Vacation Anticipation

Next week I am heading to Denver for a little vacation. Some wonder why Denver in the winter...Do you ski? Haven't in years. Then why a trip to cold weather and not to sandy beaches and palm trees?? Well first of all, Denver actually has decent weather. Like forecasted temps higher than Wisconsin is currently with day time highs in the 40s and 50s. Balmy, right?! Did you know you can golf year round there? No, I don't golf either but I like to throw that fun fact out there when I get the "Denver??  Really??" response.
Denver in January to me means a 16 day show with a 107 year long tradition called the National Western Stock Show. With over half a million people attending annually, the 100 acre trade show, pro rodeo and 15,000 head of livestock that come from around the country, provide entertainment for everyone. The National Western is the Super Bowl of cattle shows and as a lover and producer of cattle, it is the ultimate goal for most of us who show cattle; to exhibit there or even better to win there.  For my dairy friends, Denver is the "Madison" of the beef show world.
For those of you reading who don't really get our love for our cows, let alone the reason why someone would choose to take a vacation to see them, I would like the opportunity to try and liken it to something you can possibly relate to.  Do you like to hunt?  Or boat?  Or fish?  Or shop?  Or do you find yourself not wanting to miss a single (insert favorite sports team) game?  It is kind of like that.  It is a passion that we have for something that, in our case, has been a part of our lives from birth.  Our parents loved cattle and so did their parents and their parents before them and . . . you get the picture.  We love the sights, the sounds, the people we can connect and reconnect with and yes, even the smells of a show.  It is in our blood and THAT is the reason why vacationing to a cool climate to see cows sounds like the PERFECT vacation.
I plan to blog every day from Denver with updates on the show. You can also get some play by play updates on Facebook by liking our page. I hope, with the help of my words and some pictures, I can show both the fellow cow lovers and the skeptics a few of the reasons why a cattle show makes us anticipate a vacation.
Look out Denver! Here we come!