KBPI Rock N Roll Car Show 2016

This is not my first trip to the KBPI Rock N Roll Car Show but it was my best.  They never seem to disappoint.  Though the gates opened at 7:00, I didn't roll in until about 9:15.  Admittedly, I was trying to avoid just a little of the baking heat and get a decent parking spot.  I succeeded.  My parking spot was not fantastic but it was pretty good.  The parking attendant I dealt with wasn't exactly a ball of f***ing sunshine but she was okay and the other parking attendants I spoke with were very nice.  I'm gonna give her the benefit of the doubt that she was having a shit morning and that's not her usual demeanor.

Having scored a $3 off coupon, I spent only $7 to get in.  The lines moved quickly at the box office and they gave you an information sheet/map.  The bag check went quickly and the staff, as always, was very polite, kind and efficient.  I did visit a concession stand to get a water today but didn't indulge in food.  I did check pricing as I went around, though, and the prices were not outrageous for some pretty decent eats.  They had a pretty wide variety and you could easily stay on a budget and eat there.  You can also bring in coolers (no larger than 12x12 I think), as well.

I started on the lower lot which may have been a mistake.  With my somewhat early arrival, some of the cars weren't there yet and weren't set up and by the time I got done with the upper lot, I didn't feel like trekking back down to the lower lot to look at a couple of rows that I hadn't seen.  That said, it didn't disappoint.  There were some gorgeous cars and the owners were like proud papas.

The upper lot was my favorite though.  I walked every row from my least favorites (the Subaru's) to some of my favorites including the movie cars, the Corvette Club, and the jeeps because, let's face it, I'm a jeep girl at heart.  I explored some, but not all, of the booths and was impressed, as always, at the layout and the efficiency in planning for the show.  If you can't find a car you love at that show, you're not looking.

Then there was the grudge races.  Oh sweet Lord, the grudge races.  I can't see how anyone could NOT want to watch these.  The burnout contests, the performances from School of Rock and Lola Black (I missed the last act that closed things out).  I mean, if you think that you can find better entertainment for $7, I challenge you to tell me what that is!?!

Once again, I will be giving the Rock N Roll Car Show a HUGE thumbs up and promising that I'll be back next year.  Maybe I'll get there sooner and walk it a little different but I'll be back.

**Words to the wise:  1) Hydration, hydration, hydration  2) Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!

Review of Broncos Training Camp

I'd previously been to Broncos training camp at Sports Authority Field (when Dove Valley's was being worked on) but I got to attend training camp at CSUHealth Training Center at Dove Valley this week.  Here's what I thought.....

Cons:  Seriously, my ONLY con was that there were virtually no autographs at the end.  They had us go through this whole protocol of sitting still as they moved back the rope, moving slowly and waiting.  Only a few players actually came out and signed and they literally signed for about two minutes.  This sucked.  None of us expected an hour but at least coming over and doing a few would have been nice.  With that being said, if I'd have spent 2.5 hours practicing in the blazing sun, I would not have felt like signing autographs either.  If THIS is the only con, it's not bad.

Pros:  The facility was beautiful.  Bathrooms were clean.  Concessions (aka soda and water) were only $1 each, which is unheard of.  There was a place to refill water.  Free rally towels and flags. You really couldn't pick a bad seat on the hill.  The staff was incredibly nice.  Parking wasn't bad at all. Oh and BRONCOS PRACTICING!  Yes!  Seeing them up close and personal, running drills.  Awesome.

Recommendations:  Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!  Don't forget a blanket or something to sit on.  Don't forget that bag policy (clear bags, etc).  Bring water or cash to purchase water.  No video allowed and no professional lenses.  ENJOY it!  Don't spend your whole time looking through a little viewpiece.  Take it all in instead of shooting pictures the ENTIRE time.

Review of Hammonds Candy Cane Festival

I took a little hiatus in order to deal with some personal stuff.  All is well on the shutterbug front....just very very busy.


Today I'll be discussing the 2015 Hammonds Candy Factory Annual Candy Cane Festival.  Hammonds is located at 5735 Washington St in Denver, CO.  Year-round, they offer free tours of the factory where you can actually watch candy being made.  On our spring/summer visit in 2012, we got to see candy ribbon being made.  On this particular visit, during the festival, they were already making Easter bunnies!!!  We also found out that most of the cotton candy that is distributed in grocery stores (even if it doesn't say Hammonds) is actually made in the Hammonds factory.  Hammonds personally packs and packages each package of candy instead of just having a conveyor belt and machine that does it all.  Every member of the staff I've met is fantastic, super sweet and very knowledgeable.

The Candy Cane Festival is held annually on a December weekend (Friday and Saturday) at the Hammonds Factory.  Admission is free and most of the festivities are included with that free admission.  This year, the only paid parts were professional pictures of Santa (if you wanted to take your own pictures, it was free) and the crafts tent.  Tickets were extremely reasonable ($2) to do the paid events.  Offered at no cost? Meeting Santa and Mrs Claus (which on Saturday included a large tasty Hammonds Candy Cane), bounce houses and slides, free cotton candy, free games that had toys or tasty rewards like Hammonds taffy, horse drawn carriage rides, free hot cocoa, trolley rides, mini tours of the factory and more!

As always, the staff was great.  They braved a very, very cold snowy day in order to make everyone's experiences great.  There were heat posts available to warm up and some of the activities were in tents to get a reprieve from the cold.  We got there very early on Saturday and the lines were virtually non-existent.  As we were getting ready to leave, some of the lines appeared long BUT moved very quickly.  For example, mini tours had a long line but people are let in to the touring area in groups so the line moved quickly forward.  The line for the carriage rides got a little long but a nice big group can fit on the carriage so the line moved quickly.  We didn't stand in line for anything for longer than 5-10 minutes.

The tasty treats offered as "samples" or prizes are second to none.  Hammonds candies are absolutely delicious.  I'm a big fan of the candy bars, particularly the one that has dark chocolate and mint (though these were not one of the items given away, they are very reasonably priced and well worth it).  The taffy and cotton candy are absolutely delicious and the candy canes are wonderful.  Even the hot cocoa was fantastic complete with a delicious homemade marshmallow and a peppermint stick stirring stick.  Hammonds definitely delivers on quality and taste!

The location is incredibly easy to find.  Take a quick jaunt off I-25 and you're there.  Admittedly, parking was a bit of a nightmare.  The parking lot of the factory holds the festival so most of the parking is reliant on surrounding businesses.  I saw one surrounding business charging $15 for parking which, I think, chased a few people off but rest assured, folks...most of the surrounding businesses don't gouge you like that.  I'd also like to point out that some of the festival staff was helping to direct traffic for parking.  I was snuggled into a tight spot and had someone actually come over and guide me out to make sure that I got out safely.  I heard people griping about the parking and would love to point out that when you attend a free event, there will be hiccups and you should be thankful to have just a weird parking situation as the only issue.  I might suggest parking down the road or across the street and just walking over to avoid the parking situation. 

Overall, I would completely recommend this festival! It's an incredible free event by an incredible, giving company.  We will definitely be attending again in the future. #HammondsCandies