travel

Returning to Cheyenne

| jamiefeinberg

Last week, Ross had a lot of work to get done in the RV, so I agreed to go off on an adventure while he worked. Knowing I had missed some fun stuff on my last trip, and with fond memories of a meal at Dad’s Cafe, I headed back.

Cheyenne is about fifty minutes north of our campground in Fort Collins, so it’s an easy day trip. My first priority was to visit Dad’s Cafe before it closed for the day.Cheyenne, WY | Ross and Jamie Adventure

Dad’s Cafe is completely gluten-free and avoids a lot of other allergens too, like soy and dairy. I had their most popular sandwich, the Reuben, and it was out of this world on their made from scratch bread. I paired it with a pickled cucumber salad.

After an outstanding meal, I drove over to the State Museum, although I realized later I could have walked. The State Museum is free and full of wonderful exhibits on the history of Wyoming as well as special exhibits on the National Park Service, Native American tribes and more.Cheyenne, WY | Ross and Jamie Adventure Cheyenne, WY | Ross and Jamie Adventure Cheyenne, WY | Ross and Jamie Adventure Cheyenne, WY | Ross and Jamie Adventure

I learned a lot and even enjoyed the videos they had available. I loved seeing a coach that was made in New Hampshire! After the State Museum, I headed to Cheyenne Botanic Garden.

This Botanic Garden is also free, and it’s wonderful. It has a beautiful indoor area with gorgeous balconies as well as outdoor gardens with water views and a soon to be completed Children’s Garden that looks incredible.Cheyenne, WY | Ross and Jamie Adventure Cheyenne, WY | Ross and Jamie Adventure Cheyenne, WY | Ross and Jamie Adventure Cheyenne, WY | Ross and Jamie Adventure

I really enjoyed my trip to Cheyenne, and I’m definitely glad I went back. If you enjoyed this, be sure to read about part 1 of my adventures!

A Day in Denver

Botanical Garden, Denver, CO I Ross and Jamie Adventure
| jamiefeinberg

Last week I had a dentist appointment for a cleaning, twenty minutes north of Denver, so Ross and I used it as an excuse to spend the day in the area.Denver, CO | Ross and Jamie Adventure

We first headed to the Denver Zoo, which was Ross’ top choice for the city. While there, we had a wonderful conversation and catch up with Katherine and Morgan, our bosses at Musicalarts, the studio we taught at in Exeter. Denver, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureWe loved seeing them, even if it was way too short, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon seeing animals, including an elephant presentation, and eating BBQ and ice cream (from God Save the Cream, a Denver company).Denver, CO | Ross and Jamie Adventure

The zoo is really wonderful, and being there brought back memories of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and of course Animal Kingdom at Disney World.

After our zoo adventure, we headed to a gaming store for Ross, where he found a Gameboy game he’d been looking for. Then we headed to the Denver Botanic Gardens, which are definitely the most stunning I’ve ever seen. Here we met up with Melanie, a classmate of mine from high school. Melanie and I hadn’t seen each other in about sixteen years, but our conversation was easy and natural, and after closing down the gardens, she agreed to join us at our next destination, High Line Creamery, for some ice cream. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of Melanie.Denver, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureDenver, CO | Ross and Jamie Adventure

Denver, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureMelanie and Ross each got a (reasonable) double scoop, and I got a (not so reasonable) ice cream flight. In fact, the two of them wanted some real food, so I sent them next door to grab burgers (closing time was approaching) while I finished my epic flight. (You can subscribe to In Search of a Scoop for all the ice cream details.)

It was an awesome night, and it reaffirmed a) that we have awesome friends b) that RVing is a great way to see them and c) we love the Denver area.

It’s so strange to realize the summer is quickly coming to an end. And with it, the end of our time in Fort Collins gets closer. We will definitely miss this area, and we know we will be back, but we’ve got some wonderful ukulele classes to teach and performances to share, and lots of family and friends to visit with.

I hope you’re all had a great week and find your own adventure too!

Denver, CO | Ross and Jamie Adventure

RV Tailgating Tips

| jamiefeinberg

If you know Ross and I, you probably know that we are basically clueless about sports and fine with that. So you might be shocked to learn that I was recently asked to blog about RV tailgating tips for Outdoorsy.

I may not care about football, but I know how to research and I like being paid to write. So here’s my article on RV tailgating tips. Enjoy! And thanks for stopping by.

Want us to perform near you? We are seeking work in New Hampshire, particularly places we can perform our original music (cafes, theatres, restaurants, yoga studios, libraries).

Further out, we are booking Raleigh, D.C., Greenville and anything else near those East Coast cities in late November and December. Suggestions and contacts are welcome.

Thanks, and have a wonderful day!

Visiting A Botanical Garden in Fort Collins, CO

| jamiefeinberg

As you may know, I’m a sucker for flowers, nature and gardens of all types. The older I get, the more I realize this is true and seem to embrace it.

For instance, last night I was stressed and tryin to avoid a panic attack. My solution was to take a walk on the nature trail here in the park.

When I started walking, I was wishing I had a friend who’d take my call after 10 pm. By four minutes in, I was filled with gratitude, pure and simple, for my surroundings. It was almost an immediate fix. Telling, right?

So Thursday morning, I made a trip to the City of Fort Collins’ botanical garden. They suggest a donation of $5 for admission, although that felt a little steep to me today. (By next year, that would be a steal, once the construction and expansion are complete.)

