EAT KCK - 14 Stops on the Kansas City, Kansas Foodie Trail

Burnt Ends, one of beautifully smoked meats we enjoyed on this food tour of Kansas City, Kansas

Story and photos by Jerome Shaw

Mention barbecue and Kansas City is sure to come to mind as one of the locations that is famous for creating this American culinary classic.  But, which KC are you imagining?  Kansas City, Missouri or Kansas City, Kansas, the little brother of KC-MO?

KCK is no slouch when it comes to BBQ and certainly no one's little brother or sister.  KCK can hold its own with KC-MO and any of the other pretenders to the BBQ throne.

I was recently privileged to eat my way through KCK on a trip hosted by Visit Kansas City Kansas.  I’ll probably be accused of keyword stuffing by Google for the number of times I’ve used “Kansas" in the first 3 paragraphs but I want my readers to know with certainty what KC I'm talking about. It was an intense 48 hours of eating and it started off with a outdoor welcome dinner at the Chateau Avalon Hotel and Spa catered by five of best BBQ restaurants in the city.  I have few regrets in life, but this night provided one, in fact this whole trip provided a major regret.  I regret most profoundly that I wasn’t able to eat MORE!

But I am getting ahead of myself.

Chateau Avalon Hotel and Spa is a themed accommodation, there are 61 guest rooms with 23 different themes.  I checked in and discovered that I was in the New York Penthouse.  A great selection considering I always dreamed of living in NYC in loft in Tribeca or another artsy neighborhood.  I arrived early in the afternoon so I had time to enjoy my expansive suit.  One of the stellar features of the New York Penthouse is a spa tub right in the middle of living room.  I could not resist.  I ran a tub and had a soak. A nice hot soak. So hot in fact that I was still “glowing” a bit when I arrived in the lobby to meet with the other writers and our hosts from Visit Kansas City, Kansas.

Expert Tip: Do a little pre-checkin research online to find the theme you’d enjoy.  Certain themes are more fun than others.  My favorites were the island and Polynesian themed rooms.

Our host at the Chateau Avalon Hotel and Spa devised a scavenger hunt for us throughout the vacant rooms in the hotel.  We were divided into teams and proceeded to “walk quickly” through hotel (running was specifically forbidden.) The scavenger hunt provided both entertainment and a chance to see several of the other themed rooms. These competitive hunts originated when a corporate function was held at the hotel and the staff was asked if they had any “team building” activities.  The answer was “certainly” and they put together “The Great Room Race.  My team came in second - the name of the first place team shall not be spoken. (Melody Pittman from WhereEverIMayRoamBlog.com)

After racing around the hotel for nigh on 30 minutes we worked up a great thirst and tremendous (but still not large enough) hunger.  It was time for the losers to lick their wounds and winners to gloat in the d”Nile Wine Bar . I chose the Blue Nile, a signature cocktail made with Blue Curaçao by the able bartender.  Although it was a very photogenic drink I probably should have chosen another of their craft cocktails.

Expert tip: Skip the pretty blue drink and try one of the other vintage cocktails or absinthe serve properly. The scuttlebutt is they make a mean Sazerac.

It was time for some serious BBQ. We didn’t have to travel far, the BBQ came to us.  Slap’s BBQ, Joe’s KC Bar-B-Que, Arthur Bryant’s’ BBQ, Woodyard Bar-B-Que and Gates Bar-B-Q all set up tables of their BBQ and selected sides. The side dishes were tasty but the meat was the star of the show. I loved the ribs from Slap’s BBQ paired with their warm potato salad. Gates BBQ had one of the most original BBQ variations, Burnt Ends with dill pickle chips. We also got to sample Smoked Turkey (Woodyard) , Brisket (Joe’s) and Pulled Pork (Arthur Bryant’s.) One of the hits of this BBQ Buffet was the Cheesy Corn from Woodyards. Of course each BBQ place showcased their own BBQ Sauce.  Most are available bottled if you like to give them a preliminary taste before you head out to KCK. To top the night off was a platter of fudge in about any flavor you can imagine.

Expert tip: try fudge with a hoppy beer.  The Boulevard IPA, a Kansas City brew, was a good pairing with the sweetness of the fudge. Who knew?

