If there is one restaurant in Durango that has the feel and ambience of the old world coupled together with some of the finest food and drinks, it has got to be the Palace Restaurant. A favorite of locals and tourists alike, its warm Victorian atmosphere, the exceptional sevice from the expierienced staff that begins the moment you enter throught the doors, to the mouth watering foods that come from the chefs in the kitchen, it is truly one of Durango's iconic dining locations.

We always begin our palette pleasing expierience with a Crostini Bread and Baked Brie starter to curb our already rumbling tummies. With three children under 8, the Crostini Bread always goes over extremely well. It is a fresh french loaf filled with garlic butter and a hint of bleu cheese, with that warm bread aroma and soft melted garlic butter the kids dive right in. The Baked Brie always indulges my european wife and reminds her of the cafes in her home country and definaltely adds a more distinct flavor to the already tasty toasted breads.

For the main meal, my oldest daughter is always ready for the Penne Pasta with fresh garlic, basil and roma tomatoes sautéed in olive oil tossed with penne pasta and fresh mozzarella cheese. She absolutely loves this meal and asks for it everytime by name. I usually opt for the Pepper Steak (I am man, must eat steak) which is a 12 oz New York Strip rubbed with black pepper, pan seared and served with brandy green peppercorn cream sauce, served with the roasted garlic mashed potatoes, Palace Rolls, and of course a dinner salad. You also cannot go wrong with the nightly specials that are always in demand at the Palace which my wife usually opts for due to a tasty seafood dish usually always being on the list of specials.

Monday night is always the best $5 burgers in town, and on Friday (tonight!) they serve their delicious Fish n' Chips. Along with a tasty beverage from their in-house Quiet Lady Tavern, how can you go wrong! You can't, which is why I will be enjoying the fish n' chips along with that aformentioned tasy beverage tonight, and the $5 burgers and another tasty beverage with my buddies from the base on Monday!

All this for a great price, great atmosphere, and right in the heart of downtown Durango. Check it out!

As another snow season begins to open up around the U.S., so do the ski and snowboard movies begin to emerge in ski town theatres to show who threw the sickest 1080, skied the steepest aspects, who rode the longest rails, and who partied the hardest. So, Katja and I went to see the latest of Warren Millers legendary ski movies Playground here at the Abbey Theatre just off College in Durango last night. The guys and gals over at the Warren Miller Movie headquarters sure outdid themselves this year. There was no shortage of steeps, sick freestyle, heliskiing in Cordova on some of the biggest terrain in North America with Points North, all being skied by some of the most skilled riders on the playground today. From Japan to Dubai, Whistler to Aspen, as always the locations and skiing was beyond amazing. You almost want to wear your boots and skis in the theatre just in case it comes to life on screen and you have to spring into action to ski that most perfect of lines.

Maybe just leave them in the car just in case.

Durango was holding its breath this past weekend to see what the first major winter storm of the season would dump on the area. Would it pass us by and deprive us of the much needed pow that we all were wishing for? Absolutely not. 34 inches at mid mountain Sunday morning when the lifts opened at 9. The storm had passed, and the sky was once again clear blue with crisp temps for one of the best opening days in quite some time.

I was most definately in line with the other 100 eager Durangotarians waiting to catch the six pack to the top for the first runs of the season at DMR. As the clock overhead lift 1 hit 9:01, the cheers went out as the first to the top pushed throught the gates and were on their way. No one was sure of the conditions we would encounter on the way down. Even my buddies on the Patrol where wondering as just friday they were wading through the grass around the area. Now two days and over three feet of snow later, everyone was pleasantly surprised. Luckily the snow was wet enough to give a good base, but not to heavy as there was a good buildup of fresh powder. As many areas were not yet groomed that well, everyone was slipping through the 18 inches of powder on their way down the runs and having a blast.

Poachers were gladly jumping ropes to get in on the fresh pow that was still on closed runs, and when caught, didn't mind giving up their pass with a big grin on their face. That first run on a closed route in fresh pow was all worth it.

Many more days to come....

Mountain Cam today

The Durango Mountain Resort was supposed to open on this Saturday with the Annual Benefit Day, but the word came out today, that the Benefit Day skiing is re-scheduled for Sunday, December 2nd.

If there is snow. As of today, it still isn't 100% sure whether they are going to get the resort open or not. I was there on Tuesday, and it didn't look good. There was not even nearly enough snow made, and the construction work was even more unfinished than the slopes. But they are working so hard to make it happen and get the place open on Sunday.

