Keystone hosted the largest travel blogging convention in history when roughly 700 travel bloggers gathered at the ski resort for the TBEX North America conference June 14-17.

As part of the event, Visit Denver organized the Great Denver to Keystone Road Rally where 60 writers traveled in 10 vans to experience three themes: beer, history and adventure.

The bloggers had to scan QR codes, solve clues, do tasks, air jordan 14 make videos, drink beer, take four roller coaster rides at Elitch’s before 9:30 a.m., pan for gold, ride a steam train and do a shot ski at two miles above sea level on top of Loveland Pass. I’m told the challenges were met with rave reviews.

For the TBEX speakers, Visit Denver treated them to a day in Denver that included visits to the Clyfford Still Museum, the new History Colorado Center and the Yves Saint Laurent show at the Denver Art Museum, a reception at the Brown Palace Hotel, a pedicab tour down the 16th Street Mall and dinner at The Kitchen.

Afterwards, they joined all the other TBEX early arrivals at the Wynkoop Brewing Co. for a Colorado beer tasting.

“Keystone hit a home run,” said city booster Rich Grant. “They had two parties – one on top of the mountain and one hosted by Expedia at the ranch. It’s good to be a travel blogger!”

Speakers included Chris Baker, Lowell Thomas Travel Writer of the Year 2008, and Spud Hilton, travel editor of the San Francisco Chronicle.

“We chose Colorado for the TBEX travel writers’ conference because of its breathtaking landscape, exploding culinary scene, plentiful outdoor adventure, fresh air and a revitalized downtown Denver,” said founder of the TBEX events, Kim Mance. “Social media influencers sharing real-time discoveries need fuel for the fire to inspire their readers and the mountains of Colorado are a blazing inferno of awesome experiences.”

The convention is expected to ignite a roar of travel stories across the blogosphere about all the things there are to see and do in Colorado, according to Visit Denver.

Bad boys, bad boys, what you going to do?

Apparently Wes Welker, New England Patriots wide receiver, and several of his pals caused a scene with security guards during Welker’s pre-wedding celebration in Aspen last weekend, according to a story in the New York Post.

The story says that Welker and six friends “tussled with security when they tried to enter the Patron tequila-sponsored Summerology event Friday night, part of the weekend’s 30th annual Aspen Food & Wine Classic.”

Sources told the New York Post that Welker and his posse tried to crash the front door of the restaurant Above the Salt without checking in with party organizers.

“Security then physically restrained (Welker) and his group to break everything up,” according to the story.

The Patriots star player was in Aspen prepping for his air jordan 1 femmes wedding this weekend to fiancée Anna Burns, who holds the title of Miss Hooters International 2005.

The cops were called, but no arrests were made, according to the Post.

Celebrate 140 years

Jewish Family Service of Colorado is celebrating its 140th birthday during Celebrate JFS, a complimentary cocktail reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Palazzo Verdi, 6363 S. Fidddler’s Green Circle in Greenwood Village.

There is no cost to attend, but reservations are required by RSVP-ing to Lisa Mehl or online.

Big news

Last night at Elway’s Cherry Creek, Blacktie and I announced an agreement for me to write a new column — “Mile High Life” — for 300,000 readers of 17 Colorado Community Media newspapers stretching from Thornton to Castle Rock.

Many thanks to the entire team at CCM, especially publisher Jerry Healey who, along with Blacktie CEO Kenton Kuhn, was with me to make announcement.

Mile High Life, which starts next week, will be in addition to my three-times-a-week column here.

Eavesdropping on a woman to a man at the bar at Elway’s Cherry Creek: “Are you happily married?”

“No!”

“Are you unhappily married?”

“No, I’m happily unmarried.”

Be sure to like my Facebook page! Also, here’s where you go to get my column emailed to you Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I’m now the social-media liaison for the Mile High Chapter of the Colorado Restaurant Association, so read my latest restaurant news there. My email: penny@blacktie-llc.com.

The 8th Annual Denver Food and Wine event is the party of the summer to benefit the Colorado Restaurant Association. It runs from Sept. 6-9 at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Here’s the drill:

* Thursday, Sept. 6, features a special wine dinner at Metro’s new Hospitality Learning Center.  Seating is limited to 34 people, and the dinner features wines and a “special guest” by Southern Wine and Spirits.  Evening will include cocktails and appetizers, tour of new venue, dinner by Denver chefs.

* Friday, Sept. 7, includes an industry/trade breakfast sponsored by the Colorado Hotel Lodging Association and Colorado Restaurant Association with speakers from the CH&LA and CRA.  The location will be the ballroom of the new Springfield Suites by Marriott. There’ll also be demos and seminars in the new Hospitality Learning Center as well as Riedel glass seminars. During the evening will be Restaurants Rock in the Springfield Suites and HLC Tastes, featuring live entertainment, tastes from Denver restaurants and spirits and wines from Southern Wine and Spirits.

* Saturday, Sept. 8, will be a “grand tasting” for the general public set up under tents in the quadrangle at 7th & Lawrence Way. It will feature tastes of more than 600 wines and spirits and food from over 40 restaurants. There’ll be a Tented VIP Plaza, a Pernod Ricard Lounge, a Beam Global Lounge, a Viking Culinary Stage with confirmed guest Chef Dario Cecchini, the Butcher of Panzano.

