- Mike Ehrhardt

Denver, Colorado Springs & Vail

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.

Tootsie’s Bottom Line

Estes Park

  • Stanley Hotel: inspiration for The Shining-no filming here-Stephen King and wife were guests and he had a nightmare that inspired the movie. Worth a stop more because it’s an amazing hotel and the setting is breathtaking, association with “The Shining” makes it more interesting.
  • Rocky Mountain National Park-drive Trail Ridge Rd and visit Sprague Lake, look closely when driving-lots of wildlife can be seen grazing, resting, etc.

Colorado Springs:

  • Garden of the Gods: go for sunrise-this was a last minute change to our itinerary; it was breathtaking
  • Black Bear Diner: incredible breakfast-good, fresh food served by great and friendly staff

Red Rocks/Copper Mountain

  • Red Rocks Amphitheater-worth a stop-very cool place to see concert/movie-easy access
  • Copper Mountain-tube or ski here-make reservations in advance-enjoy driving through the small towns-Frisco and Breckenridge

Vail

  • Must try skiing or snowboarding in this world famous resort
  • Villages are nice and easy walks

Itinerary:

Listening: Tenderfoot TV’s podcast Up & Vanished Season 2 set in Crestone, CO

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday/Sunday:

We traveled to Denver for a long weekend, using a great, discounted fare from Atlanta. COVID restrictions were easing a bit, but things were tighter in Colorado, meaning masks everywhere. Landing in Denver, we used a downtown hotel as base camp for a couple of days. We arrived on a Wednesday night and stayed two nights at the Element Hotel in downtown Denver. The hotel had two queen size beds and a pull out sofa that gave us plenty of room for four. The next morning we were up early for a full day of sightseeing. I was anxious to see what Denver and the surrounding area had to offer us.

Estes Park, CO

I’ve wanted to go to Colorado since reading the Magic Tree House book, Ghost Town at Sundown. My family loves the beach, but my allegiance has always been torn. I love the beach and all it has to offer, but I also love to snowboard and have enjoyed trips to the Adirondack and Green Mountains.

Estes Park is known as the “gateway to the Rockies”. A small town near multiple entrances to Rocky Mountain National park, it has shopping, restaurants, and galleries along the town’s river walk. You can make a full day here and in the park. The drive from Denver is about 65 miles but took us a couple of hours mainly because there were so many places to stop and look at the incredible mountains. Probably not the best picture of us, but the sun was blinding.

Listening

My mom likes to listen to podcasts that are set in areas that we visit.  On this trip, we were listening to a series produced by Tenderfoot TV, “Up & Vanished-Season 2”, a series set in Crestone, CO about a missing person’s case, Kristal Reisinger. Kristal has been missing since July 13, 2016.  These series are amazing and hopefully, they’ll help solve some crimes!

Stanley Hotel

On our way to the park, we’d make a quick stop at the Stanley Hotel which was made world famous by the horror movie, “The Shining”. We watched it the night before in our hotel room! The hotel was around long before the Shining was filmed and is worth the time even if it’s only a short visit, as it was in our case. The Stanley Hotel opened its’ doors in 1909. One summer in the area caused inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley to fall in love and not only vow to return but to share this beautiful area with others.

When it opened, the Stanley Hotel rivaled any of the finest resorts in the North East and was equipped with telephones, electricity, private bathrooms and servants. Stanley also helped the town grow to support his guests. A one night stay by Stephen King inspired his best seller, The Shining, which was later made into a movie and TV mini-series. Stephen King and his wife, Tabitha, ended up at the hotel on the last night of the season due to bad weather. As the only guests in the hotel, their stay was a bit eerie and King had a nightmare. By checkout, he had largely planned what would become his third novel. The movie itself was filmed in a studio but the Stanley Hotel was the inspiration.

Rocky Mountain National Park

We used the primary entrance to Rocky Mountain which was a short drive from the Stanley Hotel. We used the Fall River entrance. The road is well paved and in early April, there was no snow on the lower portion of the road. We stayed on Trail Ridge Road as long as we could but the top portion was still closed due to weather. Fun fact,Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved road in the U.S. When forced to turn around, we drove through the park on Bear Lake Road. Along the way we saw elk and herds of deer, around every curve, another breathtaking view. We made our way to Sprague Lake where we parked and took a walk around the lake. The ice was beginning to melt on the lake and the setting was amazing. There is a small picnic area there as well.

