Joan Connelly Keller Williams

photo from the Literary Sojourn Facebook Page

This is a guest blog post for Steamboatbroker.com from Lizzie Larock of The Steamboat Scoop.

Tomorrow, Sunday, May 1, 2011 - tickets go on sale for Steamboat's Annual Literary Sojourn.  This year's event takes place on Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 11am-5pm in the Sheraton Steamboat Resort Grand Ballroom.

For the past 18 years, Steamboat Springs, Colorado has been bringing amazing authors to speak to our community about the creative process, wordsmithing and what the writer's life is all about.  Past authors have included the literary world's most notable authors: E. Annie Proulx (The Shipping News), Natalie Goldberg (Writing down the Bones), Andre Dubus II (House of Sand & Fog), Gregory Maguire (Wicked), Chris Bohjalian (Midwives), Wally Lamb (She's Come Undone) just to name a few. 

This year's line up is nothing short of spectacular.  Jennifer Egan, author of The New York Times Bestseller: The Goon Squad, just won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for fiction just a few days ago.  The MC of the entire days is none other than Julia Glass, author of the National Book Award winner in 2002 for The Three Junes.  The day is filled with speeches from new and notable writers that include: Peter Matthiessen, Paula McLain, Julie Orringer & Jim Shepard.  All acclaimed in their own right (or write, ha ha, literary pun :-)). 

All of the Literary Sojourn books are available at Steamboat's Off The Beaten Path bookstore or at the Bud Werner Memorial Library.  Off the Beaten Path bookstore in Steamboat, Colorado has made it extremely easy to order books from them (keeping precious dollars in our adorable downtown Steamboat).  You can text your order to 970-367-6977 and they'll have the books waiting for you at the counter.  Or you can even download books through google e-reader on Off The Beaten Path Bookstore's E Bookstore.  Or you can roam around the store (my favorite option) and have a cup of cappucino and relax into the wonderful world of words as celebrated by this longtime Steamboat store.

I just picked up Jennifer Egan's book at Off the Beaten Path a few days ago (the Pulitzer Prize winning one - so far so awesome).

Tickets go on sale tomorrow and yes, this event will sell out.  You can buy your tickets at the Bud Werner Memorial Libary downtown Steamboat or online at Literary Sojourn Steamboat. Check out (and click the like button) Literary Sojourn Steamboat's facebook page for interesting articles on the authors and up to the minute info on the event.

See you at the Sojourn in September! 

--Lizzie Larock (The Steamboat Scoop)

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

And, as always, if you're looking for a way to make your Steamboat, Colorado lifestyle dream a reality, give your favorite Steamboat "Southern-Style" Broker a call, Joan Connelly of Keller Williams Steamboat.  970-846-8619 or email her at: joanconnelly@kw.com.

(last year's flyer - it's still up on my fridge!)

(computer rendering of the new building at CMC's Steamboat campus)

After two years of pursuing accreditation for four year bachelor degree programs, Colorado Mountain College finally got approval this week.  The two programs are in Sustainability as well as Business Administration.  Colorado Mountain College will retain its status as a two year community college as well as serving the numerous continuing education members of the Steamboat community with their non credit classes.  To get all of the details on these two programs, go to the CMC web site by clicking here.  

By offering a 4 year Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability, Colorado Mountain College emphasizes the relevance of sustainability in the new economy as well as Colorado's commitment to modeling sustainable practices for the future.  

And not only is Colorado Mountain College going to be offering a bachelor's degree in Sustainability, CMC's Alpine (Steamboat) campus is also building a 60,000 square foot facility that will use geoexchange heating and cooling technologies.  

The Steamboat Springs community has always been pleased with its partnership with Colorado Mountain College's Alpine Campus and we are excited that the college is making huge strides in going to the next level of academic success.  

Our already economically vibrant community will continue to benefit from Colorado Mountain College's investment in the future.

And for those of us for whom college is a very distant memory, there are all of the fabulous non-credit classes and continuing education programs in which any Steamboat resident can partake.  From ashtanga yoga to conversational Spanish & Italian, and art history to astronomy, there's something for everyone at CMC.

Ready to make your Steamboat dream a reality?  Give me a call, y'all 970-846-8619 or email me at:

joanconnelly@kw.com

Wow - I just opened my email box and saw an announcement from Steamboat's Strings in the Mountains Music Festival that Shawn Colvin is coming to the Boat!  Friday, July 22, 2011 at 8pm.  Apparently this is a breaking news replacement that was just announced to the public.  Tickets are on sale right now.  We are incredibly lucky to have this 3 time Grammy award winning singer/songwriter grace our Strings stage.  FYI - Strings tickets sell out QUICKLY.  So run, click & buy.  

Need more convincing?  Watch this youtube video below - Sunny Came Home (don't worry, you'll know the words)...  Ok so, I'll see you at the Shawn Colvin concert in July - I'm booking my babysitter right now :-).  

And until then, give me a call, y'all so we can get you your Steamboat dream ... 970-846-8619 or email joanconnelly@kw.com.

Big News Steamboat Lovers!  Now you can access all things Steamboat right on your mobile device.  The Steamboat Springs Chamber just released its mobile site and since pretty much every business in town is a chamber member, all are included in this comprehensive site.  Its easy to navigate, light weight and fun.  

Click on a restaurant and you'll get links to web sites, email, phone numbers, mini description and a link to their web site.  If you're unfamiliar with Steamboat, each listing has a google map location too - so you'll always be able to find your way around town (not that it's all that hard and the locals are so so friendly!)

