The Colorado Adventure

Today was Tour Thursday. Since we haven’t taken my mom anywhere Coloradoish (Amazing Jakes doesn’t count) we went to 3 of our favorite places today.

First up was Hammond’s candy.

They’ve been around since 1920 and they still hand make their candy today using some of the oldest machines around (like the ribbon curler machine – late 1800’s.)

We went on the tour and got to see them pouring the candy, pulling the yellow candy until it was white and we watched this guy put together a batch of cherry candy canes.

Hammond’s uses 3 ingredients: sugar, corn syrup and water to make all of their candy. Everything is yellow at first, and then they add the coloring and flavoring to each batch. Did you know that candy canes and barber poles only have flavoring on the inside? The jacket that is wrapped around them is just sugar, no flavor. Also they pull the candy on that old machine to change the colors from darker to lighter. If you pull it long enough it gets white (they only color they can’t make by pouring a coloring in!) Want to buy a 5 lb candy cane?

You can get them here and also a 5 lb lollipop. The candy cane is $75; I think the lollipop is the same. Last time we were here they were making special lollipops for the Martha Stewart collection at Macy’s. Today they were making cherry canes and some ribbon candy.

At the end of the tour we saw them packing up the candy.

They were wrapping Mitchell sweets and we got to sample some of those. They are handmade marshmallows dipped in chocolate or caramel; they are very good, but really sticky. Here’s the tour guide asking if anyone wants a sample (duh!)

She also had peppermint samples, lemon samples and art candy.

Here is the newest art candy – a menorah.

This kind of candy really is art; they have to layer the inside of the jacket with tubes of colored candy in just the right places. Then when they roll the jacket around and cut the slices of candy they have Santas, trees, flags, flowers and now menorahs. Very cool (and it tasted good too.) After going through the shop we sat down to eat ice cream (yes, right after breakfast.)

Hannah spotted a ‘ho, ho, ho’ in the cabinet (we don’t do Santa so she doesn’t know his name, but she knows he says ‘ho, ho, ho’!)

After a look at the Hammond’s candy truck we left to go to the tea factory.

Celestial seasonings is a great place to visit. You get free tea, a free tour and the mint room will clear up you sinuses! Here’s a pic of the hippy who started this tea factory with some bundled herbs he found growing in Boulder fields (not that kind of herb.)

All of the Celestial seasonings teas (actually they’re herbal infusions) are made right here. They also make a whole other line of stuff like cereal bars, potato chips, skin care and health products that are made somewhere else. First we sampled some tea (tropical fruit served cold was good, chocolate caramel chai was gross.) Then we sat through the video that shows the beginnings of the tea factory, the owners, farmers, locations of the farmers who grow their herbs and tea and other products they offer.

This was the first time I had been on the tour (Hannah can’t go so someone has to stay behind with her.) We donned our hair nets and started out.

(No pics allowed.) We saw the mixing room and rows of herbs (mostly hibiscus, an ingredient they use the most of.) We went and saw the tea room (green, black and white tea all come from the same plant, it’s just how they are harvested and dried that makes it that color tea.) Then we stepped in the mint room. Peppermint and spearmint galore and it was strong. After one sniff my whole head opened up. I’m pretty sure if you got locked in that room, you’d die. We walked around the packaging area and got to see the line working on Tropic of strawberry tea. We watched the boxes (made in Texas) zip around full of tea and get wrapped, stacked and loaded onto pallets. Coming to you soon! Back in the gift shop we picked up some tea (but now I’m bummed because there is actually no tea in any of my teas at home) and looked at the tea cups.

Outside we walked around the garden and then took a final pic in front of the gift shop.

We stopped by Mcd’s for a late lunch (we’d had snacks of ice cream, candy and tea up to this point) and then headed over to our favorite museum, the Longmont cultural museum. They changed their quilt display to Japanese kimonos.

Bethany is in front of some of the oldest ones on display there, wedding kimonos from the 1850’s.

Here are some depression era ones that are made from lots of different silks.

Here are some Obi’s (that’s the big band that goes around the middle.)

Here’s Hannah’s favorite one.

We went through the Colorado through time exhibit and went backwards. Sometimes we mix it up by going from present day to ancient times, other times we start at the beginning and go forwards.

We saw the accordion, radio, 1930’s kitchen, water games, sugar beet puzzle, rang the schoolhouse bell and traded at the Indian post/fort.

Then we went up-stairs to see the view and play some games. Bethany dressed up as a crow (so did Grace and Hannah but I wasn’t quick enough to get a pic.)

After looking through a book that had the history of Colorado as seen through post cards we went back down and headed home.

I took the scenic route home (to avoid the freeway traffic.) So we had views of the Flatirons and foothills all the way home.

Tomorrow we’re playing tennis, making banana bread and going to a concert at the park.

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