Greeting from a Texas Renaissance afficionado!

[Hercules]

Finished up on Scarborough this weekend. I asked vendors for their opinion on which festival they liked more then Scarborough (gotta CMA for the home crew....  ). Majority said they liked CRF.

Soooo. I was considering a loooong solo roadtrip for the 26-27 weekend.

Any advice on where to stay and what kind of weather to expect would be appreciated. Keep in mind I survived a 96-99 degree closing weekend here at Scarb.  

Also...do they sell bottles of mead on the grounds?  

[Norfolk]

By all means, Herc, c'mon up and join us.  My answers to your questions follow, although other local rennies may care to embellish:

Where to stay:  Most travelers to CoRF stay in one of several motels in Castle Rock, which is about 10 minutes North of the Festival site.  You might also consider the Sundance Mountain Lodge, which is about 10 minutes South.

Weather:  Highly unpredictable.  High temps may be in the 50's or the 90's or anywhere in between.  Afternoon thunderstorms with brief heavy rains are common.

Mead:  To the best of my knowledge, mead is sold only by the glass, but you can buy as many glasses as you like.   

Be sure to wear your R/F pin!

[Capt Gabriela Fullpepper]

Hercules

There are many places to stay depeding on what you are looking for. Castle Rock 15 miles north would be the best to start looking and to book now. They have many hotels there like Super 8 which is usually a cheap favorite. To the south in Colorado Springs is also a place to stay. This is a little further from the grounds but is within an easy 15 - 30 minute drive dependant on traffic. If you like to camp or have a camper there is a KOA camp ground about 2 minutes north of the faire grounds. And lastly Denver is about 30 minutes drive dependant on traffic to the north. I'd do a search on Hotels.com or if you know a chain you like contact them.

Weather can be anything from freezing rain and temps in the low 50's to temps in the low 100's. This time of year expect them to be in the 70 - high 90's range but weaher can and will change and we do often see afternoon rain showers that do not last.

I have never seen bottles of mead sold. The only bottles I know that they do sell are of Mikes Hard towards the lower section of the faire. All other drinks are sold in cups and even the bottles of mikes hard are plastic. They do sell mead though just in cups.

Hope to see you. Look us all up.

[Blushing]

It's not THAT long of a roadtrip!  I almost did the same in reverse to vist Scarby this season.

Most visiting Rennies tend to stay in Castle Rock, as there is a large variety of options.  There are several motel/hotel options in the north side of Colorado Springs near the Air Force Academy, and even more close to Garden of the Gods.

Weather can be unpredictable as mentioned above.  It's been warm lately, and even in high temperatures, it's generally a dry heat, so it doesn't seem nearly as bad as it can get in Texas. ;o) Keep a rain-resistant cloak in your vehicle, just in case, and you should be set.

No mead sold is by the bottle (I must say I LOVE that about the Texas faires!), but we at least have mead.  And if you have time to explore, Colorado is known for it microbreweries, and there is a fantastic meadery in Boulder.

Other things to note: weapons must be peace tied; make sure to bring and USE sunscreen; and water water water.

[Norfolk]

... make sure to bring and USE sunscreen; and water water water.

Mistress Blushing is absolutely right!  Since the air is so dry here, sweat doesn't accumulate on the skin, leading people to think they are not losing much moisture.  Consequently people from more humid climates tend to become quickly and badly dehydrated here unless they make a conscious effort to afford it.  A word to the wise ...

[Tanda]

If you like your mead, do stay an extra day and hit Redstone Meadery in Boulder. Totally worth it. http://www.redstonemeadery.com/
They do tastings! For Free! And Tours! for Free!
While in Boulder, hit Celestial Seasonings for a tour too. Mint Room FTW! Ok, so it's just tea, but seriously...MMMMMMMint.
Oh...wait, this was about Faire.
But...if you stay in Castle Rock, there is an Irish Pub in the historic part of town that is fun.
Other notes on Faire: No Pets.
And yes, Water...water cannot be emphasized enough. Eat protein. You'll need it at altitude.

That weekend (June 26-27) is Celtic Weekend. The BEST WEEKEND EVER! You should totally come!

[Hercules]

Sounds like I need to replace the contents of my flask collection with water. 

The mead here is too sweet for our taste. So I did order some mead from Redstone. Unknown to me is that it was carbonated.  Filling a wine bladder and walking through the gates produced a wine bladder mead fountain upon first opening.

Appreciate all the suggestions and hopefully will be able to coordinate a road trip that weekend. Hope there is more to see then the booooorrrrrriiinnnggg ride down I-45 to TRF. Nothing but dust on that ride.

[Avan]

Sounds like I need to replace the contents of my flask collection with water. 

SACRILEGE!!!!


Use a bota for the water and the flask for the thirst quenchers.

[Tanda]

Sounds like I need to replace the contents of my flask collection with water. 

The mead here is too sweet for our taste. So I did order some mead from Redstone. Unknown to me is that it was carbonated.  Filling a wine bladder and walking through the gates produced a wine bladder mead fountain upon first opening.

Appreciate all the suggestions and hopefully will be able to coordinate a road trip that weekend. Hope there is more to see then the booooorrrrrriiinnnggg ride down I-45 to TRF. Nothing but dust on that ride.

Redstone does make non carbonated mead, too. They just specialize in the carbonated.

