Resorts X Hotels - Vacation Zone

Aspen, CO — Based in Aspen, Colorado in the heart of the magnificent Rocky Mountains, Aspen Expeditions has been guiding and teaching rock, ice, ski & alpine mountaineering skills since 1976. With 32 years of professional guiding under its belt, Aspen Expeditions has just recently launched a comprehensive program of worldwide trekking, climbing and skiing adventure travel trips. “We want to offer our clientele challenging and exciting adventure vacations overseas and give them a chance to experience different cultures”, says AE’s Managing Director Dick Jackson. “The mountains around Aspen make for a wonderful backyard and a fantastic base to learn the necessary skills to travel safely in the hills. The Himalayas, Andes, Alps and high peaks of Africa are just some of the destinations we now travel to and make for a logical Next Step from the Rocky Mountains.”

And Dick Jackson knows adventure. He has spent most of his professional life climbing and skiing in the mountains of Colorado. With wife Paulina and daughter Tashi, Dick calls Aspen, Colorado home and is an active hands-on owner of Aspen Expeditions. Dick is an internationally certified IFMGA/AMGA Mountain Guide. He is IFMGA/AMGA certified in all disciplines of Rock & Ice Climbing, Ski Mountaineering and Alpine Mountaineering. He has guided climbing expeditions and ski trips extensively around Colorado, Utah and the West as well as Chamonix, the Himalaya, Alaska and Ecuador.

Most working professionals just don’t have the time or the experience needed to arrange an international trip. The logistics involved can be rather time-consuming, says AE’s Worldwide Manager Andy Crisconi.  
Dick has climbed and skied extensively in the Colorado Rockies, the Himalaya, Alaska, and the European Alps. His first ascents include the Voie Jackson in Chamonix, France in 1976. He was on the first American summit ascent of Himulchuli, Nepal in 1984. Dick has several first technical ascents to his credit in Colorado and Chamonix, France. Dick was a board member and President of the American Mountain Guides Association from 2001-2005.

Jackson states that “Aspen Expeditions distinguishes itself by its full commitment to formal guide training and certification through the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA). We emphasize this commitment and our 30 plus years of experience, together with the best equipment available in the industry, offer our students and clients the safest, finest and most enjoyable service possible! A student’s well-learned skills apply to an outing here in the Elk Range or when trekking and climbing in Nepal. What we teach are the building blocks for safe and fun worldwide adventures.”
    
With busy schedules and limited vacation time, more and more people are opting to arrange their adventure trip through a reliable tour operator. “Most working professionals just don’t have the time or the experience needed to arrange an international trip. The logistics involved can be rather time-consuming, says AE’s Worldwide Manager Andy Crisconi. “What we provide at Aspen Expeditions is a professionally guided trip and quality service at a competitive price.”

Whether rock climbing, ice climbing, backcountry skiing, trekking or alpine mountaineering, time in the mountains will rejuvenate one’s spirit. “And it’s not just about the mountains”, says Andy. “It’s immersing oneself in the entire experience. The moment you land in a Third World country, you are overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells. Once we let go of the hustle and bustle at home, we can truly start living in the present.”

Aspen Expeditions takes pride in the service it delivers and this is confirmed by our high percentage of repeat clientele and referrals. Our commitment to guides’ AMGA certified or trained status is Aspen Expeditions’ credentials. Come join us for a memorable experience. More at www.aspenexpeditions.com.

31st Annual Colorado Balloon Classic will feature 90 hot air balloons, entertainment and festivities. Stay at the Colorado Springs Marriott and attend the event.

Colorado Springs, CO – As if the beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains aren’t enough, this year’s Colorado Balloon Classic will add colorful hot air balloons to the sky. From September 1-3 the event will be held at Memorial Park in Colorado Springs and will include approximately 90 hot air balloons. This year Michael Glen, the first and only paraplegic balloon pilot in the world will fly his hot air balloon at the Colorado Balloon Classic.

Mass ascensions are scheduled for Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings. Large groups of hot air balloons will lift off together to form a panorama of colors and patterns in the sky. Live music, character performances, remote control vehicle demonstrations and more are part of the entertainment line up for the three days. Food and game concession stands will be set up and will provide the traditional fair feel to the Balloon Classic.

As darkness settles on the park Saturday and Sunday evenings, balloons will be set up, inflated and held in place for a luminous Balloon Glo®. The colorful balloons fill up and glow, appearing like decorated light bulbs in the night.

The Colorado Balloon Classic was organized in 1977 and has grown to be the largest and the longest continuously running hot air balloon festival in the Rocky Mountain Region, as well as the State of Colorado. This free, annual family event is held each year over Labor Day weekend to provide enjoyment and to raise money and awareness for non-profit organizations and charities.