I could tell you stories about their outdoor kitchen and Garden of Eaten, and rave about the colors and flowers I saw. But instead, I will just share some photos, so you can enjoy too. Thanks for stopping by! Gardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureGardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureGardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureGardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureGardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureGardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureGardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureGardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureGardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureGardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureGardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins, CO | Ross and Jamie AdventureGardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins, CO | Ross and Jamie Adventure

Knowing When To Say No

| jamiefeinberg

I’ve been struggling recently with knowing when to say no. When do we say no to a job opportunity? A networking opportunity? A discount for a thing we wouldn’t have done otherwise?

I’ve been spending a lot of time working on articulating what is essential and what is flexible in my life. The answers are constantly evolving. What does it take for us to settle down? Is there a perfect job? A perfect location? When does it get close enough to perfect that the difference isn’t of much consequence?

We are truly in love with Colorado. Yesterday we visited Greeley and Windsor; two more great communities in the corridor that we could envision ourselves living in.

And yet, we are nowhere near being able to afford a house here. Is that okay? Will we ever buy a house? Is living in an RV (or maybe a pet-friendly apartment) and renting a small studio space good enough? And if so, how long will that be true?

There are more questions with every answer. For now, we’ll keep the faith and do the work and trust that if we build it, they will come, whether they are clients or job opportunities or a clear next step or location.

Five Coffee Shops Worth A Visit

| jamiefeinberg

When you’re traveling the country in an RV, you don’t necessarily need to stop at coffee shops for a latte or an espresso. But it’s a fun way to discover the local scene, and we’ve really enjoyed visiting cafes across the country.

I recently wrote a blog on this subject for Outdoorsy. Enjoy reading about five coffee shops worth a visit across the U.S.!

We’re looking for contacts for the upcoming fall and winter. Whether you know someone at a school, library, senior center, cafe or other live music venue or anywhere else that might enjoy a workshop or some live music, please let us know! We’re currently seeking connections in Raleigh, N.C. (and nearby), Washington D.C. (and the surrounding area), northern New England and the Boston area, New Mexico and Austin, TX. Thanks in advance for any leads you can provide!

 

Spins on S’mores and more!

| jamiefeinberg

We’ve been truly enjoying our time in Colorado. We keep falling deeper and deeper in love, to be honest. But it’s not all fun and games out here. We’re both working full-time jobs and also continuing our variety of remote work to make a solid income.

We’re continuing to actively book work for the fall and winter too. We’ll be in New Hampshire in October and November, and in the Southwest (mostly southern New Mexico and hopefully Tucson) beginning in December. We’re also looking for work in Austin and en route from there to Austin in March, April or May. Let us know if you have any leads or ideas for venues!

My latest blog for Outdoorsy explored five tasty variations on a classic s’more. Enjoy, and have one for me!

A New Podcast And Campground Savings!

| jamiefeinberg

Hi everyone! I have a few exciting updates for you this week. I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week. We’ve been very busy here in Fort Collins.

Our first big announcement (not news if you’ve followed us on Facebook) is that Ross and I have a new podcast! It’s called Finishing The Season, and it’s a comedy podcast where Ross poses a musical theater challenge and Jamie has to create a season of theater that solves the puzzle. The podcast combines funny banter with musical theater history and anecdotes. Please give it a listen, and if you enjoy it, the best compliment you can give is to subscribe and review our show in iTunes!

Recent episodes have seen Jamie creating seasons for when no men audition, for a season of jukebox musicals, a season featuring Chip Zien and a season of shows from “across the pond”, aka the West End in London. Let us know what you think!

Our other announcement is for those of you who like to camp. Passport America is the best camping membership program out there. For barely the cost of one or two nights of camping, you can pay half price on campground fees for an entire year at campgrounds across the country. We saved big with our membership as we traveled from Florida to Colorado this year (literally hundreds of dollars), and every park that we stayed at was very nice. Some even included great wifi!

If you’re not a member yet, but you’ve got plans to camp this summer. I highly suggest a membership now, using this limited time offer. It includes the following things in addition to your 50% off savings:

  • All new International Camping Directory with over 1,800 RV Parks and Campgrounds
  • Personalized embossed 50% discount camping card
  • FREE trip routing, campground updates & valuable info on-line 24/7
  • FREE Smart Phone App with complete park listings and “Find Park Near Me” feature
  • FREE RV America E-Magazine with updates on new parks
  • A friendly and professional staff who is always happy to serve you!

We’ve found the app works well, and if there aren’t any reviews of the campground in the app, it’s easy to find some on Google instead. You’re probably wondering what the catch is, right? The catch is that each park sets their own limitations on when you can use the card. Some parks let you use it indefinitely. Others will say, for instance, Monday – Thursday nights only, or two nights maximum. Occasionally a park will say you can’t use their wifi if you pay the P.A. rate. But this is the absolute perfect program for finding campgrounds on route to your destination. You’ll have options across the country, and it pays for itself within a couple of nights of camping.

If you sign up with my link, we’ll get a little bit of cash and we’ll both get an extension on our membership. So this is a great way to support us and help yourself too!

Sign up here to take advantage of their summer special, good through June 30th, and each of us will get an extra four months of membership! So you’ll get 16 months for the cost of 12! Be sure to mention Jamie Feinberg, 724347, so that both of us will get our extra months.

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful week!