Which cell phone providers offer service where is important for road trippers -- but how can you tell?
While driving through eastern Colorado not long ago, my husband and I occasionally opened our cell phones and compared how many bars we had. Mindful of tedious television commercials that I've seen about coverage, this seemed like an informative diversion. I assumed that a specific number of bars means the same thing on all phones and with all providers.
Not so, reports technology reporter Tom Simonite in a blog posting on New Scientist. He wrote that there are no industry standards for signal bars, and one bar, two bars, three bars, etc. don't always mean the same thing, as we found out. In La Junta, my husband's cell phone showed an impressive array or bars, while mine displayed just one. Yet I received a call -- in a restaurant where we stopped for lunch. Simonite has some ideas on how to improve the system, as do some of the visitors to the New Scientist blog. It makes for an intersting technie read.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
C Lazy U Breaking Out of Guest Ranch Mold
Ownership and management changes herald new direction of old guest ranch
The C Lazy U Ranch entered Colorado's dude and guest ranching picture back in 1946. Its history reveals a series of owners, some who stayed aboard for decades and some who flipped the now-2,000-acre ranch near Granby after just a few months. Clark and Peg Murray
of Kansas City discovered the ranch on a Colorado vacation in 1958 and purchased it 30 years later -- talk about patience. More recently, they have been joined in a multi-family ownership group that includes Don Bailey and Leslie Stanford of Denver, Linda and Bill Jacobs of Chicago and Tucson, and Adrienne and Dean Singleton of Denver (think "newspaper publisher"). Singleton became involved with the transformation of the neighboring former Hudler Ranch as as vacation home development called CLU Preserves.
This is a long lead-up to the news that DeNapoli Capital Partners, a hospitality acquisition, development and management company, is now operating the C Lazy U. As the Wall Street Journal reported two years ago, the dude ranch's role in the hospitality industry has been changing, with fewer guest ranches in absolute numbers, fewer that remain not only family-owned but also family-run, fewer that have resisted the temptation of subdivision into ranchettes and more that have been transformed from classic equestrian-focused ranches to a broader resort format. DiNapoli, based in southern California, has been involved in such high-profile luxury hotel and resort brands as Four Seasons and Hyatt, and in Denver, it owns and manages the classy, theatrically themed Hotel Teatro.
At its peak, the C Lazy U achieved Mobil's Five Star ranking for 25 years in a row as well as Four Diamonds from AAA -- unusual in the relatively rustic world of guest ranches. The Four Diamond Teatro, which opened in 1999, has recently renovated its guest rooms with obligatory flat-screen televisions, iPod docking stations, sybaritic new bedding and a passel of other upmarket facilities and services. Some of that polish is being applied to the C Lazy U, which is getting the Hotel Teatro-style treatment. The Kevin Taylor Restaurant Group, which operates the fine-dining Restaurant Kevin Taylor and more casual Prima Ristorante in the Teatro, is consulting on modernization of the C Lazy U's menus. And the ranch, which is probably going to provide shorter alternatives to the standard mandatory one-week stay, is also getting such Teatro-style room enhancements as those iHome docking stations, Beverly Hills Black Edition beds and beautiful linens.
It makes me think, ironically, of the '60s TV comedy called "The Beverly Hillbillies," in which the backwoods Clampetts began shaking up the southern California social scene. Things have come full circle with southern California hotel standards that are going to shake up expectations of dude ranch guests at the venerable C Lazy U.
C Lazy U Ranch, P.O. Box 379, Granby, CO 80446; 970-887-3344. Hotel Teatro, 1100 14th Street, Denver 80202; 888-727-1200 (reservations) and 303-228-1100.
