. In fact, the Pratt, Read & Company factory became the nation’s main supplier of piano keyboards.


During World War II, the factory was converted to produce more than 900 Waco CG4A Glider Aircrafts to carry troops and supplies into combat. The CG4A could carry a jeep, supplies, or 15 infantrymen. A glider built here and christened “VooDoo” embarked from Montreal behind a tow plane on the first and only transatlantic glider flight on June 23, 1943. The present building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


Deep River is an ideal spot for boating from the town landing located where Kirkland Street intersects with River Street. There you will find a boat launch area for canoes, kayaks, and other boats. It also features a picnic area with a gazebo. You could boat over to the island park of Seldon Neck State Park, where the Nature Conservancy calls the Lower Connecticut River Valley and its tidal estuaries “one of the last great places.” There are unspoiled walks, hikes and biking trails for all to enjoy.


To get there: From I-95 take Route 9 north or from I-91 take Route 9 south, then take Exit 5 and just follow the signs to Deep River.  


If you go:
Relax at The Riverwind Inn Bed and Breakfast and discover more local color. http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/connecticut-deep-river-riverwind-inn.html
Or perhaps go camping: State Park Camping in Four River Parks


For more information: Deep River, Connecticut

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New Hampshire by Train and Bicycle: A Different Perspective in Foliage Season

By Bob Starink


New Hampshire is a beautiful state all year round. However, autumn is the season when New Hampshire attracts most of its visitors to see the magnificent foliage colors.


Even though you hear horror stories about standing room only throughout all of the New England states at this time of year, there is a lot of land area to spread the crowds out and overpopulation is not really an issue. Of course, booking accommodation in the region does need to be made well in advance and prices are higher but not ridiculously so.

 

 

 

The White Mountains and near-lying areas are foliage magnet destinations. The 34-mile Kancamagus Highway joining Lincoln to Conway is a preferred route to navigate to appreciate the vivid reds and yellows the forests have to offer. Away from the car, there are numerous hikes to immerse yourself in the beauty.


Two other options are train and bike.


The Hobo Railroad and Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad offer varied train rides leaving from Meredith and Lincoln. We spent big ($130 each) for seats on the President’s Car for the four-hour tour from Meredith to Livermore Falls and back, which included a hot lunch at the Common Man Inn at Plymouth. This train is like a step back in time. A cheerful old attendant welcomes all on board and serves drinks and snacks as the train slowly moves along the historic track past blue lakes, across rivers and through farms and forests, all enhanced by the multi-colored landscape. Friendly locals wave as the train passes by. A man in the carriage playing a piano accordion completes the old-time scene. For more details and other tour options, check out www.foliagetrains.com.

 

 

The Adventure Center at Loon Mountain Resort, just east of Lincoln, offers the Franconia Notch Bike Tour for $36 per person. Once fitted up, you are driven to Echo Lake north of Lincoln and dropped off with a map to make your own way the 12 or so miles back to Loon. Half the journey is on a specially designed bike path while the rest is on local roads.


This is an extremely clever way to see the local attractions. The trail is mostly downhill so you don’t need to be super fit to take the tour. The route connects the major tourist spots along Route 3, including Cannon Mountain Cable Car, The Old Man of the Mountain, The Basin and The Flume.


The Old Man is the state symbol. It’s a giant rock face profile that looks like an old man (obviously). Unfortunately for New Hampshire, the Old Man collapsed seven years ago, so now it’s the very flat-faced Old Man. Imagine the horror of the local tourist authorities and the politicians when their number one state attraction and the symbol on all the road signs disappeared one night.


The joy of the bike ride is that you glide down the trail and stop wherever you want to shoot photos or take a hike and then continue on the bike. No traffic problems, no parking problems.


The Basin and The Flume are water-based features, with The Flume the more spectacular. A path winds its way along a creek in a narrow gorge where at its upper reaches, the creek falls in several cascades. The wooden walkway at one stage seems to have been built right over the top of one of the waterfalls. The track continues in a scenic circuit, including a covered pedestrian bridge over another rivulet looking down along a valley lined with colored foliage. The Flume is privately operated so there is a cost of $12 per person to do the walk.