Colorado Springs-Garden of the Gods

We planned to visit Garden of the Gods on Friday but our plans changed due to some last minute but valuable research. It was highly recommended that we be there for sunrise. With our base in Denver, this meant an EARLY start plus we needed to pack the car; we were changing hotels! We were on the road by 5:00 AM for the hour plus drive to Colorado Springs. We made our way to the overlook on Mesa Road. We waited here, along with a news crew, for the day to break and it was so worth it! Check the weather forecast-it was cold and windy. We were complaining a bit about the early start until the sun rose and lit up the rocks. It was worth the early alarm.

The park itself didn’t open until later so we feasted on breakfast at the Black Bear Diner after watching the sunrise! Our waitress was very friendly and the breakfast was big, homemade and delicious.

Kissing Camels

We returned to the park once it opened and went to the visitor’s center where we were given a detailed map and got a great overview of the park.  We parked across the street from the visitor’s center and walked a couple of short trails, but the wind was howling, and we had several more stops so we finished the park in the car-we did two loops around to make sure we got to see what we wanted.  Wish we had more time to spend here but we definitely weren’t dressed for the wind and cool morning temperatures.

 Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater

We were back in the car to start the trek to Frisco where we had afternoon reservations for tubing at Copper Mountain in Frisco, CO.  About halfway to Frisco, we saw signs for Red Rocks.  We were a little ahead of schedule so we took a detour to see the famous stadium and it was worth the stop; I would love to see anyone perform here. Very cool venue!  Red Rocks is a well known amphitheater. What I didn’t know is it is “the only naturally-occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheater in the world”.  

Tubing-Copper Mountain

From Red Rocks, we finished the second half of the trip to Copper Mountain.  Tubing was great!  The lanes were well maintained and fast. Surprised us, but masks were required even for outdoor activities.  Great “lift” to bring people and tubes to the top of the hill and max out the number of runs you get.  Had a great time here and so glad we made this a stop!  Final stop Vail, following a half hour drive.  We did a driving tour of Frisco and Breckenridge-both great towns that would have been nice to spend a little more time in. 

Vail

Arrived in Vail in late evening and was surprised to find that the restaurants were closed-hotel thought it was a combination of COVID and the season ending.  We stayed at the Vail Marriott Mountain Resort & Spa; it was about to undergo a major renovation right after we left and is now The Hythe.  The resort, setting and staff were amazing!  The heated pools and hot tubs outside were great and we were able to make s’mores at outside firepits.  My mom and sister used the services at the spa-my mom had a massage and sister had a facial.  They both said they loved it!

Vail Village

Vail is SMALL and research makes it sound bigger and more confusing than needed. The town of Vail and those with the foresight to recognize that this breathtaking area had so much potential, have created their own oasis. Vail Village and Lionshead are two similar alpine hamlets comprised of hotels, restaurants, and shops. The shopping consists of ski/outdoor shops, clothing, jewelry, and souvenirs shops. The two areas are about one mile apart and have some overlap in stores. The streets are cobblestone; this is an alpine getaway in every sense of the word. We stayed in Lionshead, closest to the Eagle Bahn Gondola.  We were signed up for lessons and equipment rentals as part of a package with Vail Sports.  It was a dream to just stroll over to the mountain and start the day (make time in advance to get reservations though).  No parking lots, shuttles or dragging all of the heavy equipment around.  The lessons gave some instruction, an overview of the mountain and ski package for the day. Package included the lesson, equipment rental and lift ticket. During the afternoon, we were free to ski wherever we wanted at the resort. Definitely spring skiing conditions. We met up for lunch at Garfinkel’s which was your typical American food-burgers, wings, salads.  We ended up ordering room service both nights because we got out of our room too late and missed the restaurants.  We did enjoy walking around the small villages in the evening.  This is a special place and I’m so glad we went, but if you’re not doing something active, I think you’ll get bored pretty quickly.

Denver-Union Station

Last but not least, we had time to visit one landmark in Denver, Union Station. As you’d imagine with a name like Union Station, this was a hub for train travel. First opened in 1880, it was the largest building in the West. Due to increased train travel, the building that had been rebuilt in 1894 following a fire, was torn down and its’ replacement opened in 1914. This time even bigger! By the 1950s when “Travel by Train” was added to the façade, train travel was already becoming antiquated. After decades of little or no use, it was purchased by the Union Station Alliance. Following a restoration, Union Station reopened in 2014. It is now the perfect blend of old and new. A hub for fine dining, shopping and home to the Crawford Hotel. Throughout the interior, there are nods to the past and you can’t help but feel like you’re stepping back in time when you walk through the doors. Make time for a stop here.

This was a fast and furious trip to the Denver area and I can’t wait to go back!

- Kelly Ehrhardt

Crabapple/Milton

We’re kicking off our “series” in our own backyard, Crabapple. Crabapple is a loosely defined area on the border of Roswell and Milton. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you pass the red roofed silos that served as grain storage for a local farm once owned by the Hughes family. Locals were so smart to preserve these silos and have even created a local park so visitors can see old photos and enjoy the silos up close. I’ve included some interesting links at the bottom of this post if you care to learn about some of the locals for whom the roads have been named. They include two major league baseball players!

We took a long walk up Crabapple Road, passed the silos and entered what is now called “downtown Milton”. City Hall, a small amphitheater and lots of shops and restaurants make up this tasteful area. There are beautiful neighborhoods behind the shops and many of the homes have those gorgeous front porch swings that I’ve always wanted.

We ate lunch at Nest Cafe. There is a second location in downtown Alpharetta-another neighborhood we’ll be visiting! The restaurant is charming and the menu has a lot to offer. We started with beignets which were fantastic-how can they be bad?! I had a made-to-order omelet that was good. Leah had a smoothie that she liked and my son and husband had breakfast sandwiches that we very tasty. My youngest daughter had the “Nest Salad”. I think this was the winner as it was covered with fruit, veggies and sunflower seeds.

There are lots of great boutiques as well. We wandered through stores selling home decor, clothing and art. I especially love the consignment store, Twisted Thread and it’s neighbor Indigo Home & Design.

Helpful Links:

Additional Information:

The area is filled with eateries. If you cannot find something to eat here, you’re not looking! There are cafes serving quick bites and fully-staffed restaurants. Some of my favorites include Vintage Pizzeria, Grand Champion BBQ (can’t speak for the meat, but the mac and cheese is killer) and my numbero uno, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails! We’ve been going to Milton’s since we moved to Roswell when none of this area was developed. Back then, it was Mr. John B’s and the restaurant was housed in the original home of John Broadwell who developed prize-winning Broadwell Big Boll cotton (aka Double-Jointed Cotton). Milton’s is pricey and, quite honestly, as a vegetarian, there aren’t a lot of options. However, the service is impeccable and the setting is second to none. Perhaps they’ll elaborate on their veggie options one day soon.

- Kelly Ehrhardt

Savannah & Jekyll Island, GA

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.

Tootsie’s Bottom Line:

Savannah: A gorgeous, historic city. It’s a must see although not for young kids-no glitz

  • Stay: Westin, Savannah Riverfront, reasonably priced, nice hotel with great service
  • Eat: Clary’s Café,  404 Abercorn St.
  • To Do: variety of tours, can’t recommend any single one but Savannah’s history is worth learning about
  • Reading: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil-MUST READ, see below

Jekyll Island: Sleepy barrier island; great beaches and escape from life

  • Stay: Residence Inn (178 S Beachview Dr) and Westin (110 Ocean Way)
    • Residence Inn: brand new hotel, the service was phenomenal; staff goes out of their way to make people feel welcome and eager to help any way possible
    • Westin: beautiful hotel; service average
  • Dolphin Tour: departs Historic Jekyll Wharf, had a fun tour with Captain Phillip, saw both dolphins and manatees

Savannah

Summer was passing quickly, and I realized that a variety of commitments would prevent us from taking a family vacation this year.  So, I stole a couple of days away with my girls for a quick trip to Savannah, GA and Jekyll Island, GA.

When I arrived in Atlanta over 20 years ago, I expected sweeping lawns, huge oak trees and large homes with oversized porches.  Oh, and palm trees.  Clearly, my knowledge of geography is abysmal.  Instead, I found a busy city that over 4 million people called home with a continuously running billboard showing how quickly the population was increasing! 

Shortly after moving South, we had some friends traveling to Savannah.  They asked that we meet them there and I had a required reading assignment, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I started the book but hadn’t come close to finishing when we went.  We made the four-hour drive to Savannah, and I fell in love.  This was the South I’d imagined.  My friend and I toured the city, devouring everything we could find that related to “The Book”.  “Midnight” by John Berendt was published in 1994 and called the New York Times bestsellers list home for 216 weeks!  The non-fiction novel follows a sophisticated antiques dealer as he stands trial for murder.  When I returned home, I read “The Book” (twice!).

I decided to share one of my favorite cities with my girls.  We arrived in Savannah, and it is still one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen.  This is the deep south where the pace is a little slower, the drawl a little longer, tea so sweet your spoon stands up in the glass and no one apologizes for enjoying a slower pace.  Who could blame them?  Savannah sits on the Savannah River and is home to 22 historic squares.  The squares are like nothing I’ve ever seen before.  Beautiful historic homes wrap the perimeter of each square with, what I would call, an urban garden in the center.  The squares have a line of sight in each direction, allowing for communication long before anyone heard of a phone.  You can walk on sidewalks right though the center of the squares or enjoy the longer route on the perimeter.  Sadly, several squares were torn down before their value was truly realized. 

We just stayed one night but enjoyed our time walking the squares, doing a little shopping and savoring a hugely different part of our beautiful state.  We stayed at the Westin Riverfront which is across the river from the historic district.  It can be reached by car or ferry (free).  The hotel is beautiful, and service was excellent.  Our room overlooked the water, and we enjoyed some time in the hot tub before sitting around a fire pit to make s’mores.  Only downside is that you’re not in the historic district the minute you walk out the door, but the view is very nice and access is easy.

We ate breakfast before leaving town at one of my favorites, Clary’s Café.  Clary’s is in “The Book” and I can assure you that despite having a steady flow of diners, they are not reinvesting much into the business.  The food is very good and portions are generous.  Mike took great care of us while we were there.  Clary’s opened in the 1930’s as a drugstore and soda fountain.  I’m guessing that Clary’s embraced the fame of “Midnight” and eliminated the drugstore to become a full service restaurant.  You can easily find it if you’re walking the squares; it sits between Calhoun and Lafayette Squares.  Great place!

Jekyll Island

Marriott Residence Inn, Jekyll Island

I made my first trip to Jekyll Island for our first Thanksgiving in Georgia.  What a gem!  If you are in fifth gear in Atlanta, you’re in second in Savannah and you’ll enjoy the gentle downshift to first when you arrive on Jekyll Island.  Jekyll is one of the barrier islands on the coast of Georgia; it’s about a 90 minute drive from Savannah.  As with so many places, its’ history is fascinating.  This was once a winter haven and hunting ground for wealthy Northerners.  In 1886 they established the Jekyll Island Club, it quickly became known as “the richest, most inaccessible club in the world”.  The members, which included J.P. Morgan, William K. Vanderbilt, Joseph Pulitzer and William Rockefeller, built large homes they called cottages and a country club to enjoy meals and sporting activities.  They built the charming “Faith Chapel” with the most beautiful stained glass windows, “David’s Window” by  Louis Tiffany and “The Adoration of the Christ Child” by Maitland and Helen Armstrong.  We did a tour of the property and I recalled what the guide told me 20+ years ago; “wiggle around in that pew, one-sixth of the world’s wealth sat in those seats at one time.  Maybe some will rub off on you”.  Fascinating that so few held so much and that they congregated on this small island! 

We checked out two Marriott hotels for our brief stay.  The first night was spent at the newly built Residence Inn.  They’d opened a few weeks prior and were eager to make our stay as enjoyable as possible.  We paid a pricey $400+ for one night but were traveling the week of July 4th.  The king suite had a bed, pull out sofa and full kitchen.  The hotel is ocean front with a pool, hot tub, fire pits and corn hole boards.  A short walk over the dunes puts you on a beautiful quiet beach.  Our stay included daily vouchers, $10 at the hotel market, $10 in food/beverage from the bar/restaurant, and free bikes for 4 hours for two people.

Lobby at the Westin, Jekyll Island

We spent the second night at the Westin just down the street.  We stayed in a double queen room for about $350.  Also ocean front, the lobby is beautiful and the hotel has a nice pool and hot tub.  Another short walk over a bridge and you find yourself on the same beautiful beach with lots of quiet.  No fighting for a place to sit on this island.  No free perks at this hotel just for staying, bikes are available for rent and food/drinks are available.

The island is flat so biking is relaxing.  We rode on the road and took a few trails through the woods.  It was flat, easy riding.  I often marvel at the courage of cyclists in the Atlanta area.  Nothing to fear here!

We enjoyed a 90 minute dolphin tour that started at the Historic Jekyll Wharf near the Jekyll Island Club. We were on Captain Phillip’s boat. The tour was very relaxing and we enjoyed watching dolphins, birds, and manatees! Our hosts were Captain Phillip and his wife and they are not only funny but shared some interesting history of the island and the creatures that make their home in these waters. Definitely worth giving it a try.

Food is somewhat limited although there are far more choices than the last time I was there.  We ate at Beach House Restaurant one night.  It’s a pretty simple place that includes a little of everything.  Nothing special; but we enjoyed wings and salad.  Lots of fresh local seafood here and we don’t eat any of it, so please ask for suggestions.