After enjoying the daily excitement, retire to the Colorado Springs Marriott just eight miles away and wake up with Pikes Peak outside your window. In addition to the fabulous views, the guest rooms at this luxury Colorado Springs hotel are also very pleasing to the eyes. Warm colors and modern amenities make this hotel the perfect place to stay during the 2007 Colorado Balloon Classic.

About the Colorado Springs Marriott Hotel
This luxury Colorado Springs hotel nestled in the foothills of Pikes Peak offers guests a breath of fresh air and spectacular mountain vistas. Recently renovated, the Colorado Springs Marriott boasts upscale amenities, delectable Southwestern dining, and elegantly appointed event space. A warm Colorado Springs, CO hotel great room greets visitors with a glowing brick fireplace and a rich wood décor highlights guest rooms featuring plush bedding packages and dual screen plasma televisions. Settle in at this tasteful hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado with a flavored tequila cocktail from the Lobby Lounge before succulence is served at Zebulon’s Grill and Tequileria. Spice things up in a 7,000 square foot ballroom or picturesque courtyard area, which provides beautiful backdrops for phenomenal corporate functions and unforgettable social gatherings. Destination area attractions are accessible from this centrally located hotel in Colorado Springs, CO where fabulous accommodations are in season year round. For more information or to make a reservation, call (719) 260-1800 or visit http://marriott.com/hotels/travel/cosmc-colorado-springs-marriott/

Boulder, CO — Devon Hiking Spa (www.DevonHikingSpa.com) presents a new concept in the spa travel industry. After most spa vacations, guests quickly revert to old habits. Devon Hiking Spa teaches its guests the take-home tools to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Devon Hiking Spa’s week-long programs were developed by Devon Metz, MS, RD, a registered dietitian with a master of science in clinical nutrition. After working at some of the top spas in the country, Metz realized that the industry is missing an intimate, luxury spa vacation that addresses real-life issues in a practical way.

Devon Hiking Spa vacations are not designed for short-term weight loss. Instead of following a restrictive diet, participants dine out, at real restaurants, with nutrition professionals who guide participants as they learn to make better choices for the long-term.

“Restrictive diets are not effective in the long-term,” says Metz. “Our practical approach involves eating out because the average American eats out four meals per week. We want to help our customers make better choices so that they can eat out without overdoing it. We have spent years talking to clients about what to do when the bread basket shows up. Now, we get to sit at the table with them and confront the issue head-on,” says the dietitian.

The spa’s programs include interactive workshops, where professionals help participants create their own individual take-home plans for eating and exercise. “We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to diet and exercise. In order to be effective, a take-home plan must consider an individual’s specific needs, daily schedule, and likes and dislikes,” says Metz.

Unlike most spas, Devon Hiking Spa runs programs with fixed dates at resort hotels in multiple locations including Arizona, Colorado, and Vermont. Each week-long program is limited to 20 participants and includes deluxe accommodations, all meals, daily guided hikes, fitness classes, interactive workshops, and relaxing massages. The cost is $2,200 per person for a six-day spa vacation. For more information, please visit www.DevonHikingSpa.com.

Colorado Springs, CO – The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center will be celebrating an Extremely Grand Opening August 2-5 to unveil its 48,000-square foot, $28.4 million museum expansion of entirely original design and construction. In honor of the Fine Arts Center reopening, the Colorado Springs Marriott Hotel invites art fans to stay at this hotel in Colorado Springs and attend the new facility and its exciting permanent collection and world-class traveling exhibitions with a special weekend hotel package.

In partnership with the FAC and as a tribute to the opening of this fantastic new building, the Colorado Springs Marriott Hotel is offering a special hotel package beginning with the grand reopening weekend through March 9, 2008. The package includes deluxe accommodations at this luxury Colorado Springs hotel and tickets for admission to the FAC galleries for two guests.

Enjoy a weekend of splendor — attend the FAC, view the new building and exhibits, and stay at the grand Colorado Springs Marriott with spectacular views, modern luxuries, and fabulous food.

The Eclectic Eye: Pop and Illusion
Selections from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation
August 4 - October 28, 2007
The visually stimulating and intellectually challenging exhibition presents a large selection of pop art, featuring artists Keith Haring, David Hockney, Nam June Paik, James Rosenquist and Andy Warhol, amongst others.

Impressionist and Modern Masters
from the New Orleans Museum of Art
December 8, 2007 - March 9, 2008
This collection from the New Orleans Museum of art showcases major painters associated with the Impressionist movements, including works by Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Pablo Picasso.

For more information or to make a reservation, call (719) 260-1800 or visit http://marriott.com/hotels/travel/cosmc-colorado-springs-marriott/