The C Lazy U Ranch entered Colorado's dude and guest ranching picture back in 1946. Its history reveals a series of owners, some who stayed aboard for decades and some who flipped the now-2,000-acre ranch near Granby after just a few months. Clark and Peg Murray
of Kansas City discovered the ranch on a Colorado vacation in 1958 and purchased it 30 years later -- talk about patience. More recently, they have been joined in a multi-family ownership group that includes Don Bailey and Leslie Stanford of Denver, Linda and Bill Jacobs of Chicago and Tucson, and Adrienne and Dean Singleton of Denver (think "newspaper publisher"). Singleton became involved with the transformation of the neighboring former Hudler Ranch as as vacation home development called CLU Preserves.This is a long lead-up to the news that DeNapoli Capital Partners, a hospitality acquisition, development and management company, is now operating the C Lazy U. As the Wall Street Journal reported two years ago, the dude ranch's role in the hospitality industry has been changing, with fewer guest ranches in absolute numbers, fewer that remain not only family-owned but also family-run, fewer that have resisted the temptation of subdivision into ranchettes and more that have been transformed from classic equestrian-focused ranches to a broader resort format. DiNapoli, based in southern California, has been involved in such high-profile luxury hotel and resort brands as Four Seasons and Hyatt, and in Denver, it owns and manages the classy, theatrically themed Hotel Teatro.
At its peak, the C Lazy U achieved Mobil's Five Star ranking for 25 years in a row as well as Four Diamonds from AAA -- unusual in the relatively rustic world of guest ranches. The Four Diamond Teatro, which opened in 1999, has recently renovated its guest rooms with obligatory flat-screen televisions, iPod docking stations, sybaritic new bedding and a passel of other upmarket facilities and services. Some of that polish is being applied to the C Lazy U, which is getting the Hotel Teatro-style treatment. The Kevin Taylor Restaurant Group, which operates the fine-dining Restaurant Kevin Taylor and more casual Prima Ristorante in the Teatro, is consulting on modernization of the C Lazy U's menus. And the ranch, which is probably going to provide shorter alternatives to the standard mandatory one-week stay, is also getting such Teatro-style room enhancements as those iHome docking stations, Beverly Hills Black Edition beds and beautiful linens.
It makes me think, ironically, of the '60s TV comedy called "The Beverly Hillbillies," in which the backwoods Clampetts began shaking up the southern California social scene. Things have come full circle with southern California hotel standards that are going to shake up expectations of dude ranch guests at the venerable C Lazy U.
C Lazy U Ranch, P.O. Box 379, Granby, CO 80446; 970-887-3344. Hotel Teatro, 1100 14th Street, Denver 80202; 888-727-1200 (reservations) and 303-228-1100.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
TED is Dead
United's no-frills carrier the latest casualty of the world airline crisis
United Airlines' TED, launched with great fanfare five years ago to compete with such low-fare carriers as Southwest and Frontier, will fly into the sunset by early 2009. Seventy planes (15 per
cent of the fleet, including less fuel-efficient 737s) will either be retired or retrofitted as mainline United planes, including a first-class cabin that will theoretically produce more revenues. United is expected to cut 1,100 jobs as well. Bloomberg, which tracks financial data, reported that while United's stock has been the worst 2008 performer among 14 publicly traded airline stocks, it rose 61 cents to $9.14 yesterday. Leave it to Wall Street to find cheer in other people's misery.
And, for travelers, there's more probably more misery to come. Bloomberg also noted that US airlines have already announced 5 percent capacity cuts, but quoted Ray Neidl, a securities analyst with Calyon Securities, as saying that airlines "need" to cut 20 percent to achieve some kind of industry--wide financial stability, given the current price of fuel. That's going to leave a lot of travelers scrambling for fewer seats, paying much more to fly, taking the train (Amtrak is already seeing record passenger loads), Greyhound, filling our tanks with increasingly expensive gas or staying close to home.
Addendum on June 6: Today's New York Times ran a business analysis called "Big Airlines Rush to Go Small." Reporter Micheline Maynard's piece began, "With fuel prices almost double what they were a year ago, airlines have switched strategies from expansion to downsizing." And she proceeded with a laundry list of which big airlines are becoming smaller and in what way, also noting, "For passengers, it all means a system that made flights cheap and plentiful is slipping away." And that's pretty much what I have concluded.
