Colorado Chronicles : Telluride

Telluride, Colorado is located in the Four Corners area (where Colorado, Utah, Arizona & New Mexico meet) in San Miguel County in the San Juan Mountains. Considering its location and 8750 ft altitude, it comes as no surprise that for much of its history, Telluride was a mining town. Gold was discovered there in 1858. Oddly enough, the ski industry didn't come to Telluride until 1972 when Joseph Zoline installed the first ski lift for the Telluride Ski Resort. The scenery around the area is stunningly beautiful. Witness Bridal Veil Falls. It just so happens that this is weekend for the 37th Telluride Bluegrass Festival as well. I don't mine for gold or ski,  and bluegrass ain't my gig, but I damn sure fish, and the Telluride area offers some pretty dang good fishin'. All in all, Telluride seems like a great place to be this or any other weekend.

Maine Minutiae : Weekend Festivities !

If anyone ever said that Mainers don't know how to put on a heavy duty weekend party, they have obviously never attended Harry's Hoedown in the town of Starks. Nor have they even thought about the Whatever Family Festival in Gardiner. But wait there's more ! A whole lot more ! Seriously now. These local get-togethers are a blast and, as you can imagine, not all that different from any other small-town celebrations throughout the country. The reason for celebration might not be the same, but the spirit and camaraderie of the attendees is no less festive than any other gatherings of the kind. the Whatever Festival is the closest one to us, as Gardiner is a "suburb" of Augusta. So all you Mainers pack up the youguns and head on out to Starks,  Old Town, Deer Isle or Whatever. It's a great New England Weekend to celebrate!

Texas Tidbits : Juneteenth

Juneteenth, ( a combination of the words "June" and "nineteenth"...go figger) is a day that celebrates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger read "General Order, No.3" at the Ashton Villa in Galveston stating that slavery was now illegal and slaves were to be treated as freedmen. That's something that I did not know. Juneteenth began in Texas. I used to know many black folks (I REFUSE to use "- American"...either you are American or you ain't) who had large family gatherings on Juneteenth to celebrate the emancipation of their ancestors. Please note that when many of us were kids in the '60s, historically speaking, 1865 was not that long ago to many black people. Older black people at that time had heard stories from their grand parents about the Civil War, slavery and such, so Juneteenth was a big deal to them. Rightfully so. Today I'd love to be at Grandma Brown's place outside Tyler, having a huge feast with my buddy Ira Isaih Brown, Jr, his sons and the rest of the Brown Family celebrating Juneteeth and being grateful for the end of that most inhumane of institutions. Hey, Ira ! Eat, drink, puff puff and pass it to the left, then eat some more! And please tell Grandma "the white kid" said hello.

Plus One : Virginia

    I was "chatting" with a Facebook friend, Susan S., the other day when she reminded me of just how much history the Commonwealth of Virginia lays claim to. I had forgotten, I am ashamed to say, until looking up info for this post, just how much history has taken place there and the number and magnitude of the names we sometimes take for granted. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, 5 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court.  Not to mention World Class athletes like Moses Malone, Arthur Ashe and a litany of others. Let's not forget legendary Military leaders like Robert E. Lee or the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown in 1607, fully 13 years prior to the Pilgrims landing in Massachusetts and VA's status as one of the Original 13 States. What about the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetary?  I could go on, and will in a future post about this remarkable place we call Virginia.

 (hat tip : Susan S. on Facebook)

Colorado Chronicles : Longs Peak

   In the mid 90's when I lived south of Beaver Creek (Rollinsville), this was my view at sunset every night : 14,255 ft. Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park about 40 miles away. The flat top of Longs Peak sticks out like a sore thumb as it towers over the Rockies. The peak is one of 54 "Fourteeners" ( mountains of at least 14,000 ft elevation) in Colorado. I have a long-time friend in Irving, Texas who's an avid hiker and climber. I'm looking at you, Vince Heimann ! Make plans now, amigo. Longs Peak in all its sky-scraping glory beckons.

Maine Minutiae : 50 Fast Facts About Maine

   Last night you had BBQ for supper and, without fail, a sliver of brisket becomes wedged in your teeth. What to do? Jackhammer? Nope. to the rescue comes....wait...for...it...the toothpick ! On top of that, that toothpick that saves the day (and your sanity) was  probably made in Maine. Over 90% of the toothpicks in the USA come from Maine. Makes me proud to live here.   That fact and 49 of its closest friends await you in Maine Minutiae! You'll be amazed! You'll be astonished! But mostly, you'll ask yourself, "why did I click this link?!". Enjoy.

Texas Tidbits : Pedernales Falls State Park

   I am a Texan. I love all that is Texas - all 267,000 square miles of, as John Wayne said, "The damnedest lady you ever saw". Having said that, over time you'll notice through my posts that I am particularly fond of the Hill Country and East Texas. Why? Two words : Trees. Water. Today, it's the Hill Country.
   Texas offers unlimited vacation destinations and choosing just one is often quite a chore. On the other hand, with so many places to choose from, it's extremely hard to go wrong. Case in point, Pedernales Falls State Park. Trust me on this. You'll want to take 3 1/2 minutes to view this video. Score one for "the damnedest lady you ever saw".

UPDATE : If you haven't done so yet, get your FREE Texas Travel Guide here. I have been getting them since 1990. They're outstanding. And FREE.