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ADVENTURE

Legendary longtime Aspen local John Callahan, who led a life of adventure, dies at 95

by Tracy J. Chu
John E. Callahan lived in Aspen and worked as a ski instructor, patrol and trail crew worker at Buttermilk. He died Jan. 1 at the age of 95.

Courtesy of the Callahan family

John E. Callahan, a longtime ski instructor, Mountain Rescue pioneer, and active community member, died at the age of 95 on Sunday.

“We’re all lucky. All four of us were there and held his hand as he passed away,” said Pat Callahan, 57, his son. His siblings John Callahan, Anne Marie McPhee, and Nancy Humphreys were with him. 

Callahan and his late wife, Cynthia, were inducted into the Aspen Hall of Fame in 2017.

John and Cynthia Callahan in Wagner Park, circa 1965.

Courtesy of the Callahan family

The couple met on a ski vacation in Sun Valley, Idaho, in 1959. As the story goes, he asked her to marry him the night they met. They married soon enough in 1960 and moved to Aspen from Los Angeles in 1965, seeking a smaller town to raise their growing family. 

Callahan worked briefly in hospitality at the Applejack Inn and bartended at the original Little Nell. Then, he turned to the slopes to work as a ski instructor, patroller, and on the trail crew at Buttermilk. 

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One of the first ski instructors fluent in Spanish, Callahan encouraged Aspen Skiing Co. to recruit skiers from Mexico. His love for Latin America and speaking Spanish endeared him to many Spanish-speakers in the valley and became somewhat of a running joke in his family. 

“He was a legendarily bad shopper because he had to speak Spanish with every single person at City Market. And, it would take him two hours to get in and out of the grocery store,” Pat recalled about his dad.

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ADVENTURE

How a typo led to a Louisiana following for a Michigan couple’s Icelandic adventures | Louisiana Inspired

by Tracy J. Chu

Celeste White, of Lafayette, says that with the first email, she knew that Norm and Paula’s Icelandic adventure was solid gold. 

“I know no one named either Norm or Paula. I knew that I could not possibly know these people,” she said. 

By the second email, she considered responding and letting Norman Young know that she was not the Celeste White he thought she was.

Instead, she decided to share the joy. 

Norman Young, 74, and his wife Paula White, of Portage, Michigan, (near Kalamazoo) left for their so-called Icelandic adventure in mid-September. The couple takes big trips two or three times a year, and Young routinely sends daily updates with photos to close family and friends. He’s a retired engineer and keeps his travel updates short and sweet. He believes brevity is key.

Celeste White thinks otherwise. She believes Young’s earnestness is at the heart of the “it factor” of his travel logs.




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A sheep in Iceland




Celeste White ended up on Young’s family and friends email list because his wife’s granddaughter shares her name. Her interest and joy in Young’s travel updates grew as the emails kept coming. 

“At first I was like, ‘Look at these cute people,'” she said. “Then, it turned into something else. I was going through a tough time, and his emails brought me joy.”

That was the point she decided to share Young’s Icelandic insights and photos with friends on Facebook.




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Norm Young and Paula White share a meal with a family in Iceland. 




“Other people need to see how cute this is. No doubt, 80% of my friends on Facebook are going through something,” she said. “Norm’s emails and photos were something joyful I could share.”

She said the response was exactly what she expected. Her Facebook friends

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TOUR

KSTDC launches tours in 13 circuits for Dasara

by Tracy J. Chu
  • Bookings open from today; all buses to start from KSTDC Office on JLB Road from Sept. 5
  • Travel charges inclusive of accommodation; food expenses and entry tickets to be borne by tourists 

By S.T. Ravikumar

Mysore/Mysuru: The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) that usually announces a special tour package for tourists from Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, who want to fly to Mysuru for the Dasara festivities and visit tourist spots in and around the City of Palaces, has decided to widen its network through road trips this Dasara and has chalked out a detailed plan to attract tourists.

A brainchild of KSTDC Managing Director G. Jagadeesha and KSTDC Chairman Ka.Pu. Siddalingaswamy to rake in revenues, the Tourism Development Corporation has identified many circuits to operate special tour packages for domestic and international tourists visiting Mysuru.

Bookings for the package tours, to be conducted in air-conditioned buses, opened from today (Sept.1) and tourist spots in Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Kodagu districts will be covered in the one-day tour packages.

Bookings are open in both online and offline mode and these packages will be available from Sept. 5 on 13 routes.

Tickets can be booked online through https://www.kstdc.co/ where there is a wide array of ticket booking and destination-focussed tour options to choose from under the section ‘Tour packages from Mysuru.’

