The Lund Loop Daily Update: Colorado Edition - Day 4
A review of today's action and a look at the profit opportunities for the next trading day.
Note: I’m on vacation so the Daily Update this week will be (mostly) dispatches from Colorado. We’ll return to our normal program starting August 18th.
A great vacation owes itself more to serendipity and good luck than it does to planning. That goes double when it comes to family vacations.
For example, we got very lucky on the timing of this vacation as school starts in Colorado this week, which means Breckenridge is a ghost town—and we’ve got it all to ourselves.
Even my morning office has been nearly empty.
The other part that can make or break a vacation is your accommodations. And that’s always a roll of the dice for me for two reasons: I’m trying to find the balance between quality and price, and I’ve got a murderers’ row of room critics ready to pounce on any perceived deficiencies.
The phrase, “What is/are the the amenity/amenities like?” sends shivers down my spine.
And there’s a laundry list: WiFi, shower pressure, beds, pillows, room service, housekeeping, toiletries, shampoo, lotion, body wash, and most importantly, air conditioning.
It’s not that my family is spoiled, it’s just that I’ve always tried to find the nicest places for us to stay, and they’ve gotten used to a certain level of accommodation.
So yes, they’re spoiled.
In Breckenridge, we’re staying at a Marriott Residence Inn, which comes with a [foreshadowing alert] fully stocked kitchen.
Breckenridge is a ski town and I love ski resorts. I love everything about them. The lodges, the chair lifts, the gondolas, the ski runs, and the slopes. Yes, I love everything about ski resorts—except the snow.
In fact, my idea of heaven is spending the morning at the top of the mountain—in spring, summer, or early fall—just taking in the views. And the views in Breckenridge did not disappoint.
We spent the rest of our time on the mountain riding the alpine coaster and racing down the luge runs. It was as close to a perfect morning as I can imagine.
Having said that, Breckenridge itself clocks in at just under 10,000 feet and the top of the ski lift is just over 11,000 feet, and after all that activity, we were definitely feeling the effects of the altitude, so we went back to the hotel to rest.
And that’s when my wife decided to cook.
Here’s the thing about Vietnamese folks: not only are they proud of their culture, they are passionate about their cuisine. So much so in my wife’s case that she can’t go more than 3 or 4 days without “my food.”
I say “my” and not “her” because she’ll straight out tell you that herself: I can’t go for more than 3 or 4 days without having some of my food.
And it’s no joke. I clearly remember once traipsing through Germany after a 4-day food drought until we finally found a Chinese restaurant—the “my” as in, “my Vietnamese” food allowed to expand to “my” as in, “my Asian” food in a pinch.
So, we ran to the local supermarket to gather supplies and then I dropped her back at the hotel to start the prep.
In the meantime, I had a few hours of “Brian time.”
Hands down, my favorite style of beer is a Saison/Farmhouse Ale, which, unfortunately, is not that common. So imagine my delight when I found that Breckenridge Brewery, which is right across the street from our hotel, had a rustic Farmhouse Ale on tap.
And imagine my disappointment when I tried it and it tasted like crap. I mean, really, really bad. So much so that I actually asked the bartender if he poured the right beer.
He did.
At 57, I’m too old to drink bad beer but too young to be a curmudgeonly bar patron, so I paid my tab, asked if I could take my beer out to the patio, and then did the ole Irish goodbye.
Side note: I should have guessed that their beer would be bad because they’re owned by a large Canadian concern—Tilray—that many readers here may recognize.
Fortunately, Broken Compass Brewing was right next door, and to my surprise and delight, they had a marvelous Farmhouse Ale on tap.
And just like that, the world was right again.
One of my favorite places to visit is a used bookstore. So imagine my delight when I learned that there was one in Breckenridge.
And imagine my disappointment when it turned out to be horrible.
9600 Stories bills itself as “Highest Elevation Bookstore,” which is already annoying in that it’s an incomplete sentence, but everywhere you look in the store you’re also confronted with this sort of crap.
You see, when a bookstore puts up a sign like this, it means they mean it. And when they underline words, it means they really mean it. But when they underline words with squiggly colored lines, it means they really, REALLY mean it.
I can’t remember the last time I visited a used bookstore and didn’t buy anything. Even if there’s nothing that really sparks my interest, I’ll usually drop some money if for no other reason than to support an independent bookseller.
In this case, I could have gotten past the passive-aggressive scolding shelf notes, the lack of selection, even the incomplete sentences, but combine those with the “I see you but don’t bother me” vibe the post-Millennial shot me when I entered, and they got the big doughnut.
Fortunately, I was able to soothe myself at The Breckenridge Taphouse with a tasty pale ale and an amazing view from their beer garden.
I arrived back at our hotel only to find our kitchen overflowing with activity.
The previous night, my wife and I dressed in our best vacation clothes and had dinner at Radicato, a James Beard Award–winning restaurant.
We had house-made focaccia bread with olive oil and burrata, a marinated Palisade peach salad with San Daniele prosciutto and salted ricotta, blistered Colorado peppers with Sicilian XO, crispy shallot, and Essenza balsamic, and rigatoni with fennel sausage, pomodoro, and Esoterra Farms spinach.
Tonight, my wife dressed in sweats and a T-shirt and we ate Vietnamese chicken, carrot, and potato soup with rice.
You can keep your James Beard award.
After dinner we took a leisurely walk through the mostly deserted town and I threw some signs so the Breckenridge gangs knew that OC was in the house.
See you tomorrow for Day 5.
-B
It should go without saying - but I’ll say it anyway - all opinions expressed in The Lund Loop are my own personal opinions and don’t reflect the views of my employer, any associated entities, or other organizations I’m associated with.
Nothing written, expressed, or implied here should be looked at as investment advice or an admonition to buy, sell, or trade any security or financial instrument. As always, do your own diligence.
