In 1950, Sam Walton was 32 years old and had spent the five or six years working for himself building a Ben Franklin retail store in Newport, Arkansas. His talent had already begun to show and his little business became the most successful five-and-dime in the state, generating $250,000 in annual sales and $30,000 to…
DetailsWhen I was 14 or 15 years old, I met Molly in freshman year gym class at the high school in Missouri we both attended. Somehow we became best friends, though I can’t tell you how it happened. It just evolved and she became part of my family. It was rare, especially at that age,…
DetailsWe are now in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the wedding of my best friend from high school, Molly, whom you have already met. The wedding will take place tomorrow afternoon at the local Greek Orthodox Church. During our time in the desert, we are staying at the Hilton Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino for…
DetailsWe checked out of the hotel in Denver and are starting on the 400 mile drive to Santa Fe for the wedding of my best friend in high school. It has been two or three days since the 600 mile drive from Kansas City to Denver, so it isn’t bad at all. Right now, I…
DetailsLater today, my grandmother is meeting up with her nephew (his grandmother was my great-grandmother), but before that happens, we are scheduled for the Hammond’s Candies Factory tour in Denver. Hammond’s is one of the biggest old-fashioned hard candy manufacturers on the planet. Personally, I’m not really much of a hard candy guy – I’d…
DetailsI am in the hotel room, having my favorite breakfast, as is typically the habit when I travel. I grabbed a copy of today’s Wall Street Journal and am hoping to get a chance to read it later, but first I need to finish eating, get dressed, and head over to a local candy factory. I’ve…
DetailsWe decided to have dinner in the hotel restaurant, Elway’s, named after the eponymous NFL legend. The food was good, but nowhere near as fantastic as Bob’s Steak and Chop House at the Omni Hotel in Dallas, which I had last month. The hotel is far better managed and operated than the restaurant. The service was…
DetailsThe #1 rated foodie stop in Denver, Colorado is the famous Little Man Ice Cream. Housed in a giant replica creamery urn, the ice cream is made in small batches and with natural ingredients. For every scoop of ice cream you buy, they donate a scoop of rice to impoverished nations. They have a handful…
DetailsAfter settling into the hotel, we decided to head over to the Denver Aquarium to check out the wildlife. There is some amazing genetic diversity on this planet. I took out my cell phone and snapped some video and pictures. This is why one of the main five categories of grants to which the Kennon…
DetailsIt has taken more than 600 miles, but we are finally in Denver. I’m staying at the Ritz Carlton in downtown because it is close to everything. I was responsible for having the rooms booked this time around so I wanted to make sure my mom and grandmother were comfortable, had enough room of their…
Details
