Month: October 2015

We drove from Denver to Golden on a day trip to go to Coors Brewery and Mother Cabrini Shrine. (See Article Posts and Photo Gallery)

 

2015-09-17 10.16.21DSC04909

Our second trip was from Denver to Vail/Lionshead. (See Article Posts and Photo Gallery)

2015-09-17 10.20.54

Our third trip was from Avon, CO (outside Vail) to Aspen, CO. (We did the “Loop” winding through the Rocky Mountains to the International Divide (where it was snowing) and returned to Avon, Colorado. (See Photo Gallery).

DSC04907DSC04914

Want to view more? Check out the Photo Gallery.

DENVER MICROBREWERIES AND LARGE BREWERIES

Everywhere you walk in Denver, it seems like each area has microbreweries, pubs, restaurants and shopping.

While in Denver, we took a side trip to Golden, Colorado to COORS BREWERY. We took the tour of the huge brewery. We received a hand-held touring recorder and learned the history of Coors and how it has grown over the years. We were able to see the large kettles for brewing, the bottling process and sample three beers in the Coors Pub.

2015-09-12 00.47.532015-09-12 00.50.072015-09-12 01.20.342015-09-12 00.53.502015-09-12 00.52.362015-09-12 00.58.222015-09-12 00.58.102015-09-12 01.02.322015-09-12 01.04.592015-09-12 01.09.572015-09-12 01.20.132015-09-12 01.19.072015-09-12 01.34.162015-09-12 01.14.362015-09-12 01.32.512015-09-12 01.31.412015-09-12 01.53.20

 

Back in Denver, we visited the 16th Street Mall Rock Bottom Microbrewery.

DSC04378 DSC04382 DSC04383 DSC04377 DSC04380

 

The Prost Brewery outside of downtown Denver.

 

DSC04388 DSC04390 DSC04393 DSC04396 DSC04395 DSC04391

 

Colorado in the Fall

Colorado’s scenery is breathtaking.

I will always treasure the trip to Denver for the 2015 International Travel Writers Conference. The flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Denver on Southwest Airlines gave me time to catch up on some much needed sleep. Upon arrival, my husband and I took a shuttle to pick up our rental car. Prior to leaving Ft. Lauderdale, we had purchased a GPS and immediately set our destination. Of course we missed an exit leaving the airport and ended up circling the airport.

When we entered Denver, the Mile High City, I eagerly awaited our arrival at Castle Marne Bed and Breakfast. This Victorian built castle was indeed a castle, Luxurious with a ‘feeling of royalty”.
We were given a tour of the entire B&B.

2008-06-03 01.03.052015-09-10 01.29.482015-09-10 01.38.142015-09-10 02.01.18

The city has multiple neighborhoods, urban, historic, modern, eclectic. Each distinct in character. Capitol Hill is where the government has its office and where the capitol is located. While in Denver we spent a night at The Capitol Hill Mansion B&B. It was a beautiful ‘Mansion’ both inside and out. The Victorian Era decor was elegant and each room was named after a Colorado wildflower.

 

DSC046592015-09-12 06.30.462015-09-12 05.58.472015-09-12 06.30.462015-09-12 05.51.12DSC04664

The Urban Area was a very ‘green area’ with a large park. We slept at the Queen Anne Urban B&B for an evening. All their vegetables and fruits served during the morning breakfast came from a plot of land where individual’s were able to grow ‘organic’ food.

 

Queen Ann (2)2015-09-11 23.01.402015-09-11 23.02.20

Denver is a very walkable city and bike friendly. In the Mall area, there are trolleys which travel from the Union Station to the end of the Mall area. Union Station is the Amtrack Station. Inside the station are shops, restaurants and the Historic Crawford Hotel.

2015-09-10 23.47.272015-09-11 00.11.232015-09-11 00.06.302015-09-10 23.54.282015-09-10 23.52.362015-09-10 23.51.382015-09-10 23.57.282015-09-11 00.29.052015-09-11 00.40.392015-09-11 01.20.10

MOTHER CABRINI SHRINE

While traveling in Colorado, we made a day trip to Golden, Colorado. The Mother Cabrini Shrine was our destination.

The Mother Cabrini Shrine is in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.

