June 29, 2013 The 11th Annual Blues from the Top!

Today is a day we've had planned even before we left Florida!We are going to a Blues Festival in Winter Park,Colorado. We try to hit at least one Blues Festival during our travels! Most Blues Festivals start around noon & the last act is around 10:00pm due to city noise ordinances. This Blues Festival starts at 10:00am & the last act is 5:30pm! Maybe Winter Park has a difference noise ordinance??? Or maybe it's due to the mountainous roads? Anyhow......no lingering over breakfast today. We have to get a move on. Winter Park is a neighboring town to Idaho Springs, but you have to factor in mountain miles vs regular miles!!!

And Otis....oh no, he's not going with us! We arranged when we arrived here at Cottonwood RV Park, the owner said she would give Otis a potty break while we're at the festival. My question is, will she let Otis potty on the "SACRED" grass, cause she doesn't look like the type to climb the mountain!?! This is one time I wish Otis could talk so he could tell me where she walked him!?! "See ya later Otis, we won't be that late & Dad will most likely bring you a McDouble"....... And we're off!!!

& then we get there!!! This is the first Blues Festival we've ever been to that they provided chairs!?! We have our own chairs,& they've got a lot of BLUES miles on them!

The day started out real iffy, weather wise! We'd barely staked out of spot when dark clouds started rolling in. Rainy weather can really give a Blues fan "the Blues"! The first act, a young kid barely out of High School, Austin Young band, played their set in rain drops.Then.....happy day, the sun came out!

There were 7 different acts, we enjoyed them all!

We had our favorites tho! 

Albert Castigila is from Ft Lauderdale,Florida we've seen him perform at several festivals!

          "Mud" Morganfield, a Chicago Bluesman, is the eldest son of the infamous BLUES singer, 

                                                               Muddy Waters!

We had never seen "Mud" perform before, tho we had seen his younger brother "Big Bill Morganfield" I was glad we got the chance to see "Mud" perform, he sounds a LOT like his famous father!

The last act performing was the act I was waiting for! Ronnie Baker Brooks.We've seen him quite a few times, along with his father, Lonnie Brooks.

He also has a younger brother, 

                                Wayne Baker Brooks he performs with, but not this festival???

In between each act, they had a side stage set up with students through the school program, Keeping The Blues Alive performing. These kids were really good!!! One girl, now 18 had been performing through the program since she was 11 years old! In fact the very first act today, Austin Young, he started out in the school program. So who knows, maybe one of these days some of the young kids that performed on the side stage will graduate to the main stage as future Blues performers???

Didn't I tell you Lennie would get his dog a McDonalds treat!?! We learned that every McDonalds dollar menu Doesn't have the same items for $1.00??? When we ordered Otis' McDouble & the voice said $1.51 We were shocked!!! Lennie told the girl at the window, that their McDonalds won the prize! Our dog has had a McDouble in 49 states, & this was the most expensive one!!!!

Okay Otis, here you go!

Now tell me.....where did that lady take you potty today!?!