Adventures
Golden Bee’s 50th Anniversary Scavenger Hunt
Introduction
Yesterday, in celebration of The Golden Bee’s 50th Anniversary, a scavenger hunt took place. We were one of ten teams to enjoy a day playing in the city in search of little golden bees (each about the size of a quarter).
The situation was ironic, in that we were participating in a scavenger hunt for the Golden Bee when, on my 30th birthday, a scavenger hunt assembled by my wife, led to the Golden Bee and a half yard of ale.
The Team
Many teams choose to walk, some used bicycles, and others used cars and a combination of walking/driving. In our case, we used scooters, figuring they were nimble and easy to park in tight, downtown spaces…and using sidewalks and back alleys in a few instances only added to the experience. We called ourselves “The Swarm”. Excellent choice, Mike.
The Rules
- Start the bee hunt at 12pm.
- Take a photo of the bee in its hiding spot.
- MMS the photo to the designated Golden Bee phone number including team name and location.
- Find as many bees as possible before 5pm then meet at Bristol Brewery for final results.
The Clues
Each clue is listed below including point value.
- +1. Bees like the sweet stuff…follow the neon light and you’ll lick it.
- +2. Bee’s Rock! You want to find where this bee’s hiding? The key is elevation and to find a smiling face.
- +1. This bee is tripping the light fantastic with a very celebrated Colorado Springs couple.
- +3. This pumpkin may not be in a patch, but you better have eyes like a hawk to find this bee.
- +3. Only Pretty Bees are Jamming.
- +1. I reckon if you mosey up to this tall, topical Stranger he’ll point you in the direction of a bee…or a hoedown.
- +2. If I were looking for a bee, I’d start somewhere obvious, like in fields.
- +3. When rebel Bees need to resurrect their image this is where they go.
- +3. Do Bees speak Yiddish? Do fish dream? Take a break over a Bristol Ale and discuss amongst ya’selves.
- +1. Bees know even during rush hour it’s important to take time to slow down, stop and smell the flowers.
- +2. When the first Bees settled in this area, they were so happy that they gathered to take a group photo together.
- +1. When a bee is getting ready to take a trip around the world, he must perk up with caffeine buzz.
- +3. Go back in time to 1888 with Alice Bee-mis Taylor.
- +2. Before a Bee plays hokey he drinks Car Bombs and Compass IPA on Nitro.
- +3. There’s one Bee left in inventory at this artsy hotspot. If at first he’s hard to find, keep your chin up.
- +2. If you’re blue and don’t know where to go to why don’t you go where fashion sits…and get a tee time at 9:00.
- +2. This towering geometric, psychedelic hiding spot is a prickly place to spot a Bee.
- +1. This Bee’s hiding out with a bandito, hiding on a wooden saguaro.
- +2. This Bee was framed while buzzing through the Hibiscus Tiliaceus.
- +3. You don’t need a map to find this bee…you’ll find him next to his ultimate booty.
- +3. This Bee is hiding in the patch…keep your eyes peeled for the baseball mitt and you might find him.
- +3. In brightest day, in blackest night, no Bee should escape your sight. Look for the red lantern to illuminate and shed light.
- +2. This Bee is no Jerk, he’s hanging with the Father of the Bride.
- +1. If it wasn’t for this guy, The Bee wouldn’t be here.
- +1. This Bee is abuzz for our Famous art on the streets.
The Result
Kate built the following photo collage that captures all 25 hiding locations. The result is quite cool (click to enlarge).
Conclusion
The entire event was a blast. I really love scavenger hunts because you always discover something new about the city you live in. There is always a hidden alley, shop you’ve not been to yet, undiscovered street, etc. that makes the scavenger hunt worth more than just the game itself. The clues were not easy to solve but we did manage to solve ALL clues by 4:40pm. Whew.
For our accomplishments, we were awarded first prize, two Bristol pint glasses, personalized Golden Bee mugs, V.I.P. passes to this Friday’s dinner and tapping of Bristol’s first cask of the “50th Anniversary ESBee” ale. Oh, yeah!
Thanks, Golden Bee!
