The Salida Cafe, formerly Bongo Billy's, is a place for many occasions. Want local and national live music? Check their performance calendar. I went to Arvel Bird's concert last year and was moved to tears. Hauntingly beautiful celtic fusion music. Salida Cafe has a music venue with musicians playing every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.   Mountain Phoenix coffee is also roasted in town and served at the Salida Cafe. We live 2 blocksd from the roastery and wake up, stumble out and luxuriate in the smell of the beans. 01/09/2012

  About 15 years ago, I got my first brewmaking kit for christmas. I made beer for friends and family for about 5 years and loved it. It was a great challenge and a social endeavor. We moved to a place where nobody had the interest or ingredients so I quit making beer.   This December, my son Taylor took my place. My brother and I got him set up with all the equipment and spent time over the holiday teaching him all the steps. My brother Dan is also a very good brewmaster. Although I had switched to red wine as my drink of choice, I reverted for those few days.... good homebrew is hard to beat. Colorado is 2nd in the nation for homebrewers per capita... a popular hobby. And, Denver ranks #1 in the nation for the number of homebrewers per capita. Brew shops are popping up everywhere wit... 01/06/2012

Living in Salida Colorado is a blessing. In 2008, Diversion Magazine called Salida "one of the 10 best places you've never heard of". To date, that is still true. If you are an outdoor enthusist, you can engage in archery, biking, camping, climbing, fishing, four-wheeling, golfing, hiking, hunting, kayaking, picnicking, rockhounding, skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, or a world-class zipline tour. If you want to walk in town, Salida Colorado has the largest historic district in Colorado. Downtown Salida is on the National Register of Historic Places and is Colorado's largest historic district. And, there are walks everywhere, from neighborhoods, to trails through town and along the river to extended hikes   Stay tuned... More on Salida Colorado and Salida Colorado Real ... 01/04/2012

     One of the reasons I love Salida Colorado is that it is known for being dog friendly. For me and my family, that works. We don't have working dogs but just family dogs (the photo is of my son Sean's dog..isn't he a doll?) Many of the restaurants (the ones with patios) allow dogs... the well mannered ones on leashes. Folks take their dog for a walk and then come into one of the establishments to meet friends and dine or have a refreshing drink. Since the Arkansas River runs right through downtown, the water dogs have a blast frolicking, catching balls and just hanging out in the water. It is not rare to see a dog fetching, a kayaker practicing, and someone fly fishing just upstream from it all.                           Gone to the Dogs, run by Tony Bussing is right downtown and a ... 12/29/2011

  Come soak or swim in the Salida Pool Our area is known by hot springs enthusiasts for lots of soaking places...some very primitive and some quite elegant. The closest to Salida is actually right in town. Fed by a hot springs just out of town, the soaking pool and lap pool are a joy. You can come in for the day for $8, join for 6 months (winter season) for $130, lap swim in the morning for $5 and more.   There IS chlorine in the water but it is minimal. And, there are times you cannot get in..the community swim team and kayak classes use the pool as well. My partner Micheal goes every night to wind down and get his quotient of heat. If you soak in the evening, you will see him. Say hello! 12/18/2011

Yep, that is a mountain that is decorated every year the day after Thanksgiving. Our parade is fabulous and fireworks got off on the top.  It stays lit throughout the holiday season ... lovely.  I took Jack, my dog down and the fireworks were a little loud for him to we sought safety in our favorite dog trainer's place "Gone to the Dogs" who stayed open that night.. It felt like a waiting room for a psychiatrist. 6 dogs were in there in various stages of noise anxiety and Tony, the owner/trainer was working on them all! Jack and I left when he calmed down and finished watching the parade. I love my Colorado River Town! You can find the original of this picture on Karine's blog, http://ponosmom.blogspot.com/2009_12_01_archive.html 11/30/2011

What a day yesterday was... 62 degrees, no wind, and in Salida CO no less! I took the afternoon off and had an adventure. I will share below with photos.           Hurry up and eat Rio! Jack and I are ready to take a ride on this lovely fall day!       Might as well clean up the pasture while he is eating... oh yeah... Jack says "There is nothing better than fresh droppings to roll in!" Now, don't you wish you were with us?   11/30/2011

  A client of mine moved out of her home in Salida CO and I listed it... great condition, great price and within no time.... a great  buyer. The home inspection was assumed by all to be a formality... but no... the ugly head of hidden water damage appeared. Her washing machine was leaking at the faucets and had been... very slowly but over months... it was only seeping into the floor, subfloor and the wall behind the machine. All of a sudden we had mold damage, rotted subfloors and walls, moldy carpet and major damage to the subfloor. Again, we were not worried...insurance would cover it.  What we learned is to tell your clients to read your insurance policy carefully. Her policy specifically stated that it would not cover hidden water damage or damage that occurred over time... both o... 11/27/2011