Out first full day on the KCK Foodie Trail brought us to MeMa’s Bakery. It is truly hard to detail all the wonderful things we had a choice of at MeMa’s. I was up to the task and sample most everything. I had apple strudel, carrot cake, cinnamon roll, cherry and lemon danish and a new one on me Povitica Bread, a Croatian Layered Bread. Povitica is reason enough to for visit to MeMa’s and KCK.

Expert tip: Buy more of MeMa’s bake goods than you think you could possible need.  Don’t miss out on the Povitia Bread and get some to go.  Take a sampling of their pastries and cakes for the road. If I had been driving back to Denver none of pastries would have crossed the state line.

Double Expert Super Secret Tip: Buy a few of MeMa’s cinnamon rolls in jar. They have a long shelf life and make excellent & curious gifts.

Next stop, Krizman’s House of Sausage in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood.  After such a sweet-filled start to the day something savory sounded perfect for stop number two of the KCK Foodie Trail. We sampled a variety of Old World Sausages made by Joe Krizman just the way his father made sausages. At Krizman’s we not only got to sample the sausage but also see how it was made and even make a bit of sausage ourselves.  The old adage that you should NOT see sausage made if you want to continue enjoying it certainly didn’t apply at Krizman’s.


Expert tip: try their handmade sauerkraut with the Cheddar Jalapeño Sausage.

Is lunch time yet?  No, it barely past mid-morning.

Must be time for more BBQ.

Around the corner to Slap’s BBQ we go. Slaps's is another Strawberry Hill success story without quite as much history as The House of Sausage.  We get to meet the Big Guy himself and see where those delicious ribs from last night are smoked and sauced. Joe Pearce is the master smoker in charge of bringing out the smoky flavor Slap’s is famous for. He is also a local celebrity for his appearance on the TV’s BBQ Pitmaster. Slap’s (Squeal Like A Pig) is a relative newcomer to KC BBQ scene but with brother’s Mike,  Joe competes regularly on the BBQ circuit, which they credit for their innovative cooking style.  We got to sample Burnt Ends and Smoked Turkey along with sides of the Warm Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Cole Slaw and Creamed Corn (not be confused with the canned variety.) Both meats were fantastic but Burnt Ends were my favorite along with Creamed Corn and Warm Potato Salad.

Expert tip: don’t eat for several hours before a visit to Slap’s and then eat everything.

It is still morning and we’ve got more eating to do.  Pace yourself Jerome.

We enter El Camino Real in central Kansas City, KN and are immediately met by puffs of steam rising, the smell of onions and peppers frying and the staccato clatter of a spatula scraping the sizzling meats on the grill. El Camino has held true to their roots as a food cart, they are now just indoors. The small cafe puts out quite an array of Mexican inspired foods but you can’t call them street tacos, anymore. The is no frufru, quasi Mexican Restaurant. They serve the real deal, platers of tacos, burritos, gorditas and tortas with meat, onions and peppers. Scattered with cilantro and a few wedges of lime and you have El Camino.

Expert tip: it is not secret but don’t pass up the original fusion food, Tacos al Pastor. If you are a fan of chorizo this is the place to order it.

Finally it is time for lunch.

For lunch we are off to one of our non eating stops on the KCK Foodie Trail, Original Juan’s Specialty Foods. If you think your hot sauce, spaghetti sauce or BBQ sauce should be enjoyed by thousands if not millions this is where you go to get it manufactured, bottled and ready for the grocery shelf. Juan’s bottles more than 1300 sauces so you will have completion. They also house a hot sauce museum with hundreds of sauces on high shelves around the warehouse. You can also taste Da’Bomb’s Final Answer and The Source.  They are reported to be the world’s hottest hot sauces at over 7 million Scoville’s (The scale used to rank pepper hotness)  but you’ll have to sign a liability waiver first.

Expert tip: Just because you can does not mean your should. Don’t taste Da’Bomb if you plan to taste anything else on your trip to Kansas City, Kansas. Instead swing by the Juan’s closeout shelf and pickup a bargain on a hot sauce or spaghetti sauce.

