Colorado Soul Stories

Jill Carstens

Mama Jill interviews legendary place-makers, local creatives, musicians and keepers of our gorgeous natural settings. From Colorado’s Front Range to deep into the mountains.

  1. 18h ago

    A Ghost Story from the Windsor Hotel

    Happy Halloween Season! I saved this little tidbit from the Windsor Hotel episodes. Steve Whitehead, former keeper of the Windsor Hotel in Del Norte, Colorado with comments from his son, current keeper of the Windsor, tell the story of Maude, a woman from the early days of the hotel whose fate is forever sealed within the walls of this historic structure as an occasional, often elusive, ethereal presence in Room 209...

  2. 3d ago

    Know Your Neighbor: Jewell Interviews Mike

    Eight-year-old Jewell Madisyn Janisch had plenty of questions for her neighbor, Mike Sugaski when the two sat down recently for a “Know Your Neighbor” interview. How did he spend his childhood? What is it like to fight wildfires? What exactly is a Hotshot crew? And did he really help build some of the trails around Salida? This conversation is the second in a series of interviews for “Know Your Neighbor,” a Colorado TINTS outreach program designed to connect local youth with older adults in Chaffee County. The program is part of Nest Quest, a countywide initiative focused on strengthening residents’ sense of home and belonging. The Colorado Soul Stories Podcast has partnered with the project to organize interviews conducted by local students with seniors in the community.  This interview first aired on Salida's community radio station KHEN. Enjoy and learn...

    Know Your Neighbor: Jewell Interviews Mike

  3. Sep 21

    Salida Know Your Neighbor Interview, Lily Ericsson and Rich Tyler

    “Know Your Neighbor” is part of Nest Quest, a Chaffee County-wide initiative exploring ways to strengthen residents’ sense of home and belonging. Collaborating with Colorado Theater in Non-Traditional Spaces (TINTS) the Colorado Soul Stories Podcast has partnered with the project to record interviews conducted by local students, ages 8 to 18, with community seniors.  Welcome to this first interview where Salida High School senior, Lily Ericsson interviews Salida artist, Rick Tyler. In this conversation full of discoveries, Lily opens things up with: What does it mean to be an artist? For Salida artist Rich Tyler, it may have less to do with titles and more to do with curiosity, creativity and the simple pleasure of making something with your own hands. This philosophy transfers to how Tyler lives his life. As the discussion continues, these two find a shared love of good films and candy-bar-named beloved horses. Rich also reveals a couple of surprises about past brushes with famous people. One way or the other, this interview reveals that our community's older adults have much wisdom to share from past experiences and that bridges can be made from that past to our present and our youth. This interview is the first in a series and was initially aired on Sept. 17, 2026 on Salida's public radio station, KHEN, https://www.khen.org/http/wwwradiorethinkcom/listen/khen. Stay tuned for more episodes dropping regularly. Enjoy!

  4. Aug 27

    The Magic of the Windsor Hotel, PART 2 - Fine Dining in the San Luis Valley

    When we left off with our story, longtime Del Norte resident, Steve Whitehead had helped lead the restoration of the historic Windsor Hotel, spanning a time period of over 20 years. During this time, his son Kodi was growing up in the town, then went off to college and by the time the hotel needed someone to take over the dining room of the Windsor, Kodi had worked stints at The Broadmoor and, more recently, at Wolfgang Puck's successful steakhouse in Los Angeles. Kodi was headed back to Colorado and his dad, Steve, had the instinct that his son might finally be interested in this project his dad had been working on for decades. Steve recalls with joy, showing Kodi the newly restored dining room in the Windsor for the first time. As you hear about Kodi's savvy in converting the locals to the benefits of finer dining, wine tasting and later, building a distillery, you will also hear so many moments of serendipity throughout the hotel's resurrection. Moments where you've just got to say, "That was meant to be!" Enjoy!