Mother Cabrini came to Denver in 1902 and over 10 years purchased three tracts of land in Golden, Colorado. The first tract was purchased on Mount Vernon Canyon as a summer camp for the girls of the orphanage in 1909. Mother Cabrini returned in 1910 and 1912 to purchase the additional two tract of land. After this purchase the girls and Sisters at the orphanage climbed to the highest point of the mountains to enjoy the view and a picnic. The Sisters and girls informed Mother Cabrini that there was very little clean water. She asked the children to bring her white rocks and she arranged them in the form of a heart surmounted by a cross and used smaller stones to form a crown of thorns. Then she walked over to a large red rock and touched it with her cane. She told the children to dig a small hole beneath the rock and there appeared a spring. The spring was discovered the first part of September, 1912 and has never stopped running to this very day.

The bishop was informed of this account and commented upon the fact that ‘such a small, sickly Sister could find water in such a desert place if it was not that she was inspired by God. He designated this place as a miracle of a Saint’. He recommended that a grotto to Our Lady and chapel be built near the place the water was found.

Today a beautiful Church, Chapel, Cabrini Gardens, Cabrini Museum, Meditation Walk, Rosary Garden, Grotto Chapel, the Spring and Stairway of Prayer are located on the tracts of land.

The main Church/Chapel is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and was completed in 1970. In the side, stained glass windows surround a rectangular room depicting the life of Mother Cabrini.

 

2015-09-12 04.03.39 2015-09-12 03.57.11 2015-09-12 03.55.13 2015-09-12 03.53.07 2015-09-12 03.50.34 2015-09-12 03.51.45             2015-09-12 03.58.22 2015-09-12 03.59.28 2015-09-12 04.00.08 2015-09-12 04.00.562015-09-12 04.25.21

The Cabrini Gardens are dedicated to Frances Xavier Cabrini. Here stands a statue of Mother Cabrini and children standing around her. This area had once been the orphanage building.

2015-09-12 04.13.36

 

The Cabrini Museum opened in 2014 in the area that was the ‘pump house’. This is the original tract purchased. The museum features a replica of Mother Cabrini’s bedroom and artifacts once used by Saint Cabrini.

The Meditation Walk is a place of reflection with a water display and seating for quiet contemplation.

2015-09-12 04.35.102015-09-12 04.10.58

 

The Rosary Garden has beautiful landscaping and was the second tract she had purchased.

2015-09-12 04.40.01

 

The Grotto Chapel is a small chapel, a replica of the grotto at Lourdes in France where I traveled to 3 years ago. Originally build over the spring in 1929 it was replaced in 1959 with the present one. Here the Mother Cabrini altar, vigil candles and kneelers are enclosed. Visitors pray and ask her intercession with the Sacred Heart and the Blessed Mother. Here prayer requests are made. A statue of the Blessed Mother is mounted outside the chapel.

2015-09-12 04.43.152015-09-12 04.44.422015-09-12 04.37.152015-09-12 04.34.232015-09-12 04.33.58

 

The Spring water flows from beneath the stone and can be turned on and off with faucets. Drinking cups are there for drinking the cold spring water.

2015-09-12 04.37.45

 

The Stairway of Prayer has 373 steps leading up to the top of the Mount of the Sacred Heart. Benches are placed on the stone steps as rest and reflection places. At the top of the mountain is a twenty-two foot statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus carved by an Italian artist.  Below the statue in a glass enclosed shelf is the Heart of Stones.

2015-09-12 04.58.28

I have visited many shrines during my travels and I marvel at the beauty of this shrine surrounded by the Rocky Mountains and soaring green foliage.

If you ever visit Denver, take this side trip to Golden up the long winding, narrow road to the Shrine of Mother Cabrini.

 

 

 

 

LIONSHEAD a Short Walk from VAIL   (Check the Photo Gallery for additional Lionshead pics)

Walking down the main street from Vail you walk through a wide open arch into the community of Lionshead.

2015-09-14 03.25.01

The day we were in Lionshead they were celebrating Octoberfest! “Party time” was all I could say. Tented venues of German Beer, brats, sauerkraut and german bakery surrounded the village square.

People were mingling in lederhosen and feathered caps while ladies wore German dresses. There was a stage band playing German ‘oompah’ music and visitors were dancing in the aisles between long wooden eating tables.

2015-09-14 03.37.052015-09-14 03.32.49

It was not long before I purchased my tickets and headed out with my German Octoberfest Beer Mug. Time to ‘fill ‘er up’! German beer, brat and all the fixings! Finally, dessert pastry! Even my husband two-fisted some beer!

 

2015-09-14 03.40.52

Lionhead is a small village of German white and blue decorated homes. Stores for shopping for german products surrounded the square.

Leading out of the square was the lift to the ski hills. Lionshead is a quaint, small german village but Octoberfest really made it come alive!