Ester from Laugh With Us Blog give her
dough a flip at 1889 Pizza

At 1889 Pizza Napoletana we are going to get schooled before we eat. Owner’s Kellie and Jason Kolich have set up a pizza making workshop for us. We are going to learn how to turn a small ball of dough into their Signature Margherita pie. The word hand-tossed pizza is about to take on a new meaning as it is going to be our own hands doing the tossing. After we’ve work our ball of dough into a flat, thin mostly circular crust that we’ve flipped into the air with a twist of fists, we are each issued a wooden paddle with a long handle to hold our crust. We ladle on the sauce and spread it almost to the edges of the dough, tear up our ball of fresh mozzarella and scatter the ragged bits around the pizza and place fresh basil leaves between the bits of cheese. Drizzle a few threads of Extra Virgin Olive Oil around the pizza and scatter Parmigiano Reggiano around the pizza.

But our work is not done. 

We have to cook our masterpiece in Pizza 1889’s wood fired ovens. We are instructed by the resident

pizza chef a true Italian on how and where to slide our pizza into the oven.  It requires a deft hand to deliver the pizza to the back of the oven without sliding into or over another of the other pizzas already in the oven. But with a stroke similar to that of a skilled outdoor shuffleboard player I slide the paddle into the oven and with an abrupt stop of the paddle the pizza skids perfectly next to the fire. The chef monitors my pizza then using a long handled metal paddle he deftly rotates my pizza and tilts it toward the fire and after minute or so places it on a plate. Even though I am not the least bit hungry I eat a couple pieces the pizza I made and sample several of Pizza 1889’s salads and imbibe on a nice red wine.

Expert tip: Grab a Peach Nehi to go with your pizza. You won’t find Peach flavored Nehi very many places.  If your taste run a bit drier try one of their selection of Italian wines on tap.

We have another non eating stop next, thankfully.

We take a tour of the famous Kansas City Steak Company’s facility.  Before there was Amazon, Blue Apron and Plated there was Kansas City Steaks shipping food to your home. This is where they warehouse and ship the wide variety of meats they have on the website. It was absolutely immaculate and bitterly cold. No photos were permitted in the warehouse area but trust me, it is an efficiently run operation and not as automated as I expected. Even though they do employ robotics and lots of high-tech machinery, it is human beings that selects the steaks you ordered.

Expert tip: Buy a few gift cards to spread around at Christmas. You will be remember fondly by friends and family well into Spring. The steakburgers are an excellent value.

The final stop this afternoon is at Rowe Ridge Vineyard and Winery. This was a well place oasis of

calm on a hill outside KCK. It is a family affair, the grape growing and picking and the wine making. The family home sits beside the trellises of grapes. We took a walk through the vineyard and heard about what grapes grow well in the midwestern climate and what grapes haven’t taken to hills of Eastern Kansas. We also got to see first hand one of the grape presses being disassemble and the skins of the crushed grapes being removed. Making wine can be a messy process but is ultimately rewarding. Our reward came in wine tasting session with one of the owners, Pam Rowe. They offer tasting to the general public on weekends and by appointment.

Expert tip: My favorite wines at Rowe were the dry, light bodied but robust 2009 St. Vincent Red and the sweet, thick, boozy Blackberry Wine. These are wines at the opposite end of the spectrum.

Our KCK Foodie Trail is not yet complete but we take a short respite to relax back at the Chateau - I like saying that. “Back at the Chateau.”

We still have places to go and food to eat. Our mission is not yet complete.

The Hollywood Casino at the Kansas Speedway is our final stop.  After we briefly wander through the casino we tour of the Final Cut Restaurant featuring a replica of Dorothy’s blue dress and ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz and Celine Dion’s nearly transparent dress that she wore to the 1997 Oscars.

Our final stop was not Final Cut but rather Turn 2 Sports Bar.  We are hosted out on the patio overlooking what else but turn two on the Kansas Speedway. The kitchen sent out the whole menu. We chowed down on a glut of pizza, salads, burgers, chicken wings and Catfish Po’ Boys while the sun set over the Speedway. I would dearly love to have one of those Catfish Po’ Boys right now.  It was too much food even if we hadn’t already eaten all day long but it made a savory and photogenic end to our day on the Kansas City, Kansas Foodie Trail.

Expert tip: While it may take advance preparations and a large party to have an event out on the terrace you can enjoy a great view of the Speedway through the glass walls that line the bar.

Get Primal on the Island of Hawaii - Volcanoes National Park

Photo and story by Jerome Shaw

Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii is a primordial place that bring your instincts to the fore and lets your intellect recede. Standing at a crack in earth's crust allows you reach back into time and imagine when all the earth was much different than today.  A visit to Volcanoes National park is as close to traveling in time to a time when the our planet was forming.

