Tidbits from Colorado Springs/Old Colorado City

I went on a quasi-staycation a couple weeks ago to Colorado Springs and I thought I'd share some of the awesome places we went to.

First on our list is the Spurs and Lace Bed & Breakfast. This place is adorable. It's a pretty typical B&B but the hosts make all the difference. It is run by Leo and Joyce, who are just the cutest ever. Leo is an 80 year old do-it-yourselfer and former elementary school teacher. Joyce is his lovely wife, who met him when she was a guest and apparently never left!
We upgraded to the Mountain View room when Joyce told us it was available. And, surprise, it had a view of the mountains. Over our breakfast of juice, coffee, fruit, quiche, and some chocolatey baked delight we talked about the world. Leo shared his wisdom, gushed about his love Joyce, and read a joke from his folder.

The nice surprise about Spurs & Lace is that it's within walking distance from Old Colorado City, basically just a little stretch of downtown, which I didn't even know existed. If you've never been there just imagine if Estes Park and Lyons had a baby, it would be something like this street. With the off season rate, convenient location, and wonderful hosts it was quite the treat. It's just a few minutes drive from Manitou Springs and Garden of the Gods as well. Can't wait to go back!
Check out the virtual tour here: http://colorado-bnb.com/spursnlace

Also in Old Colorado City is Thunder & Buttons II. Goofy name, right? Here's the story:
In 1888 a rowdy, Colorado City resident named Prairie Dog O’Byrne (so named because of the prairie dog running in a wheel on the back of his wagon) purchased two bull elk and hitched them to his carriage. He named the elk Thunder and Buttons. O’Byrne and Laura Bell, another infamous West Side character from the red light district, would race the elk drawn carriage up and down Colorado Avenue and down into the heart of Colorado Springs – causing an upset to the gentry. O’Byrne spent most of his time carousing in the 21 saloons lining Colorado Avenue in what is now “Old Colorado City”.  

The food was amazing. We ordered the lettuce wrap appetizers- super fresh and flavorful, and the Schnitzel special. I'd never ordered schnitzel in a bar before so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was outstanding. This place is more than beer and burgers. As if that wasn't enough (we did SHARE though) for dessert we got the Chocolate Decadence--Pecan crust topped with chocolate ganache and caramel sauce. It's the best caramel sauce I've ever had. The crust was simple and perfect with the chocolate caramel combo.

Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area. They've got the standard bar fixings and TVs as well. 

http://www.thunderandbuttons.com/

Next on the list of favorites is Willy's Emporium.

They just so happened to have the grand opening of their new tea room when we were there! Willy's is named after a tiny dog who may or may not greet you from behind the counter. They have a variety of UK themed gifts and snacks, including frozen foods and candy. We tried the tea and crumpets AND the tea and biscuits both with cream and jam, along with a personal pot of Earl Grey and PG Tips. They are so friendly, and just so happen to like all my favorite shows. They really make you feel like you're having tea with your mates and I wanted to stay all day.

Tea party! http://willysemporium.com/About_Us.html

Now for the shopping...

I saw the name Funky Caravan on the front and I knew I had to go in. It's a modern gypsy mecca. There are tons of locally made crafts, funky art, lotions, and jewelry. I told the store owner that I think there's something in there that reminds me of almost everyone I know. I'd think that must be a pretty good compliment for any store...

It took me several turns of picking up and putting down before I could figure out what to finally get my mummy for her birthday! I finally decided on some hand creme for her that she "was practically swimming in" the other day. 

www.facebook.com/TheFunkyCaravan

To be continued....this is enough to chew on for right now!

Chicago Dog Challenge!

For Longmont being the "Chicago Colony" we certainly don't have many places that serve Chicago Dogs. While this is sad, we found 3 of them for the challenge anyway. If you know of any others, please share! 

Dog #1 - Abbondanza Pizzeria

 As you can see, we got ours fully loaded. I didn't expect the cucumber but it was a pleasant addition. Vienna dogs tend to be kinda skinny but the flavor is always good and it's all beef, so that's a plus. All fresh ingredients too. The celery salt and peppers are really what makes it a Chicago Dog and not just a hotdog with stuff.

Dog #2 - Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

 This was also a Vienna hotdog, the same as Abbondanza. It came out hot and the bun was toasted. It had a little less of the toppings but it made it easier to eat, I guess. At 64 cents more with less toppings it falls behind the other one but the lightly toasted bun was really nice. 

Dog #3 - Sonic

The menu says it's an all beef hotdog but I don't know what kind specifically. I've had these a few times and the bun is always a little mushy but it IS piled with lots of onions, peppers, and relish. At almost a DOLLAR less than Abbondanza this is the bargain option. 

The surprise we found with our Chicago Dog challenge is that they were ALL good! I didn't expect them to suck but I thought there would be more variation. So here's our breakdown: 

Dog #1 (3.9 on Jason's 5 star scale)

Pros: Local place, I already go there anyway. Lots of fresh toppings!

Cons: None really...though it costs more than our cheapest option, we try to frequent the local places over the chains when we can. 

Dog #2 (3.8 on Jason's 5 star scale)

Pros: Freddy's staff was very friendly, the dog was HOT, and the toasted bun was a pleasant addition. Drive-thru option is convenient. 

Cons: Most expensive option with not as many toppings. 

Dog #3 (4.0 on Jason's 5 star scale) 

Pros: Loaded with toppings, handy little box for car eating (which I wouldn't advise here...), cheapest option.

Cons: Soggy bun. 

Overall winner: Dog #1 from Abbondanza!
Same amount of dog but more and fresher toppings.

Bargain winner on the Jason scale: Dog #3 from Sonic
The Jason scale is decided largely on price which is why #3 got a higher point than #1. If price wasn't a factor the Abbondanza dog wins there too but since you get about the same amount of food, he felt this was a good value.

Wildcard winner: Dog #2 from Freddy's
The celery salt on the top had a little spice to it and the toasted bun made all the difference.

What do YOU want to see in Longmont?

I just wanted to share some of these things that I found in Casper, WY...a town with 30,000 LESS people than Longmont. We need to up our game. You belong in Longmont...if you like what we've got because we have a tough time welcoming new things.

 

Bugs & Daffy were kind of insane but the restaurant had classic cars, dinosaurs, palm trees...all kinds of awesome stuff. I desperately wanted to go. I can't imagine how packed with families it would be on a regular basis IF we had something like this in Longmont.

My honey is capable of sniffing out any comic or game store. We didn't look for it but there it was. We have a game store in Longmont but no comics. I hear people talk about the one we used to have all the time. They'd definitely visit a comic book store IF we had something like that in Longmont. Again.

This shop was awesome. Beads and jewelry makings, along with custom pieces from local artists. It was a small space full of treasures. A small space like this might last here IF we had something like this in Longmont. Again.

Last but not least...CDs and records. I know it's old fashioned and everything but I still love going to look at CDs. This specific store has been around a long time and is still rockin'. I'd definitely stop in and browse IF we had something like this in Longmont. 

My point here is that I think a lot of people think we can't sustain certain kinds of stores (partly because we haven't had them or because previous stores have closed) or that we'll just go to Boulder. I don't want to go to Boulder unless I have to or choose to. Give me some variety downtown. I know we're getting all kinds of new stuff and I hope it continues! If I could open a kid-friendly comic, music, bead store I'd be all over it. Anybody want to fund that? Eh? Well you know where to find me.