BeetleFest 2009

As some of you may know, Colorado is experiencing a tough time with the Mountain Pine Beetle, (www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05528.html) a pesky little bugger that is singlehandedly bringing down Colorado's evergreen forests. Also called the Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle or the Black Hills Pine Beetle, these little guys can kill millions of trees, effectively changing the landscape and upping the fire danger of previously undamaged areas. There is nothing that can explain the feeling of driving a familiar stretch of road and realizing almost all the trees along it are dead or dying. Or knowing that this death severely affects mountain fire hazards and the Western Power Grid (www.sqlspace.com/viewtopic.php?f+123&t=61506) But Colorado folks being who they are, what do they chose to do? C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E that silly bug. Welcome to Frisco, CO, home of BeetleFest 2009! (www.townoffrisco.com/events/beetlefest/)

Set on the picturesque main street of Frisco, BeetleFest 2009 is an awareness event regarding the beetle devastating the area around the town. Walking up, we spy people of all ages bobbing their beetle antennas, emitting a disco-like reflection in all directions. Evidently they had all participated 4k Beetle Stomp in the morning and were proudly sporting their beetle paraphernalia. And I must mention the dogs wandering by wearing their beetle-beads. Quite a site to behold!
We wandered the booths, taking in all the creative ways self-made folks were utilizing the beetle kill wood - dog dish stands, small trunks, chairs, bed headboard, wine racks and picture frames! Music played in the background, locally brewed beer was served and we opted to stick around for the "best lumberjack show in town." It was actually pretty cool, with all sorts of contests including ax throwing, chopping and log rolling! It was a cheap and cheesy (but fun!) way to spend an afternoon.

After leaving the festival, we decided to check out the Frisco Historic Park and Museum. This is probably one of the most pleasant hidden finds I've discovered in a while. Tucked right off Main Street, the town of Frisco has steadily collected original town buildings to develop a historical park. Each building is stuffed with treasures of yester-year and is free and open to the public. We explored the original jail, checked out children's clothes, wandered through the church and learned about how impactful the ladies of the town had been in history, and in recollecting historical elements. If you are ever in the area and have 2 hours to kill, I would highly recommend checking it out! (www.townoffrisco.com/activities/about-frisco/fast-facts/).

The next day, we opted to visit the town of Breckenridge. Known for it’s skiing, the town of "Breck" (http://www.gobreck.com/) as the locals call it is good-sized ski town, offering a plethora of restaurants, shops and the cutest Starbucks I've ever seen. The Blue River runs through it, allowing for a small "river walk" and stunning views. Being a tourist town, there are plenty of places to take a picture, take a dog or take some down time.

We opted to head to the Breckenridge World Market at the Main Street Station Plaza and check out the goodies. I left with the most amazing loaf of bread I have ever tasted. My "girl getting grubby" buddy left with some new tea and all of us left with a mouthful of yummy samples, including Jackson the Wonder Mutt Alexander, who got some beef jerky from the dog lover running that stand. We were all happy. After a delicious lunch at the Quandary Grille (http://www.quandarygrille.com/), we headed home, fully satisfied with our weekend!