Don't miss visiting the Big Island of Hawaii and you definitely should not miss the chance see the spectacle of fire and rock. The Kilauea Visitor’s Center is where your adventure begins at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (VNP.) It is a good idea  to stop in if only to have a chat with park rangers. The landscape at VNP changes frequently.  Trails are often closed to visitors because of lava flows or simple trail maintenance.  The staff at the visitor's center can point you to the best trails for the time of year and expected whether conditions.

Expert Tip: Ask about any special offerings on that day's schedule.  There maybe a special presentation by one of the Rangers or guided walk to a special area of the park. This is great way to get some in depth information about the park that will enhance your visit or get your questions answered about VNP.

Most people come to Volcanoes National Park tp see one thing but hope not see another. Everyone would like to see a lava flow but most hope they won't get a front row seat to a full-fledged volcanic eruption.  The staff at the visitor's center can point you to the best and safest access points to the lava flows.

Expert Tip: Ask for a map at the visitors center - you can't always rely on your cell phone map.

The Kalpana Lava flow offers one of the best and surest points to see the molten rock. The website Big Island Hikes offers detailed information on the route and details about distance, fitness level and what to bring.  The National Park service website has page offering lava flow viewing tips.

Expert Tip: Your photos of the lava flows will be more dramatic if you can plan your visit when the light levels are low near the end of the day. Combine a lava flow with a sunset for sure fire Instagram hit.

Another place you should see are the steam vents which are not far from the Kilauea Visitor Center, They are on the left side of the road drive less than a mile from the visitor's center. The cause of the steam is ground water that trickles down through to the heated volcanic rock.

Expert Tip: The steam vents make an interesting backdrop for photos of people or selfies, but you need not get too close.

You can also visit the sulphur banks. These are best visited when one of the Park Rangers are giving a walk and talk.  The Rangers enhance the sulphur bank experience and often provide information about Hawaiian Folklore. The walk along the Sulphur Banks Trail is an easy one and wheelchair accessible.

I hope you'll visit Volcanoes National Park as part of your Hawaiian Island Adventure.  Here is a nice video titled Living in the Moment on the Island of Hawaii to inspire your Hawaiian visit.

ICE - Family Travel Fun at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas

The nativity scene carved from ice by the ice carvers of Harbin, China for the Gaylord, Texan
Resort ICE Festival in Grapevine, Texas. 

Santa's Workshop at the
Gaylord Texan Resort

by Tannith Bata

From the moment you pull in to the Gaylord Texan Resort you know Christmas is here. Lights hang from every tree and line the roads all the way up the drive. The hotel, located in Grapevine, Texas, is a sprawling Christmas masterpiece about 25 miles from downtown Dallas and Fort Worth and 15 minutes from of the DFW airport. 

Once inside the hotel Christmas magic continues with an atrium decked out like Santa's workshop. We were lucky enough to be invited guests at the Gaylord Texan Resort and got to experience all the bells and whistles of this truly unique and wondrous exhibit. You can purchase your tickets online in advance or at the Texan. If coming on the weekends during the peak hours of 5pm-10pm it would be best to purchase them ahead of time. There is ample parking that is clearly marked and will run you $15 for your entire stay. 

Santa Claus is Coming to Town
is the theme of the 2016 ICE
Festival at the Gaylord Texan Resort

As you make your way down to ICE you can slowly feel the temperature drop and you have lots of options for short stops along the way. Whether it's at the wine bar, the toy store or the steakhouse is entirely up to you.

"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" has long been my favorite of the old Christmas classics. So I was utterly delighted with a whole evening centered on this movie. I was not disappointed. After donning our parkas and having our picture snapped against a green screen we got to journey into the winter wonderland. The 15,000 square foot cold room is kept at chilly 9 degrees Fahrenheit so that the 2 million pounds of ice used to create these sculptures retains its shape and detail. The three ice factories in Ohio, Georgia and Texas begin making the ice

Santa Claus & his penguin
side-kick Topper

for the exhibit a year in advance. The ice is brought to the Gaylord Texan Resort in 48 semi-tractor-trailers. Which means they are already hard at work for next year. 

