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Did we mention the rain? It never down-poured and the glorious Colorado sunshine always returned but we did get enough of the wet stuff to make some quality mud pits to dance barefoot in. What do you expect during a September festival in the mountains!

Day 2 started out sunny, but it didn't last, much to the delight of these happy mud dancers.

Day 2 was extra wet for another reason besides the rain–it was the day the festival held the Grand Tasting. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (from Chico, CA where Karen grew up) was the festival’s anchor brewery but on Day 2 more than 50 microbrews tented up and poured their stuff for a very eager crowd. Once properly lubricated, we were treated to yet another day of kickass music.

Vieux Farka Toure, direct from Mali, helped warm up the crowd.

Some of our New Orleans favorites -- Anders Osborne, Kirk Joseph on sousaphone and Simon Lott working the drums.

What better way to complement some New Orleans music than with a Mardi Gras-style parade through the crowd during Anders' set?

Of course no Mardi Gras parade is complete without throwing beads to the crowd. Festival Director Steve Gumble and family members helped from the stage.

Anders "Grizzly" Osborne (LOVE the facial hair) and Kirk Joseph.

Enjoying the New Orleans jamming of Anders Osborne.

Anders having as much fun as the crowed.

Enjoying Anders Osborne--except for that guy on the left who looks like he's asleep on the rail...

Ryan Stasik, Jake Cinninger and Kris Myers of Umphrey's McGee.

Ryan Stasik of Umphrey's Mcgee brought his 'nasty' face.

The one, the only Buddy Guy.

Buddy Guy

Anders Osborne and Kirk Joseph played a blistering night show (along with Simon Lott) at the historic Sheridan Opera House.

Kirk Joseph at the Sheridan Opera House.

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We are so lucky. Not only do we get to drive around and see all kinds of beautiful places and beautiful people but every once in a while there’s beautiful music too. Beautiful places, people and music were in abundant supply at the 16th annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival and we spent three blissful days enjoying all three PLUS the chance to hang out with old friends from New York (hi Dino and Ali). Bonus!

Historic downtown Telluride.

No doubt the town of Telluride has changed a lot over the years and today its mining-town past sometimes takes a back seat to its fancy-town present. However, the gorgeous mountains that pen Telluride into its scenic box canyon remain unchanged: just plain gorgeous and a fantastic backdrop for an outdoor festival.

Telluride Town Park makes for one of the most beautiful festival sites anywhere.

Another great thing about the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival is the fact that it maxes out at around 6,000 people which means you can always get to the front of the stage if you want to. We spent most of our time up front checking out a lot of bands that were new to us.

Jason Ricci and New Blood was a new band to us and we were blown away.

Karen enjoying the blues but her brew is sadly empty. As Dino said, "Somebody fill her glass!" (photo courtesy of Dino Perrucci)

Otis Taylor's African Orchestra also kicked butt. Bassist Cassie Taylor was a badass stand out.

Some of the tasty beer selection. It is the Blues & Brews Fest after all.

Clouds did not diminish the beauty of the stage surrounded by Aspens just coming into fall colors.

Seasoned Blues & Brews goers know that the key to staying comfortable all day in the changing mountain weather is to layer up. In the course of just one day festival goers went from shorts and t-shirts to fleece and waterproof jackets as the weather swung between gorgeous sunshine to rain.

Jackie Greene.

Joe Cocker, the headliner for Day 1, was in perfect form.

The first night of the festival was anchored by Joe Cocker who lives not far from Telluride with his wife who co-runs the Cocker Kids’ Foundation. He may not perform much anymore and he may be 65-years-old but his performance proved that there’s still plenty of Mad Dog left in him.

Joe Cocker, a resident of nearby Crawford, still has chops.

It’s both a blessing and a curse to go into the same business as a famous parent, however, Lukas Nelson (son of Willie) delivered his very own brand of rocking blues that showed a talent all his own, dipping into many musical pots including Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles.

Lukas Nelson (son of Willie) and the Promise of the Real played a night show at the lovely and intimate Sheridan Opera House.

Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real

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From coast to coast Halloween is a reason to celebrate with more than just mini-Snickers and that tired old French maid costume. Our latest feature for Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine uncovers the best places to celebrate Halloween in ways that go above and beyond–from hardcore Munsters impersonators to the biggest gathering of jack-o-lanterns in the world.

Read it here first!

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You’re right. We were headed south, as in south of Mexico City. But then stuff changed (surprise) and we had to head north again. For the past three months (but who’s counting?) on a forced pit stop in California, so our posts have been few and far between. However, we had our reasons.