* Sunday, Sept. 9, there’s a special dinner at Panzano with Dario and Demo. The Denver Broncos play the Pittsburgh Steelers at 6:30 p.m.

A total of 5,000 people are expected for all the events.

Media sponsors are Entercom Radio Stations – KOSI, air jordan 4.5 femmes The Mountain, ALICE, KEZW; The Denver Post; 9News; Dining Out Magazine; Larimer Associates; Visit Denver; and The Denver Partnership. Beneficiaries are the Denver Post Community Foundation, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado Restaurant Association Education Foundation scholarship program.

More information:  www.denverfoodandwine.com

Hot Rocks rocks!

I have been an unabashed fan of John Elway’s since I moved to Denver in 1993. I never take a close encounter with him for granted. So last night at the Hot Rocks Griller Challenge was special because I got to sidle up to the NFL Hall of Famer and have my picture snapped. It never gets old.

Thanks, John. I adore you and will always be proud to call you a friend. You rock my world!

Muy caliente!

Hot Rocks Griller Challenge pitted super chefs against each other in heated competition to raise money for Denver Health Medical Center Men’s Health Department.

There were two competitions for Best Slider. People’s Choice winners were:

1. Tyler Wiard, Aniedra Nichols of Elway’s Cherry Creek

2. Troy Guard, TAG, TAG Raw Bar and Madison Street Grill

3. Simon Purvis, EDGE Restaurant

In the Chefs’ Choice competition:

A tie between Troy Guard and Paul Reilly of Encore.

Eavesdropping on a woman in a Suburban who backed into a Toyota Prius and then became defiant with the owner of the Prius about the accident:  She claimed that the accident wasn’t her fault because she was on her phone, backing up and the Prius was so small she couldn’t see it.

At that point the Arapahoe County sheriff said to her, “How are you going to air jordan 5 femmes xplain to your insurance company that it wasn’t your fault when the vehicle you hit was parked and there was no driver in it?”

The woman had nothing more to say.

Be sure to like my Facebook page! Also, here’s where you go to get my column emailed to you Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I’m now the social-media liaison for the Mile High Chapter of the Colorado Restaurant Association, so read my latest restaurant news there. My email: penny@blacktie-llc.com.

So the Stray Cats aren’t going to be here, but most of the rest of the rock ‘n’ roll world wil be during the Denver Day of Rock, a free day of music on May 26 when 25 bands take to five stages for Concerts for Kids, the third annual fundraiser honoring children’s charities from 2:30 to 9:30 p.m. along the 16th Street Mall.

Included in this year’s line-up are TOTO, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Samples, Fishbone, Something Underground, John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light, Go Home Joe, Jeff Brinkman, I-Tones Brass Band, Offbeat Revolution, Lee Avenue, Alicia Witt, Tracksuit Wedding, Tatanka, Smack Thompson, Strange Americans, Jet Edison, WhiteWater Ramble, Amanda Capper, match supreme txt femmes Air Dubai, Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Heallraisers, The Railbenders and The Peacemakers.

In addition, the Downtown Denver Arts Festival will take place featuring 125 Colorado artists who will exhibit and sell their wares from May 25-28.

“Denver’s music and arts scene come together with Denver Day of Rock on 16th Street and the Downtown Denver Arts Festival, kicking off the summer outdoor festival season in Mile High style,” said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of Visit Denver.

For a full list of concerts and events, go to visitdenver.org.

Tebow trivia

From Adam Schefter, NFL commentator for ESPN and former football writer for The Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post on Twitter: “Tim Tebow clearly is in a New York state of mind. (Tebow) said his dog Bronco has been renamed Bronx.”

Racines rocks!

Congrats to Racines the fab eatery that celebrated its eighth year in the second location on Sixth and Sherman across from Denver’s 7. Denver gadfly and all around good guy Tim Jackson, chief of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, sent Racines owners Lee Goodfriend and David Racine a bountiful bouquet, which reminded Goodfriend of the anniversary date.

Delish

D Bar, the fabulous dessert joint next to Strings on 17th and Humboldt, is opening a second spot next to Denver-based breakfast place Snooze in San Diego.

D Bar, owned by husband and wife team Keegan Gerhard (of Food Network fame) and Lisa Bailey, celebrates with a pre-opening party from 7 to 10 p.m. May 23 at 3930 Fifth Avenue, San Diego.

Everybody in the pool

The Four Seasons Hotel new jordan Denver opens Level 3, the poolside bar, beginning Thursday and continuing from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursdays throughout the summer.  Opening night will be a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

“There’s nothing else like our rooftop pool scene in town,and we’re looking forward to re-opening Level  3 for the season,” said Thierry Kennel, Four seasons general manager. “Plus, our opening night will give back to charity – what better excuse to enjoy a martini?”

Eavesdropping on a woman: “Stop the world I want to get off, and the world never stops!”

My Facebook page has moved. Be sure to like it! Also, here’s where you go to get my column emailed to you Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. My email: penny@blacktie-llc.com.