Gem & Jam Festival in Tucson, AZ - A Very Quick Trip

We’re heading out tomorrow night to Tucson, Arizona for a few days to go to the Gem and Jam Music Festival! It’s gonna be a wild weekend because it’s a 14 hour drive there and back and we’ve got a lot to do…

We’re not going for the entire festival. I’ve been to enough to know what that’s all about and I appreciate my sleep. So our itinerary is going to include much more than just the festival.

Wednesday night we’ll pack up Trillium our Labrador,

Tasha, her 13 year old mother who we’re watching,

and Satashi Nakamoto, our new kitten,

into the Van (Althea)

and head 2 ½ hours south to Walsenburg, Colorado.

Why Walsenburg? Because Thursday morning we’re going to check out this 100 year old house that is for sale there:

Adorable right?! The town isn’t doing so well. Not sure why yet really. It’s right next to Colorado’s first state park and in Colorado’s southern Front Range. It’s about the same distance from Pueblo that Boulder is from Denver. I think it has potential, especially with the prices for property in Boulder and Denver being ridiculous. My crazy mind wants to believe that it’s in the perfect location to become the next Boulder. Houses, pretty nice ones, are going for quite a bit less than 100k. If you ask me, that’s cheap with mortgages around a couple hundred dollars per month!

After that we’ll make our way down to Taos. I’ve always wanted to check out Taos and the earthships so we’ll see what we can see when we get there.

And after a quick jaunt around there we’ll head through Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and maybe make it down to Truth or Consequences, NM.

Friday morning we’ll book it from wherever we make it the rest of the way to Tucson. We want to have enough time to drive around town a bit, get to know the area and check out my buddies 9 acre property he just got bordering the Saguaro National Park.

But by 5 we want to be in the venue.

5:30 – Railroad Earth gets started and we certainly don’t want to miss their beautiful bluegrass.

7 – Emancipator follows them for some mellow transy stuff that we’ll be able to flow too I figure…

8:30 – Papadosio will be taking the stage and I’ve never seen them play so I’m excited to experience the hype.

We might stay for Soundtribe but I bet we’ll be tired so we’ll probably head out to find camping.

Saturday morning will be running around town to experience as much “Gem Show” as we can. I’m really hoping to find something… I just don’t know what yet… Maybe a nice big amethyst geode?

Or a silver and turquoise cuff?

I guess I’ll let it come to me…

By 11:30 we’ve gotta be back at the venue though because we get that Friday day pass for free if we volunteer! From 12 to 4 we’ll do whatever they ask us… which I think will be greeting people and answering questions. Easy stuff. I’ve never volunteered at a festival so it’ll be interesting ( ;

Wish we could stay longer but when that shift is done we’ll have to boogie on outta there. Driving as many hours as we can to… I’m hoping Santa Fe.

The goal is to make it back to Boulder by a little before 1 so I can charge up to the Walker Ranch Homestead and participate in the blacksmithing demo from 1-3.

Wild Weekend Huh?! Can we do it?! Not quite sure but we’re gonna give it a go!

And if I can spare a minute I’ll post some pics. Otherwise you’re gonna have to just wait for some pretty wild posts when I get back!