United Airlines' TED, launched with great fanfare five years ago to compete with such low-fare carriers as Southwest and Frontier, will fly into the sunset by early 2009. Seventy planes (15 per
cent of the fleet, including less fuel-efficient 737s) will either be retired or retrofitted as mainline United planes, including a first-class cabin that will theoretically produce more revenues. United is expected to cut 1,100 jobs as well. Bloomberg, which tracks financial data, reported that while United's stock has been the worst 2008 performer among 14 publicly traded airline stocks, it rose 61 cents to $9.14 yesterday. Leave it to Wall Street to find cheer in other people's misery.And, for travelers, there's more probably more misery to come. Bloomberg also noted that US airlines have already announced 5 percent capacity cuts, but quoted Ray Neidl, a securities analyst with Calyon Securities, as saying that airlines "need" to cut 20 percent to achieve some kind of industry--wide financial stability, given the current price of fuel. That's going to leave a lot of travelers scrambling for fewer seats, paying much more to fly, taking the train (Amtrak is already seeing record passenger loads), Greyhound, filling our tanks with increasingly expensive gas or staying close to home.
Addendum on June 6: Today's New York Times ran a business analysis called "Big Airlines Rush to Go Small." Reporter Micheline Maynard's piece began, "With fuel prices almost double what they were a year ago, airlines have switched strategies from expansion to downsizing." And she proceeded with a laundry list of which big airlines are becoming smaller and in what way, also noting, "For passengers, it all means a system that made flights cheap and plentiful is slipping away." And that's pretty much what I have concluded.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Guidebook for Rock-Climbing Families
Climbing routes and much more make this book an excellent resource for climbers of all ages
My husband is a former rock climber, so we have shelves full of climbing guidebooks. I don't ever look at them, because they are way out of my universe. When he and I first met and he enthused about climbing, I took a one-day class and learned very, very basic climbing and rappelling. I enjoyed it enough to wish that I had learned to climb when I was younger -- much younger. Tristan Hechtel, now just graduated from high school here in Bould
er, is one lucky young climber who did start when he was very young. He probably can't even remember when he didn't go climbing with his mother. Sibylle Hechtel's engaging new book, Fun Climbs Colorado: Best Family Climbing Vacations, is based on her first-hand experiences.
er, is one lucky young climber who did start when he was very young. He probably can't even remember when he didn't go climbing with his mother. Sibylle Hechtel's engaging new book, Fun Climbs Colorado: Best Family Climbing Vacations, is based on her first-hand experiences.I don't have a young child anymore, but if I did, I'd want this book because it includes not only well-researched and achievable routes but also other useful information for any family trip. The climbing information is very clear and includes everything I imagine parents would want to know: How easy each climbing area is to reach. What the approach is like. Type of rock. What gear that is needed. The recommended age range. Camping options. Whether there is cell service. Whether dogs are permitted. Even (should an emergency arise) the location of the nearest hospital. I also like her assessment of the pros and cons of each climbing area. These might include ease or difficulty of the approach; accessibility; crowds; convenient camping or not.
And of course, there is detailed information on each climbing route, including grade rating (a standard numerical system), plus key spots along the route described, numbered and keyed to a photograph. She also gives one to five stars to routes in the book. One star means "not that great, included for completeness" to five stars for routes she deems "absolutely fantastic climb, worth doing several times."
For any vacationing family, the additional travel tips are great -- perhaps if the weather is not conducive for family climbing, in case youngsters want a break from climbing, to accommodate any non-climbers in the family or as add-ons while a family is in the vicinity of a recommended climbing area. Hechtel has scouted out where to buy groceries and supplies if camping, hotels/motels if not camping, restaurants and "What Else Can We Do That's Fun?"
And of course, there is detailed information on each climbing route, including grade rating (a standard numerical system), plus key spots along the route described, numbered and keyed to a photograph. She also gives one to five stars to routes in the book. One star means "not that great, included for completeness" to five stars for routes she deems "absolutely fantastic climb, worth doing several times."