[Capt Gabriela Fullpepper]

Actually if you want an even better mead try Meadery of the Rockys. the Raspberry and Chocolate Velvet is to die for. I tried Redstone and to me it was like drinking seltzer water and gave me and Toki both bad indugestion. Were as the Meadery of the Rockies (Sadly in Western Colorado) is a far better mead.

[Tanda]

Actually if you want an even better mead try Meadery of the Rockys. the Raspberry and Chocolate Velvet is to die for. I tried Redstone and to me it was like drinking seltzer water and gave me and Toki both bad indugestion. Were as the Meadery of the Rockies (Sadly in Western Colorado) is a far better mead.

We just picked up the Camelot and Guinevere from them....not so yummy. Is there a place along the front range that sells the Raspberry and Chocolate? I'd love to try them.

[Avan]

Meadery of the Rockies is available as some liquor stores here on the eastern slopes.  But not all variety as they have at their place.

[Hercules]

Redstone does make non carbonated mead, too. They just specialize in the carbonated.

I also had ordered their Blueberry mead (one of their non-carbonated meads) since I'm a blueberry junky. Gooood stuff.

Chaucers makes a rasberry mead that's good...but it's easier trying to find virgin in a brothel.   

[Capt Gabriela Fullpepper]

Actually if you want an even better mead try Meadery of the Rockys. the Raspberry and Chocolate Velvet is to die for. I tried Redstone and to me it was like drinking seltzer water and gave me and Toki both bad indugestion. Were as the Meadery of the Rockies (Sadly in Western Colorado) is a far better mead.

We just picked up the Camelot and Guinevere from them....not so yummy. Is there a place along the front range that sells the Raspberry and Chocolate? I'd love to try them.

Any store that has their Mead can get in the Raspberry and Chocolate Velvet

[Norfolk]

One of the most beautiful things about mead is that it comes in so many varieties -- which means you must try them all to determine which you prefer!   

[Tanda]

I also had ordered their Blueberry mead (one of their non-carbonated meads) since I'm a blueberry junky. Gooood stuff.

Ha! I'm drinking that Right This Minute. It's my second favorite of theirs. I realllllly like the plum.

I think this has become a mead thread.  Yay!

[Mistress Charlotte]

Actually if you want an even better mead try Meadery of the Rockys. the Raspberry and Chocolate Velvet is to die for. I tried Redstone and to me it was like drinking seltzer water and gave me and Toki both bad indugestion. Were as the Meadery of the Rockies (Sadly in Western Colorado) is a far better mead.

Ummm what she said!

[Hercules]

Looks as if I've enticed my head wench to tag along (mentioning mead perked her ears up  ).

Any suggestions for POIs on the drive up 287? We're eyeing Cave of the Winds and others in that area.

[Tanda]

Caves of the winds totally! The basic tour is pretty fab (also, naturally air conditioned). The treasure/ghost tour is supposed to be fantastic.
Garden of the Gods is AMAZING. Pretty close to Cave of the Winds. You could do both in one day and still have time for dinner at the Boardmoor. If you are really adventurous, I suggest the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. It's on the side of a mountain! You can feed giraffes and ride a ski lift to the top of the zoo. Also fun, Cheyenne Mountain State Park. It's between Ft. Carson and The Cheyenne Mountain. Like where Norad is. And the Stargate for you geeks. Lots of picnic areas and camping at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. Great trails. And usually a deer or two will try to run you over.

If you want to head up north a bit, there is Lookout Mountain and Buffalo Bills grave near Golden. Worth the drive for the view. You can see the whole of the Denver Metro Area and on a clear day, you can see to Kansas (almost really). Since you are in Golden, you can do the Coors Brewery Tour. They used to give out samples... On the way there you can hit Lair O' the Bear Open Space near Red Rocks and walk through an enchanted forest to see a castle.

If you feel the need to hit Denver proper, The Museum of Nature and Science, the Zoo, 16th Street Mall, Hammond's Candy, and a slew of microbreweries await your time. Also, the Art Museum looks like a castle.

Just a few ideas. 

[Capt Gabriela Fullpepper]

Also Bishops Castle south and west of Pueblo near Belauh, CO it's well worth it as it's a one man project to build a castle.

[Blushing]

If you're visiting Cave of the Winds and Garden of the Gods, check out Manitou Springs ... there are a bunch of natural springs around the town, and it's a neat place to wander as well.

[ladybootlegger]

I should have commented sooner. The Celtic restaurant/bar is no longer open here in Castle Rock, which was so very depressing!!

There is a wine room in the Bubbles Liquor store here in Castle Rock, that has a small section for mead. Some of the mead they sell is locally made. So there is something else to consider.

[Rosamundi]

The Coors brewery in Golden still gives out samples, as of about 6 weeks ago. Tour and samples both are without charge. And the tour's self-guided, so you can mosey on down to that tasting room as quickly or as slowly as you like. Golden is a nice little walk-around town if you can add an extra afternoon to your trip.

[Capt Spleen]

Then there is the "short tour" at the Golden Brewery. You bypass the tour of how beer is made, (and miss a half cup of five ish hour fresh beer)  and go directly to the tasting room. A punch bracelet that lets you have three of your choice beverages. However you can taste dixie cup tastes all day long, no limit.