September 4, 2007

Road Trip Review: The Colorado State Fair

By Stan Dyer

Last spring, when gas prices started to explode, I was afraid it would force everyone off the highways, including me. Well, I was wrong on all counts. I took a number of road trips this summer and the price of gas was barely a consideration. My most recent road trip was probably the last of the season, but my first to the Colorado State Fair.

It started on I-25. The nice thing about the State Fair is that it is only 108 miles straight down the interstate. We used the internet to plan all the restaurants and hotels we needed, then packed the car and headed off. I have never had trouble on I-25 south of Denver until this day. We ran into three traffic jams, but only one was for any reason at all. There was a lone car stalled in the middle of the road near Castle Rock. Even that wasn't so bad as it provided the opportunity to point the camera out the window and capture images of the Rocky Mountains under the beautiful countenance of a partly cloudy September sky. The rest of the way, it was smooth sailing at the posted speed limit of 75 mph. I-25 gets my first rating and receives an A+. South of Denver, it is only two lanes, but generally smooth and with a great view. It is highly recommended for your fuel-efficient vehicle.

About 70 miles south of Denver is the town of Colorado Springs. If you have time, you should stop in. There is a lot to see and do, as well as many nice restaurants to visit and hotels to stay in. An old friend from high school lives in the Springs so we stopped to wish her a happy birthday and share lunch. We met at a new restaurant called the Caspian Café.

The Caspian Café is very easy to find. It is right off the highway at Garden of the Gods Boulevard. Drive east on Garden of the Gods and turn right at your first opportunity. The restaurant is located about ½ block down right behind the "La Quinta" hotel. It looks OK from the outside, but the décor inside is beautiful. They serve Mediterranean food and everything is moderately priced to pricy but fairly good. I had a falafel sandwich and a martini, and both were nice. I wish they wouldn't use crushed ice to make their martinis because too much of the ice melts and waters down the drink. You can try it for yourself when you are in the neighborhood and see what you think. Overall, I rate the restaurant "B-". The falafel was a bit dry, the martini tasted watered and the service was a bit slow. Nonetheless, it was a nice, comfortable and attractive restaurant. We finished lunch, said our goodbyes and headed for Pueblo.

We arrived at our hotel just a bit early and discovered our room was not ready. We were booked at the Pueblo Hotel and Convention Center, 4001 N. Elizabeth Street, and close to just about everything in town. While we waited for our room, we decided to explore the Arkansas River Walk near historic Union Avenue.

The Riverwalk is nice, but it is not finished. Pueblo is doing a lot to their city to restore the glory and attract the tourists, especially the history tourists. The Arkansas River was the main road for trappers and explorers in the early years of the state, and the river itself served as the state's southern border throughout much of its history. I enjoyed exploring the River of Life, the old part of town, and all the history. Pueblo, the Riverwalk and the renovation of history rate a "B+". They are making progress, but they still have a way to go.

Back at the hotel, we arrived to a crowd. I guess many rooms were not ready and most people chose to wait in the lobby. It was another half an hour before we got our key and headed to our room. I was immediately disappointed. Advertised as a Three Star hotel, they might have pulled the "bait and switch" on us. Seriously, I have been in Two Star hotels that were twice as nice for one-third the price. I realize it was the last weekend of the State Fair, but there was no way that room is ever worth $140 any time of year. Fortunately, it was a short stay. I rate the Pueblo Hotel and Convention Center a "D" for misrepresentation, not having our room ready, and a generally weak product. There are other hotels in town, and I think I'll try one of those next time. On to the Fair.

The Fair is relatively close to just about anywhere in Pueblo. The route is clearly marked and fairly easy to locate. Parking can be trouble. I advise parking in the parking lot of the shopping center a mile away and taking the shuttle. I suppose you can park in the neighborhood close to the fairgrounds, but that is probably frowned upon. We were there early enough to pay only $7.00 to park in the church parking lot across the street and it was a good choice.

The cost to enter the Fair is $8.00 for everyone over the age of six. It is worth the price. There is so much to see, I would have to write another article to do it all justice. Of course, there is the rodeo, the animals, the midway, the rides and all the other attractions that one can find at any carnival, street fair or celebration, but this Fair has a whole lot more. After all, it is the entire state of Colorado on display for all to see, enjoy and celebrate.

There are displays, dioramas, exhibits, model trains, dolls, food, contests, music, dancing and fun for the entire family. You will see and experience things here that you are not likely to see anywhere else. More than just a Fair, it is more like a huge block party and the entire state is invited. There is enough to keep anyone interested and entertained for at least one day. One really nice thing about the Fair is that it runs for 11 days instead of just two or three. That way, it never gets too crowded, but, if it should, you can always leave and come back. The whole Fair is done well. It is spread out so that it doesn't get too crowded, it has different things happening all the time, and there is a good variety of attractions. In my book, the Colorado State Fair gets an "A". I would give an A+ if it were closer to home.

While we were in Pueblo, we visited two restaurants and both are worth mentioning. The first is Bellissimo Ristorante Italiano at 4602 N. Elizabeth Street. As you might have guessed, they serve Italian food and it was good. I liked the way the restaurant was decorated, I liked the presentation of the food, and I liked the flavor. It is moderately priced and offers a two-for-one happy hour daily. The only aspect I didn't like about the restaurant was the slow service. It wasn't that busy, but the waiter still had a rough time. Bellissimo rates a solid "A". I think anyone who enjoys Italian would enjoy this place. People can also pick up $25 dinner certificates for only $10 at www.restaurant.com . We did and ours was cheerfully accepted.

The other restaurant we went to was also Italian. It was Angelo's Pizza Parlor and more, 223 S. Union Avenue. There are two locations, but we happened to try the one in the historic district. We liked the décor, the cute, old building, the food, and the service. We had a 19' " Sons of Italy" pizza in the red, white and green theme featuring tomatoes, ricotta cheese and spinach. It was excellent and only $18! The crust was white, but very nice and very fresh. It tasted homemade. The flavor of the tomatoes in the sauce was abundant, but not overdone. It was a very nice, thin-crust but not crispy, pie. I will definitely think about stopping into Angelo's anytime I am near Pueblo. You should too. Angelo's south store rates a solid "A+" due to its nice location, nice food and excellent staff.

Well, all good things must end, and so did this weekend road trip to the Colorado State Fair. Overall, it was smooth, pleasant and relaxing. I am pleased that we Coloradans can still afford to take short road trips and that there are still so many nice ones to take in this state. This trip was an excellent adventure and rates as an "A-". I would have rated it higher, but that hotel was that bad. Everything else was great. Take this road trip and you'll discover why people often say, "It's a privilege to live in Colorado".