Pond Skimming

This year has been an interesting year.  We went from the best record snow season of all time, to the record worst snow season of all time.  Perhaps we got a bit too greedy with all tthat snow last year...
Instead of chasing untracked lines in the backcountry and making fresh tracks through the trees, there was all the more time to lap the terrain park!  It was great fun getting reacquainted with the boxes and rails, and even getting up the courage to hit boxilla!!!  This was four crazy rollercoastery down-up, up-down, hold-on-to-the-seat-of-your-pants features lined up one after another!  It seriously went on for days.

This season, we were lucky to make it to closing day, but we did it!  These are a few fun shots from closing weekend.  I'd certainly heard of mud season, but never shredded mud season.
While many Coloradans were too cool to make the drive up I-70 this season, my friend's and I still had a ball.

Sometimes the fun is where to least expect it.  Like here, by the lift line...a new feature: the pond!  Everyone loves a bit of pond skimming.

With or without snow, snowboarding is so FUN!

The Most Fun Small Town in America

We're back....

Last summer, my mom and I (also known as TravelingJules and TravelingJoan) searched the country for the "Most Fun" small town in America, as part of Rand McNally and USA TODAY's Best of the Road rally.  We had the tough assignment of visiting 6 of the "Most Fun" small towns in America, and testing out every roller coaster, concert and spa in our path!  The town that won the title was Glenwood Springs, Colorado...and they were kind enough to invite us back to explore all the FUN Glenwood Springs has to offer all year round!  On our trip, we produced four commercial spots showcasing all the FUN activities they have to offer.  Between the skiing, the caves, the alpine coaster, and the shopping and dining options, we couldn't decide which one was the most fun!






Learn more about Glenwood Springs here: http://www.visitglenwood.com/

Breckenridge Getaway

Feeling like a getaway in Breckenridge, Colorado?  Check out Paragon Lodging's new video by TravelingJules Productions!  Go to: http://www.yelp.com/biz/paragon-lodging-breckenridge

Unforgettable Experiences in England

Planes, trains and automobiles...to England we go!

With great honor, my friend Allison and I accepted an assignment to travel to England to shoot for the Lonely Planet and the Travel Channel!!!  With a new 7D in hand and a boat load of other essential video gear in tow, we were on our way to turn some pretty amazing ultimate experiences into entertaining TV!

     

LONDON
First things first, I had a little snog in Covent Garden in London.  Ok, I had a big song...whereas 'snog' is 'frozen yogurt' and not a 'kiss'.  Ever since I lived in Korea, I have been addicted to yogurt.  Red Mango, Pinkberry, Yogurtland, it doesn't matter, I love yogurt.  And my snog was pretty darn delicious.  

The candy shop next door made me miss working on the Food Network's Unwrapped.  We could do a whole spin-off featuring all the crazy finds that Cyber Candy had to offer--gummy bacon, Duff drink (Hello, Simpsons), Nintendo candy, pickle gum, and chocolate mustaches...oh yeah!!  http://www.cybercandy.co.uk

Speaking of food, when in England...I say eat like the locals...whether that's a hearty pie, some creamy baked Camembert cheese, or a slice of tomato with your breakfast, there was always something to look forward to at meal times.

Lucky us, we got to go inside the clock tower of Big Ben.  Yes, Big Ben.  

We got to stand in the 'gear room' (named the mechanical room if you want to be correct), and talk to the clock mechanics about how this crazy contraption works!  Tick toc.

And we only had to climb up 334 stairs to get there!

It was a pleasure to see Big Ben from the inside 

  

and admire the structure in all it's glory from across the Thames.

One of the best things about Big Ben is all the little bens...Klarchen loves the teapot!  :)

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Our next stop was St. Braivel's Castle, a castle turned youth hostel!  If you've always wanted to sleep like a king, you can dream about it while you bunk up in this historic palace.

AMESBURY
Next, we headed to Stonehenge, an iconic landmark situated in the middle of nowhere, next to a roaring two-lane road.  Like any great discovery, the structure was truly a place of mystery and wonder.  We caught the morning sun beaming through the slabs of rock at sunrise, and admired the stone sillouhettes at sunset.  It's a bummer that this particular area of Stonehenge is off-limits to visitors.  Most people admire Stonehenge from a distance, but few have the privilege of seeing the stones up close.

   

 

 

  

THE ISLES OF SCILLY
I never would have thought of England when talking about beautiful beaches, but alas, I was wrong--there are beautiful beaches hidden here!  The Iscles of Scilly are far from silly, unless you think traveling to an island with one road, one pub and one market in the off season is silly.  In that case, it was a little silly.

We stopped by St. Martin's Bakery which is super famous for their golden baked hot pockets known as Cornish Pasties, a very traditional food in these parts.  Our friend Toby makes them from scratch!  

  

All that traveling made for one tired TravelingJules.  Luckily, I didn't fall asleep at the wheel...cause I'm sitting in the passenger seat, DUH!  After a quick cat nap, I'll be ready for more.

Ok, READY!  Where to next?

A New York City Stop-Over

When it rains, it pours...

Lately, TravelingJules has been a traveling maniac!  With an upcoming assignment to England on the books, a stop-over in New York City was in order.  I had been asked to speak at a Travel Video event during Social Media Week, which made my stop in NYC not just a wish, but a necessity!

The highlight of my trip was having sushi with my video mentor,  Michael Rosenblum, the leader of the video journalism revolution, and a fellow travel video filmmaker and friend Ryan Van Duzer, whom I've looked up to for many years.  It was one of those great moments in life when you get to come face to face with people you respect and admire.  "If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be?"  For me--this was a special day!

  

Following lunch, I made a stop at mecca, or B&H Photo Video, the place where I spend all of my money!  It was the first time I set foot inside the place, after receiving oh-so-many boxes of video equipment by mail.  It was a lot less glamorous than I thought it would be, but with two floors of tech gadgets and a working conveyor belt system overhead, I have to say, B&H was an experience!  It was great to see and play with all the cameras and gear, considering how difficult it is to shop for pro equipment in Denver.  

Later that day, I got to sit next to two talented travel journalists, Ryan Van Duzer and Kelley Ferro, and talk travel during the Tripfilms Social Media Week event on How to Make, Fake and Utilize Travel Video.  We shared advice about our success in travel video, discussing WHY video is so important and how to produce quality videos.

 

I also got to attend the Tripfilms Film Festival Event at Hostelling International New York,  where TravelingJules's Denver Bike Sharing video made it's film festival debut! 

 

What was wonderful about THIS trip to New York City, is that it wasn't my first time.  In fact, I've been there a handful of times, so I didn't have that burning desire to see EVERYTHING in a week.  Sure, I still don't know my way around, but I could enjoy New York for what it is all about: 

People watching on the subway.  

  

Good meals with good friends.

(whoever decided to make a camping-themed bar and serve smores must surely be from Colorado)

And a little socializing, too.

 A Saturday afternoon at the Highline.

Big breakfasts on the weekends.

 

And cool city ideas, everywhere you look. 

 

And, what trip to NYC would be complete without a visit to Korea Town??? While it's a bazillion miles from Seoul, I can't help but love this street of K stuff: norebang, Red Mango, and all the kalbi and Kyo Chon a girl could ask for.  

 

Until next time...see ya, New York.