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England

Castles of Scotland

Edinburgh Castle 

Edinburgh Castle is the first stop for many new visitors and with good reason. It towers over Edinburgh and offers excellent views. Please note that reaching the Castle involves a fair bit of walking. Fortunately Scottish weather, even in the summer, is never that hot. Allow about two hours to tour the Castle and grounds. At the base of the Castle is one of Edinburgh’s best restaurants “The Witchery”.  Causal dress is permitted. 

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Eilean Donan Castle

Between Inverness and the Isle of Skye lies one of Scotlands most iconic castles. The number of films depicting the castle is impressive. Remember Shawn Connery in “Highlander” or Pierce Brosman in “The World is Not Enough” just to name a few. There is a new visitors center and restaurant serving Highland favorites such as venison and fish and chips. 

The Castle as we see it today is the product of an inheritance over 100 years ago. The Castle arose from a ruin to a summer estate for the Macrae Gilstrap family which still owns the Castle.  The interior is baronial and impressive. How they managed to accommodate all the staff required 100 years ago is a marvel. 

Please pay attention to entrance times. Many of these castles are closed mid-week. 

Foulis Castle 

Foulis is the seat of the Monroe Clan and is located amount 15 minutes outside Inverness, Scotland. What makes Foulis somewhat unique is that you can actually stay there courtesy of Airbnb. The two wings of the Castle have been broken up into self-contained holiday lets. Our unit contained a very refined drawing room (it’s a castle after all) ample dining/kitchen area and two bedrooms one of which contained a four-poster bed large enough for Henry VIII. 

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Rocky Mountains Tool Box

Beaver Creek Ski Resort. Pros & Cons.

Now that the 2023 ski season will soon start let’s examine Beaver Creek, Colorado which lies just west of Vail Resort. In fact, there’s a free shuttle between the two resorts but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

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Pros.

First the pros. Beaver Creek is located only two hours from Denver provided traffic and weather cooperate. Second, it’s a huge resort with plenty of options for beginners and experts alike. Third, it does not have the crowds as Keystone or Breckinridge.

Cons.

Parking is problem if you don’t arrive early. If, however, you have a hotel reservation, most of the hotels have a free shuttle to the slopes. Second, affordable dining options are few so do your homework in advance and, whenever possible, make reservations in advance. Bob’s Place is a strong recommendation for informal dining or lunch or breakfast. For more upscale dining, try Mirabelle.

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For something more upscale, try Mirabelle.

Hotels.

It’s nothing to spend $350 to $1000 per night at a place such as Beaver Creek. However, as I was traveling with the kids who would struggle to tell the difference, I opted for the perfect solution; namely, the Comfort Inn Near Vail Beaver Creek. The rooms were clean and large and offered free breakfast and parking. More importantly, they offered a free 10-minute shuttle to the slopes. Done.

Conclusion.

I was glad we ventured to Beaver Creek and so will you. It’s a jewel box of a ski venue. In fact, it’s a smaller version of Vail.

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Rocky Mountains Tool Box

Colorado’s Best Ski Destinations for Families

Before the 2020 ski season suddenly ended, we skied Keystone as a family for the first time after skiing Copper Mountain, Loveland and Arapahoe Basin. I made a separate trip to Vail.  

Keystone – River Run Village

Keystone

          The abundance of family friendly hotels in the area was impressive. Additionally, several, including the one at which we stayed (Hyatt House), had amazing access to the slopes without being ski-in and out. It’s truly a treat to be able to wake up to an inclusive breakfast and walk to the slopes (in ski boots) rather than getting up at 5pm in Denver for the 90-minute drive. If, however, you need to day trip to and from Denver, it’s an uneventful 90-minute drive with normal traffic. Leave early on the weekends to avoid traffic. The outdoor hot tub overlooking the slopes was the cherry on top of our hotel experience. The kids also liked the complementary gummies.

There was something for everyone, including two members of the family who did not ski. While we were on the slopes, they could hit the spa, ice skate or tube. There was a good mixture of blue and green runs which were all impeccably groomed. The bathrooms and restaurants (facilities) were well laid out. There are very few green runs which offer 3.5 miles of pristine groomed slope. There are blacks and bowls, the latter of which have no facilities. The River Run Village contains shops and restaurants with plenty of options.

Another fun dinner outing was TwoBelowZero in Frisco which is about ten minutes from Keystone. You board a sleigh for a scenic mule drawn ride through the woods to a large tent set for dinner. Comfort food follows along with plenty of hot chocolate and, for the adults, peppermint schnapps.

