Denver International Airport is really now a regional airport as it connects to just about every point or jumping off point in the travel world. Part of the reason traffic has increased is simply people from Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado use D.I.A. because of the extensive flight schedule.

 

So what is new in how to get there and depart with a little more elan and a lot more convenience?

Taking the train to D.I.A. requires you to catch it either downtown or at one of the stops along the way. As we discovered, except for a small, rolling carry on this is not a luggage-positive experience. So, if you are going for a day or two, and live close to one of the train points, a great option. Otherwise, the best option is still to drive and park the car.

Now to the tricky part. The Airport has figured out that people want to park there, so they have expanded their parking lots to accommodate those who want to park, and then hike to check-in. Sounds good except you might or might not be parking far away and waiting for a shuttle.

The best close in option is Wally Park, where after you park, your ride to the terminal is about 4.5 minutes. So, get there right on time for check-in without worrying about how long the shuttle will take. And the real plus is it’s a short ride to your car after you arrive back from your trip. Wally Park has a great corporate rate program and of course, a parking rewards program. Yes, a lot of parking centers do oil changes and car washes, but Wally Park does dry cleaning.

If you have a 6 or 7 a.m. flight, the drive to D.I.A. might mean you need to awaken at 2:37 a.m., not a pleasant thought without caffeine. While the new Westin at D.I.A. is thought of a hotel to use during bad weather, it really shines when you need to stay the night to get on your way for that first, early flight.

The fact that you can walk with luggage about 190 feet to the United Airlines check-in tells you how close this is to your airline. In the past, hotels at the airport are less than beautiful, old, noisy and have a spider-fly relationship with stranded travelers. Well, this is different in every respect.

The Westin D.I.A. can stand on its own as an excellent hotel, and as airport beds go, this is one of the best, period. Stylish and modern rooms, with the key thing being stellar soundproofing. You will see the planes, but you will not hear one. A great pool area and exercise room on the 11th floor, which will rev your calorie engines with the view.

You have a couple of restaurant options, with the best being Grill & Vine, which is a classic bar & grill with a Colorado theme. Kick it into taste bud gear with the Jalapeno & Bison sausage flatbread. Chomp down in style with the aged Ribeye with compound butter, or for a lighter, non-meat option, get the Grilled Portobello Sandwich with chimichurri, caramelized onions, and poblano peppers.

You don’t need a lampshade on your head to whip it and get better at golf you just need the Orange Whip Trainer. Yes, there are numerous swing trainers out there, but this one might just really do the most.

 

The concept is simple, early in the season, when you get a rain out, or over the winter, you want to work on your swing. For most people, it’s a combination of improving tempo, swing plane, balance and the feel for the swing. And traditionally the problem is simply when you are hitting the ball, you can find lots of ways to get the ball going the right direction that might not be mechanically optimum.

 

The OWT comes in three lengths, from 47.5 all the way down to 33.5 inches. The ball on the end of the flexible shaft ranges from 1.6 to 1.7 pounds, so a little more than the average iron. As you swing, the shaft flexes much more than a regular golf club, both on the back swing and the follow through. The result is you simply know where the club and body are in space and time, something you really can’t do with a golf club on the range when you are trying to send it 300 yards.

The real benefit to using this device is simply in feel, tempo and the swing sequence. While the OWT does make come minor claims about increased flexibility and strength, it probably doesn’t have the same impact as lifting weights and a regular stretching program. However, considering most golfers don’t train the way they should, then any improvement in these areas is positive.

 

In trying out the three lengths at a recent golf expo, I was drawn to the 33.5-inch model. The reason is simple, you can swing inside in just about any room, and it easily fits into your golf bag as a warm up tool before you hit the first ball on the range.

 

Another innovation is the Orange Peel, a concave platform you stand on while practicing with the OWT. It is concave, so it helps place your body in a natural and neutral stance. By changing stance, you can recreate just about any slope angle you might encounter on the course, and everyone has one slope angle that gives them fits. And possibly most importantly, standing on the Peel appears to help in feeling a rotary swing because you simply can’t sway.

