Guadalajara's Hospicio Cabañas Fab Faberge Exhibition

Imperial Russian treasures displayed in magnificent Spanish Colonial landmark

The opening reception of the Society of American Travel Writers' 2009 convention took place in Gaudalajara's magnificent, monumental Hospicio Cabañas. Originally a hospital and refuge for the homeless and the helpless, and later an orphanage, it now houses the Cabañas Cultural Institute and its schools for arts and crafts, and it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Aficionados of Spanish Colonial architecture know it for its grandiose presence in the heart of Mexico' second-largest city. Art lovers revere the brooding, dramatic murals painted by Jose Clemente Orozco more than 120 years after the building was completed. Much of Orozco's work in his native country was destroyed, because it was considered to dark and too violent, but masterpiece remains.

That we would see Orozco's work in the Hospicio Cabañas was no surprise. What was a surprise is that at the end of the opening event, someone casually mentioned that the Faberge collection would be left open for us. If you read Spanish better than I do, click here for more information on the exhibit. I have no idea how long this magnificent exhibition of Romanoff treasures will be open, but I was thrilled to have seen it. Photography was permitted -- under the watchful eyes of armed guards --but I was too busy looking and trying to puzzle out the key parts of Spanish descriptions of each object to try to take lots of pictures, and some that I snapped through glass didn't come out all that well. There were, of course, jewel-encrusted compacts, cigarette cases and more; paintings and paper documents; swords and scepters; garments and opulent geegasws, and an intruiging explanation of the role the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis had in protecting (or something) Romanoff treasures when as an editor with Doubleday, she shepherded a book on the topic.

Guadalajara: A Wet Welcome

I arrived in Guadalajara on Thursday afternoon for the Society of American Travel Writers' 2009 convention. The sky was gray, but it was not raining when we landed. I know this for sure, because the airport (GDL) does not have jetways (or does not have jetways for all aircraft, and passengers descended dry stairs and crossed a dry tarmac to reach buses that took us to the terminal. Soon affter we boarded buses that would take us to our hotels, it started drizzling.

Then, it started raining harder -- and then harder still. The bus driver kept off the elevated highway and took lower roads -- I would call them service roads. Before long, each road resembled a river. Passing vehicles generated waves of water that washed over curbs. Cars and trucks stalled in water-filled intersections. People huddled under bus shelters and in doorways. I wondered whether Guadalajara had a single functioning storm sewer.

I managed to get only a couple of vaguely decent images through the bus window and the downpour.

Astonishingly, the roads were dry the next morning. I don't know where all that water went, but I'm glad that it did.

Weirdest Air Travel Instructions Yet

"Present your picture ID and boarding pass."

"Place all liquids in a one-quart clear plastic zipbag."

"Remove your laptop from your carryon."

"Empty your pockets."

"Remove your shoes."

"Board only when your row is called."

"Do not leave your luggage unattended."

"Report any suspicious behavior to an airline employee or TSA representative."

"Fasten your seatbelt."

"Stow your carryons completely under the seat in front of you. or in the overhead compartment."

Now comes a new request of air travelers: "Use the restroom before boarding the aircraft." Huh? Is this like your mother telling you to "go potty" before getting into the car?

Actually, according to a CNN report, it is All Nippon's request that is part of its environmental stewardship policies. "We are making these items lighter -- and making the passengers lighter, a little bit," All Nippon's Megumi Tezuka said. The airline estimates that if 50 percent of passengers relieved themselves before boarding, it would reduce carbon dioxide by 4.2 tons a month. Flights will also show educational films on the environment, according to CNN.

What's next?

2009-10 Ski Season About to Start

Single-digit October opening dates signal beginning of lo-o-o-o-o-ong season

Colorado's Loveland (top right) is starting lift operations on Wednesday, October 7, and Arapahoe Basin (bottom right), just on the other side of Loveland Pass, gets going on Friday, October 9. Loveland's first trails to open will be Catwalk, Mambo, and Homerun served by the triple chair from the Loveland Basin base for a 1,000-vertical-foot top-to-bottom run for the earliest season start in 40 years. A-Basin will open the Exhibition chairlift to the public at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. October 9 is the earliest date in its history. Skiers and riders will start with 18-inch base on the intermediate High Noon run and six features in the High Divide Terrain Park. After a day's eager edges, who knows how the snow will hold up? Loveland stays open through the second weekend in May, while A-Basin keeps going as long as there is snow on the ground and butts on lifts. June is not uncommon; July is not unheard of.

If you're itching to start making turns (and unless you have your own rock skis), this might be the time to rent boards for the day. Breeze Ski Rentals' Dumont location is offering daily ski and snowboard rentals for only $5 a day for kids' or adults' Basic Sport packages from Wednesday, October 7 through Sunday, October 11. There won't be any black-diamond terrain open, so basic will probably be just fine. The rental shop is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reserve online or call 303-567-2087.

On the outskirts of Sin City, Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort, which claims a location just 45 minutes from the Strip, opens limited terrain at 12:00 noon on October 7 -- seven weeks ahead of schedule. You might say that this a lucky seven sign for Western skiing this winter.

And in California, Boreal Mountain Resort (originally called Boreal Ridge) has announced an October 10 opening date, also the earliest in its history. It plans to operate just on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during this super-early season. Back East, fall foliage is at its peak, with some resorts operating their lifts for leaf peepers rather than snowriders.

