Dillon Amphitheater, stunning view of Lake Dillon and Buffalo Mountain in the background. Photo by Laura Young Lampe.

The Drive from Montrose, CO to Vail, CO: Laura Arrives

We have been admittedly light on music this summer, but with the move, being new in town and not too many pet sitters, not to mention Paul’s broken wrist, music was thin. So we were all really excited to go do a “JRAD Mini-Tour” in the Colorado Mountains. I drove from Montrose to Vail, picking up Laura Young Lampe along the way. Laura is a dear friend and partner in crime when it comes to seeing Grateful Dead music. This time was not different. I miscalculated what time Laura was to arrive, and wound up at Brooke and Warren’s for a glass of wine on their back deck. They are our old neighbors from our old neighborhood in Gypsum. We watched Laura’s plane land from Brooke and Warren’s deck, and I took off to get over to the airport, literally four minutes away. I only had to circle the airport once while Laura walked the short distance from the gate to the sidewalk outside. Eagle County Airport is an easy one as far as airports are concerned.

It was just Laura and me, so girls’ night out as we made our way to dinner at the Craftsman, and then the Grand Hyatt in West Vail for our first night in Vail. We found the bar at the Grand Hyatt and had a nightcap before getting to our room. It was a pretty mellow, easy evening, and really great to see Laura.

Eagle County Airport with a dusting of snow, earlier in the year. Photo by David Syphers

The Important Matter of Coffee

Wherever Paul and I travel, the first thing of major importance when we wake up is coffee. It is usually him urging me to locate a coffee option in line with our exacting standards: Some sort of vegetarian food, good coffee, preferably in a cool coffee shop. You see, we are admitted, coffee snobs. Laura likes her coffee regular drip, and mine has to be a quad latte with steamed oatmilk. During this trip, was I successful in finding good coffee? Yes, and no, the Grand Hyatt quad lattes were good! In Dillon, on the other hand, the drip coffee was decent but no espresso anywhere to be found. You win some, you lose some. My quad latte from the other day almost made it to day 2!

Everybody Arrives: Night One Is ON

Friday morning, after coffee, showers, general milling around, oh yeah, and a mediocre breakfast at the hotel, Laura worked, and I wrote. Then I met Brooke at the Vail Brewing Company, and she told me to come get Warren because he really wanted to go. I appreciate that because her parents were arriving that day. After meeting Brooke, I went back to the hotel and continued writing in the hotel lobby so Laura could work, and Laurie Caradonna called me! Another partner in crime! So I stopped by the hotel, and then there were three. Laura joined us, and we ended up going down valley to Gypsum to get Warren. Back to the hotel and meeting Paul and Gibby, and then there were six! Pretty shortly, the party was in full swing, and we found ourselves at the Vail Brewing Company (yes, I was there twice that day!). About the Vail Brewing Company: We have spent many a pregame there before Vail shows, and this one was no different. We saw all the usual suspects, and spent a tad longer than we meant, ran Gibby back, and then headed to the show. The magic of Vail’s Ford Amphitheater soon came together. Music, friendship, laughter, and the beauty of the place all came together and had that mesmerizing, joyful effect.

The Cast of Characters: Wendy, Laura, Laurie, Paul, and Warren. Night One: From pregame at Vail Brewing Company to sunshine in Vail and an evening with JRAD and friends. Photos by Laura Young Lampe, Wendy Stieg, and Paul Lampe

JRAD: Night One in Vail

Joe Russo's Almost Dead, or JRAD, got its start on the East Coast playing Grateful Dead music. As the Dead said, the music never stops, and many continue to carry on the joy and the music. JRAD is among the best. Friday night did not disappoint, and they opened with a bang. My three favorite songs that night were the first one, “Beat It on Down the Line,” and also in that first set, “Scarlet Begonias,” no surprise there, and then in the second set, I was delighted to hear “Cats Under the Stars.” Not everyone is as into the Grateful Dead as we are. But for those of us who are “on the bus,” there is nothing better. That first night was amazing and truly magical. We saw more people we knew and spent the evening under the stars in the magic that is the Ford Amphitheater. Truly one of Colorado’s best concert venues.

Vail Amphitheater.

Photos by Laura Young Lampe

Three People, One Dog and Apparently Enough Stuff for Ten

Next morning: check out. Paul brought Warren back down valley, back home to family and in-laws, while Laura and I had another mediocre breakfast at the hotel. That and a bad Bloody Mary. This morning we had to gather everything up. Laura marveled at our mass of stuff for “just a few days.” She said she couldn’t believe we traveled to Europe, us with a wedding no less (we eloped in Portugal in 2023). Part of our desire to bring everything but the kitchen sink has to do with our elderly gentleman Labrador, Gibby. He needs a special diet, diapers, a bed, and then rubber sheets to cover hotel beds. Just not taking any chances with a leaky elderly Lab! She still wasn’t so sure. We had coolers, multiple backpacks, bags, toiletries, various dog detritus, including food that has to stay refrigerated, and other random items. I talked the bellman into letting me borrow the bell cart, delivered the overflowing cart to the lobby, and then to the car. It looked like ten people were checking out, not three plus a dog. Most of it belonged to Paul and me. Guilty as charged for bringing too much stuff! So we loaded everything, met Paul near the valet area, and headed for Silverthorne.

