Last Day in Aspen

Well, today was our last day here. Enjoyed three concerts to top off this fabulous extended weekend. Our morning started off with Mack Bailey and Ellen Stapenhorse leading the songs at the Aspen Chapel. That event ended at 10:30 so we had to hustle to the Cookhouse event that started at 11:00. The challenging part of this was that it was a 15 mile trip up a mountain highway in a heavy snowstorm! By the time we got to the Cookhouse there was about 3" of snow on the ground.

Even with the snow we arrived on time with only a few slips in the snow.  Jim Horn, John Denver's flute and saxophone player in his band, was there. His wife had a table to sell them so I bought one I didn't have and took it to him to sign! We listened to it as we drove around the rest of the day. There was lots of John Denver music at the event and for the meal they had a very good menu based on the song "Home Grown Tomatoes". Near the end Jim Horn joined the band playing for the event, and talked about all the famous people he supported over the years with his instrumentals, from three of the Beatles, to the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra and many more.

After a supper at the Hickory House, we headed back to the Aspen Chapel for the Mack Bailey concert with Bill Danoff. Mack also invited a young singer he has discovered to join them and sing a few songs. It was a super concert that went for 2 1/2 hours with the musicians trading off songs. Bill Danoff also told a few good stories about his songs. This picture is from the closing song "County Roads".

Tomorrow is our travel day starting with a drive back to Denver and then our flight home. We are very glad we did not have to drive today since we heard that Vail Pass was closed for a while due to snow, and earlier the Eisenhower tunnel had been closed due to an accident. So far the weather forecast for tomorrow is favorable.

Aspen Day 3

We had quite the full day today, starting out with a trip to the Maroon Bells, followed by a Ron Matthews concert, a great supper back at Hops Culture, and wrapping up with a Chris Collins and the Boulder Canyon Band concert with a guest appearance by Mack Bailey.

We got to the Maroon Bells early which was a good thing. After we got the first few pictures, the clouds started to roll in.  I walked to the end of the lake and got some nice views.


For more pictures check out my Facebook album.

At today's Ron Matthews concert I was surprised that it would be broadcast live! American Veterans Radio has a 2 1/2 hour program every Saturday and it was used to broadcast Ron's concert.  They even had a microphone setup so the audience could be heard singing the songs along with Ron.  This was especially intriguing since Ron did a large part of his show by taking requests!  He did a very good job of handling it. He had a couple of guests on the show as well.  When one of the guests missed the words on one song, the audience helped him out!

Our last event of the day was the Chris Collins concert.  They did a very good job of singing a variety of John Denver songs.  The best part was in the second half when Mack Bailey joined Chris on stage and sang 4 songs. Mack even got a standing ovation for "Wings that Fly Me Home"!
All in all it was a very good concert.


Three more concerts tomorrow then home on Monday. Heard some rumors about snow tomorrow so we'll see how that goes.

Aspen Day 2

Now much to write about today.  We had 3 concerts today.  Aspen Meadow and the John Denver Project Band (from Italy) back to back here at the Limelight in the afternoon followed by a Mark Cormican concert this evening at the Aspen Community Church.
John Denver's second wife, Cassie, was at the afternoon event and led the singing of "Thank God I'm a Country Girl".  Here she is singing with Jake Love, lead singer of the Aspen Meadow Band.
All were quite enjoyable and so far the groups have played a wide variety of John's songs.  There have been remarkably few duplicated songs and quite a few more less-heard songs that Mary recognized but I did not.
So all in all, very nice day. 

First John Denver Tribute Festival

Today's concert at the Wheeler was organized by Willie Hoevers funded by a Kickstarter crowdsourcing campaign.  He opened up the performance to a lot of different musicians. Here are pictures of Julie McLain and Ron Matthews.
The event was opened by the Aspen Meadow Band followed by a series of female performers in the second set and some male performers in the third set. They all played a wide range of John Denver songs including many unfamiliar songs along with a few of the standards. Julie sang my favorite song (Fly Away) and an especially moving tribute to John that she wrote just after his death. All in all, a very enjoyable concert!