    The Magic of the Windsor Hotel, PART 2 - Fine Dining in the San Luis Valley

  5. Aug 27

    The Magic of The Windsor Hotel, PART 1

    Restoring an old building is not an easy task. Add the fact that the building is historic doubles the implications of the effort. Well this is a story of a very small town, where just a handful of the residents had an affection for this old hotel that had seen better days. But The Windsor had an incredible history. It is one of, if not THE oldest hotels in Colorado, hidden in plain sight in Del Norte, Colorado since 1874. In the late 1990s, the town almost lost this majestic structure that sits on over half of a block of the main street, Grand Avenue. If it were not for the instinct and affection that long time resident, Steve Whitehead had had back then, this story may not have happened. "So goes the Windsor, so goes the town of Del Norte," Steve often says. In the 1980s, Steve would walk past the Windsor, peer in the windows to see the run down remains of a lost era, and dream of its resurrection. Listen to how, over the span of 23 years, this town took it upon themselves to save, restore and bring back to life, The Windsor Hotel. Then listen to Part 2, where Steve's son, Kodi Whitehead works magic to bring the finishing touches on the newly renovated dining room, bringing a home-grown elegance in dining back to the San Luis Valley.

    The Magic of The Windsor Hotel, PART 1

  6. Jul 28

    Salida Musician, Chris Nasca

    Whether you live around Salida or not, Chris Nasca’s story is one of those uniquely Colorado stories that illustrate the allure of our state and what some will do to live here. In this episode you will learn how Chris’ family served as a loving launch pad for his life, we’ll hear how he started playing guitar and became interested in the Grateful Dead. You'll also hear about his journey to Colorado and how he first made a living here - a gritty and fun Colorado mountain tale! Chris has been intentional with his creative life’s path, methodically choosing a balance between music, mountain living and becoming an independent entrepreneur. He is certainly a well-loved piece of the Salida community who brings so much joy with his music.

    Salida Musician, Chris Nasca

  7. Jun 11

    Jazz Guitarist, Justin Allison, Making Good Vibrations

    When I first heard jazz guitarist, Justin Allison play, about five years ago, I was so happy. He sang some of my favorite jazz standards while mixing in his unique interpretations of familiar pop songs, many having wonderful uplifting messages. His performances are the kind where you want to simply stop everything and listen. Justin’s guitar playing is stellar and unique and his voice is glassy smooth with punctuations of scat singing. His life has been filled with playing music since he was a kid and he works hard to continue to perfect his craft daily. Can you believe his other skills lie in herding cattle? Join me, Mama Jill, for this informative chat with this talented Colorado musician, exploring his journey around the US interacting with many, many well-known musicians that helped support and educate him along the way. Justin speaks also to his love of the Salida area as well as fond memories of the exploding jazz scene in Denver during the 1980s. We end our discussion with an original performance. If you’re lucky, you can catch him playing live this summer. https://www.justinjazz.com/

    Jazz Guitarist, Justin Allison, Making Good Vibrations

  8. Jun 4

    Salida Circus Founder, Jennifer Dempsey: How Clowns Can Save the World

    Jennifer Dempsey came to live in Salida, Colorado about 20 years ago. After ruminating about her future, she ended up doing what she does best: “circusing.” Her story is a study in how our childhood can influence our adult journey. Jennifer founded the Salida Circus in 2007. My first encounter with this charming organization came about 10 years ago, while watching the 4th of July parade travel down the main street of Salida. It was a bit of a surreal experience that seemed to transport me to a long-gone era as I observed the acrobats, clowns, jugglers and unicyclers pass by in their sequined outfits. In this interview we learn about social circusing, which, at minimum, aims at cultivating inclusiveness between all participants. During our conversation Jennifer reflects on her time with the Belfast Circus during the Troubles. She shares her notion that clowning can be a catalyst for breaking down barriers and providing perspective in tough situations. We learn how the isolation of COVID helped her to begin the self-reflection that has transformed into her ongoing one-woman play, “Something Great.” Jennifer, always bubbling with new ideas, is helping to showcase lesser known stories through her Colorado Tints theater company and her most recent project, HEAL, (healsalida.com) a creative approach to personal development. Jennifer Dempsey is a passionista. She is a hard-working, purpose-driven, curious and enthusiastic creative, constantly churning out ways to manifest joy, humor and fun for all. Please enjoy this very substantial conversation.

    Salida Circus Founder, Jennifer Dempsey: How Clowns Can Save the World
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Mama Jill interviews legendary place-makers, local creatives, musicians and keepers of our gorgeous natural settings. From Colorado’s Front Range to deep into the mountains.

Information

  • Creator
    Jill Carstens
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Colorado Soul Stories

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