Pueblo Art
Kate and I were in Pueblo, CO and the surrounding area for the majority of the weekend. While there, I managed to capture random shots of building wall art within a two to three block radius of the El Pueblo History Museum. Make sure to stop by the museum if ever in the area. They’ve done an excellent job with the facility and don’t be fooled by the art gallery within - there is more to it than the initial atrium.
(click to view)
Just south of the museum, is the Pueblo Riverwalk. There is much to enjoy along this walk but the most striking is an excellent bronze statue of a Lakota woman that has excellent life-like detail:
(click to view)
We plan to return soon, on two-wheels, once the weather warms up a bit more and travel the nearby and scenic Frontier Pathways. Besides, I bought a jar of some tasty cinnamon honey butter in Westcliffe, CO that might need replenishing by then.
Seriously, this is good stuff!
Pagosa Springs
Roughly four hours after leaving the Dirty Devil, I reached Pagosa Springs, CO. As you head north from Pagosa Springs on Highway 160 you ride through a beautiful valley before ascending over Wolf Creek Pass and into the highlands where the Great Sands Dunes can be seen from many miles away. Here is a shot of the fall colors:
Three hours later, after this shot was taken, I was back home again safe and sound with another great Torrey ride completed.
Dirty Devil
After riding the surrounding area of Torrey yesterday, we packed up camp and began our ride home taking Highway 24 east to Highway 95. The following are pictures from atop the Dirty Devil overlook:
(click to view)
Highway 95 continues on from this point for many scenic miles. Eventually Brant headed south through the Valley of the Gods to Arizona and I to the east to ride through the southern parts of Colorado.
Goblin Valley
While in Torrey, UT we spent the afternoon riding what is called “Sweeper Madness”. The start of the run can be reached by taking Highway 24 out of Torrey to Lyman where you ride Highway 72 to I-70. The sweepers are numerous and yield well to high speeds. Once reaching I-70, you head east until you pick up Highway 24 again which leads to Hanksville. Just before Hanksville is a little state park known as Goblin Valley. Here are a some shots from this beautiful and mesmerizing area (a true hidden treasure of the area):
(click to view)
Wonderland RV Campsite
As mentioned earlier, I returned to Torrey this year for Torrey XX to catch up with an old friend as well as other familiar faces. We camped at the Wonderland RV which IS my favorite spot to stay while in Torrey. The site is always well maintained including the bathroom/shower facilities. Here are a few pictures from the day:
Rampart Reservoir
We camped at Rampart Reservoir this weekend for an End of Summer Celebration arriving on Friday night and heading home Saturday afternoon. Had we not had another party to attend to on Saturday night (yeah, yeah - rough, I know), I definitely would have enjoyed camping Saturday night as well.
The weather was perfect and we were in excellent company as many in the group are talented musicians and home brewers. I think we crashed around midnight on Saturday after many hours of sitting around the fire pit listening to the jam sessions.
On Saturday morning, we hiked down to the reservoir and Kate and I were able to go kayaking for the first time. The rhythm of controlling the rudder with your feet and keeping my paddle in sync with Kate’s lead was a little awkward at first (like rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time) but after a few minutes I got the hang of it and off we went into the depths of the reservoir. I was addicted immediately. I guess the gang likes to kayak the Flaming Gorge every year (beautiful area if you’ve never been). I’m determined to join next year’s adventure but, of course, that requires an equipment investment first so we’ll see.
The following are random pictures from the adventure:
South Park Basin
As announced earlier, we road through the South Park Basin to South Park City (located in southern Fairplay, CO) for breakfast. This might possibly be my second favorite basin area where you can see mountains for miles (besides Highway 17 which runs by the Great Sand Dunes National Park). In the case of the South Park Basin, you can at least count 8+ 14′ers from the summit overlook. The following is a panorama from the summit:
(click to view)
Just beyond the summit and into the basin itself, we encountered some hot air balloons:
(click to view)
…and finally we landed in South Park City:
(click to view)
As for breakfast, stopped at the Brown Burro Cafe just off of main street in Fairplay. The food wasn’t outstanding but also wasn’t bad either. Definitely hit the spot, though.
The ride home was the same as the one up. Had I been feeling better, I would have been tempted to loop up through Breckenridge, Leadville, and Buena Vista back into the Springs. Some other time.
Once again, another great ride.
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