This message is from: "Gail Russell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For those of you who are thinking about going to the stock show to see the Dancing Horses, featuring (at least in part) Beth Beymer and Sandy North and company Fjords , plus, I think, Thorvald from Green Valley Farm in an imaginative quadrille performance......here are a few tips:
Buy the tickets to the Dancing Horses soon. The most desirable sections are sold out. (I just bought mine last night at 2 AM.) They are only $18.00 each, so it is not the end of the earth if you do not get there. There are also other things to do in Denver. Two years ago we went to the Rockmount Ranchwear shop, which has some seconds for sale at very nice rates. These are the original pearl snapped Western shirts. The sewing on them is top notch. Unlike anything you will see elsewhere. Jim wears his all the time. They sell the most beautiful Western-themed silk scarves I have ever seen. Gorgeous colors! You can see their website online. There is also the National Mint. You can get tour ticket reservations (tour may cost a bit when you get there, though I think it is free) online ahead of time. They may be sold out if you try to get them when you arrive. The rodeo at the Stock Show is fun. You should get tickets for the rodeo soon as well. There are also miniature Herefords, a Yak hoof trimming clinic, Agility Dog trials....etc. We went to the Aquarium last year. It was very nice. I had fun with the bright things in the gift shop. We plan to go to the Denver art museum this year. There is an exhibit there about Navajo rug artistry in more recent times that looks very interesting. There is also a Heritage Museum for Black Cowboys, which also includes an exhibit on black soldier units in World War II. It was set up by a black man who was always made to play "Indian" in games with his friends. His friends said there were never any black cowboys. So....he proved them wrong. I gather it is a labor of love. We might also try one of the walking tours. I think I found out about them via tripadvisor.com. Or it may have been thru the "plan your trip" link on the Stock Show website. Finally, a stop in the bar at the Brown Palace, and the chance to go see the winning Hereford steer that is supposedly displayed in the lobby is a good way to start an evening. The best deal I have found for hotels downtown is the Marriot stock show rate. This is a "corporate rate" that you can get by going thru the Stock Show's "plan your trip" section. We will be at the Marriot City Center hotel the night of the 17th, thru the night of the 21st. A long trip, but we decided we just wanted to chill out for a while. The Stock Show is a not-too-expensive cab ride from the hotel. Everything else is within walking distance. Gail
