This year James and I decided that we were gonna give up the Monterey Jazz festival that we go to in March for a different jazz festival. This year James and I decided we wanted to try out the Three Rivers Jazzaffair. Yes it is a smaller festival but there honestly is nothing like listening to jazz while looking at God's creations and while staring at the mountains. Mammoth is another festival that is great but the drive is way too long and you have to go through Yosemite to get to Mammoth. Three Rivers we just took highways and we were able to drive through cities. The drive was beautiful. On Friday April 11th James and I left Fresno somewhere around 8:30 am or so. We stayed in the Motel 6 in Visalia and we got there and checked in by 9:42 am. We were lucky for the staff to work with us. We put reservations in for a king size non-smoking bedroom but when we got to the hotel there was not a room ready so we were told there was queen room ready. The staff thought it was non- smoking room but only the queen smoking room was ready so we took that room since we were headed up to Three Rivers. All we did was we turned on the fan and we sprayed all kinds of body spray in the room to make it smell good. After we unpacked the car we left for Three Rivers. We ended up in Three Rivers by like 10:30 am to 11 am. We stopped at St. Anthony's Retreat and we were able to walk around outside for a bit and we were able to hang out with Howard Miyata and his wife Susan Miyata. Both Howard and Susan have known me since I was nine. Then James and I walked around the sanctuary at St. Anthony's Retreat and then we got to hanging out with Joyce Oakes for awhile as well. Then at 2:45 pm James and I went to work and we sold cds at St. Anthony's Retreat for Ivory and Gold. During this set I was interviewed for the Visalia newspaper... I got the reporter's eye because I was so young. James and I then headed to the Lion's Arena and sold cds for Blue Street Jazz Band. After that set we walked with Sherri and the rest of the band to the hospitality room and we hung out with Blue Street for a bit. Then at 6:30 pm we went back to Saint Anthony's Retreat where we sold cds for Blue Street again. After that set we went up the mountain a bit and we ate dinner at The Gateway. It was such a nice and romantic dinner. We ended up eating on the patio so we listened to the band that was playing and we listened to the river flowing. After dinner we drove down to the Memorial Building Tent and we watched High Street Jazz Band. On Saturday April 12th James and I arrived in Three Rivers at 8:30 am and we had breakfast at We Three. We Three was a great breakfast place and we were able to have breakfast with one of the volunteers we know from all the other jazz festivals and he was the one that bought our breakfast. You got to love Dewey. At 10 am James and I went to the Memorial Building and we watched Jeff Barnhart's Fats Waller (in song and story) set. And then after that set we walked down to the Memorial Building Tent and we stayed there for three sets. At 11:15 am we watched High Street Jazz Band with Bob Draga and that was one great set and then at 12:30 pm we watched Wally's Warehouse Waifs and then at 1:45 pm we watched Titan Hot Seven. At 3 pm we walked back up to the Memorial Building and sold cds for Blue Street. After that set was over I gave my adoptive niece (my mentor's daughter) her birthday gift which was a singing elephant. She loved that thing. When we showed her how to turn it on she smiled and then while we were waiting at the Memorial Building Tent for Blue Street's set she started dancing with this elephant I got her. I loved that she loved the gift and I wanted to cry when I saw her dancing with the elephant. While we were waiting for Blue Street's set to start we watched Cornet Chop Suey a bit (even if it was outside that we were standing) and that is when my mentor's baby sister and took a selfie for facebook and then at 5:30 pm we started selling cds for Blue Street and James and I danced to our wedding song (Now Baby or Never). At the end of that set I gave my mentor's daughter a piggy back ride to her car. She loved that as well. At first she wasn't holding on so her auntie took her off of my back and she ran in front of me looked at me and said more. So she got back on my back and that is when I gave her a piggy back ride to her car. After that set we headed down to the Lion's Arena and we ate dinner with Blue Street and then at 8 pm Blue Street played with Bob Draga as a guest artist. Then Sunday April 13th James and I drove to Three Rivers and we had coffee and breakfast at Antoinette's Coffee and Goodies. Then we ended up getting lost just by walking and looking around at the museum. Then at 10:15 we went to the Memorial Building and sold cds for Blue Street. At 11:45 am we walked down to the Memorial Building Tent and we sold cds for Ivory and Gold. After that set we ended up talking to Jeff and Anne Barnhart for a little bit and then at 1 pm we went to the Lions arena and sold cds for Blue Street. After Blue Street ended we walked to the hospitality room with Pieter Meijers and we ended up talking to him for a bit. Then James and I started our exploring. We ended up going to Reimer's Candies and gift shop and we had their homemade ice cream and we went to Village Antiques and looked around. We also looked at the lake. I ended up taking 265 pictures and some videos as well. I had many highlights this festival and they were hanging out with Blue Street, giving my mentor's daughter her birthday gift and a piggy back ride, having dinner at The Gateway, eating breakfast at We Three, having Reimer's Candies homemade ice cream, taking a picture with the twins (Carol was on a stick), talking to Danny Coots, hanging out with Joyce, Howard, and Susan, getting all the cds and dvds I got from the bands, and hanging out (well sort of) with High Street. I know that James and I will defiantly be going back next year.
The view we had as we drove up to Three Rivers
Stacey and I waiting for Blue Street to start (She took this selfie of us... I just cropped it)
James and I with the twins, Carol and Mary! Mary is on the stick! She did the same thing with Carol in Fresno because Carol was in Hawaii during that festival.
Me at the museum in Three Rivers
James and I at Reimer's Candies and gift shop
Exploring at the lake