While we were at The Flume -- for over 90 minutes -- we left our bikes in a bike rack in the parking area without locks. When we returned to them, they were still there. I doubt two unattended bikes here in Australia would be left unstolen or undamaged over that length of time.


The hired bikes are yours for the day so there is no rush to get back. This tour would be a highlight of any visit to the White Mountains.


And finally, when you’re finished leaf viewing, take some time to go to the Settler’s Green, an outlet mall in North Conway. New Hampshire has no state taxes, so the bargains which abound are an even better value.


If you go:
A rental car is the best way to get around. National has excellent rates, especially for one-way rentals. There are many good hotels in the region. We chose the economical Days Inn in Campton (about $120 per night). A great meal can be had at Fratello’s in Lincoln, an Italian restaurant with a big menu and delicious food. For more details on activities at Loon see www.loonmtn.com.

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The World’s Great Ballet Companies Prefer Washington

By Gerald F. Sweeney 


Lovers of ballet across America are learning that Washington, D.C. is the best destination to see the world’s premier dance companies. For the past few years, the Kennedy Center, under the dynamic leadership of Michael Kaiser, has presented two world-famous Russian troupes, the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi, and their American counterparts, the ABT and the NY City Ballet, in week-long programs. This coming season brings the Paris Opera Ballet to the nation’s capital. The Danish Ballet appeared recently, while the Joffrey is a regular visitor at Christmas.


The Center is also the home of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet that reflects the expressive ballerina’s style and crispness. The Farrell company will be celebrating its 10th anniversary on October 12-16 by offering two mixed programs that will include Diamonds, a Balanchine fragment that Farrell herself once danced to the everlasting appreciation of those lucky enough to have seen her.


A visit to the Kennedy Center is a treat in itself. The spacious white marble shrine to the fallen president overlooks the river from a promenade where strollers can read JFK’s enduring comments on the arts that are engraved in the side of the building. The landscaped promenade on the river side offers a waterside view of Georgetown and the distant Washington Cathedral. The terrace fronting the Potomac runs the full length of the edifice outside the Eisenhower Theater, the orchestral hall and the red plush opera house where ballet is performed. The panoramic view of the city on the other side of the building offers a unique look at the Lincoln Memorial.  


During their trip to Washington this spring, the NYCB danced three programs devoted to Balanchine’s black and white ballets. All but defining the Modernism that dominated mid-century taste, the company’s outstanding bevy of young female soloists displayed their abundant talent -- Megan Fairchild, Sterling Hyltin, Abi Stafford, Ashley Boulder, Tiler Peck, and Sara Mearns, the best crop of Lincoln Center dancers since Farrell, McBride and Ashley.


This coming 2011-2012 season, the Bolshoi Ballet will feature the whimsical Coppélia, while the Mariinsky will present Les Saisons Russes, hopefully a recreation of Diaghilev’s Parisian seasons when the St. Petersburg company exploded onto the twentieth-century stage. Devotees can only pray that Obraztsova will dance.


The ABT will offer the world’s reigning choreographer Alexei Ratmansky’s Nutcracker along with the old favorite Le Bayadére (December 8-11). The NYCB will present two mixed programs after the first of the year. The Paris Opera Ballet will bring in Giselle.


Detailed information about these and other programs can be accessed at www.kennedy-center.org or by calling (202) 416-8485.


The Kennedy Center, of course, is only one of the many jewels in the crown of the capital city. Side trips to the National Gallery, the Phillips Collection, the Corcoran and Freer will widen the eyes of any cultured visitor. Not to speak of the other Smithsonian museums nearby -- American History, Air and Space and the new Indian -- along with the many other war and presidential memorials that rise alongside the Mall...


If only the Royal Ballet could be induced to join the premier companies that visit D.C., the roster would be complete.


Hints to visitors: For weekend and evening performances, visitors can avoid the outlandish fee (often more than the ballet tickets) at the KC by parking across the street in the Watergate. Near the garage is Cuppa Cuppa that offers inexpensive but tasty dining, though the Cafeteria on the top of the KC offers fine fare.

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