Offline tickets can be purchased from the KSTDC Office on JLB Road (Mayura Hoysala Hotel), Mysuru KSRTC booking counter, Central KSRTC Office at Yeshwanthpur in Bengaluru and Kempegowda Bus Terminal (Majestic) in Bengaluru.

This apart, tickets can be booked from the Red Bus portal, KSRTC Avatar and through the authorised tour and travel agents and tour operators.

For more information, tourists can contact KSTDC Mysuru Office on Ph: 0821-2423652 or Mob: 89706-56400 or e-mail:  [email protected]

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ADVENTURE

MIKE’S LIFE: Life is an adventure, soak it in | Entertainment

by Tracy J. Chu

I recently wrote about a trip my wife, daughter and I took to New York City. As I mentioned in that column, I found New York to be very … big. It’s tall. And loud. And lots of fun.

So you can imagine that my next trip was quite different. I went to Arizona with my son and father. I can tell you that Arizona is also very big. But not tall. But a different kind of lots of fun.

We traveled to Arizona for a conference that my father and son were attending. My father is a retired herpetologist, and my son is just getting started on his career as a herpetologist, and this conference was all about turtles. People often ask me why my father and son are in this business but I am not. The answer is simple: I am, kind of. I followed a different career pursuit after college – first journalism and then nonprofits – and found my work passion there. But I have always had a love of nature, and I have been fortunate to be able to continue taking part in fun field trips with my father and then my son (and now the three of us) as a fantastically rewarding hobby.

This was our second trip to Arizona as a trio, and we were excited to return to the same place we had been on the previous trip, and to explore some new ones. Among my observations: Arizona is hot. But Arizona is also cold. We hiked in 110+ degree weather, and in weather that was 55 and rainy. Both took some adjusting to. I have to say I am far better suited for the hot than the cold. When we returned from our chilly, rainy hike, I was shivering cold. I

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VACATION

Ask Angi: Prepping your home for vacation – 41NBC News

by Tracy J. Chu

(41NBC/WMGT) — Preparing for a vacation is exciting but it can also be overwhelming to think about everything you need to do before leaving town, especially if you’re planning on being away for a longer period of time. Mallory Micetich, a home care expert at Angi, is here with her pre-vacation to-do list.

“Securing your home should be at the top of your priority list when prepping to go away for vacation this summer,” said Micetich “An un-manicured yard is a clear sign that no one is home, so do your landscaping — things like mowing your lawn — right before you leave. It’s also a great idea to leave a few indoor and outdoor lamps on or to have them scheduled to turn on and off while you’re away.”

Ask one of your neighbors to pull your mail every few days and to keep an eye on your house. If you have a spare key, consider giving it to your neighbor so they can get inside if there are any issues. Now is also a great time to install a doorbell camera or, if you already have one, make sure it works.

“Think about reducing your energy consumption before you leave for vacation,” said Micetich “You can save up to 10% on your energy bill by unplugging things like your television, computers, small appliances and chargers, which use electricity just by being plugged in. You can also save energy by setting your thermostat between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit before you leave for vacation.”

Help your future self by cleaning your home before you leave for your vacation. Toss out anything in your fridge or pantry that will spoil before you return, and clean your garbage disposal to prevent any unwanted smells. Right before you leave, take out

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VACATION

Luke Bryan Had a Fun Birthday Fishing Trip With His Boys

by Tracy J. Chu

Luke Bryan spent his birthday weekend out on the water with some of his favorite people. The country superstar, who turned 46 years old on Sunday (July 17), hit the lake for a summer fishing trip with his two sons, Bo and Tate, and his nephew, Til.

Snapshots from the family outing were posted to the “Country On” singer’s social media pages, revealing a crew full of smiles as they each held up their catch(es) of the day.

“It was a good birthday,” Bryan simply says alongside the photos.

Before heading out for the outdoor leisure activity, Bryan’s wife, Caroline Boyer Bryan — who has made a tradition of using her sense of humor to come up with funny and clever ideas for her husband’s birthday — marked the special occasion with a variety of customized cakes. One of the cakes featured a giant Two Lane beer can accompanying the phrase “Happy Birthday, Luke!”

Caroline shared a photo of the birthday cake and her planting a smooch on Bryan’s cheek as he shows off his tasty B-Day treat. In another clip, Caroline reveals she would be joining in on the fun fishing trip.

“Happy Birthday to my Hunk of burning love!!! We love you! And…I’m going fishing again because well…it’s your birthday!” Caroline writes alongside a video of the group dancing around the house while gearing up for their fishing trip.