 

After the demo with the OWT and the Peel, I am pretty hooked on the concept. And, this is the perfect device to take 5-10 swings per day, and maybe even more when you get a rain out. And, you can do this in your office and no one will know. That might be the best innovation!

In golf, getting the ball to the green is important on the par 5’s, and just getting it in the fairway on the short par 4’s saves a number of strokes.

For many golfers, the answer is a fairway wood they can control yet provides both distance and accuracy. Especially off the turf. Nothing might be worse than the dreaded, low burner of the mighty worm.

 

Enter the Air Force One Air Foil Black Fairway woods, an answer to combining more distance with accuracy without a hefty price tag. Yes, every club manufacturer tells you their woods will get more distance. They change the crown, the face and the weighting. However, there is so much that can do for distance and how the face propels the ball forward.

 

In the case of Air Force One, they patented a system where the club head is charged with Nitrogen. This is one zippy club that feels like someone is assisting your swing.

 

The first design innovation for distance was their “dual wave slot” just behind and below the face of the club. Upon impact, it essentially creates a spring or accordion effect with the thin face. As the compressed Nitrogen is further compressed from the impact with the ball, the rebound effect comes into play, resulting in a faster ball speed from the face of the club. On tour, this is the smash factor, and really good players have ball speeds that are 35-45% above club head speed. Increase the smash factor, and you increase your distance. However, if you try to swing as fast as the tour players it will likely result in wildly errant shots as your control will more than suffer.

 

In the case of the Air Foil woods, you don’t swing faster yet the design and the compressed nitrogen result in a faster ball speed. So, in essence, you are getting more ball speed with the same club head speed. This is important because in tight lies, like the fairway, golfers tend to change their swing to gain distance and get the ball airborne. The result is sometimes that low scooter which doesn’t go the distance. Not so much with this club!

 

Because you can swing at your normal speed and get a little more pop with the ball, you are more likely to swing consistently in a sweeping motion and thus get the ball airborne.

 

The club at $149 comes in either a 3 wood (15 degree) or 5 wood (19 degree) with a variety of shaft options. The standard was quite good, yet for a mere $50, you can upgrade to a Fujikura Pro 63 shaft.

Bang for your golf buck? A better way to describe this club is more golf zoom for your buck.

It’s a right of passage in the Denver Area, the Denver Golf Expo in February. This year, 115 booths and vendors provided informational excitement for over 10,000 attendees in three days.

Each year, the show provides a few different vendors as well as the latest in clubs, balls, apparel and local and international courses.

Towa Golf Club in Sante Fe has had record moisture over the fall and winter and expects a spring opening with lush conditions.

Need to get in the swing before the course opens? Orange Whip maybe the answer combining their innovative training aid with their stance mat.

Mizuno demonstrated their latest driver the JXP 900 with Marcus Gregory, Mizuno Rep and Stan Sayers, Director of Instruction at Colorado Golf Club.

The Prairie Club in Nebraska offers four unique links-style courses with their own lodging and amenities, perfect for a guy’s weekend trip where golf and comradery are the focus.

Tour Edge has quietly been the wood and hybrid of choice for both tour and amateur players, and Robert Wright from Tour Edge gave people the opportunity to try the new woods and drivers.

Mountain golf is around the corner, and Grand County courses offer a unique summer experience with four diverse courses and stunning vistas.

Club Champion comes to Denver to give golfers the opportunity to comprehensively analyze and fit every club in their bag.

San Diego is known for water adventures, recreational activities, and very consistent weather. Yes, it is all that, but it is a lot more. San Diego has upped the ante on the convention business, and the winner is you when you visit because that has spurred some hotel, restaurant and attraction options.

Unlike a lot of other towns, staying downtown is a good option, whether or not you are going to a convention. At the edge of the convention center and Harbor Drive is the Hard Rock San Diego. This is one fun hotel where you are the rock star from start to finish. The rooms boast incredible sound systems and televisions, you can even get a guitar to play the riffs in your room. The rooftop bar and pool is great fun at Twilight. Unlike many hotels, their Mary Jane restaurant is open all the time, with much better than average fare. In the mood for Asian food? Then Nobu right in the hotel sports a great happy hour and renowned Asian food.