Meet and Greet

Meet and Greet was very well attended today and had a lot of musicians (as you can see). I estimated the attendance at about 100 people.  Schedules for weekend activities were handed out and the traditional 3 songs were sung. It was nice to connect to old friends from past Aspen events and other Mack Bailey concerts.
Surprisingly there were several dozen people who were attending Aspen for their first time!

I was also surprised at how different the sanctuary looked in October from the beautiful flowers that were present when we visited last July .  It was still pretty, but not near as nice as in the summer.  

Heading to Aspen

We had an "interesting" travel day ending in Glenwood Springs, our planned destination after overcoming a few hurdles.  But the good news was that it all ended well.
The day started out quiet enough.  We got up plenty early and were not rushed at all to get ready.  We even got to the airport gate an hour before boarding.  While sitting there Mary asked to use the free wifi at DTW so I reached into my bag to get out our Macbook Air -- and came up empty. Since we had extra time we had used the computer at home and then neglected to pack it.  Clearly not enough time to retrieve it before boarding even if someone was at our house to get it.   What to do!
I had been contemplating replacing it at some point since it was a few years old, so we resolved to visit the Apple Store in Denver to try that out and price our options.
Once arriving in Denver we got to Thrifty and went to select our rental car.  While checking them out I was quite frustrated that I could not find a single car there with a USB connector so I could charge my phone while driving and using navigation.
We did make it to the store where we thought about getting an iPad for Mary, but with it costing only a bit more for the Macbook Air, we purchased that (Mary is greatly relieved she doesn't have to learn new technology just yet!).  All this put us well behind schedule so we arrived at Glenwood Springs after dark, where we finally got to our hotel by 8 pm.

As to ending well, as you can see here we made it to the Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company for a fish and chips (Mary had a buffalo burger) and a glass of Hanging Lake Honey Ale, my all time favorite beer.  Ahh.. after a very long and somewhat challenging day that sure hit the spot.
After a late dinner we got back to our room, setup the new computer and crashed for the night.  

Colorado Springs

Our day in Colorado Springs started with a visit to the Garden of the Gods.  It had been over 20 years since we had visited this treasure and we truly enjoyed being there again.  Arriving early on a Monday, we had few other visitors to contend with so we could stop or slow down during the drive around the park to take pictures.  Please click on the one on the right to enlarge and appreciate this vista from the Visitor Center.

The most famous formation is the Balanced Rock.  I'm standing by it so you can have some perspective of how large it really is!



Our next stop was the Air force Academy.  After touring the visitor center we headed for the Air force Chapel.    Check out the fleet of WWII Aircraft models in front of the chapel:  B-17, B-24, B-29, P38, P51 and many more!

Here some views of the chapel interior. Beautiful! If you enlarge the one of the left you can see the crossbar on the large cross looks like wings.  And when looking to the west you see the mountains beside the academy.  What a wonderful place!

Our last stop was the US Olympic facility where we toured their Hall of Fame and I was able to crouch inside a bobsled model.  Very cool!

Independence Pass Enroute to Colorado Springs

After eating a hearty brunch at the Main Street Cafe in Aspen we headed south on CO-82 across Independence Pass to connect to US-24 that took us to Colorado Springs.  Had to post the classic photo at the sign post!  The temperature was 72 when we left Aspen, but dropped to 64 at the summit so we did not stay outside very long.

It was a beautiful drive as you can tell from these pictures which Mary took as we climbed up to the pass.

We made good time and arrived at our motel around 3:00 pm after an uneventful drive. The 95 degree temperature is quite a contrast from when we left this morning!

Friday Concert Supplemental Post

During Friday's Mack,  Pete and Chris concert, Pete and Chris played this number and a friend of Mary's capture this video.
Check out the guy in the bottom left corner (it's me!), then enjoy watching the sign language girl imitate the artists!  She was very entertaining!

Deaf Camp Concert

Tonight was the concert in support of the Aspen Deaf Camp. It was a bit scaled back from last year with only two groups that played before the John Denver Tribute band.  The band consisted of many members who played with John at some point in his career.  Jim Horn, Richie Garcia, Ken Roberts, Alan Deremo, Chris Note, Pete Huttlinger, and Mollie Weaver joined Mack on the stage for this tribute concert.  Once the band came on, they played many of John's biggest hits which thrilled the audience.
It was nice meeting and sitting with many other John Denver fans that Mary knows from Facebook.