While it is chilly inside ICE, you are so caught up in the wonder all around you that you barely notice. The scenes from this beloved Christmas movie, were carved by 36 Harbin ice carvers that spent a total of 11,160 hours to complete the magical setting. it's hard to believe it's all ice. The sheer size of some of the pieces is jaw dropping. The ice climbs the walls all around you and your fingers

Santa Claus & the Winter
Warlock 

quickly wish you'd remembered gloves. (Tip: bring hats and gloves for little ones)

As you wander through all the scenes you will come across On the Blocks ICE! Bar for those 21 and over with an added coupon. For those of all ages there are 5, 2-story ice slides! My 3 year old son couldn't get enough of the very slippery slides and the adults even gave it a go.

On the Blocks ICE! Bar at the
Gaylord Texan Resort

Just when you think you're finally cold enough that you want to leave you come upon a crystal clear ice nativity scene. It is truly a breathtaking creation, not a bubble or a cloud is allowed in the ice for the nativity. 

Tubbing is an optional add on to your ICE experience or it can be purchased as separate activity.  There are multiple activity packages available on the website.

Kids & adults love the 5
2-story ice slides

When you step out make sure you stop for some hot cocoa and Gigi's cupcakes because they have some of the best frosting I've ever tasted and not to brag but I've tasted a lot. For your final stop pick up a copy of your family photo ($25) or something festive from the gift shop.

We truly enjoyed this outing and couldn't get over the splendor of the hotel at the most wonderful time of the year. Once again thank you to Gaylord Texan Resort for inviting us out to visit.


Merry Christmas
                                                                       
                                                                                     ~~~

Tony, GB and Tannith, at ICE at the
Gaylord Texan Resort

Tannith is a stay at home mum and wife who enjoys crochet, sarcasm, her family and ingesting copious amounts of coffee. She is and avid baker and enjoys sharing recipes on her blog. You can check out her blog or follow her on Twitter or Instagram @FranklyTannith

Travel Boldly was provided admissions by the Gaylord Texan for the writer and her family for the purpose of reviewing this travel attraction.  The opinions expressed are the writer's and were not influenced by this access. 

The Great Hostel Give Back - Travel - Do Good Things - Save Money

 The Great Hostel Give Back

                 ...or how to stay on the cheap and do good things while you travel. 

Your air travel questions answered >>>

Are you looking for a way to get out of town? Money in short supply are friends in the same financial condition so you can't even borrow money from them?

Travel Boldly to the rescue.

Here is a bold plan. Round up seven of your friends and participate in the Great Hostel Give Back. You can get a free overnight stay at participating HI USA hostels across the country. The only catch, and it is not really a catch but a benefit, is that you have to volunteer at least 2 hours per day in the community surrounding the hostel you'll be staying in. Not only will volunteering net you a free night's stay it will give you warm fuzzy feeling that will probably last until next year when you do it all over again. And who knows volunteering might even become a habit. This program is for January and February but get your applications in early.

HI USA believes "in the power of travel to open minds and the power of community service to open hearts. Above all, we believe that these experiences should be rewarding – not costly." 

"For the ninth consecutive year, HI USA is offering groups across the country free overnight stays at HI USA hostels in January and February through our Great Hostel Give Back (GHGB) program.

With a little planning, you and your buddies can mount a cross-country volunteering trip and see the USA.

You now have one less reason to put off traveling. Get out there. Meet new people. Explore new places. Do good for the community. See parts of the USA you have always wanted to visit and make the places you visit better.  It is a win-win proposition.

"HI USA’s lounges, kitchens, and dining rooms ensure plenty of opportunities to connect with other travelers. We invite your group to join in with our free events, tours and activities to meet like-minded travelers and explore the hidden gems of the city."

You don't have to want the change the world to take advantage of this great offer but you probably will. You can be a selfish vagabond who just wants to travel on the cheap. But who knows, the hours you contribute to the local community may, in fact, have several unintended consequences and might even make you a better person in the process. And if not, you saved some cash.