For any vacationing family, the additional travel tips are great -- perhaps if the weather is not conducive for family climbing, in case youngsters want a break from climbing, to accommodate any non-climbers in the family or as add-ons while a family is in the vicinity of a recommended climbing area. Hechtel has scouted out where to buy groceries and supplies if camping, hotels/motels if not camping, restaurants and "What Else Can We Do That's Fun?"
Clear maps, excellent graphics and comprehensive contact information for all resources make this an invaluable guide for climbing families -- and, come to think of it, also for climbers without kids who want more peripheral details than most climbing guidebooks include. Fun Climbs Colorado: Best Family Climbing Vacations sells for $22, 15 percent of which is donated to the Access Fund, national advocacy organization for climbers and the preservation of climbing sites.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
US Streamlines Visa-Waiver Program
Online registration good for two years coming up for visitors to the US
Currently citizens of 27 counties (mostly in western Europe plus Australia, Brunei, Japan, Singapore and New Zealand) are permitted to enter the US without visas for stays of 90 days or less but must fill out forms en route that federal agents look at on arrival. When flight attendants on a US-bound international flight ask passengers whether they are US citizens and give one Customs form to citizens and two to "aliens," that's the second form. I've never actually read one, so I don't know what information it asks.
A refinement of this process will soon require travelers to submit "biographical details" to the Department of Homeland Security online at least three days before traveling. Optional online registration for visa-waivered travelers begins in August and becomes mandatory on January 12, 2009. As it stands now, the program will require visitors to register online once every two years rather than fill out forms each time they travel.
Currently citizens of 27 counties (mostly in western Europe plus Australia, Brunei, Japan, Singapore and New Zealand) are permitted to enter the US without visas for stays of 90 days or less but must fill out forms en route that federal agents look at on arrival. When flight attendants on a US-bound international flight ask passengers whether they are US citizens and give one Customs form to citizens and two to "aliens," that's the second form. I've never actually read one, so I don't know what information it asks.
A refinement of this process will soon require travelers to submit "biographical details" to the Department of Homeland Security online at least three days before traveling. Optional online registration for visa-waivered travelers begins in August and becomes mandatory on January 12, 2009. As it stands now, the program will require visitors to register online once every two years rather than fill out forms each time they travel.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Airline Losses Predicted to be HUGE
IATA's gloomy forecast spells continuation of surcharges and higher fares
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is projecting that the global airline industry will lose $2.3 billion (that's billion with a B) worldwide in 2008 -- assuming an average oil price of $106.50 per barrel. That's a big assumption. If oil prices remain at a lofty $135 a barrel, those losses could be as much as $6 billion worldwide. Just this past March, when oil was at about $85 a barrel, IATA foreaw an industry-wide profit of $4.5 billion based on an average crude oil price of $86 per barrel.
At current oil price levels, IATA predicts that airlines' cumulative fuel bill will be around $176 billion, more than one-third of operating costs. Compare that to 2006 ($136 billion for fuel, representing 29 percent of total operating costs) and 2002 ($40 billion for fuel, 13 percent of operating costs).
No wonder airlines are charging for checked bags and doing away with the peanuts and pretzels -- and of course mothballing planes, cutting underperforming routes (in the US, anyway) or going out of business altogether.
Airline execs (those still employed anyway), gathered at IATA's 64th annual meeting in Istanbul, resolved to ask governments to step in and take actions that would help stabilize the airline industry with six specific calls to action:
I'm not seeing any calls for the international community to pressure oil producing countries and oil companies to roll back or at least stabilize oil prices ("integrity of markets" is a pretty wimpy phrase for what is supposed to be a call to action), and I'm not seeing any calls for executives to make the same salary and bonus sacrifices that union workers have been required to make. I don't know how executive compensation at foreign airlines compares with that of US carriers, but it would seem to be worth putting into the cost-cutting and revenue-raising equation.
