Festivarians Unite

Last week I went to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. It was my first music festival and it was amazing. I don't think I'll ever enjoy another festival like I did this one for a variety of reasons:

• It's in Telluride, Colorado, which is located in the beautiful San Juan Mountains and San Miguel county in southwest Colorado.
• The festival strives to be greener and greener every year.  It's sustainable through recycling, composting, wind energy.
• I went with four amazing women. 
• Festivarians are amazing, kind, generous people. 

The musical line up was killer. Josh Ritter (below in a three-piece suite) played a great set on Thursday afternoon. Alison Kraus wowed the crowd with her amazing voice (but unfortunately left many people wanting to head to bed). Imelda May traveled all the way from England to surprise Festivarians with her amazing voice and great song set.

My two favorite performances of the weekend were Leftover Salmon and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. Leftover Salmon was just classic bluegrass. The whole crowd was going crazy. It was the perfect set for the night. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros just flat out wowed Festivarians. Never have I been in a crowd that was as energized, as into a show and as excited about a performance.


Besides the performances there is so much to do in Telluride. We mountain biked, floated down the San Miguel river and road the gondola to the top of the ski mountain. The views are expansive and vast.

I highly recommend the festival. But in case you need a bit more convincing here is my final comment. It's simply heaven on earth.

"They come for the winters but they stay for the summers."

I have multiple running lists in a little pink notebook. Lists of accomplishments, lists of places I want to travel, lists of types of men I want to date, and the lists just keep accumulating. Last night I was looking at my Colorado Summer list. It's a long running tabulation of places and events I want to experience during summer (my favorite season) in Colorado. So here's my list; some have been accomplished, others are summer traditions and others have yet to be experienced.

• Attend the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.
• Hike a 14er.
• Raft the Royal Gorge and the Numbers.
• Tube Boulder Creek.
• Run the Wild West Relay.
• See a "Film on the Rocks" at least once a summer.
• Bike the Ride the Rockies.
• Hike Longs Peak to see the sunrise across the eastern plains.
• Kayak Pumphouse State Park.
• Listen to a Bravo! concert in Vail.
• Backpack into the Never Summer mountain range.
• Attend the Teva Mountain Games in Vail.
• Mountain bike the Fraser experimental forest.
• Explore the vendors at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival. 
• Hike sections of the Colorado Trail.
• Lax it up at the Vail Lacrosse Shootout.
• Walk threw the various farmers markets throughout the state.
• Head out to see 'Blues & Brews' on Denver's Pearl Street.
• Bike with the Denver Cruisers and make sure to wear the theme for the evening.

There are more and I'll keep updating as I explore and find more interesting and fun things to do in Colorado during the summers.