First, we needed to fix damage done to our truck after a taxi hit us a few months ago in Mexico and that turned out to be more of a fight than we expected, but hardly worth blogging about (we like you too much to subject you to the drama that ultimately unfolded). Suffice to say, we are NOT fans of GNP insurance and the profoundly incompetent “foreign client service” our claim received. That means you, Mr. Solis.

We also spent a lot of time working on new business ideas in an attempt to generate some funds to keep our Trans-Americas Journey rolling along. Most of you know about the time and energy we put into our video application and follow up hustling to try and land a Really Goode Job–a six month gig as social media wine country lifestyle correspondents for Murphy-Goode Winery.

When that didn’t go our way we decided to harness the knowledge, confidence and ideas we gained during the MG process to create our own social media marketing consulting business for wineries in the Paso Robles area. And, so, Paso Winos was born. Reception to our services was good but slow and we simply couldn’t hang around for the additional months needed to really get clients on board–though we are eternally grateful to those wineries and wine folks who got what we were trying to do right off the bat and supported us (talking ’bout you Meg at Alta Colina, Terry and Marissa at Clautiere, Ryan at Wine for Water and the Paso Wine Centre and Brandy and crew at Donati Family Vineyard).

We still have a very exciting iron in the fire (hint) and we hope to have some great news shortly. In  the meantime, we’re back on the road and our first destination is a doozie: Havasu Falls!

We’ve hiked into the Grand Canyon from both the South and North rims of Grand Canyon National Park, but we’ve never explored the canyon in the Havasu Falls area. Owned and managed by the Havasupai tribe, the area is famous for its blue/green water (the word Havasu means  blue green water). The beauty of the area is legendary and in high demand, however, the tribe limits the number of camping permits it issues each day so it’s tough to get in.

We got in for three nights and we can’t wait to see the area. Devastating floods hit the area in August of 2008, nearly killing some hikers and radically changing the landscape and water flow, so we’ll let you know how it is once we manage to hike back out.

After Havasu we are returning to our beloved Telluride, Colorado and checking into the Mountain Lodge for a few days so we can take in the Blues & Brews music festival.  Buddy Guy! Bonnie Raitt! Joe Cocker! Anders Osborne! Plus a chance to see our friends music photographers Dino Perucci and Allison Murphy.

From Telluride we’re planning an excellent Colorado adventure including Colorado Wine Country (who knew?), the Bar Lazy J ranch for some epic-sounding horseback riding, Valhalla cabin to hang with our very own nordic goddess (hi Marca!) and enjoy two nights (count ‘em) of Galactic live at the Fox theater in Boulder. Toss in some 4-wheel driving around Ouray/Silverton and Ute Mountain and Hovenweep in Mesa Verde Country and you’ve got a great month.

After that? Two words for you: Copper Canyon! Then we promise it’s all South from there.

It’s sure nice to be back where we belong.

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We’ve been crazy about both travel and wine long enough to have amassed a list of some truly breathtaking places to enjoy awesome wine. We’re not selfish, so we’ve decided to start sending a quick Tweet about the best dive bars, five star bars, campsites, infinity edge bath tubs, mountain tops, riverside patios, BBQ joints and luxury hotels to enjoy a glass of wine at. Follow us on Twitter, then follow up right here on our blog where we’ll elaborate on each Tweet including photos, links, past Travel Journal entries from our web site and published reviews of the place. Most importantly,  we’ll also suggest a wine that pairs perfectly.

Glasses ready?

#7: September 10, 2009 NEW! NEW! NEW!

Where: Lake O’Hara campground, Yoho National Park, Alberta, Canada

Why: Iconic Lake O’Hara offers views of Mt. Lafroy and Victoria Peak on the Continental Divide plus grizzly bears, elk and other members of the Canadian Rockies Wildlife Top 5 list. The area is also a hiker’s paradise with one stunning route after another. Don’t miss the Alpine Loop which connects four separate trails into one epic 15 mile circuit that takes you through a range of mountain terrain from dense forest to above-the-tree line-scree. Some sections are  literally chiseled into the stony mountain face. The beauty of the place is such a draw that Parks Canada  restricts access to the area’s 30 coveted back country camp sites in order to reduce wear and tear on the land and safeguard crucial migration corridors for the area’s big mammals.

Which Wine: Manage to get a camping reservation at Lake O’Hara and you’ll want to celebrate. Thankfully the campground is mere steps from where a school bus drops you and your stuff off–more than accessible enough to bring along a couple of Nalgene or Camelbak or SIGG bottles full of wine. We suggest King Shag 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The adorable penguin on the label of this extremely affordable and delicious New Zealand wine makes a nice addition to the existing wildlife.