More than a year ago, Washington Post reporter Del Quinten Wilber wrote about pay cuts for employees concurrent with big bucks for bigwigs in "Turbulence Over Executive Pay" about just this subject. Just a couple of months later, "Bill Moyers Journal" on PBS covered the same subject on "Payday! CEO Salaries." Part of Moyers's report:
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is projecting that the global airline industry will lose $2.3 billion (that's billion with a B) worldwide in 2008 -- assuming an average oil price of $106.50 per barrel. That's a big assumption. If oil prices remain at a lofty $135 a barrel, those losses could be as much as $6 billion worldwide. Just this past March, when oil was at about $85 a barrel, IATA foreaw an industry-wide profit of $4.5 billion based on an average crude oil price of $86 per barrel.
At current oil price levels, IATA predicts that airlines' cumulative fuel bill will be around $176 billion, more than one-third of operating costs. Compare that to 2006 ($136 billion for fuel, representing 29 percent of total operating costs) and 2002 ($40 billion for fuel, 13 percent of operating costs).
No wonder airlines are charging for checked bags and doing away with the peanuts and pretzels -- and of course mothballing planes, cutting underperforming routes (in the US, anyway) or going out of business altogether.
Airline execs (those still employed anyway), gathered at IATA's 64th annual meeting in Istanbul, resolved to ask governments to step in and take actions that would help stabilize the airline industry with six specific calls to action:
1) Governments must eliminate archaic rules that prevent airlines from
restructuring across borders.
2) In view of existing fees and charges, governments must refrain from imposing multiple and additional punitive taxes and other measures that will only deepen the crisis.
3) State service providers must invest to modernise air transport infrastructure urgently, eliminating wasteful fuel consumption and emissions.
4) Business partners, in particular monopoly service providers, must become as efficient as airlines are now. If not, regulators must restrain their appetite with tougher regulation.
5) Labour unions must refrain from making irresponsible claims and join the effort to secure jobs in aviation and indeed in other industries.
6) In the interest of the global economy and the flying public, we urge authorities to enforce the integrity of markets so that the cost of energy reflects its true value.
I'm not seeing any calls for the international community to pressure oil producing countries and oil companies to roll back or at least stabilize oil prices ("integrity of markets" is a pretty wimpy phrase for what is supposed to be a call to action), and I'm not seeing any calls for executives to make the same salary and bonus sacrifices that union workers have been required to make. I don't know how executive compensation at foreign airlines compares with that of US carriers, but it would seem to be worth putting into the cost-cutting and revenue-raising equation.
More than a year ago, Washington Post reporter Del Quinten Wilber wrote about pay cuts for employees concurrent with big bucks for bigwigs in "Turbulence Over Executive Pay" about just this subject. Just a couple of months later, "Bill Moyers Journal" on PBS covered the same subject on "Payday! CEO Salaries." Part of Moyers's report:
"Northwest is the last of four major carriers to come out of bankruptcy after the 9-11 terror attacks. But it is not the first airline to use bankruptcy to keep operating while it cut costs, convinced creditors to exchange debt for equity, and rewarded executives after wringing concessions from the rank and file.As I noted, neither oil prices directly nor executive compensation was part of IATA's six-point proposal for rescuing the airline industry. How low-fare airlines will survive is another issue entirely. They have been able to succeed with efficient operations, but there's no way to trim fat off an already lean product when oil is $135 a barrel.
"When US Airways emerged from bankruptcy in 2005 CEO Doug Parker was awarded almost six million dollars-worth of stock and cash. Employees got pay cuts of up to 53 percent:
Pilots' top salary is $120,000.
Mechanics earn at most $48,300.
And flight attendants' top salary is just over $34,000.
"When United Airlines came out of bankruptcy in 2006, CEO Glenn Tilton was
awarded stock options and awards that, over four years, would earn him almost
$40 million dollars. More than the airline's $25 million dollar profit that year.
Employees, on the other hand, got pay cuts of up to 50 percent:
Pilot's top pay is $158,200.
