Palisade, Colorado – April 13, 2013

We decided to go to the bee festival in Palisade, Colorado. Leslie had noticed it in the newspaper a day or two ago.

The town is about 20 miles east of Fruita. It is the epicenter of Colorado’s wine industry. The festival was slated to start at 11:00. But, as is the Vice tradition, we were there by 10:30. We parked right by the railroad tracks. That provided a good view of the mesa to the north.

Since we were a little early, we decided to get a cup of coffee. That would hopefully allow the vendor booths to get fully open and operational. We stumbled upon the Slice O’ Life Bakery on 3rd Street. Just as we entered the door, we could hear guitar music, and then we noticed it was live. The man playing was a little older than Leslie and me. As we sat there enjoying the music and coffee, he played the John Denver song, Country Roads. He played several other tunes from the ’60s and ’70s. Leslie sang right along with each song.

Emerging from the coffee shop, we walked to Lupita’s Bizarre Bazaar, Too. Hillary had been there before. She told us that in a former life, the store had been a bank. At the rear of the store was a vault. Inside the vault is a safe that they supposedly do not have the combination for opening. They invite customers to try their luck. Tyler did not get it open when he tried.
Lupita’s store windows and The Blue Pig Gallery provided some excellent photo opportunities.

Walking around the festival, we did see some adults and children wandering around in bee costumes.
We stopped at The Zesty Moose booth. The couple, Brian and Diana, make all of the spice mixtures and rubs. We bought three different jars to take back to Guyana; Rack Ragin’ Cajun, Twigs n’ Stix Southwest, and Willow of a Dillo Dilly. They all smelled great. We are excited to try them.
Another booth demonstrated how workers remove honey from the hives.

Part of the Bee Festival on West 3rd Street in Palisade, Colorado.

By about 11:30, we were done walking around the festival. Earlier in the day, someone mentioned that The Hot Tomato in Fruita was an excellent place for lunch. Since it was that time of day, we decided we would try it out. We walked back to the van and pointed it back west.
On Interstate 70 there is a turn-out that truckers use often. I pulled over quickly so I could take a panorama photo of Mount Garfield. At two miles and 2,000 feet elevation gain, Hillary said it is one of the toughest trails in the area.

A panorama of Mount Garfield.About 15 minutes later, we were at The Hot Tomato. It was packed, a good sign. Leslie and Tyler had a slice each of pizza with pepperoni, black olives, green peppers, and onions. Lorraine and Aunt Arlene shared a chef’s salad. Hillary and I opted for calzones. She filled hers with pepperoni, black olives, and artichoke hearts. I filled mine with a manly mixture of pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and Italian sausage. It was delicious!!
The restaurant touts its pizza as being made with love. All of the pizzas are hand-tossed. The dough used is made from scratch, not frozen. It all makes for a very fresh, delicious meal. If Leslie let me, I would go there five times a week. For anyone passing through Fruita, this is a must stop!

Tyler preparing to enter the Hot Tomato Cafe.

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