Official Crimson/Blue Fest 2023 invitation

[DrPepper]

Thanks for the info! I have never been to any of those areas. I had always wanted to bike Moab (back when I biked), and it looked close-ish.

No lie, Casa Bonita is in the news today. It is supposedly reopening with a fresher smell. As a JoCo kid that did group ski trips, a stop at Casa Bonita on the way home was always included (circa 1980s).

[KUTradition]

Thanks for the info! I have never been to any of those areas. I had always wanted to bike Moab (back when I biked), and it looked close-ish.

No lie, Casa Bonita is in the news today. It is supposedly reopening with a fresher smell. As a JoCo kid that did group ski trips, a stop at Casa Bonita on the way home was always included (circa 1980s).

you’re quite welcome

if the anthropology stuff interests you all, i can’t say enough about Mesa Verde. the pics you see don’t do it justice…at all. you can do the self-guided option, but paying for a park ranger tour (like 10 bucks/head) was definitely worth it for us

[japhy]

Ousdahl, what would one do to blow the socks off a 20-year old on their last day of a Colorado vacation in the Frisco area? We need a finale. Early August. Preferably free or cheap. We need something to fill between sunrise at Arches National Park and the Denver Airport. There is 24-48 hours in between.

You might look at Meow Wolf in Denver. I have only been to the one in Santa Fe, it was a good time. This one looks bigger.

https://meowwolf.com/visit/denver?/?sou ... 3045c997dc

[jhawks99]

My dad and uncle took us to Mesa Verde when I was a kid. Really cool and I loved it.
When my oldest daughter was in high school, we tossed my tent and cooking gear in the back of my truck and drove 15 hours straight to MV. Other than the drive, she loved it. Definitely do the ranger guided tours. Also, it's going to be hot. Ugly hot. Bring lots of water.

We then headed down to Carlsbad Caverns and toured there. All in all a great road trip.

Reminds me of a funny story along the way. As we were diving across New Mexico, beautiful state, she all of a sudden blurts out that Rome is a country and is close to Turkey. I respond, you're Catholic, you should know where Rome is. Dad doesn't know anything and the conversation continues for hours. I'm pretty sure she meant Romania, but I'm not volunteering it, I was having too much fun. We get home and the first thing she does is Google Rome. Score one for dad. She ended up being a TA in Geography at statie.

[Shirley]

"...I'm pretty sure she meant Romania, but I'm not volunteering it..."

99 ftw!

[DrPepper]

Meow Wolf looks trippy. Thanks!
99, I am pretty stoked about this road trip. She has just finished sophomore year of college. We are at that point where she knows all sorts of things I don't know she knows and had all these experience away from home that I am unaware of. I am REALLY looking forward to this. You and Mrs. 99 need to show up to see if I am still on speaking terms with my daughter when we drive into Frontier Drive Inn

[japhy]

Here's a good history primer for the SLV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKIArNayVlo

The Fort Garland site is pretty interesting. Some reinterpretation of the history of the area is being done there to tell the history in a more broad narrative. Your won't find that in a lot of historical sites. My friend Chip Thomas will have opened his latest installation at the fort a month before we get there. It is well worth the 30 minute drive down t see the place. We will see one of Chip's installations at the Lafayette Head Compound which is in this video, the compound is owned by my friend Ron Rael.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDmHrSJLI6w

If you are a cook who uses a lot of chili, we will stop at the Chavez Southwest Market while in Antonito. You can buy 1/2 and one pound bags of Chimayo and Rojo chili there. You would have to drive down to Española to find better.

[ousdahl]

Ousdahl, what would one do to blow the socks off a 20-year old on their last day of a Colorado vacation in the Frisco area? We need a finale. Early August. Preferably free or cheap. We need something to fill between sunrise at Arches National Park and the Denver Airport. There is 24-48 hours in between.

Hi Dr. P!

Sorry for the delayed response. And sorry for not being more familiar with Frisco specifically.

How close to the Frisco area do you need to stay? There's a lot of breweries and stuff like that around there, but I guess 20 is too young. Also got the nearby towns/resorts of Summit County - Breck, Keystone, Dillon, Silverthone, etc, that are worth walking around in (IIRC Breck is prob the most cohesive small resort town downtown to walk around kinda thing).

If you wanna do something more active, I might suggest renting stand up paddle boreds and floating around Lake Dillon. There's inevitably gotta be some cool hikes around there too, but I'm not familiar of the top of my head...I'd check with the chambers of commerce and visitor's centers and stuff. Or, lemme know and I'll ask around some more for ya.

along I70 west of Frisco is Vail. Its commercial "village" area kinda cool in a shameless new money ritzy kinda way, though pretty sure most of the shops are like high end jewelry and fur coats and bougie shit like that, and most of the restaurants are like $30 cheeseburger kinda places...excuse me, $30 grass-fed Wagyu blend in a hand-packed patty on an artisan Kaiser roll kinda places.

along I70 eastbound toward Denver is the town of Idaho Springs, which is home to Smokin' Yards BBQ. Little hole in the wall joint that's def worth stopping at if you need your brisket fix.

If you wanna come over Berthoud Pass toward Winter Park, lemme know, and I'll gladly make the effort to meet up for food or a hike or something.

Let us know what you end up doing!

[Back2Lawrence]

the hike along the ridge east of Dillon Reservoir is very easy and scenic, for a last hurrah at nature that won't wipe you out on travel day...it's been a few years since I did it, and I can't recall the trail head name, but should show up on any guide you may have. I suggest doing it after smoking/ingesting some THC-based product.

[Back2Lawrence]

Idaho Springs--great breakfast joint (Main Street Restaurant)....Beau Jo's for some 'good' pizza, or maybe Tommyknockers...

...I actually liked the tour of the gold mine (Argo) we took there. Buffalo Bill's grave site on way down i70 (exit at the shrine) gives a great panorama of front range as well of the city, as long as visibility is good. Go down hill opposite of the way you came up, and you get to go down lookout mountain, which is great for the views, and potentially paragliders, depending on the day.

[Back2Lawrence]

also, getting to airport from denver...if it's a traffic-riddled day you are going out (like not Sunday)...from the Mountains I'd often go i70-i76-120th-Tower Rd-Pena Blvd (where rental will go).

Haven't lived out there for two years, so not sure how i70 project is going, or if done, or if i70 is any better...but it used to take :30-1:10 to make the drive from downtown, depending on conditions...ick.

[Back2Lawrence]

Thanks for the info! I have never been to any of those areas. I had always wanted to bike Moab (back when I biked), and it looked close-ish.

No lie, Casa Bonita is in the news today. It is supposedly reopening with a fresher smell. As a JoCo kid that did group ski trips, a stop at Casa Bonita on the way home was always included (circa 1980s).

The South Park boys bought it a few years ago...was actually supposed to be decent food upon reopening. I dunno, though...I'd be skeptical. For good bad mexican food, I usually went to Benny's, but it was a Covid casualty. Blue Bonnet is worse but some consider it more iconic. For a green chili fix going out of town, it'll do...or maybe Sam's No. 3 on curtis...or a stop at Snarf's for a sammich. It's way better than Cheba Hut, IMO.

Sorry, lots of info, but i'm feeling Colorado-Nostalgic and checked this thread and saw the posts...so here you go.