Frisco Dinner Sleigh Ride

Copper Mountain

Fifteen minutes west of Keystone is Copper Mountain. Long a favorite of Colorado locals Copper boasts long runs and scenic trails. While it does not have a gondola like Keystone, lift lines were relatively short. Please note that Copper is not part of the Epic system but rather the competing Icon system. What this means is that Copper is a great alternative if you want to ski on an Epic blackout period.

Arapahoe Basin

Arapahoe Basin

While A-Basin is one of Colorado’s smaller ski venues, it enjoys top-notch slopes and easy access to Denver. You won’t find high-end hotels and restaurants, but you will experience excellent skiing and comfortable casual dining within a manageable setting.

Loveland

Loveland enjoys the closest proximity to Denver being visible from Highway 70. However, its basic equipment could use an update. Notwithstanding, there are many things to like. Loveland has a lot of greens for beginners and blues once the kids feel ready for that next level. Loveland’s parking shuttle is very reliable. Best of all, once you are done you don’t need to navigate Loveland Pass (think weekend traffic jams) since you are already next to Highway 70.

Vail Village

Vail

Even in Colorado, Vail is iconic. The pros include wonderful, high-end restaurants, hotels and spas. Imagine yourself strolling through a real life Ralph Lauren catalog. There are less green and blue runs as compared with Keystone. As such, Vail is somewhat less family friendly. Notwithstanding, the slopes are impeccably groomed. Daily lift tickets at the window are north of $200 per day. Better to buy in advance a daily local Epic pass online for about half the price.  

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America Rocky Mountains Tool Box

Steamboat Springs for The Non-Skier

Steamboat lies 3-4 hours west of Denver, assuming normal traffic. Plan to leave Denver early and spend at least one overnight. Along with great skiing (including night skiing) there is a large and vibrant mountain town exceeding 10,000 people. So, what can a non-skier do? 

Strawberry Park Hot Springs

Strawberry Park Hot Springs

Here we were mid-March with tons of snow around us soaking in 105 degree spring water. It’s a 20-minute ride from our hotel. If you value your car’s suspension, I recommend taking a shuttle tour up the rather rough mountain road. Additionally, I would recommend Sweet Pea Tours shuttle. Their shuttle vans have larger windows and slower drivers. Plan on bringing a swimsuit and towel. Our driver had bottled water. He picked us up directly from our hotel. 

The Best Restaurant

Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwich

The best restaurant in Steamboat is Café Diva. Walkable location. Cozy and informal interior. Reservations are recommended. Start with the “Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwiches” which is Asian braised pork belly, Thai peanut sauce, raisin nut toast, Sriracha and pea shoots. Even if you don’t have room, order the Venison Short Loin in cabernet veal demi-glace next. Amazing. We never made it to dessert so I can’t offer any recommendations.

Venison Short Loin

The Best Spa

For those so inclined, The Steamboat Grand Spa at the Steamboat Grand hotel is the best spa around.

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Tool Box

Edinburgh and Dublin Restraunts. My Best Picks.

Edinburgh. 

The Witchery”

The Witchery” represented one of the finest meals I can recall. Forget any prior conceptions of that most famous of all Scottish dishes “haggis”.  Just as a reminder, haggis is a pudding consisting of sheep heart, liver and lungs wrapped in an animal’s stomach lining. I have had hagges before and it required a swig of a decent scotch between bites to get it down. Not at The Witchery. In terms of both consistency and taste, the place did wonders. I would not order it any place else.  

The haggis

Entrees such as Dover sole and steak tartare did not disappoint. 

Dover sole

Inverness. 

We found the River House restaurant on a rainy, windswept evening, luggage in tow. After swiftly dispensing with the luggage we were welcomed to our table. The haggis was traditionally prepared and very good. The real standout was the venison as a main course. I would definitely return. 

The venison

Dublin. 

“Mr. S”

“Mr. S” is a hip, progressive and completely different experience from the usual fish and chip or lamb stew fair. Thank goodness. Don’t get me wrong. I love the standard Irish food but one can only eat so much fish and chips. 

Everything at Mr. S. Is roasted over an open flame. The main course was roasted monkfish. Desert was a chocolate pie with roasted nuts on top. I highly recommend Mr. S. 

Mr. S
The Monkfish

Pubs.

The Hairy Lemon.

Probably the best fish and chips I have ever had. One of our group was gluten free and ate it by mistake. Even he said it was worth it.

Fish & Chips
The Hairy Lemon