Traveling with Paul is always its own adventure. Read:How to Travel Without Killing Your Partner.

On to Summit County

Eagle and Summit Counties butt up next to each other. East Vail is affectionately known as West Copper, and the drive over Vail Pass is incredibly scenic. The plan was to meet our friend Dave Kaplan-Gomez in Silverthorne and go to the show with him. We headed to another brewery. Breweries have been huge in Colorado for decades. There is something unique about Colorado breweries, and Angry James is no different. Silverthorne has seriously grown up in the past ten years. Gone are the days of the Ba and the Mint. Now it’s pretty fancy, and the last vestiges of a blue-collar town are still there, if you know where to look.

It is very Summit County to run into people you know all over town, and this trip was no different. Brandon Graff, an old friend, was bartending, as was Conor O’Brien, and later his wife, Sara Ehinger-O’Brien. Sara, Conor and I go back a long way. Sara was once my boss and is still my dear friend. She used to run the restaurant in what was then Keystone’s “The Inn,” off Highway 6, between The Goat, a longtime rough local bar, and The Snake River Saloon, not much smoother! Both bars have been there for years. This is near the River Run side of Keystone and not far from Arapahoe Basin. Very Summit County. We later checked in to the Hyatt Place, formerly The Inn, but never made it to either nearby bar, which is probably a good thing.

More Colorado adventures: We Didn't Know We Were Moving to One of Colorado's Greatest Base Camps.

Dillon Amphitheater, And THAT View

Many people cite Red Rocks as the greatest venue in Colorado. Red Rocks is spectacular, but different. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite. I think between Vail’s Ford Amphitheater and Dillon’s Amphitheater, both are amazing. Vail is more intimate, and Dillon is incredibly scenic. Imagine seeing Peak One and Mt. Royal behind Lake Dillon in a concert under the stars. That’s Dillon Amphitheater. That and the huge Colorado sky.

Spectacular Dillon Amphitheater. Photo by Laura Young Lampe

Night Two: Old Friends Everywhere

It isn’t just the beer that is intoxicating; it is the incredible mix of music, old friends, the view, friends we came with, and the night sky with the backdrop of mountains behind the lake that create such magic. JRAD is the cherry on top of an amazing cake. I saw old friends, families (also friends) of kids I used to coach for Team Summit, and now one of those kids is a SENIOR in high school! Plus people I have known for decades. The feeling of belonging and happiness is amazing. I miss living here, and still love that feeling you get when you are here. Combine that with me slipping in mountain mud and redecorating my white jeans, and the evening was in full swing.

JRAD Night 2, Dillon Amphitheater. Photos by Laura Young Lampe, Wendy Stieg, Brandon Graff, and a couple of random strangers.

Night Two and another WHAM! The night began with Samson and Delilah, and we were off to an amazing start. I will attempt to give you my three favorites for Night Two. My favorites were Samson and Delilah, Here Comes Sunshine, and Althea. Set Two, JRAD did an incredible combination of Fire on the Mountain into I Know You Rider. So perfect for Colorado! The Fire was JRAD that night, and fortunately not too much Cool Colorado Rain. OK, I could not stick to just three, but it was amazing! The magic continued throughout the night, and I could not stop smiling. Between seeing Cindy and Justin Dean, Rachel Assardo Keller, as well as Todd and Shantell Caldwell, plus spending the evening with Laura Young Lampe, Dave Kaplan-Gomez, Christian Frohm, and Paul, what could be better?

More music, road trips and memories: March’s Experience: A Memoir.

And Then There Were Four

As with all good things, the show came to an end. It was pretty typical how the closing music seemed to keep people in the amphitheater, and people were dancing to the music even after the band left. But leave we did, and said goodbye to everyone. Dave drove us back to the Hyatt Place, and we made it safely back to our hotel room. So then there were four, and I took Gibby out for his final bathroom break along the Snake River.

The next morning, a slightly better breakfast, this time a Mimosa, and we brought Laura back to the Eagle County Airport and decided NEXT year, we will go on JRAD Tour!

Lots of walks for Gibby. Photo by Wendy Stieg

The Long Way Home

Interstate 70 closes a lot. Sunday was no different. Paul and I continued our way from Gypsum and stopped in Glenwood for sushi lunch at Zheng's. As we were leaving lunch, Gibby was hanging out with us outside on the patio; we decided that even though Interstate 70 had reopened, we wanted to take the scenic route. Our usual route takes us on I-70 through Palisade, then past Clifton on Highway 141 and later Highway 50.

This time we went through Carbondale (pronounced Car-BAHN-duh-lay by Paul) and over McClure Pass. Past the coal mine and on to Paonia. This route was maybe 20 minutes longer, but so much less stressful than I-70. The payoff was a quaint little brewery to wind down the trip, known as the Paonia United Brewing Co.

The Brewery in Paonia. Photo by Wendy Stieg

I love going this way. It reminded me of one of my favorite birthdays, when Paul took me to Avalanche Ranch, also found by going this way. If you have never been to Avalanche Ranch, and you love private hot springs, what’s keeping you? Go!

So after our beautiful scenic trip through a less-traveled section of Colorado, we were home to kitties, arriving at around 8 p.m. That and our own bed. Ahhhh, what a joy-filled weekend!

Our Colorado JRAD Mini-Tour