Click here to apply now

If you do put together a group please let me know via the comments below.  Who knows your travels might get featured here on Travel Boldly.

~~~

I was the guest of the HI USA hostel in Washington D.C. as part of the White House Travel Blogger Summit. It was my first stay in a hostel but it won't be my last.

Calf Fry, the 2016 Testicle Festival rides again April 28-30

Tumbleweed Dancehall and Concert Arena hosts Calf Fry aka TheTesticle Festival each spring for the last 25 years

Calf Fry, the 2016 Testicle Festival rides again April 28-30

Do you have the balls to attend this music festival?

Photo and story by Jerome Shaw

Sarah was my beertender during Calf Fry

Stillwater, Oklahoma is home to one of the more colorful music festivals in the country.  Though no longer officially called the Testicle Festival, that was the original, politically incorrect name and it is still widely known by this moniker. It is now simply called Calf Fry or more precisely Tumbleweed Calf Fry. Perhaps the festival, featuring the Red Dirt style music, which derives its name from the red colored soil of Oklahoma, simply out grew this more picturesque name. In 25 years Calf Fry has gone from modest little affair a few miles west of Stillwater to a major spring Music Festival destination with more than 30,000 in attendance for the 3-day event at the historic Tumbleweed Dance Hall and Concert Arena.

Calf Fry is more than just a music festival though.  It ramps up early at 5pm with several musicians filling the undercard. However, the opening acts have to compete with likes of goat roping, mechanical bull riding, trashcan basketball and of course fried calf balls and ice cold beer, Then there are the ever-present pretty young girls dressed in short bouncy skirts and cowboy boots or extremely short cutoff jeans and cowboy boots.

Calf fries may get top billing but Red Dirt 

Music is what draws the crowds

They've been frying calf testicles at the Calf Fry for 24 years. The calf testicle must be thinly filleted to create the correct thickness to cook properly after it is dipped in an egg batter and coated with flour admits that deep-fried calf testicles are not to every ones taste. They also serve hamburgers, hot dogs and are most well known for their BBQ brisket.

Growing up on a farm/ranch in Nebraska I was no stranger to such bucolic goings-on. I still recall my first cattle round up in Hayes Center, Nebraska. I was only about 5 years ofd but memory is burned as indelibly into memory as the Bar Lazy L brand into the calf's hindquarters. It was not castration that was so off-putting but rather the smell of burning cow hair and hide and the gory dehorning. But that is story for another time.

I tried the calf fries and found them palatable but not very flavorful. They have a pleasant texture, firm and not not too chewy. They taste mostly of batter and the oil they are cooked in. I prefer turkey fries in taste, texture and size. The places that I have turkey fries in seem to season them much more heartily than the beef fries at Calf Fry. I’d definitely recommend you give them a go when you get Stillwater and the Testicle Festival. Try them with some of the BBQ sauce and for your second course have a BBQ Brisket sandwich and wash it down with a margarita. 

The main stage during the 2015 Calf Fry Music Festival

While calf testicles have top billing in festival title I think most of locals and those that travel from the far reaches of the country to attend this festival it is the music that commands their attention.  The origins of the Red Dirt Style of music are here in Central Oklahoma, specifically a few miles west of Stillwater which is about 70 miles Northeast of Oklahoma City, which is smack in the middle of the main body of Oklahoma. The geographic center of the Red Dirt movement is “The Farm”  the former home of Bob Childers, the grandfather of the Red Dirt movement. I was fortunate enough to get a personal tour of “The Farm” courtesy of Monica Taylor herself a Red Dirt devotee. We took a windy road outside of Stillwater and then turned onto a narrow dirt road though not noticeably red. Red Dirt music grew into a genre from a specific place and this was that place. It was like visiting Haight Ashbury or Liverpool.  An old two-story, five-bedroom house became know as ”The Farm" and was where this music movement began and flourish for over two decades.

A good time was had by all at Calf Fry 

aka The Testicle Festival

The house burned down in 2003 but the old weathered garage that was known as the Gypsy Cafe still stands resolutely marking this this place in music history.  Monica gave us an impromptu acoustic concert of her recent songs and some from the old days too. She first came here in ???? as a 18 year old hoping to make her way on the music scene. “The Farm” was an inclusive crash pad for wannabe musicians and welcomed her.  She shared many personal stories about her memories of the musicians that passed through here. It was a unique time and place in annals of Stillwater and Red Dirt music history.

But now it was time to head for Calf Fry and get the party started with Casey Donahew Band, Aaron Watson, The Dirty River Boys, Chance Anderson, The Hideouts, and Lower 40. After a few fried testicles, a bit of BBQ, a few tallboy beers and a couple of pathetic attempts at goat roping the sun set and the music began. 

Jerome was a guest of the Stillwater Convention and Visitor’s Bureau during his culinary and music adventures in Oklahoma.

At sunset the party is just getting started at The Testicle Festival

If You Go Section:

Calf Fry 2016 is Thursday, April 28 through Saturday, April 30

Tickets can be purchased online at http://tumbleweedok.com/ 

The annual Tumbleweed Calf Fry, or "Testicle Festival," features a calf fry and live Red Dirt country music.  This unique outdoor music venue is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2016. 

Cutoff jeans & short flouncy skirts are most
common attire for young women at Calf Fry

Calf Fry is for adults 18 years of age and older.

The Tumbleweed Dance Hall is recognized by County Music Weekly as one of the Top 10 Most Historic Country Music Sites in the United States. The 2016 edition of Calf Fry will celebrate 25 years of turning bulls into steers. 

Last year, the event dished up a record 3,000-plus pounds of calf fries to more than 30,000 attendees, and the it was recently estival’s culinary aspect was even featured on the Travel Channel.

Taking in the music at Calf Fry

Get up close and personal with a VIP pass or party like a rockstar or rather a “countrymusicstar” and rent a 10 foot by 10 foot bullpen or party pen for yourself and your friends. You can stretch a day trip into a week-end getaway, by reserving an RV parking spot or bring camping equipment and stay in one of the 30 campsites available - reservations recommended.

Cowboy a Calf Fry aka The Testicle Festival

Whitewater Rafting Adventure in Utah Offers Digital Detox