There is a big winter storm coming in our way, let's hope it'll dumb a good amount of snow on the mountains on Friday and Saturday. In the worst case scenario the storm will come, but instead of snow, it'll just dumb water on us - then you can forget about skiing next week.

We might all just have to pray for the snow, and actually if you are interested in the "group prayer" - Purgatory and Steamworks Brewing are hosting a "Pray for Powder" event on Friday night at the Steamworks.

Because of my job and our extensive operations in the mountains of Southwest Colorado, we are constantly going through our survival equipment at the Durango Base. The daily checks become even more important when the temperatures begin to drop, and the first snow begins to fall in the San Juans. Our crews pull out the "Winter Survival Bag" that we put on board for the winter months, and go through our snowshoes, gaiters, snowshovels, avalanche probes, assorted ropes and belay equipment, standard survival pack, and most importantly our avalanche beacons. There is a distinct science to the combined uses of all this equipment. Carrying them is a must for any backcountry traveler, and being proficient in their use requires constant practice. So last December, when I was offered the chance to go to the Silverton Avalanche School, I jumped at the chance.

The Silverton Avalanche School is the oldest, continously running avalanche school in the nation. For over 45 years, the Silverton Avalanche School has trained and educated over 4000 skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers, ski patrollers, search and rescue, EMS, and law enforcement officers in the art of snow science, avalanche hazards, snow stability, backcountry rescue and emergencies.

Held in the heart of the San Juan backcountry, in the Colorado mining town of Silverton, Colorado, the school is situated perfectly for avalanche education and expierience. Due to the unique weather, location, and aspect angles, the San Juan mountains are deemed the most avalance prone mountain area in the world.

As important as having the tools for traversing the backcountry, is the training to use that equipment when you need it the most. The Silverton Avalanche School is definately the place to hone those skills, either for the first time before you venture into the backcountry, or as a refresher for those from the old school.

In 2007, Aspen's Chris Davenport became the first person in history to ski all 54 of Colorado's 14,000 foot peaks within one year. On December 10, 2007, his book, Ski the 14er's, hits bookshelves and I for one will definately be in line to get my copy of this amazing accomplishment. Let's hope the trailer above will soon be followed by the movie of this truly epic event in backcountry history.

Give a Holiday Greeting straight from the snowy mountain tops! Here are some of my favorite gift items for the family from Colorado. The best of course - come and shop for them for yourself. The snowy Rockies will defenately get you in the spirit of Christmas.





Give your family a different kind of Christmas and come and spend it in Colorado. There is already snow on the mountains, and the slopes will be perfect by the time you get here. Or book now for the Spring Break. Come and see us in Durango, the Mountain Resort is the best place to teach your kids to ski!






Jen at Ivy-Rose Design makes fabulous custom clothing and accessories for your girly girl. She even makes these cute Russian Dolls and custom outfits! Check out Ivy-Rose Design at Etsy.





Another Mom Entrepreneur in Colorado makes these adorable hand painted shoes! Monkey Toes offers hand painted tennis shoes, Mary Janes and even socks for the little ones. These are fabulous gift even for babies.
Monkey Toes shoes starting at 27$.





The reversible headbands are designed by a local Durango Mom. They are so cool for girls, who love accessories - you can easily twist them and get a new look. Headbands (14$) are availabe exclusevily online at Skimbaco.com - the children's boutique from the Rockies.








Organic cotton is better for your baby and the environment. OhGeez Organic Clothing Company from Colorado makes a wide collection of organic cotton children's clothing. They also offer great baby gifts, like gowns, hats, mittens and blankets. Check out
OhGeez Organic Clothing Co.







The über-cool diaper bags come from DadGear, they even have their billboard series of messenger bags, which are made of recycled billboard pictures. Function with fashion, these bags appeal to modern Moms and Dads. The stripe messenger 83.95$.





If you must know.. The Crocs shoes are from Colorado. I personally do not dig them, but the rumor goes that the new Crocs Mammoth is on several wish lists this Holiday season.




Want to give a food basket with a little bit more meaning? Check out the Women's Bean Project online store for gift items, bean soups, baking mixes, treats, beverages and more. Women’s Bean Project is a non-profit organization, which strives to break the cycle of chronic unemployment and poverty by helping women discover their talents and develop skills by offering job readiness training opportunities in gourmet food business. Their products are yummy, and you'll know you are helping by purchasing.







Can't think of anyone who wouldn't love a basket full of gourmet chocolates. This one 59.95$ from the
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide, Skimbaco is from Durango, you know.