A Good Morning in Crested Butte!

Waking up in Crested Butte is just the best!  The crisp, fresh air greets 

you and you just know it's going to be a great day!

No morning in Crested Butte is complete without a trek over to the
best cup of coffee in town at Camp 4 Coffee!

Everyone in town knows the License Plate house where
you find an assortment of license plates adorning the
outside walls. 

And how could any morning start off any better
than getting greeted by this pint-sized beauty?
I could just eat her up! 

I need to make sure I get my license plate up there someday!

I can only hope there is a Camp 4 in heaven!  

With coffee in hand, a quick turn around the corner puts me right
back on Elk Avenue.  

And, there's no better way to compliment that cup of
coffee than to combine it with a great breakfast.

Naturally, that would not mean a breakfast that I am cooking!  I mean
really, do I want to ruin this great morning I'm experiencing here??
Nope, I don't!  So I head right over to McGill's where I can
always count on a line, but that's okay because it's going
to be so worth it!

McGill's is open for lunch and breakfast only.  It also has
an ice cream counter that is a huge hit in when the
temperatures heat up.

I have to ponder for awhile on what I'm going to
order.  So many choices, so little time!

After making my decision on what to order for  breakfast,
I notice this poster about zip lining in Crested Butte....

But after  ordering this biscuits and gravy with
spicy green chili sauce served with fried potatoes,
I'm thinking I better wait to zip line on another day.

After that incredible breakfast, I think I need to
take my dog and walk some of it off!

It's been a great morning indeed!


WISHING YOU A GREAT MORNING
WHEREVER YOU ARE...

TRAVEL M GIRL

The Low Down at LoBar in Crested Butte

You may not be near an ocean when you are in Crested Butte,
but when your palette craves sushi,  LoBar is the place to
satisfy that craving!

LoBar serves Japanese, world-class sushi plus fantastic grill options.
As their sign posted out on the sidewalk of Elk Avenue says, there is truly
something for everyone (even American Idol wanna-be's on Thursday evenings
get to show off their singing talents with Karaoke).

 LoBar serves their famous "Crack Fries" which consists
of potatoes fried up, seasoned with parmesan cheese, salt,
 cracked pepper and white truffle oil...
Yep, I'm an addict!  

Tucked away at the bottom of the stairs, if you get the
sensation that LoBar feels like a nightclub, that's because
that's exactly how it started.  But then sushi was added
to their menu and a whole new popularity began at LoBar.

LoBar turns into a great place to hear
jazz music every Sunday night.

Get your groove on with a side of Sexi-Mexi Rolls at LoBar
starting every night at 5:00p.m.

And maybe add a Sake-Tini to quench your thirst!

But save the daylight hours for some great food from Karma.
Karma is a one-man show serving food from his "Momo Menu"
inside of LoBar.  The locals love Karma and his cuisine. 

Karma serves up a limited but oh-so-good menu
Monday through Friday from 11:00a.m. until 2:30p.m.
  (or until he runs out so you can bet your bottom dollar
Karma is not in the house until 2:30p.m. most days)!

This day I had the curried beef and potsticker combo.
See that little spoon holding some type of green sauce?
Well, that stuff is lethal so when Karma asks if you want
it spicy, unless you are made of steel, tell him you want
a spoonful on the SIDE!  A little of that goes a long way!
Best eight bucks I spent in Crested Butte!


And, who doesn't need a little good Karma these days!?!

www.thelobar.com
text your reservation for LoBar
at 970-209-5159
no reservations needed for the Momo Menu at lunch


   UNTIL WE EAT AGAIN....
 TRAVEL M GIRL

No Snow....No Problem in Crested Butte!

I just got back from Crested Butte, Colorado, a couple of days ago.  Although it is currently snowing in Crested Butte, when my family and I were there during Spring Break we experienced clear blue skies and high temperatures in the upper 50's.  Perfect weather for riding around in this convertible in this photo above.  Maybe not idea ski conditions but in Crested Butte that is not a problem!  It just opened up even more opportunities to do other things we love to do there!  One of which is to eat and I do mean EAT!  We didn't get to go to every restaurant we wanted to go to but we made a pretty good dent!

For 15 years our first stop has always been to Paradise Cafe on Elk Avenue inside The Company Store building!  It's only open for breakfast and lunch and we literally plan our arrival time into Crested Butte so that we can eat there.

My daughter's favorite is the "build your own" omelette because she definitely
wants a say in what's tucked inside of those fluffy eggs!  Plus, they are served with
their roasted potatoes that are crunchy on the outside and oh-so soft on the inside!

