Colorado Tour Day 8

A long day on the road. We had a slight delay (couldn't start the bus) of 12 minutes which put us on the highway at 7:42 am from Colorado Springs. We made it up by going 95 mph for awhile (buses can't go that fast). Well fed, the boys read, played cards, slept and did brain teasers. There was some singing and extreme sight seeing in Nebraska. We noted the turns and hills when they came up. There were a few rest area stops, lots of snacks and dinner at either DQ or Wendy's in Lincoln, NE before arriving a little early in Sioux City, IA. We are 8 days for 8 on rain. Upon arriving in Sioux City we were greeted yet again with a rainbow. This time it was a double rainbow. We will perform at the 9:00 am service at Trinity Lutheran Church before departing for home. It has been a joy and an honor being with these boys and young men. They truly exemplify what is good and beautiful in the world. They presented themselves courteously and were well behaved making chaperoning easy. We received numerous compliments from people not only for their singing but their behavior, confidence and good looks. It's a good thing more parents don't know how fun this is for chaperones or we would have to compete for the job. Thanks for sharing your son. Have a great summer.

Colorado Tour Day 7

We slept until 7:30 am, what a luxury.  Garden of the Gods was the choir's tour, photo op and gift shop stop today.  We watched a movie about how the rock formations were created and the evolution of their color.  We stayed on the bus and a tour guide gave us a guided bus tour of the park where we learned that we were passing through six different ecosystems with their unique plants and animals.  Because of its special nature different Native American tribes and white settlers used to mingle at the Garden of the Gods.  It's a very special place and the formations are spectacular.  We hiked for about 45 minutes on our own after the bus tour and ate lunch at the visitors center.  After our meal we were treated to a Native American dance performance.  The favorites were the Eagle and Hoop dances.  Responding to the dance, the boys sang Speak the Truth.  This brought tears to our Native American performers.  We returned to the hotel for a couple hours of down time before our final performance in Colorado.  While competing with the Pike's Peak foot race and road rally parties (part of it in our hotel) and a jazz festival at the Episcopalian church down the road, the boys brought in an audience of about one hundred people.  The audience wasn't disappointed.  The boys sang at the First Congregational Church, a beautiful church built in 1874 with wonderful acoustics, gorgeous windows and artistic woodwork.  People asked when the boys were coming back.  Tomorrow we are up early to board the buses and begin the trip home.

Colorado Tour Day 6

Another beautiful day, clear skies, great temperature. We started our day at 6,000 feet and left the hotel traveling just minutes west to Manitou Springs. Joe and Al had their challenges maneuvering the narrow streets and roundabouts of Manitou Springs. They could probably make the buses do pirouettes if they needed to. We boarded the Leadville Cog Railway, climbing Pike's Peak to 14,100 feet. We passed Pike's Peak granite, a 2,000 year old tree, snow, one of the most productive gold mines in the US, and mountain goats before arriving at the peak. The boys sang America the Beautiful, God Bless America and the Star Spangled Banner at the top. A perfect place to hear those songs and embrace the natural beauty of our country. On our way down we saw elk which was a first for some. A few minutes away from the cog railway we found ourselves spelunking our way through Cave of the Winds. It kept us cool as the above ground temperature rose to 88. We saw cave bacon, cave coral, stalactites, stalagmites, and as Ayden said, "stalagsights". There was a gift shop that took in some money from Minnesota too. Here the boys split up. Cantabile went to Manitou Springs for more shopping and Allegro went on to celebrate Allegro Night Out. Allegro ate at the Stagecoach Inn and had excellent burgers. They sang a thank you song that left the servers with their mouths open. One of them said it was the best tip they'd ever gotten. We jumped back on the bus and drove a couple minutes to Adventures Out West and ziplined 7 times each spanning over 200 hundred yards above a rocky gorge. We congratulated our bravery with smores and then went back to the hotel to wish Quinn Morrissey a happy birthday. The boys ate cake and ice cream because the smores weren't enough. We get a little extra sleep tomorrow then off to the Garden of the Gods and our last full day in Colorado.

Colorado Tour Day 5

Off to Colorado Springs today. Our first stop the Air Force Academy. A must see at every venue is the gift shop. The challenge is to pace ourselves so the spending money doesn't run out. After the Barry Goldwater Air Force Academy Visitor Center (gift shop) stop we began our guided tour. There are 4,000 cadets attending the academy. We saw a movie that gave visitors a taste of what being a cadet was all about. Integrity, honor and teamwork. Sound familiar? The same values the Minnesota Boychoir cadets have. The difference being that chaperones aren't waking the boys up pounding on the door with garbage cans and screaming at them at 5 am. We wait until 6:45 am, it's much more humane. The boys had a special treat. They were allowed to perform four songs on the alter of the main chapel. The sound was spectacular and the visitors who happened to be there at the time were enthralled. We visited the Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist chapels too. An interesting aside.  The organ in the main chapel has over 4,000 pipes and the organist of over 30 years is retiring.  We are encouraging Phil to apply for the job.  Next stop the Ghost Town Museum. Before entering the museum they had to pass through another gift shop. Gift shops are sort of a gauntlet of self restraint. The museum was fun with old cars, stage coaches, antiques and period displays. They panned for gold and found a few flecks, not enough to pay for college but fun never the less. We arrived early at the hotel (another Embassy Suites, yes we're spoiled) and the boys had a chance to rest before eating tacos and burritos. The evening was left for swimming in the pool and relaxation, much needed. Tomorrow we have a Pike's Peak adventure among others and perhaps a gift shop or two.