Views, views, and more views.  The western skyline in the heart of Canyonlands National Park is filled with them.  It's important to get up to the canyon rim to fully realize how in the middle of nowhere you are.  

No cell towers here!

5 Genuine Benefits to Getting Off the Grid and Onto the River

by Julie Trevelyan

You can almost feel the warmth of the cup and smell the aroma of hot 

coffee.The vast skylines in the heart of Canyonlands National Park will

melt the everyday worries away leaving you relaxed and refreshed.  

Sun up to sun down.

No doubt about it, mind-blowing advances in technology have made life easier for many of us. Instant access to information, knowledge, and one another has had a positive effect on necessities such as communication, wait times, activity planning, and an almost endless host of other essential life activities. But the flip side, as it turned out, can have extremely deleterious effects on people as well. So many options! So much information! Too many IMs, emails, comments, tweets, posts, text messages to respond to in a timely manner! As our contemporary world still seeks to find a deft balance between handling amazing technological innovations while also attending to our basic human need to detach and recharge at regular intervals, many of us tumble into a brutally endless tug-of-war between mental smooth sailing and a chaotic, seemingly bottomless pit of Very Important Things That Must Be Done Right This Instant Or Else. But relinquishing the incessant pressures of daily living, even for a short time, for the easy harmony of a river rafting trip in spectacular, serene wilderness areas can offer such a tremendous amount of self-restoration and rejuvenation that the effects can positively counterbalance significant periods of going full throttle and never taking a break. Here are five reasons why getting off the modern grid of life and onto the river can start to retrain your mind into its more natural rhythms, and help you create a more balanced life again.

The Big Drops on the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon are 

world class rapids.You get to experience them in an Oar raft. Close to 

the water, fully immersed in the experience.  We take the slow road.

1. Quiet your mind while soothing your soul. There are many studies indicating outdoor recreation and enjoyment have markedly positive effects on the mind. In the age of massive amounts of information available only a click away, it isn't surprising that our brains can quickly get overwhelmed and threaten to have a meltdown. River rafting trips launch you into a primal wilderness world in which you can be blissfully disconnected. Removing yourself from the constant chatter of the entire world can also remove the constant chatter of your mind as you ease into your body's instinctive clock and natural ability to just go with the flow on a remote, technology-free, beautiful river.

Getting off the river and onto a trail is high on the priority list for any

rafting trip. Exploring caves, ruins, rock art and the views.  Gets the blood

flowing and the imagination going of what it must have been like here 

in a different time.

2. Banish the stress. Many modern people have incorporated a frantic daily routine of multi-tasking
while running around at work, on errands, or after the kids into a perceived state of normalcy. Getting away from all those demands on your time can impart a sense of almost reckless freedom, then an easy, grateful acceptance of the simple joys of being alive and truly appreciating your days. From the gentle sound of the river's burble waking you in the morning, to the immense solitude and hush of mostly untouched river canyons, to the flicker of campfire flames under a sky so filled with stars that most urban and suburban dwellers never even notice they are up there, a tranquil getaway can almost magically help heal the acknowledged physical, mental, and emotional burdens of stress.

You can see stars forever in the night sky deep in the wilderness of a river 

canyon. We'll gather around the campfire to regal the stories of the day.  

Bring your guitar.  

3. Digital detox. Let's face it, the digital landscape is here to stay. While it can be a wondrous playground of connection and learning and information, it can also be a debilitating black hole of pointless Internet arguments between total strangers who simply must be informed of how wrong they are, link-following that leads you into a three-hour time suck when you only intended to spend ten minutes tops checking your email or social media profiles, and an overall excellent way to spend half your day doing random stuff online, the details of which you likely won't even recall in a week. Shaking off the fascinating yet viselike shackles of the digital universe for a few days or even a week while on a whitewater river adventure can give your mind the refreshing cleanse it needs in order to relax, rejuvenate, and naturally recharge.

A river camp is surprisingly full equipped.  Chairs, tables, a library can, 

portable toilet and one heck of a view.  Enjoy a swim or kick back and 

read a book while appetizers and dinner are being prepared.

4. Increased sense of exhilaration. While relaxing, river time can also offer new experiences that create an reinvigorated excitement for life. Many people will never get the opportunity to spy bighorn sheep quietly grazing by the river's edge as the raft floats by, nor will they chance a glimpse of a golden eagle hitching a ride on the wind currents far above, or be witness the playful silliness of river otters dipping in and out of the water with a sheer exuberance that can be delightfully contagious. Unwinding into the easygoing cadence of days spent on the water, unplugged yet reconnected, does an essential thing for you: it reminds you of how incredible are the hidden creatures, the simplicity of your true needs, and the small yet powerful moments that make up each and every one of your days.

Relaxed, rejuvenated, belly laughs and good times.  In the raft during the 

day or in camp at night you can't help but to transform to a lighter 

happier place.

5. Lasting impact. Re-entry into the frenetic connected world can sometimes feel abrupt after a soothing escape on a river trip. The second you get back into service, you're checking your phone to see what vital messages you missed. The sense of a need to hurry and be productive can grip people when they return to their regular lives. But studies do show that people carry the peaceful sanctity of their time in the great outdoors back with them, particularly if that time was especially long, especially intense, or if they return for repeated wilderness visits to restore and revitalize themselves far from the madding crowds. So go on. Get out there onto the river rafts, into the wild canyons, out under the stars. The dividends you'll get in return are even greater than the sheer fun of whooping and hollering down whitewater waves or floating through calm, lazy waters.