On Tuesday (July 19), Caroline returned to her Instagram page to share the aftermath of her husband’s fun-filled birthday adventure, with the brood experiencing a not-so-smooth car ride. In the video, Caroline appears seated in the back of the vehicle with her kids, while Bryan is in the driver’s seat navigating some road bumps.

“When you’re a boy Mom …. hang on and enjoy the ride girls!”

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VACATION

More great day trip ideas in South Jersey

by Tracy J. Chu

If you’ve never been to Long Beach Island (LBI) you’re missing a unique Jersey Shore treasure. You won’t find any boardwalks and there is only one way in and one way out. That keeps the atmosphere and feel of a less developed barrier reef island more peaceful and authentic. It also causes some major traffic headaches getting on, off and up and down the island.

Here is a solution not everyone knows about in the summer. Probably the liveliest town on the island is Beach Haven. There is plenty to do for all members of the family and it’s still one of the prettiest towns on the shore. So, get there by boat! There is a ferry from the Tuckerton to Beach Haven Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays in the summer.  Before you go check out the Tuckerton Seaport.

If you don’t mind the traffic of getting on and off LBI, make a left and head to the quieter side of the island. About a 15-minute drive north leads you straight to the end of the road at Barnegat Light. Of course, you’ll want to check out Old Barney, the Barnegat Lighthouse. Even though the website says the lighthouse is open for business the following day it has been closed this summer for renovations. It still shouldn’t deter you from taking a walk around the jetty and the inlet.

TSM Jersey Shore

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more peaceful scenic spot at the Jersey Shore. Besides the lighthouse, check out Viking Village.

Grab a bite to eat at Kelly’s after a long walk on the jetty.

One of the most beautiful hotels anywhere on the Jersey Shore outside of AC of course is Hotel LBI. It’s right at the entrance to the island and worth

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VACATION

Top 5 Last Minute Summer Vacation Plans for Washington

by Tracy J. Chu

We’re about halfway through summer, some people still haven’t had that summer vacation they’ve been looking for. So we dug around the Pacific North West looking for the perfect summer vacation plans to help you out.

Little did we know there’s so much to do for your summer in Washington, so we put together a list of things you and the family can do. Even tho we’re closer to the end of summer than the beginning, these spots should be perfect for some last-minute vacation ideas.

5.) Wild Waves Theme Park

Wild Waves and Enchanted Village is a theme park and water park rolled into one. Whether you’re looking for some thrill rides on the I.5 Dive, or you wanna dip into the wave pool and ride out the sick swell on a boogie board. There’s plenty of fun here for the whole family, even uncle Jack.

4.) Great Wolf Lodge

Want all the fun of a water park but all the shade from the sun, then this is the place for you and your family. Great Wolf Lodge is a giant indoor water park filled with delicious restaurants, top-tier bars, and great safe fun for the kiddos. You can call or go online to make reservations today, that’s right they also have their own hotel!

3.) A Weekend in Seattle

Time to strike while the iron is hot, take a trip over to Seattle, take in the sun, and the food, and hit some of the beautiful beaches while you’re there. We’d also suggest taking up a Mariners game while you’re there. No, it’s not a joke, the Mariners are on a hot streak and playing their best since the early 2,000s.

2.) Check Out Leavenworth 

Leavenworth is known for being a small german town in Washington, with

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VACATION

10 Fun Family Ideas on LBI, NJ

by Tracy J. Chu

Long Beach Island is absolutely one of the most beautiful spots at the Jersey Shore and Ocean County.

It’s an awesome place to visit in the summer, fall, spring, and winter. I love being “local” to LBI. Everything on this list is chosen by me, family, and friends. I couldn’t agree more these are some fun things to do on Long Beach Island.

Long Beach Island is approximately 18 miles of pure Jersey Shore magic. White sand, beautiful little towns up and down the island, and tons of cute shopping and adorable treats.

Shawn Michaels

LBI is made up of six municipalities – Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Surf City, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Township, and Ship Bottom.

Long Beach Island is a family island. Yes, there are some great bars, but mainly families come to the island for a great family trip to make memories. Some of my favorite times were going to Fantasy Island with Mom and Dad and a little Abby, probably when she was 4 or 5. Abby loved all the kiddie rides and always asked Poppy to go on with her.

Something that’s not on the list is a favorite of mine is the Sea Shell Resort and Beach Club. I love when a couple of us go down to LBI and hang at the Sea Shell, it’s absolutely gorgeous, right on the beach. If you’ve never been, try it. It’s more of an adult hangout. An afternoon of shopping at Bay Village with my girlfriends, then head over to the Sea Shell, it’s a perfect day.

Top 10 FUN Things To Do On Long Beach Island

20 Succulent New Jersey Seafood Restaurants too Sensational Not to Try

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