Colorado Tour Day 4

A little later to rise this morning gave the boys a few well needed extra minutes of sleep (adults too). Well fed we were off to Red Rocks Amphitheatre, an acoustical and natural wonder. Construction on Red Rocks began about 300 million years ago and with the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930's became a venue for legendary musical performances by such notables as Duke Ellington, The New York Philharmonic, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The London Symphony, Louis Armstrong and an informal sing by The Minnesota Boychoir. The views were spectacular and the music better. After our Amphitheatre tour, led by another tour guide so impressed by the boys that he showed up at our evening concert, we traveled on to Boulder. We played miniature golf (Cassie winning the chaperone classic), drove go-karts, swung bats and ate lunch at Gateway Fun Park. Our next stop was the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory, a state of the art production facility. Many of the boys bought a variety of teas, mugs and tea pots. The highlight for most was spending time in the "mint" room. A few boys wanted to spend the night. Herbs and leaves from around the world provided aromas you have to experience to believe. Our busy schedule finally sent us to St. Andrews United Methodist Church. We were slightly late so rehearsal was short but the performance didn't show it and in fact was a joy. The acoustics were great and the boys sang their hearts out to a crowd of 100 or more. As the boys began to sing so came thunder and lightening. When they sang Over the Rainbow, as if on cue, a rainbow appeared. There's something magical about the Minnesota Boychoir. Tucked in safe and sound we head to Colorado Springs tomorrow.

Colorado Tour Denver Day 3

Rise and shine, down to a breakfast of eggs, omelets, oatmeal, waffles, cereal, bacon, fruit, yogurt, sausage you name it they have it. The boys are eating well. They are living in style at the Embassy Suites. We boarded the buses and our first stop was Coors Stadium where we met our tour guides for the day, Tom Jenson and Mike Pearl. Tom would later show up at our evening concert. Coors Stadium is the third oldest stadium in the National League and it was designed by the architects who designed Target Field. Shortly after our tour began the governor of Colorado, John Hickenlooper and Peter Coors, chairman of Coors showed up for a TV spot on the field. Coincidence? You decide. Coors Stadium has a row of purple seats all around the stadium marking the elevation of 5,280 feet. It also has a heated playing surface like Target Field so that the grass will grow in April instead of waiting until May. We stopped for a box lunch picnic at a park near the State Capital which has a dome of gold. We saw the home of the Unsinkable Molly Brown, a survivor of the Titanic, on our way to the Denver Mint. Upon successfully passing through intense security we learned how coins are engraved and manufactured. Each boy was given a minted and un-minted penny as a souvenir. The boys were able to spend a few minutes of free time on the 16th Street Mall before heading to St. John's Cathedral. This is a 110 year old church with beautiful stained glass windows, carved wood, spiral stairs up two bell towers and a couple of amazing organs, one of which Phil played, to the boys delight. They sang a couple of songs and then off to Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church for a rehearsal and concert. The people at the church gave the boys a warm welcome and provided dinner. They sang beautifully and then it was back to the hotel for a swim, workout, snack and bed. There were lots of happy but tired boys who will be ready for another busy day and new experiences tomorrow.

Colorado Tour Day 2 Denver

One of the fun things about the Colorado Tour is having Al and Joe, our Texas Tour bus drivers back in the saddle for us. While Al and Joe fueled up for the long haul to Denver today, the boys sang at two services in Trinity Lutheran Church. Again they were well received with standing ovations at both services (this is a church folks, how many standing ovations have you seen in a church?). Their appreciation was also expressed with lots of donations and cd sales. Having a promoter like Jamey Price didn't hurt, and Phil manages the cd table like a sales pro. Columbus sent us on our way with bag lunches, prayer and well wishes. Nebraska is flat and straight. Todd startled all of us by exclaiming "look a curve in the road!". Unfortunately no one had a camera ready to record the event. The next big excitement was when Joe parallel parked one of our 40 foot buses at a rest area with 4 feet to spare on each end. Very impressive, that's why we hire drivers instead of letting Mark and Todd drive. Next up, a great dinner in Sterling, CO. Mexican, in an old converted church, wonderful chips, salsa, burritos and enchiladas. The boys thanked the chef and servers with a wonderful rendition of Loch Lomond, bringing a tear to more than one eye. We were off to Denver with black clouds on the horizon that soon turned to hail and rain. The storm slowed us down a little but the sun came out with a rainbow and a view of the Rocky Mountains to welcome us to Denver and our next adventure.

Colorado Tour Day 1 - Columbus Nebraska

Road Trip! Wow it's great to be with these talented young men again. We left Concordia on time and traveled south on I 35. Familiar territory for the boys who went to Texas until, we took a right on I 80. We traveled into northeast Nebraska and saw the aftermath of the recent storms. Evidence of softball sized hail, rivers and drainage ditches overflowing their banks and flooded fields where irrigation had been previously needed. We arrived in Columbus, went right to our rooms for a quick change into concert attire then off to Federated Church to meet Jamey, Todd's sister. It was a beautiful church and the boys sounded great. We had a most appreciative audience of about 120 who expressed their joy with generous free will offerings, compliments and lots of CD purchases. The boys mingled sharing an ice cream social and root beer floats made from root beer brewed at a local brewery. Back to the hotel and off to bed. We have an early Sunday morning with a performance and then back on the road gaining altitude as we head west to the mile high city. 

Colorado Tour 2014

The Minnesota Boychoir Colorado Tour 2014, a rarefied road trip is about to begin.