 Packed and ready for Colorado |
This month we travel to Colorado from Georgia via Nashville. We search for a home in Colorado and take in some of the local color.
Well, Georgia has come to an end and it's time to head to Colorado. We packed up the Mini-van (since I left the truck in Florida to save money) and headed toward Colorado. Georgia went well and I have to say I'm missing my Atlanta friends already.
The first stop on our voyage is Nashville. We figured it'd make for an easy drive on our first day. We pulled into Nashville late in the afternoon. We found a hotel and proceeded to check out the sights. Our hotel was half a mile from the Grand Ole Opry, so it only made sense to start there. It was early and nothing was going on so we just walked around the outside and took some pictures. I didn't realize it, but there's a big mall next to the Opry. It's called Opry Mills. Go figure!
We stopped in and hit the TGI Friday's in the mall. We got a drink and an appetizer and then headed over to the big hotel and convention center next door. It's called the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. There's a Gaylord Resort in Orlando that's just insane. It's just huge! So we figured this one would be cool too. We were right. This one might actually be bigger than the one in Orlando. It has 11 restaurants in it and a Vegas-style Ultra Lounge. By the way, when they say "Vegas Style" they mean "REALLY EXPENSIVE DRINKS!"
After that we walked back to the room, fed the dogs and chilled for a while. I wanted to go downtown for dinner because I'd heard that the clubs were a lot of fun and the Coyote Ugly there was a blast. We asked around for directions and everyone told us we might not want to go downtown tonight because the Country Music Awards fan appreciation concerts and events were going on and downtown was blocked off and packed with people. What are the chances?!
Since downtown was out, we decided to find a place close by to get dinner. Just down the street from our hotel was the Nashville Palace. We heard it was a cool place with good food and live music. What we didn't realize was how big it was. The entry was misleading. There was a modest size bar and room with a patio and a guitar duo playing. But, walk past it and thru a little hallway and a set of doors and it opens to this giant dining room, bar and dance floor with a full seven piece band perfect to line dance to. We had dinner which was very tasty. We had a couple drinks and headed back to our room.
 Grand Ole Opry visit |
 Happiness is a Jack Daniels restaurant in Nashville |
 Outside the Nashville Palace |
 Grub and drinks at the Nashville Palace |
The next day we packed up the dogs, checked out of the hotel and continued our trek. Since we didn't make it downtown last night, I suggested we drive thru on our way out of town just to check it out. So, that's what we did. We drove downtown and saw what must have been quite a party the night before. It was continuing all weekend and it was only just Friday.
As we drove around looking at the stages and bars in the area the dogs started getting restless and I noticed my eyes started burning. I couldn't figure out what was going on so I rolled down the windows and had Sharon crawl out of her seat and look around the back of the fully packed van. Since we were downtown there was a lot of traffic and lots of one way streets. After, sniffing around the back, Sharon discovered that a bleach bottle behind her seat was somehow leaking. It was sitting in a little basket which caught most of it. There was no place to pull over so at a stop light I instructed Sharon to set the basket and bleach bottle on the curb outside a construction site. So, if you recently traveled to downtown Nashville and noticed a bleach bottle curbside, you'll know why.
 Ken and me in actual movie costumes |
The rest of our trip was uneventful. We did stop at a hotel just outside Bonner Springs, Kansas. It's where the K.C. Renaissance Festival happens. It was late when we arrived, so we didn't get to check it out.  [Also, it doesn't open for another two months... - AB] It's one of the few festivals in the country I've never been to.
When we arrived in Colorado (a week early, by the way) we were greeted with the news that the house we were supposed to rent with some friends had been rented out to a long term lessee. This left us completely in the lurch. We spent the next three days in hotels while I searched for a house or apartment to rent.
On our second night we checked into a four-story Howard Johnson's. I noticed that there were pets everywhere. So I figured the hotel was cool with pets. It turned out there was a big dog show in town.
There was a "per pet" charge added to the room, so Sharon copped to having only one dog. This left me with the task of sneaking the others up to the room. I got silk and Jasmine (each about 17 lbs.) and climbed four flights of stairs to the room. Not a big deal, right? Wrong! We weren't at sea level anymore. When I arrived at the room, the mile high thin air had me ready to vomit as I gasped for air and collapsed to the bed. It was actually very funny. "Welcome to Colorado!" I choked out as Sharon laughed at me.
The next day as we were checking out we ran into another woman from Florida. She said she had just moved out here from Florida for business. We told her we were here for the Ren Fair and looking for a place to live. She told us about a local apartment complex that did short term leases. Thank god! We got the phone number of the place and proceeded to get ready for the first weekend.
I was working for Ken Wilson of Excalibur Leather. I checked in with him and he had a lot of work needed for the new booth he purchased. I suggested he let me make some doors for the place to make it more secure and beautify the shop. He agreed. It worked out well, 'cuz since I'm playing shop worker and not doing the Tortuga thing, I could use the extra work and money. The doors came out beautifully!
They worked out so well, I've picked up work building doors and doing improvements for other booths.
 I made the doors and windows in the booth I work at |
 Jef with his fine, hand-made doors |
 I built these doors too! |
Other than preparing for the first weekend, the only other thing was to get us housed. We went by the Fillmore Crossings apartments and checked the place out. It has a gym, indoor pool and dog park. It turns out it was a hotel converted into studio and one bedroom apartments. It was a little more money than we had planned but it included cable, wi fi, water, and electric all in one price. It certainly wasn't big but after living above the booth in Georgia this was huge!
 Minnie sleeps on mommy's butt in the hotel |
 Our VERY humble abode in Colorado |
 Our spacious kitchen |
After getting settled we had our first weekend. Business was great. Sharon had her best opening weekend in a year and we exceeded all expectations at Excalibur. Hopefully it'll just get better.
Following our great opening weekend, we decided to drive to Boulder. We had been there about 10 or 12 years earlier and had a great time. Ken wanted to tag along so I did some web research and looked for cool restaurants and sights to check out.
 On Pearl Street in Boulder |
 At Connor O'Neill's in Boulder with Ken |
 Big sky over Colorado Springs |
We went to Colin O'Neill's for lunch. It was fabulous. They had great traditional Irish fare and mussels to die for! After lunch we walked down Pearl Street. It's one of those open air pedestrian malls with lots of shops and restaurants. We wandered around for a few hours, snacking and drinking along the way. We checked out the Dushanbe Tea House, a neat place with Indian food and all kinds of tea. It was a nice stop to rest along our tour of the city.
Dinner time quickly arrived and I had found a place online called Latelier. It turned out that Tuesday was half price wine day!! Wahoo!!! We had an amazing meal! We were stuffed and happy! Not to mention tired. After dinner we headed back to Colorado Springs. We had another successful trip but it was time to buckle down and start saving money for the long haul until Minnesota.
 The Dushanbe Tea House menu |
 Outside the Dushanbe Tea House in Boulder |
 Sharon catches me eating the dog |
Colorado is running smoothly. Next up, preparations for the Tall Ships festival in Tacoma! It should be an interesting trip. And, we get to be Oceanside for the Fourth of July! Have a great holiday!!