I was tempted by the "Potatoes Paradise" which combines
sauteed onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and green bell peppers that
are smothered with melted cheese and topped with two eggs
over easy.  All of that "yum" is topped over their skillet-fried
potatoes.  Oh how good it was!

Paradise Cafe is a small place so expect a wait, but it is so worth it!

My husband's favorite is their Migas which is spiced-up scrambled eggs
slathered in cheese,  onions, tomatoes, sausage and sour cream with a
scoop of refried beans on the side and soft flour tortillas to gather it
all up!   He is a happy man once he bites into this beauty!

My other daughter decided to go the healthy route with their
"Banana Split Sundae" which is a banana split down the
middle, covered in vanilla yogurt and drizzled with
granola and fresh fruit!  Just in case it was "too healthy",
she ordered a side of  scrambled eggs and sausage!

Their lunch menu is full of all kinds of good salads, burgers,
sandwiches, chili, soups and other things that will make you
smile!  And, while I typically don't eat at restaurants that have
multiple locations, I can't help but like where Paradise Cafe happens
to expand itself.....little pieces of paradise in Hawaii, Colorado
and Florida!  Now, that's smart!

My good friends were going to The Last Steep for lunch within a few
short hours after I had just eaten at Paradise Cafe.  I had left Paradise Cafe
swearing that I didn't need to eat the rest of the day but I couldn't resist a
fun lunch at Last Steep with some good friends!   I usually have a hard time
deciding what to order because they offer so many great items.  However,
my full stomach was determining what I should order....

I ended up ordering a special of the day which was a
Beef Curry Soup.  And, I couldn't resist their $5 Bloody Mary
offer which washed down that soup just perfectly.  And, as
full as I was, it was hard not to want to pick up that bowl and
lick it clean!  Needless to say, with a double-full tummy, a
nap was in order as soon as I could waddle over to the place
I was staying!


Check out where I continued to wine, dine and make memories in
tomorrow's blog!

TRAVEL M GIRL

Crested Beauty....

I just got back from Crested Butte, Colorado.  I have been in love with this place 

from the first time I laid eyes on this majestic place over 15 years ago!  Just check out

some of these photos I took while I was there!  If you think these photos look nice, 

you should see what it looks like in person!  

You are surrounded by beautiful peaks at every turn.

The famous "Butte" for which Crested Butte is named.

Over 60% of the trails are beginners or intermediate but Crested
Butte hosts more double black diamond trails than any other ski
resort in Colorado making it a great place for all skiing level abilities.

The small town of Crested Butte started as a mining town.

In 1961 the ski resort was built but the town has cherished its
history and maintained its quaint look.

Dusk near Crested Butte.

There are nearly 300 inches of snowfall annually and 1167
acres of ski trails in Crested Butte.

Even horses get a beautiful view in Crested Butte.

No matter where you turn, there is beauty to behold!

It's natural beauty alone is enough to fall in love with Crested Butte,
but there are so many other reasons to love this place!  I will highlight
some of my favorites for the next few days and it will be easy for you
to see why I am so hooked on Crested Butte!


Happy Trails!
TRAVEL M GIRL

Horsing Around on Skis!

  

Did anyone see Good Morning America on Tuesday morning? Cameron Mathison reported about a popular winter activity called "skijoring" which started in the Scandinavian countries centuries ago. 

It has now become the fastest growing dog sport in the world.

  Cameron reported from the Telemark Wilderness Lodge in Mason Township, Maine.  This lodge is located in Western Maine and borders the White Mountain National Forest providing stunning scenery.

Skijoring can be done with a dog or a horse.  Skijoring is popular with ranchers.

Skijoring is basically strapping on your skis and strapping a harness to a dog. You can actually use your own dog for this sport.  The dog must weigh at least 30 pounds so all of you with toy poodles are out of luck!

Once Cam got the hang of it with one dog, he then added another dog which provided more speed.

The Skijoring Championships are held each year in Whitefish, Montana.  People harness themselves to speeding horses and display jumps and tricks.  Wow!  What part of "crazy" do they not understand about that??  I'm a hazard when I'm just standing on ice and snow!  I just can't imagine strapping on skis to a speeding horse!

     Think of skijoring with a horse as water skiing except the horse is your boat providing all the power.

Obviously, a knowledge of keeping your skis parallel is a must while skijoring. A talent that I'm still mastering after all of these years.

                                  

Chances are you'll find me in this type of "horse power" along the trails!

For more information go to www.telemarkinn.com or www.newenglanddogsledding.com

Happy Trails!

TRAVEL M GIRL