RiverDave
In it to win it
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2007
- Messages
- 123,250
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To many that have never been there, it's probably just a story of another bar opening up in Parker. To others they might say things like "It will never be like it once was..." For guys like me this is a moment that will forever live in Infamy. I didn't get to go there in the 70's.. I wasn't there when the bar burned down, but I vaguely remember the Tent bar that was setup. Who knows though I was a kid (that's a whole different thread), and I've seen so many pics I might be creating a memory there. What I do know is the Sundance bar that is there now. It was the first bar I ever snuck into as a kid, and I loved taking Dad's boat up there and being part of that floating (idling because of current) crowd watching the shenanigans for the better part of an afternoon when I was in Highschool (93-94). The chicks in the high bottom bikinis either showing their tits, or the beaver / moon shots and it going back and forth from the boats to the dock all day long. I remember my older brothers coming back home with the stories, and the scars, that only an epic night at the bar can deliver. To take you into some more modern day times, I remember taking two strippers to the river with me and picking up "Slick" and taking him to Sundance around 2001. He was the first person from the boards I ever met. To sum up the whole paragraph, this bar played some kind of role in my River Program from the time I was born until the last time it shut down. I don't have an exact timeline on that, and to be a proper journalist of sorts I should probably research it.. But god knows nothing about Sundance is proper, so why start with an Article about Sundance? It's around 8-9 years if I had to guess in blurred weekends of beer infused summers.
Here's what I can say, there has been rumors of this place reopening for the last couple years, and they would get built up into total let downs every holiday weekend. I don't think I am alone in saying I had my doubts of it opening this weekend. You can only get your hopes beat on so many times before you just say "I'll believe it when I see it." This year was different though? There was some work being done inside and out and a lot more chatter amongst the die hards then usual. When the pictures of the beer trucks out front hit the text messages, and on their online FB page, even us in the abused hopes club were thinking "It's gotta be happening right?"
I was in Havasu instead of Parker for the beginning of this Memorial day due to my Mom coming in from out of town, so it wasn't exactly like we could just jump in the boat and pop over to see what was going on. I had my feelers out all over the place via text messages to all my river friends inquiring if it was going to open or not. I heard noon, but that was no dice. 2:00? just punch me in the nuts again why don't ya because again no dice. Finally we came up with the plan that we were going to wait for our kids to go to bed and head down to see what was what. Kids hit the sack around 8:00 which would put us there at 8:30'ish. I love my kids more then life itself, but I will admit at 8:15 when they were running laps, and cross fitting just for the hell of it I couldn't help but wonder "why tonight?" As fast as they were running, is about as fast as they came crashing down and Daniel finished his last burpee before we gave him a 6 ounce curl of milk and put him to bed.
Did we Pregame at the house? You're damn right we did.. Even though it's probably not in my own self interest to put it on the ole interweb, I feel our jounalistic integrity would be on the line to omit the fact that the passengers pregamed it in the truck all the way to the god damn bar.
There it was like a Phoenix that had risen from the ashes, the Sundance sign half lit up for the first time in nearly a decade. This is like taking a picture with a legend, and god knows after the emotional abuse we have taken if it's ever going to happen again so we all posed for the pic. I guarantee even if the pic isn't the greatest one of these will be framed up in Ricky, Nord's and Kelly's houses at some point in the future. I know there will be one in mine.
Here's what I can say, there has been rumors of this place reopening for the last couple years, and they would get built up into total let downs every holiday weekend. I don't think I am alone in saying I had my doubts of it opening this weekend. You can only get your hopes beat on so many times before you just say "I'll believe it when I see it." This year was different though? There was some work being done inside and out and a lot more chatter amongst the die hards then usual. When the pictures of the beer trucks out front hit the text messages, and on their online FB page, even us in the abused hopes club were thinking "It's gotta be happening right?"
I was in Havasu instead of Parker for the beginning of this Memorial day due to my Mom coming in from out of town, so it wasn't exactly like we could just jump in the boat and pop over to see what was going on. I had my feelers out all over the place via text messages to all my river friends inquiring if it was going to open or not. I heard noon, but that was no dice. 2:00? just punch me in the nuts again why don't ya because again no dice. Finally we came up with the plan that we were going to wait for our kids to go to bed and head down to see what was what. Kids hit the sack around 8:00 which would put us there at 8:30'ish. I love my kids more then life itself, but I will admit at 8:15 when they were running laps, and cross fitting just for the hell of it I couldn't help but wonder "why tonight?" As fast as they were running, is about as fast as they came crashing down and Daniel finished his last burpee before we gave him a 6 ounce curl of milk and put him to bed.
Did we Pregame at the house? You're damn right we did.. Even though it's probably not in my own self interest to put it on the ole interweb, I feel our jounalistic integrity would be on the line to omit the fact that the passengers pregamed it in the truck all the way to the god damn bar.
There it was like a Phoenix that had risen from the ashes, the Sundance sign half lit up for the first time in nearly a decade. This is like taking a picture with a legend, and god knows after the emotional abuse we have taken if it's ever going to happen again so we all posed for the pic. I guarantee even if the pic isn't the greatest one of these will be framed up in Ricky, Nord's and Kelly's houses at some point in the future. I know there will be one in mine.