#6: July 23, 2009

Where: Triple Creek Ranch Darby, Montana

Why: This is NOT a dude ranch. Yes, there are horses and cowboys and cabins and mountains and cattle and elk and saddles and a few dudes. However, this is a world class luxury hideaway which consistently tops travel magazines’ “Best/Top/Most” lists (if you believe in those sorts of things) and is a member of the elite Relais & Chateaux group. The wines here, housed in a glass-enclosed 3,000 bottle cellar, have earned Triple Creek  Ranch the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year since 2005 and, even better, a selection of those wines is included in the all-inclusive room rates (which are admittedly steep at $650-$2,495 double occupancy). Bottles are even re-stocked in your luxe cabin during your stay just in case you feel like a glass or two in your private hot tub. Read Karen’s full review of Triple Creek Ranch for www.itravelishop.com.

Which Wine: The so-called “house wines,” which are included in the room rate, are absolutely delicious–or splurge and choose something from their wine list. We got turned onto Schlumberger Cuvee Klimt Brut Champagne during our stay here and the resort currently has a great bottle from Paso Robles on the list (L’Aventure, “Optimus” 2003).

#5: July 17, 2009

Where: Cafe Italia, El Paso

Why: Don’t let the strip mall location fool you. This BYOB pizzeria is the real thing, particularly if you’re a wine lover. They’ve got a real wood-fired brick pizza oven, feature organic and local homegrown veggies, all the mozzarella is homemade AND their corkage fee is just $1. That’s, like 1908 prices! Really, when we saw the corkage fee at the bottom the menu we thought it was a typo. The owner, Dan, will undoubtedly be on hand to make sure you fall in love with every bite and he’s always handy with the bottle opener. Generously sized and topped pizzas are just $14 (the Gracie’s is outstanding) and we recommend you go nuts and have Dan toss some silky, buttery prosciuto de parma  on top as well. The menu changes seasonally as well, giving you more reasons to return again and again.

Which Wine: That’s entirely (blissfully) up to you. That $1 corkage fee means you can bring  as many of your favorite bottles as you like or an armful of new ones to try.

#4 – July 8, 2009

Where: Non Solo Panino cafe in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, Mexico

Why: This pint-size cafe off a tranquil park in one of Mexico City’s most bohemian neighborhoods offers delicious salads, linger-inducing sidewalk tables, a riotous casts of chain-smoking and lap-dog-toting regulars and a short but refreshingly Italian wine list–all things that are in short supply in Mexico.

Which Wine: Does it matter at 25 pesos (roughly US$2) per very generously poured glass? Go nuts and get a whole liter of perfectly enjoyable vino della casa for $7.

#3 – July 1, 2009

Where: The bathtub in bungalow 16 at Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, Florida

Why: With just 30 free-standing, thatched-roof, totally-luxe bungalows on the whole private island this award-winning hideaway in the Florida Keys is one of the most romantic spots on earth. Bungalow 16 has one of the most romantic bathtubs on earth–an elegantly curved copper monster right in the middle of the room with a chandelier hanging over it. Here’s Karen’s full review of Little Palm Island for www.itravelishop.com.

Which Wine: Start with the bottle of bubbly the resort gives you at check in then really work the room by ordering up the resort’s Romance Package. You’ll return to your room after dinner to discover an even better bottle of champagne, a specially drawn bath, chocolate covered strawberries and rose petals all over the place.

#2 – June 26, 2009

Where: Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park Campground

Why: This lightly-visited park offers a forest of ancient coastal redwoods so thick that the park remains largely trail-less and some roads have vehicle size restrictions. Campground sites are also shaded by towering redwoods, creating the perfect ambiance for a glass or two around the fire ring.

Which Wine: A camping standby for us is Goats do Roam, a no nonsense Rhone varietal blend made by a South African winemaker with a delicious sense of humor. We also love the sturdy constitution of this tasty red which helps it keep its balance even in the shifting temperatures that come with camping.

#1 – June 25, 2009

Where: The Lounge in the DiRoNA Award, Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and James Beard House award-winning Granary Restaurant at Spring Creek Ranch in Jackson, Wyoming.

Why: The Granary Lounge at Spring Creek Ranch offers more than a dozen wines by the glass at reasonable prices and more than a hundred old and new world bottles from the $20s to the $200s PLUS the best view of the Grand Teton mountain range in the area. Do yourself a favor and go at sunset. Here’s Karen’s review of Spring Creek Ranch for www.itravelishop.com.

Which Wine: The wine list at the Granary Lounge evolves constantly, however, we enjoyed a bottle of Dry Creek Vineyards 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon.