About an hour west of Denver is Loveland ski area. A local favorite for years, Loveland is convenient to the city, not crowded, and lacks the ‘resort’ feel of places like Breckenridge or Keystone.

To get to Loveland, take I-70 from Denver and exit 216, just before the tunnel and continental divide. That means less driving in the snow and ice! If you are visiting during peak season, try to stay West of Loveland in nearby Dillon because the traffic to and from Denver can be horrendous, especially on the weekends.

Loveland is right off the highway- in fact some of the lifts are visible from I-70. But don’t worry, the slopes are pristine and you won’t notice the nearby highway.

Loveland has a full service ski and snowboard rental shop, a gear store and large cafeteria. Ski rentals are priced competitively and even the gear shop isn’t terribly expensive. If you have your own skis or board it’s easy to pull up to the front, right next to the main lifts, drop off your stuff and park your car. On less busy days you can actually ski to your car from the lift! In addition to normal amenities, Loveland has several small lodges scattered on the mountains where the brave souls who are out in the biting cold can warm up. They are nothing more than a wooden building with a wood fired stove, but it seems like a 4 star hotel!

The only warning I have about Loveland? It’s is COLD. Known for being windy, especially in the afternoons, Loveland is the coldest place to ski in the area. During our January trip the wind chill reached -30F (no, that isn’t a typo), and since all lifts are open chairs, the cold can be brutal while you work your way up the hill. Dress warm. Warmer than you think you need. And don’t take lift two- it is a grueling 10 minute ride to the top of lift 2, and lift 1 works just as well to get you to the same areas. Mornings at Loveland are less windy and therefore warmer, so try that if you are there on a chilly day.

The crowd at Loveland is more local than at most Colorado resorts, and if you ski alone you will find yourself in a chair next to a Loveland season pass holder often. These weathered locals are there for the wonderful powder, empty mountain and convenient trip from the city. It doesn’t hurt that tickets are relatively inexpensive too- $46 gets you an afternoon during the high season, and $42 gets you an all day ticket for active duty military- just show your ID card! Even normal tickets are a reasonable $59 at a time when Vail and Breckenridge have broken the $100 mark for a days lift ticket.

For those who value great snow conditions, nice open runs and cheap lift tickets, Loveland is paradise.

I finally got my chance to try the Boardwalk on Bulverde when a friend visited from out of town. An adventurous friend, who loved the idea.

Tucked away on the Northeast side is what looks a bit like a gypsy camp- half a dozen food trucks of various shapes and sizes encircle a picnic area with playground and strings of party lights. Some nights a portable projector shows a Spurs game or American Idol.

The trucks are powered by generators, which sometimes go out, shutting down a truck for a few minutes or, at night time, blacking out the eating space. Nevertheless it seems like a place where neighbors can meet- a real sense of community pops up and people share tables with strangers, Freetail Brewery  brings a free keg out nearly every Friday and Saturday and the staff at the trucks joke with you while they take your order. A friendly server hunts down a glass of ice for my dad then chats with him about moving to the US from Belgium.

The food isn’t half bad either- but I will leave that commentary to some much more eloquent foodies at Yelp, on various food blogs and in the newspaper.

As with most of Omaha, red brick is the look of choice. On the corner of 10th and Howard is the shop that caught my eye- Tannenbaum Christmas Shop. Any flavor and color of Christmas decoration and ornament you can imagine, along with other holiday decorations as well, fill every nook and cranny of this store.
Just next door is a candy shop. It’s a small place, but I loved the large open window along the back wall which allowed visitors to watch chocolates being made by hand.

In addition to scores of yummy chocolates the shop has lots of retro candy and hand made taffy in several flavors.

Walking around the Old Market you will find stores selling winter clothing, incense and Asian imports, gifts, trendy clothing and various sundries. There are several well recommended music stores, restaurants, bars and I even saw a yoga studio. It’s a great place to pass an afternoon!

Check out www.oldmarket.com for information on stores, restaurants and especially events.

Located in Eagle Lake, Texas, Skydive Houston is right between San Antonio and Houston. An 8am appointment is best, so stay at a nearby hotel if you like to sleep in.

After paperwork and a video you will be assigned to an instructor. The instructors are real characters- but they have all jumped out of a plane over 1000 times. After some brief instruction you will get suited up and off we go!

It is a quick walk to the plane and almost right away you are in the air. Seated backwards on a bench, clipped to your instructor, the plane gets you to 14,000 feet in about 5min. There is no time to chicken out-the back door rolls open and you are out faster than you can think about it.

The terrain below, mostly farmland, with at least one body of water, is nothing really special, but the beautiful Texas weather, and the wind rushing around you so fast you cant breathe, is amazing.

Have fun!