Before the concert I snapped this picture of Mack and Mary.  Later, Mary took this picture of me with Pete and Erin Huttlinger. We also chatted with Mack and Chris before the concert.
Sure is special knowing the artists on a first name basis!

Maroon Belles

How can you visit this area and skip the Belles?  Well we sure could not!  Had nice weather as we arrived, but then it started to cloud up and even had some light rain before we left.
It was nice to see the water in the lake had returned to traditional high levels. We had been there in the past when you could walk 50' out from the current banks.

We caught a great reflection shot before the wind came up and the rain started.  I was also able to get this different perspective on the Belles.  We were there for only 1 hour or so and we each snapped at least 3 dozen pictures!
Enjoy!!

Mack, Pete and Chris Concert

Tonight was the free concert that precedes the main Aspen Deaf Camp Benefit Concert which is tomorrow. The concert by these three musicians was excellent! They played several of their own numbers as well as some familiar John Denver songs.

Before the concert we talked with Chris, Pete and Mack and their wives. Here's a candid photo of me talking with Chris Nole.  I told him how much I enjoyed his playing and ability to ad lib and add special touches to the songs that are not written in the music.  All three were very friendly as we caught up on whats going on in their lives.

Here are some close-ups of the guys in action.  They were obviously having a lot of fun while on stage and performing.
The highlight of the evening came during their encore.  I had tipped off Mack that today was Mary's Birthday.  He said he'd do something special, but I was not quite sure what how it would work out.  Well, he dedicated the encore to Mary, and then they broke into a chorus of "Happy Birthday"!!  She was thrilled and overwhelmed and it clearly made a special day even better. 

John Denver Sanctuary and Nature's Filter

This morning we went to the John Denver Sanctuary in Aspen. The weather was beautiful!  They are doing even more construction and expanding the area so getting to the Sanctuary was rather difficult.  For those who have been to Aspen, you can understand that once completed it will extend nearly all the way to Mill Street!

The new area behind the original John Denver Sanctuary has now been named "Nature's Filter" and demonstrates how water running through a wetland gets purified.  Since it has been in place for a couple of years now, the plants have grown up nicely as you can see from these pictures.

They have also added a lot of quotation rock containing quotes from Da Vinci, Emerson, John Muir, Jacques Cousteau and others as well as more John Denver quotes.  It is a very peaceful and restful area with the sound of running water in the brooks and other nature sounds.  

A Day in Rocky Mountain National Park

After all the rain last night, we woke up this morning to *sunshine*!! Well, at first we saw sun, then a lot of fog.  But by waiting a while to head out, the fog dissipated and we had a beautiful day for our journey to Glenwood Springs via Rocky Mt National Park.

 Everywhere we looked was another picture waiting to be taken.  Here are two of the many pictures that Mary and I took today. It was hard to pick just two out of dozens.  Such beautiful scenery!!!

While we were at the visitor center we spotted a small herd of elk in the valley below.  Mary snapped this close-up of 3 bulls with her super zoom camera.  We also spotted a small marmot but did not get a real clear picture of it to use.

While driving into Silverthorne after leaving the park we spotted this eagle nest with two chicks in it!  Mary got this cool photo of the two peeking out of the nest.
We got into Glenwood Springs around 4:30, took a dip in their pool, then headed to our favorite area restaurant, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company, for some great food and our favorite beer, Hanging Lake Honey Ale.  It was a good as expected.  Sure wish I could figure out a way to have some shipped home!


On to Aspen tomorrow morning, then to Snowmass for an evening concert by Mack, Chris and Pete.  

Heading West

Today we flew to Denver for a Colorado vacation for a planned three concerts and lots of sightseeing.  After landing and picking up our car we headed to Estes Park over some back roads rather than the main highways due to lots of road construction.  It was neat to drive through these newly developed areas north of Denver.