United's Premier Baggage "Club" Benefits Frequent Travelers

Premier Baggage is United's latest loyalty program -- and a quick revenue producer too

United wants $249 of your money now. "For a limited time," the airline says, passengers can sign up at this "introductory rate" for a one-year membership in its new Premier Baggage program. They're not saying how long the introductory period is or what the fee might be after it's over.

The airline describes Premier Baggage like this: "Forget about first and second bag fees. With Premier Baggage, you and up to eight companions traveling under the same confirmation number can check up to two standard bags each without fees, where applicable, every time you travel within the United States or internationally on United or United Express operated flights during the year. When you purchase the Premier Baggage option, your annual subscription will be associated with your Mileage Plus account. Simply provide your Mileage Plus number each time you make a United reservation, and you'll automatically receive your Premier Baggage benefits." (Oversize and additional bag fees excepted, of course.)

It makes sense for those frequent flyers who always check a bag or two. It makes sense business colleagues who fly as a small group with checked bags. It makes sense for families who take a couple of trips a year -- one to the beach or to visit family, one to go skiing, etc. And it really makes sense for United, which has figured out that passengers who have already pre-paid for a year's checked baggage are more likely to fly the Friendly Skies than competitor carriers.

The last time we heard about a special introductory offer, it was for short-lived Clear, established to fast-track frequent travelers through airport security. I'm not anticipating that United is about to go out of business (though some people had their money on Swissair, Pan Am, TWA, Northwest and numerous other airlines), but I do sense something of the health-club of video store come-on: Join now! Limited time only! Join now! Save more if you join for a year! Save the most with a lifetime membership!

Smarter Travel, which alerted us to this new program, did a bit of math on who saves and who might as well not bother, and commented, "United is targeting the travelers most heavily penalized by its fees. Which, I suppose, is better than nothing. But it does more to remind us how much the industry has changed in the past two years." SmarterTravel.com is a Smarter Travel Media LLC company, but I'm not sure who among the editors the "I" above might be.

Fall(en Leaf) Hike to Surprise Lake

Autumn hike to Surprise Lake in the northern part of the Eagles Nest Wilderness

Our last few Front Range hikes have held the promise of gloriously golden aspens "next weekend." Because the aspen groves are bigger and more spectacular west of the Divide, we drove to the trailhead at near the Cataract Creek Campground above Green Mountain Reservoir. We remembered aspens from previous summer hikes and had our fingers crossed. Well, between the last weekend in September and the first in October several inches of snow fell in the high country, and while the trail was mostly clear, the branches were mostly cleared of leaves too. Last weekend turned out to be a tad too early and this past weekend was definitely too late for spectacular Colorado fall color of yellow.

Still, that was a minor, if nagging, complaint on a beautiful fall day with comfortable temperatures and no wind. From the fee station and wilderness trail register, the Surprise Lake Trail drops down a short way and crosses Cascade Creek. While mountain bikes are prohibited, horses are permitted on this trail, so the bridge has to be sturdy enough to support their weight.

Cascade Creek, which in spring and early summer can be a rough torrent is, in fall, is a gentle watercourse that floqa into the Blue River Valley, Green Mountain Reservoir and eventually the Colorado River.

We entered the Eagles Nest Wilderness a short way into the hike.

The steepest part of the trail comes at the beginning as it passes through open meadows and stands of aspen. Some tenacious brown leaves hung off a few trees, but basically, the leaves were underfoot.

Farther along, conifers line the route, and we encountered some lingering snow at the edge of the trail...
...and among the rocks.

A couple of miles from the trailhead, the Surprise Lake Trail comes to a T when it meets the Gore Range Trail. We turned right and continued up to Surprise Lake.

Snow was already beginning to pack onto the north-facing terrain on the higher peaks, but lily pads still floated on unfrozen surface of Surprise Lake.

A gray jay, more commonly known as a camp robber, came around looking for handouts when we stopped for a bite to eat.

We turned back and retraced our steps to the trailhead. If we had wanted a longer hike, we could have continued up the Gore Range Trail and made a loop to return to the trailhead. As it was, we hiked about six miles with an elevation gain of roughly 2,000 feet -- depending on whose electronic tracking device we consulted.

It rained most of today at Boulder's 5,400-foot elevation, which probably meant snow on the trail we just hiked. Golden aspens or not, we're happy to have done so.

Oberammergau? Book Now!

Bavarian village produces Passion Play every 10 years. Hurry to attend in 2010

Half a million people make a religious or theatrical pilgrimage to the Bavarian village of Oberammergau every 10 years to witness the spectacle of the renowned Passion Play that has been put once a decade for 375 years. It is an astonishing feat for a mountain hamlet of 5,200 inhabitants to put on a five-hour spectacle depicting the last days of Jesus. Nearly half of the residents are involved in some way -- on the open-air stage, in the orchestra or behind the scenes.

Something like 100 performances will be put on next year between May 15 and October 3, and if you want to attend, book now. I mean now. Yesterday, I met Mike Adams, managing director of Germany TourComm, who said that individual tickets are already sold out and that if the world economy were stronger, tickets in conjunction with tour operator-based packages would most likely be gone by now too. But the economy is weak, and tickets are still available in conjunction with a lodging package that can be as short as one night. Click here for US tour operators booking one- and two-night Passion Play packages. The Passion Play website also links to tour operators in other countries.

The Passion Play was first performed in the town cemetery in 1634. The story never changes, but the precise words, the music, the sets, the costumes and even the supporting roles have evolved over the centuries. The photo (above right) by Thomas Dashuber shows a rehearsal of the 2010 production. Thanks to Passion Play Oberammergau for its use.