Mechanics earn at most just over $52,000.
And flight attendants at most $37,600.
"Only Delta Airlines CEO Gerald Grinstein didn't follow the Wall Street
script. When Delta climbed back from bankruptcy this past April … it's
employees took pay cuts of up to 40 percent. And Grinstein actually turned down
10 million dollars in compensation."
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Vail Deals a Blow, Takes a Hit
Vail Resorts pulls out of Colorado Ski Country USA and loses 2013 World Championship bid
Shock waves hit Colorado, the ski industry and specifically the Colorado ski industry when Vail Resorts Inc. announced that it would not renew its membership in Colorado Ski Count
ry USA, the marketing, promotional and lobbying organization that in 2007-08 counted 26 member ski areas. With the the withdrawal of VRI and its four Colorado resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge, each counted separately on the membership roster), there will be 22. CSCUSA , a not-for-profit organization, will have a fiscal challenge to make up for the loss of VRI's contributions to the budget. CSCUSA was established in February 1963, ironically the same year that Vail opened for skiing. What a way for both to "celebrate" their respective 45th anniversaries.
ry USA, the marketing, promotional and lobbying organization that in 2007-08 counted 26 member ski areas. With the the withdrawal of VRI and its four Colorado resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge, each counted separately on the membership roster), there will be 22. CSCUSA , a not-for-profit organization, will have a fiscal challenge to make up for the loss of VRI's contributions to the budget. CSCUSA was established in February 1963, ironically the same year that Vail opened for skiing. What a way for both to "celebrate" their respective 45th anniversaries.“We had hoped to be a catalyst for positive change, but unfortunately, a number of the other members did not agree with our vision, and we were unable to resolve these differences,” said Robert Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts, was quoted in a much reported and not really convincing press release in the way of explanation of VRI's departure.
For its part, CSCUSA must still be reeling, because the media/news section of its website still does not mention withdrawal of one of its biggest, most powerful members, though very subtly the four VRI resort names have been removed from member list at the bottom of the website. This is not the first shocker Katz gave Colorado skiing. Shortly after he took the helm at VRI, he moved the corporate headquarters from the mountains to an office park in suburban Broomfield. Culture shock indeed.
CSCUSA's annual meeting, which will take place June 11-13, will be a doozy. Not only will the organization have to deal with the ramafications of VRI's departure, but a replacement needs to be named for Rob Perlman, Ski Country president, who resigned to join Intrawest, owner of Copper Mountain, Winter Park and Steamboat and also resorts outside of Colorado.
In what might be considered international comeuppance for Vail, the 
International Ski Federation (known by its French initials, FIS) denied Vail/Beacer Creek's bid to host the 2013 World Alpine Ski Championships, a biennial men's and women's competition that its previously hosted in 1989 and 1999. Schladming, Austria, was selected not only over Vail/Beaver Creek but also over Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. All four are Alpine skiing powerhouses that previously hosted World Championships and/or Olympic Winter Games.
International Ski Federation (known by its French initials, FIS) denied Vail/Beacer Creek's bid to host the 2013 World Alpine Ski Championships, a biennial men's and women's competition that its previously hosted in 1989 and 1999. Schladming, Austria, was selected not only over Vail/Beaver Creek but also over Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. All four are Alpine skiing powerhouses that previously hosted World Championships and/or Olympic Winter Games. When it comes to resort positioning, hosting a major ski event is not to be trivialized in the international skiing world. When the extremely snowy '89 World Championships in Vail and Beaver Creek were telecast in snow-hungry Europe, European ski snobs took a new interest on skiing in North America. My favorite story involved an enterprising German who managed to find the home phone number of George Gillett, then the owner of the Vail resorts, to book a ski vacation. World Championship and even World Cup media exposure has, in the pastm, been good for international business to Vail and Beaver in particular, to Colorado in general and to the Rockies even more generally. If the euro continues its strength against the dollar, American resorts will maintain their lure for European skiers. Too bad that Vail won't benefit from that exposure four seasons from now.
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