~~~

For a rush of excitement, captain your own boat and challenge yourself 

in a single inflatable kayak.  Just keep the nose pointing downriver and 

you will break right through the waves. 

Julie is a freelance writer, wilderness guide in southern Utah and author of 100 Classic Hikes in Utah (The Mountaineers Books, Spring 2016). She especially enjoys books, coffee, yoga, wild country, horses, and dark chocolate. See more of her work at Holiday River Expeditions' River Currents Blog or at www.wildgirlwriting.com  Find her on Instagram & Twitter at @JulieTrevelyan

 

If You Go:

For the active type you'll want to choose a paddle raft. Plenty of exercise,

splashes and thrills.  You'll rest easy at the end of the day, sleep well, 

get up and do it all over again.

Holiday River Expeditions offers multi-day backcountry rafting and mountain biking trips in Utah, Idaho and Colorado. Trips ranging from 2 to 9 days. Explore rivers and trails in Canyonlands National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, San Rafael Swell and The Frank Church Wilderness of Idaho.  Visit their website www.bikeraft.com or call their Salt Lake City business office 800-624-6323 to discover for yourself the "Genuine Benefits to Getting Off the Grid and Onto the River."

Hashbrowns for breakfast.

At the end of an adventure filled day it's time

for a toast.  Bonds are forged with your fellow

river travelers. A common interest brought to 

all together and a shared experience keeps 

you that way.

Each night as you pull off the river and arrive 

at your home away from home folks go off 

and stake their claim for the evening.  Find a 

camp with views of the canyon walls or close

enough to the river to lull yourself to sleep to 

the sounds of the rippling water.