An easy way to see Steamboat's weather.  Ok I can't say that I'm thrilled to see snow for the next two days.  I was enjoying the sunshine these last few.  Looks like (as Jimmy Buffett once said), "Come Monday, it'll be all right."   The ski area closes tomorrow with an awesome Bud Light Rocks the Boat concert - I'm sure it'll still be well attended, there just might be a few more flakes hanging around :-)

How do I know there's a big concert tomorrow?  Well there's a snazzy events calendar that highlights big events in town:

Full description of the end of season party tomorrow (Sunday, April 10 at 2pm) right when you click on Katchafire:

So what are you waiting for?  Go download the free Steamboat mobile site to your iphone, ipad, droid, blackberry - whatever your smart phone or tablet of choice is.  Click the button on your mobile device to save it to your home screen so that it shows up just like an app does with easy easy accessibility to Steamboat's very important information.  www.steamboatchamber.mobi.  Please click the like button below to spread the word on Steamboat's awesome new mobile site!  

As always, I am your "Southern-Style" Steamboat Broker, bringing you all the fun things that make up our beautiful little resort town.  If you're interested in exploring buying or selling options in Steamboat, "Give me a call, y'all!" 970-846-8619 or send me an email: joanconnelly@kw.com

See you on and off the slopes!

Joan Connelly

Keller Williams Steamboat Realty

Don't put away your shovel yet or take off your snow tires.  The Steamboat ski mountain is open until April 10 and with another foot of fresh snow in the last 48 hours - it's looking like January conditions up on Mt. Werner!  Check out this video from the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation or click here to read the milestone snow report.

Find more videos like this on Steamboat

So the days of debauchery in St. Patty's Day bowl are over in Steamboat, but that doesn't mean our rockin' little resort town doesn't put on a great show for this annual lucky day.  Green beer will be flowing, leprechauns will be dancing until dawn and maybe there will even be a pot of gold or two for all of my Steamboat clients.  

Events happening around the Boat tonight:

Torchlight Parade & FIREWORKS on the ski mountain - 8pm.  So if mother nature didn't order up a rainbow for us today, we'll be making our own with some of Steamboat's best pyrotechnics.  Maybe your pot of gold will be under the multi colored fireworks?  You never know!  Great viewing spots will be outside of Slopeside, on the deck of Saddles (elevate your apres!) or mixing in the mayhem on the deck of the Bear River Bar & Grill.  

After the torchlight parade and fireworks display - hop on over to the Tugboat (on the mountain) for live music or swing on downtown to Old Town Pub for the Guinness Party of the Season.

Johnny O. Band - Tugboat

Old Town Pickers - Old Town Pub

And to complete your celebration, here's how to draw a shamrock in your Guinness for the perfect St. Patrick's Day celebration.  

I'll be cooking up my famous Southern version of corned beef and cabbage for friends and family, and thinking about how truly LUCKY I am to live in Steamboat!

Give me a call, y'all if you think you might be lucky enough to live in Steamboat too! 970-846-8619 or email me at joanconnelly@kw.com

MARCH 25-26, 2011 - Steamboat Ski Area

For all of the information go to http://www.ski4yellow.com

After the wildly successful inaugural Ride 4 Yellow event last summer (in which Steamboat riders got to bike from Rabbit Ears to Thunderhead with the one and only LANCE ARMSTRONG), the dream team Steamboat organizers have decided to put on a Ski 4 Yellow fundraiser.  The jist of it is that you raise money to be able to ski with one of Steamboat's famous olympians for the day.  If you're a top fundraiser you get to pick which olympian you want to polish your turns with!  Gold medalist Deb Armstrong, 3 time silver medalist Johnny Spillane, silver medalist Bill Demong are just a few of our home grown athletes who you can schuss down the slopes of Steamboat alongside if you're out raising money for Ski 4 Yellow.  

Registration party is Sunday, March 13, 2011 at (one of my favorite apres ski spots) Slopeside Grill. Here are all of the details courtesy of the Steamboat Today newspaper.  Live music from Pat Waters and registration information for Ski 4 Yellow.  Maybe an Olympian or two?  We're not sure, but definitely a possibility.  I'm sure the sun will be shining, the ice bar will be in full swing and Ski 4 Yellow registrants will have a great time listening to the live music on the famed "Slopeside Beach".

Even if you're not a skier, you can still participate in this awesome national and local cancer fundraiser.  The Friday night gala on March 25 will be an event to remember with, Dhani Jones, a 10-year NFL star currently with the Cincinnati Bengals and LIVESTRONG Global Envoy as the keynote speaker.  And after Saturday's olympic ski day, The Bud Light Rocks the Boat series and the Steamboat Ski area are putting on a fabulous concert in honor of Ski 4 Yellow - Jon Popper (of Blues Traveler) and the Duskray Troubadors (March 26). 

So plan on being at the Slopeside registration party on Sunday, March 13, 2011 apres ski.  or register online at Ski 4 Yellow.  Supporting Lance Armstrong's national cancer foundation - Livestrong as well as benefitting local cancer patients right here in Steamboat.  

photo courtesy of our fabulous ski corporation: http://www.steamboat.com/mardigras

Did you know that Mardi Gras originated in Mobile, Alabama and did you know that your favorite Southern broker (yours truly) hails from Mobile, Alabama?   So get out your moon pies - wash 'em down with some hurricanes and Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler (Let the good times Roll!) in Steamboat, Colorado!  Events are already underway with JoJo's Mardi Gras Band concert in gondola square!  For all of the details, go to http://www.steamboat.com/mardigras. 

FAT Tuesday, March 8th