Unfortunately the weather is not cooperating - it's cool, cloudy, and rainy.  Mary shot this picture as we drove up US-36 to Estes Park. They are working on the road, blasting rock to widen the roadway but fortunately only at night so we did not hit any delays.
Once there we found our hotel and with the time changed headed out for supper.

I found a great restaurant, the Estes Park Brewhouse.  They have a cool feature - when you walk in you can get 4 free beer tasking samples!  It tried 2, including a Blueberry beer!  It was actually quite good so I ordered one when we reached the restaurant.  If you look careful you can see a couple of blueberries floating in the beer.  They had typical brewhouse fare - I had pulled pork and Mary, fish and chips, and we shared a chocolate, brownie sundae for dessert.
Our plans called for us to head to a Brad Fitch concert, at an outdoor amphitheater but it was raining so we decided to skip it. Hopefully this rain gets out of its system tonight so we can enjoy driving through rocky mountain national park tomorrow as we head on to Glenwood Springs. 

Sea Otter Video

As I mentioned in a prior blog post  I took a video of a group of sea otters swimming in Glacier Bay.  Since I'm home I have the bandwidth to uploaded it to Youtube so I can share it with you.  

Many thanks to Katie for the editing help, title, and opening/closing effects. 

Click the link above and enjoy! 

Back Home Again...

Well our vacation is over.  Back in our house after an early morning alarm and a long travel day.   No pictures today, just a quick post to let all know we got home OK.
I do plan to post the otter video and possibly a whale one sometime soon, so check out this page next week.  But tonight is for unpacking and a starting the time zone transition process so that Monday morning alarm doesn't seem too early.

Last Day at Sea

Well, our cruise is coming to an end.  It's been a very nice, relaxing vacation, but quite cool.  

Mary and Andy went to the cooking show and kitchen tour this morning while Katie did line dancing. We had burgers and pizza for lunch, but it was cold on the deck so we ate in the buffet area which was very convenient for getting desserts.  This afternoon we watched a movie, "12 Years a Slave".

This evening is a turkey dinner, then packing suitcases for our early departure tomorrow.  Due to our early flight we need to take the "walk off" option where we take our own luggage off the ship.  At least we don't have to set it out this evening! 

So many memories of a nice anniversary trip.  

Ketchikan

Today was our last Alaska port as we head south to Vancouver. We arrived late morning at a pier a fair distance from town, but the town offers a free shuttle service -  got to get those cruisers to the shops so they can spend their money!
Mary did some shopping today, then returned to the ship while Katie and I did a zip line excursion. The weather did not cooperate very well as there was a light rain all day. 

The course was very good with 7 lines and 3 bridges, all while over 70' in the air!  The zipline runs faster in the rain so we hit a good day for hitting top speeds. The longest line was 750' long and riders hit speeds of close to 30 mph! With these speeds, stopping at the end of each segment proved to be a challenge.  Also I had to frequently clear my glasses as they picked up a lot of rain during each transit.  In the end, we both had a very good time. 

Here we are all decked out for doing the course:

Juneau

Our main event in Juneau was a whale watching excursion.  But prior to that we had some shopping time in the city.  Well, at least Mary got in some shopping while I did a small walking tour of the city looking for cold medicine for me.

We had sunshine during our whale watching ride and saw at least 4 humpback whales today.  Ideally the vessel will find a feeding whale that is surfacing every 4-6 minutes.  All the whales we saw today were doing 8-10 minute dives so we did not get many opportunities for "tail diving" shots.  But one whale gave quite a show for us, swinging around it's pectoral fin, then splashing it down.  

I did get one video of a dive, but that will have to wait to be shared until I get home.  

As we headed back to the dock we passed a Juneau landmark - the sea buoy where juvenile sea lions hang out. These were busy sunning themselves, with no battles for territory on the buoy. 

The rain returned as we headed toward our ship so we got wet re-boarding.  The movie "Gravity" was starting as we returned so I hustled to watch it with Katie.  

Lobster & King Prawns was on the menu in the dining room tonight which was delicious!  And it was topped off with Mary's favorite dessert - Floating Islands!!  

It was a very good day.