The Iron Cactus, an Austin native, is a chain restaurant specializing in margaritas. Good appetizers and a very nice margarita can be had here easily- but skip the dessert menu. The chocolate cake was dry and the flan tasted day-old. Iron Cactus is a relatively new addition to the Riverwalk, so time will tell if the margaritas will grow weak and sugary. I especially recommend the Mexican Martini- anyone who has lived in Austin is familiar with this margarita-like drink. Iron Cactus makes theirs with real agave nectar and it is perfectly tart and dangerously strong. For a recipe that will not quite live up to Iron Cactus, but will give you an idea if you can’t make it to the Hill Country, try this: http://www.randomfate.net/MT/2004/10/14/jacks-special-mexican-martini/

Casa Rio and the Riverwalk are inseparable. The food is fair, the service is decent, but the seating along the river and the people watching is unmatched. Their Ensalada de Colores comes with a dressing that I wish I could duplicate. The iceberg lettuce and mandarin oranges are nothing special, but with their house special lime vinaigrette dressing it becomes something amazing. Just don’t expect the same from any of the other food- even the corn tortillas are easy to beat.

One of the most popular hiking spots near San Antonio, Friedrich Park has trails of several lengths and difficulty.
The heavily wooded park is off of I-10 on the Northwest side of San Antonio. The park has wheelchair accessible trails as well as challenging mountainous trails.

Most of the trails look a bit like this- wooded, closed in and shaded. There are some places with a decent view of the surrounding hills, but assume you will be in shaded most of the time.
Bring your picnic, but not your dog! Sorry, pets aren’t allowed.
Check out the park website for hours and exact location:   http://www.sanaturalareas.org/fp/fpindex.html

You do need to cover your shoulders and wear pants to visit this Cathedral, as you do for most Catholic Churches in Italy. So on my visit, although it was a scorching 90 degrees outside, I was wearing jeans and a short sleeve shirt. No tank tops ladies!

The facade is worth more than a cursory glance. Here is one of the many carvings on the facade. You can see that the hands of Chris in this depiction are bright gold (well, if my photography were better you could see), from pilgrims rubbing and touching them.

Inside, you may be surprised at how dark the Cathedral is. Indeed, the lighting was terrible for my photos! But after your eyes adjust you’ll be treated to stained glass windows, beautiful tile floors and three ornate altars. I particularly enjoyed watching people light candles. The tall pillars made a beautiful arrangement as they melted, all different heights.

By far the most amazing thing about the Cathedral is the degree of sculpture on the spires. You can get an up-close view of this handiwork if you take the stairs to the top of the Cathedral.

Yes, you can walk around on top of the building, overlooking all of Milan. Don’t take the elevator if you can avoid it, the journey up is wonderful. Take your time to admire the many statues of saints, intricate spires and of course the skyline.

Getting to La Scala from the Duomo is quite easy. Walk through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and go slightly to the left. It isn’t an impressive building from the outside, but as people start to congregate in their ball gowns and cocktail dresses, the atmosphere gets a bit exciting. There are mostly Italians here, but plenty of foreigners too. We wait impatiently in the street and on the sidewalks, and the heat on this June day is punishing.

When the doors finally open we are shuffled in. I ask an older woman, sitting alone, to take my photo with the small poster announcing the performance.

The inside of the building is nothing special either, until you reach the theater itself. The doors open up and you lose your breath for a second. A beautiful, dramatic red and gold room leaps out at you and its elegance and grandeur makes it hard to believe you’re even allowed sit down.

There are floor seats and box seats at La Scala. The box seats are in two rows, two people in each row. There is nothing to be recommended in getting the second row- if you make a trip to Milan, plan to get tickets early and don’t cheap out on the seats! I spent the entire performance standing, craning my neck to see anything other than the right half of the stage. In general, box seats need to be further away from the stage as well. The closer you are, the more parts of your vision are obscured. In retrospect, this seems obvious, but it’s difficult to make that call when looking at a seating arrangement online and considering whether to pay 150euro or 65euro. Especially when the exchange rate is $1.70/euro! But going to an opera at La Scala is a once in a lifetime must-do: get the expensive seats.

So where DO the locals go to have fun? Here are a few suggestions that might help.

Beethoven Maennerchor Halle:
Beethoven is a cultural center that is open to the public the first Friday of each month and for special events such as Oktoberfest. There is a small cover charge, but there’s live music, beer and food is cheap, and you’ll have a great time. Most of the seating is outdoors, so dress appropriately. Everyone is welcome here, and you’ll find people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Bring your dad! He’ll love it.

The Drink:
This cocktail bar near the Riverwalk has a casual lounge setting that 20 and 30somethings adore. On slow nights you’ll get great service and free nachos as well as a quiet, upscale place to have an after work drink. On Fridays or Saturdays after 10 expect to see a well dressed, lively crowd but a still relaxed environment.

Pedicab Bar and Grill:
Pedicab can be described as a dive bar. A one room establishment that only serves beer and burgers, you can often find live music on its small stage. The bar also has a loveable cat that will demand petting from unsuspecting guests. The crowd is mixed, but mostly under 35 in jeans and t-shirts.

The restaurant was decorated beautifully for Christmas, including a 6ft Santa, hundreds of ornaments glowing on the porch and garland around the bar. Outside of the Christmas season it may not look like much, but I assure you the food is worth a trip. Only open for Breakfast and Lunch, Front Porch has legendary Chicken Salad and Eggs Benedict and everything is reasonably priced. If you are passing by Niceville this is worth the detour. The only downside? The place is tiny; get there early or you’ll be waiting!