Salida - Great Stay at the Days Inn

SALIDA, CO LODGING
We needed a room last night in Salida, Colo. and after finding most of the places in downtown Salida to be closed and the one B and B we saw being full, we ended up at the Days Inn. Now, you may not put Days Inn at the top of your list of places to stay, especially in a mountain town, but I wholeheartedly recommend this one. Our room had a mountain-cabin décor (the photo doesn’t do it justice, but do note the mountain views), a table and two chairs, an easy chair, a comfy bed, wi-fi, HBO and a mini-fridge – all for $79. There was a hot tub on the property and the free continental breakfast offered various hard-boiled eggs, bread products, cereals, juice and yogurt. Not a feast, but enough to get you going. Best of all, the male innkeeper was very friendly and attentive, offering restaurant suggestions and checking in that everything was to our liking. I’m not sure, but it seems to be a family operation. It’s not a surprise that, according to the Days Inn website, “the Days Inn Salida is proud to be the only Days Inn in Colorado to have been awarded the Chairman's Award for Quality three years in a row.” The Chairman’s Award recognizes hotels that consistently meet and exceed the Days Inn’s quality standards. Definitely give the Days Inn a call if your travels bring you to Salida.
What ranks as your best Colorado lodging experience? Please use the comments feature to let me know.

Colorado Dragon Boat Festival

THINGS TO DO - DENVER
We spent the weekend enjoying the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival at one of Denver’s best, but lesser known public parks: Sloan’s Lake.

There was plenty to see and do, and of course eat. For me it was delicious Sesame Chicken (and I’m not normally a fan) from the wonderful Imperial Chinese Restaurant, located on South Broadway when not at the festival. My husband opted for the “monkey balls” from another vendor. When he asked what they actually were, the vendor replied, “monkey balls.” Questionable name aside, the, um, delicacy (???), received two thumbs up.

Besides the food, we enjoyed the various booths representing festival sponsors and all sorts of Asian wares. Highlights included the yurt promoting the upcoming Genghis Kahn exhibition at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and the Denver Mint booth. The Mint was offering a mini economic stimulus plan, giving out the newly minted quarters for Guam and Puerto Rico. (No, you should not actually spend these.) We also picked up one of the new pennies. Did you know they are being redesigned to include scenes from President Lincoln’s life? They are as cool as the quarters – perhaps cooler given the smaller size – and remind me that the Mint is one of those places I need to visit. Whenever you think you’ve seen it all, there’s always more to see and do in Colorado!

Anyway, the real reason for the festival is the races themselves. It’s fun to watch the heated competitions and see the beautiful boats, set against a soaring mountain backdrop.

We ended our time at the festival watching Denver Taiko perform on Japanese Taiko Drums. They were amazing. I wouldn’t think drums were something that would appeal to me, but the performance was filled with emotion and energy and was definitely worth experiencing.

Mark your calendar for the last week in July 2010. The festival will celebrate its 10th anniversary and is sure to be better than ever.

Did you attend in 2009? If so, please use the comments feature to know what you thought of the festival.