Sights and activities abound all around San Diego. You can stroll down the shops and restaurants to the Midway, and see a complete history of the U.S. Navy and aviation with interesting historical lectures and get up close a personal with the aircraft. If something a little more mammalian is on the list, then a whale watching tour with Hornblower Cruises gives you a set of trained naturalists on board to get the most out of your marine viewing.

Hop the trolley down south to get the real Cali-Baja experience with Turista Libre. You can be a free tourist by getting to the border, getting across and then jumping on the special Turista Libre bus. Lead by Derrik Chinn, a resident of Tijuana, you board a re-fitted school bus, and then get carted to the best Tijuana has to offer – bars, shopping, dining, museums, attractions and more.

Dining in San Diego can simply be defined as “Cali-Baja” which means something like California good with some Mexican influence and local ingredients. Some high-octane culinary whizzes have made their way to San Diego, and dining here might be the best-kept secret in California.

 

 

 

 

 

Not to be overlooked is the Liberty Public Market proximal to Point Loma. This unique re-do of a former navy station features shops, art and a unique food court that lets you stroll and munch. Two of the highlights are Wicked Maine Lobster and Local Greens.

The Carnitas Snack Shack is an outdoor restaurant ideally located right on the pier from the Midway and the Hornblower Cruises. The theme is pork and more pork. The environment is like being in a nifty outdoor bar with a huge roof that oozes habanero fun. If a gastro-pub with local craft beer will shiver your timbers, then Encontro in North Park offers interesting food with beer pairings. How about Portobello fries with an IPA?

Little Italy, about five minutes from the convention center is now a competitive dining hub. If basic cuisine done to perfection is more your style, then it is off to Pacific Standard Coastal Kitchen. This is rustic and hearty food you can eat every day like the short rib with polenta and chard.

If local shopping and history are on the list, the Old Town is a unique set of historically preserved buildings with quite a few dining options as well. The original San Diego in the 1860s, the now state park has plenty of history to go around. Stop for a cigar at Racine & Laramie, on the property since 1868. Get a hearty Mexican meal and the rocket-powerful margarita at Casa Guadalajara.

If you want something a little quieter and laid back in California, head about 25 minutes northeast of downtown to the Rancho Bernardo Inn. This elegant hotel is almost boutique in approach, and with two restaurants, bars, its’ golf course, and a secluded spa, is a nice getaway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golf in the San Diego area is defined by the specific geography of the course (some are more desert, some are more forest and river), but they are playable year round. While Torrey Pines gets almost all the press, the other courses are the gems you can get on without having to camp overnight or miss a mortgage payment.

 

 

 

 

 

If you just get off the plane and have to shake the rust off, hit the 9-hole Loma Club, where an easy walk on the par 3 is close to downtown. The Rancho Bernardo Inn offers discount fees to guests, but can be played even if not staying at the hotel. Maderas is a stunning hill and canyon course east of Miramar. Riverwalk, close to Old Town, is a great track that meanders through former wetland areas with hills and twists. Carlton Oaks is about 20 minutes east of downtown and twists through creeks, lakes, and trees for an exciting experience. Get into the northeast section of San Diego with Mt. Woodson, with just about every hole being a selfie-experience.

 

 

 

 

 

What would La Jolla be without five-star dining? Get your taco on with Galaxy Taco, with their casual atmosphere but seriously good take on Cali-Baja items, with a stunner of a grilled Octopus Tostada. If real Mexican influence combined with a seaside view and a chef who uses inspiration from every corner of the globe is the focus, head to The Hake. The best fish choice is the seasonal whitefish with peanuts and seaweed. Go coastal Italian with Catania, where just about everything is made on the premises, they do farm to table because they have their own farm, and the focus is on the classic cuisine of the region.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s likely to be cold when you leave Denver, warm in San Diego and a blizzard on your return. The best parking option by DIA is Canopy Airport Parking, with their indoor valet service. Unload in the heated garage, and upon arrival, have your car warmed and ready to go in the same location. Additional services include a car wash, detailing, and basic auto service.