Jeklyll Island is a little-known treasure but very much worth the visit.  Enjoy the warm, salt air and the long exhale as you walk the quiet beach and take a step back in time.   

   

- Kelly Ehrhardt Leave a comment

Ponce City Market

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.

Tootsie’s Bottom Line:

A must see if you are visiting or live in the Atlanta area!! This is such a refreshing change from suburban life without the insane crowds that we so often assume will accompany a trip “downtown”. Make time to spend at least a few hours enjoying this great spot that offers so much.

A new landmark in an old landmark; Ponce City Market, is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination. The building was formerly home to the southeast headquarters of Sears, Roebuck & Co. and more recently City Hall East. In typical Atlanta form, history hovers in the background as 21st century living settles in.

History

Like many of my favorite places, Ponce City Market has lived many lives. In the early 1860’s Ponce de Leon Springs, as it was called, became an attraction because of the natural springs that were thought to cure aging. In the early 1900’s, the area continued to draw crowds when it became the Ponce de Leon amusement park affectionately known as “the Coney Island of Atlanta”. On the North side of Ponce sat a four acre lake that was filled in to build a baseball park that was home to the minor league baseball team, the Atlanta Crackers. The team played here until their move to Atlanta Stadium in 1965. In 1925, Sears Roebuck bought the space occupied by the Ponce de Leon Springs and built an 8 story building that served as a retail shop and distribution center until it closed in 1989. Imagine going shopping and watching a baseball game from inside the store! All possible for several decades right here at what is now Ponce City Market.

Getting There/Parking

Ponce City Market is a multiuse development, home to a “dining hall”, boutiques and residential space. Located at 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE, Atlanta, in the Old Fourth Ward near Midtown and Poncey-Highland neighborhoods. It sits at the intersection of the Beltline and Ponce de Leon Avenue. Parking at Ponce City Market includes a large deck with direct access to the Central Hall.

Eating

The “Central Dining Hall” has something for everyone including a charming name for a food court with some eat-in restaurants. There is everything from drinks, entrees and desserts. We chose to grab lunch at H&F Burgers and eat at a table in the hall. I enjoyed the veggie burger, while my son and husband had the “Original H&F” . My youngest daughter had the Junior Cheeseburger. Of course, we had to sample the onion rings and fries. We all enjoyed our meals but didn’t feel like our burgers lived up to the reputation-good, not great. Regardless, the Central Hall was a fun place to enjoy a meal and choosing where you want to eat is not easy! You can find what PCM has to offer here.

Shopping

We made our way outside the Central Hall and enjoyed many of my favorite shops and some new ones as well. One of my favorite things about Atlanta is the weather. PCM takes full advantage of being able to enjoy shopping while getting some fresh air. Ponce is filled with stores and kiosks where you’re sure to find something you’ll love!

The ROOF

You need a ticket for this ride, but it’s worth it! Access to the roof is granted with a day or annual pass or a dining reservation. Enjoy cocktails while taking in some of the best views Atlanta has to offer. Restaurant dining is also available on the roof at 9 Mile Station. 12 Cocktail Bar claims to be “Atlanta’s most influential cocktail bar”. Don’t know about that, but it’s pretty cool and offers cocktail classes where you can create handmade cocktails while enjoying a view like none other in Atlanta. The pièce de résistance is Skyline Park which hosts amusement style games and rides. Your trip back in time will include games like skee ball, ring toss and derby races. There is something for everyone here but plan ahead, it gets crowded!

Sounds dorky but Ponce City Market hit all of the right notes. It was a unique outing with good food, great entertainment and a new discovery in our hometown! Certainly a must see if you’re visiting Atlanta and a perfect way to spend a day if you live here.

- Kelly Ehrhardt

Who is Tour Guide Tootsie?

Who in the world is Tour Guide Tootsie? Well, Tour Guide Tootsie is anyone and everyone in a sense; she is a persona each member of our family has adopted as they’ve been tasked with planning excursions in the cities we travel to. My first urge to begin discovering the places around me came after a job transfer moving me from a city, I thought I knew, yet I had rarely explored. I promised myself I’d be more diligent about seeing what was around me both at home and on the road. When me became we, it became a great opportunity to share these experiences as a family. Tour Guide Tootsie began small, and as my kids grew, so did she. At first, I began planning staycation days to view our town as tourists, but as we began to expand our borders, we would visit typical tourist attractions or favorites among locals. As my kids have gotten older, we take turns planning outings. Trips were quickly characterized by “who’s tour guide tootsie this time?”. It is a role that we all enjoy and allows us to see and learn so much about the world around us. Tour Guide Tootsie was our gateway to adventure. What’s yours?