TIME FOR TRAVEL
Lighten Up!
GREAT escapes
Lake Grapevine
The time is right to head out of town and explore all the natural beauty our country has to offer. Grab the kids or a group of friends, your camera, and hit the road to explore some nearby national monuments and parks you won’t soon forget. This is how to make long-cherished memories with loved ones. Happy trails!
Road trip #1: Colorado
An 8,000 acre recreational lake, Lake Grapevine is a center for boating, water-skiing, wind surfing, fishing, camping and picnic facilities. With miles of beautiful rolling shoreline and more than nine miles of wilderness trails, Lake Grapevine is one of the finest hiking and biking destinations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Or try riding a Segway from Grapevine Segway along many of the paths around the lake for a fun new way to enjoy the outdoors. Offering two marinas, Scott’s Landing Marina and Silver Lake Marina, boaters are set. Located in the heart of Grapevine at Oak Grove Park, Scott’s Landing Marina is the largest on the lake with easy access to the main body of Lake Grapevine. Silver Lake Marina is home to many of Lake Grapevine charter companies including Black Watch Sailing Charters, Tranquil Sails and Waterway Adventures.
Want to create the perfect mood in any room of your home? Focus on the lighting … it’s one of the most effective ways to reinvigorate your space. Whether you’re in the bath or the boudoir, the den or the dining room, lighting sets the scene for whatever is at hand. The secret is getting the right mix of natural, ambient, and task lighting. The first thing to consider is the purpose of the room. Work spaces—think kitchens and office spaces—should be well lit from above so cooking, cleaning, or computer work can be done with ease. Let as much natural light into these spaces as possible to help invigorate your mind while working. Install plenty of overhead lighting, with recessed, under-cabinetry lighting for specific tasks in the kitchen. In the den, make sure desks have ample task lighting for reading, writing, and computer work. In living rooms, be sure to place lamps near cozy chairs made for curling up with a good book.
When a room is perfectly lit, you may not even notice it. But you do notice when you’re in a dimly lit room with no lamp in sight. The perfect mix and balance of natural and ambient lighting brings a house to life and creates a productive and soothing place to live. So go ahead, lighten up!
Source: GrapevineTexasusa.com
Must-see spots: Traveling south from Wyoming, Utah brings numerous outdoor destinations. Home to five national parks, the Beehive State is a paradise for hikers, bikers, campers, and climbers. Start your journey near Moab in Southeast Utah at Arches National Park, home to the world’s largest number of natural stone arches (there are thousands of them— including the breathtaking Delicate Arch). In southwestern Utah, check out Bryce Canyon National Park, filled with brilliantly colored rock formations, spires, and pink cliffs, and Zion National Park, the state’s oldest and most frequented park. Zion is best known for its incredible hiking trails and vistas. Canyonlands National Park and Capitol Reef National Park round out the list. Salt Lake City also offers Temple Square a 10-acre complex owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The site attracts 3 million to 5 million visitors annually which is more than the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone National Park.
In the bathroom, use lighting to enhance what is often a smaller space and perhaps lacks abundant, if any, natural lighting. Chandeliers—once denizens of the dining room alone—now find themselves at home in the bathroom, and look lovely and appropriate when in-scale to the room. After all, spa-like bathrooms should be well lit, bright, and sparkling clean. To complement a chandelier, consider targeted recessed lighting above the vanity and soft, subtle sconce lighting for nighttime and to help set a soothing scene. A large, decorative mirror can also help reflect light to further brighten up smaller spaces. Of course, for other rooms, ambiance is more the goal than anything else. Rooms that come to mind: dining rooms and dramatic entryways, where chandeliers traditionally rule the roost. Consider dimmers to get the ambient lighting just right for meal times and opt for additional recessed lighting when the room is used for other purposes. Sideboards are perfect spots for lamps that will help set the scene at parties and during buffets.
YOUR HOME
Must-see spots: Heading north to Wyoming, the numberone destination is of course Yellowstone National Park, which lies mostly in Wyoming, and extends into Montana and Idaho. Covering some 3,468 square miles, the Park—the first National Park in the world—is home to hundreds of species of animals including grizzly bears, wolves, and herds of bison and elk. Don’t miss seeing the ever-popular Old Faithful Geyser, which erupts about every 91 minutes. Another U.S. National Historic Landmark is Independence Rock, near Casper. This large granite rock (it’s 130 feet high, 1,900 feet long, and 850 feet wide) was a well-known landmark on the Oregon and California emigrant trails. More than 5,000 early emigrants traveled the trail and left their names etched in the massive rock.
Road trip #3: Utah
Chipotle Mac & Cheese
INGREDIENTS 1 gal water 2 tsp kosher salt Corn oil, as needed 6 oz onions, diced 3 tbsp flour 2 c heavy cream 2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp white pepper, fine 1 tbsp corn oil 1 tsp chipotle chili powder ¾ lbs smoked cheddar cheese, grated
INSPRED FLAVOR!
Experience the love of the outdoors at Lake Grapevine.
Must-see spots: When traveling to Colorado, the ultimate draw is undoubtedly the Rocky Mountains. Be sure to stop at Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. One of the state’s most accessible 14,000 foot mountains, Pikes Peak was the inspiration for the song “America the Beautiful.” You can reach the summit by railroad, car, or foot. While in Colorado Springs, head to the nearby United States Air Force Academy, and visit the famed modernist Cadet Chapel. Another landmark worth the trip: Mesa Verde National Park in Cortez, where visitors can explore ruins of cliff-side homes built by the ancient Pueblo people. Also on the must-see list: Historic mining towns that are scattered throughout Colorado, among them Georgetown-Silver Plume, Leadville, Silverton, and Telluride.
Road trip #2: Wyoming
1 lb cavatappi pasta 4 oz butter, lightly salted 3 c half & half 4 oz cheddar cheese, grated ¾ cup panko crumbs
DIRECTIONS In a large pot bring water and salt to a boil. With water boiling add pasta and cook 8-9 minutes. Drain pasta and cool down under cold running water and reserve. Pasta should be slightly firm. Toss pasta in corn oil and reserve. Melt butter in a large sauce pot set on medium high heat. Add diced onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Do not brown. Add cream, half & half, salt & pepper and bring to a simmer and cook until thick about 5-6 minutes. Grate both cheese and blend into the sauce. Add cooked pasta and place into separate baking crocks or into 12” X 9” baking dish.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar FlemingsSteakhouse.com
In a sauté pan set on medium high heat add oil and chipotle chili powder. Heat for 30 seconds until it starts to smoke. Remove from the stove and quickly stir in the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over the pasta and bake in a 350º oven for 15-20 minutes until slightly golden brown and crisp. Yield: 5 servings