Hey Beav....

[subymtnguy]

Delbert McClinton on the stereo....Sunset on the Continental Divide...Hwy 103, Bergen Park to Idaho Springs....
New: struts (all around)
steering rack
tie rods
ball joint
rear bearings

How sweet it is!

[Beav]

My sister always thought I said that I was going to King Soopers in 'Burp 'n Fart'.

I'm jealous. I used to go for Sunday drives before everyone got up (all the women in my life have been late sleepers.) What's the name of the little bar in Bergen Park, next to the satellite tv store? They always had great huevos rancheros on Sunday mornings.

In the afternoon, years ago, you could stop there for a beer or two, mosey down the road to the Tack Room (now the Conoco station) and shoot a game with Willie and the boys (before the IRS 'absorbed' his home, etc.) catch some bbq in Kittredge or mex in Morrison followed by closing the Little Bear.

How about a nice drive to Sphinx Park for an excellent burger, then on to Pike's Peak? I used to love hanging out at the Tollgate in Central City on Sunday afternoons before they ruined the town(s). I see a pattern starting here....

[subymtnguy]

"Whipple Tree" is the bar in Bergan Park. They still have Great Mex food, always have...

Central City is a ghost town.... only three casino's left....most of the buildings on Main St are empty and deteriorating. I worked at the Teller House for 4 years; right up till they closed in Feb 2000. I miss the free summer music festivals....I remember when the Tollgate had live music on Sunday afternoons.
Central is really a depressing place now....

The Little Bear still jams....Remember Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with all the bikes parked up and down the street? They sure have the best live music, and the women come from miles around...

Idaho Springs has 3 bars but they are mostly for the tourists....
When in Idaho Springs, drink at the Elks...It is the "safe" place to drink....(Thats where the local cops hang)....

[Beav]

I used to repair the Idaho Springs police cars at Midas on Colfax years ago - they were driving a couple, uh, well-used AMC Eagles then.

I always had an appreciation for the ceiling 'insulation' (and how it was applied over the years) at the Little Bear. On rare occasions PBS will play a 'Live at the Little Bear' (pre-recorded, of course), I caught one episode in MO a few years ago, it made me homesick.

Did the business just go away or did the environmental impact kill off the casinos? Between you and me I'm kinda happy to hear it, though I'm sure the locals enjoyed some of the prosperity it brought for a while. Hopefully the Tollgate will eventually return to being a fun place on Sunday afternoons again.

I was scheduled to do vacation there last summer, spend a few days at Harmel's on the Taylor River, hit a few Oktoberfests, etc. Unfortunately my visit was deferred by the cardiologist. I do, however, still have the reservations and plane tix to do it this year - just have to sit down and pick a date. For those of you that don't know much about Colorado, check out www.harmels.com one of many 'Dude' ranches in the mountains.

[subymtnguy]

Beav, greed and city politics killed the casinos in Central City.
When gaming was allowed in 92 (wimp limited stakes, $5), it was seen as a way to prevent the three historical mining from crumbling away into history....The great old buildings in Central City, Blackhawk, and Cripple Creek, were boarded up with no maintenance being done and deteriorating rapidly.

The gaming companies came in, renovated these great old buildings, bringing them up to code, improved the infrastructure of the towns, and built a tax base....The roads were gettin plowed, things were looking up.

There was always a segment of the local population who were against gaming. They remembered Central "in the good ol' days, with plenty of bars, few rules, and general non-conformity of old mountain towns...

Central imposed a building moritorium; and Blackhawk said "come on down! build what you want!", and thats exactly what they did. Centrals "device" fees are $400 bucks more per year than Blackhawk; $300 more than Cripple Creek....

The rest is history...Blackhawk won the war, and Central looks like a ghost town with 90% empty buildings.
Good or bad....depends on your perspective. Kind of a mixed bag. Being the free market capitalist that I am, gaming is a success. Do I miss the good ol' days? yea....but Centrals casino days were better than what exists now. They are so broke they can't even pay the bills...

( I have 3+ inches of fresh spring snow on the ground, and its still snowing! severily needed...)