71 Hours in Colorado

71 Hours in Colorado
April 20-23, 2013

“This is the last time we’ll have a chance to sit for the next three days”, I told Meg and Neil at the Hamburger Stand as we sat and ate our lunch shortly after arriving in Denver.  We’d decided to stop before heading over to our friend Lisa’s because I knew that our visit to Denver was going to be a chaotic and haphazard expedition from that point on.  And it was.  Just minutes after arriving at Lisa’s SW Denver apartment, we were piling her family and the three of us into a two-car caravan headed straight for Downtown Denver.  We were already head first and full swing into another wild Colorado adventure. 

First on our agenda:  a tour of several banks in the downtown Denver area, searching for one with a working ATM.  As we crossed from bank to bank we could hear the beat of drums in the distance and the feeling I get when in Colorado was already coming over me.  From my outside perspective, Colorado seems to be a fine mix of libertarian ideals that combine conservative fiscal beliefs with liberal social ideas for a state that is clean, healthy and accepting of marriage equality and marijuana.  After finally scoring some dough, we turned and headed toward the rhythm that had been calling to us- two drum kits facing each other and hammering out a dueling cadence.  That was the first time we danced.

From there we wandered around the city in no particular fashion.  Denver has a lot of random things to see- metal sculptures standing in the middle of grassy knolls, giant blue bears peering into the windows of the Convention Center- that kinda thing.  Another spectacle observed that afternoon was the Annual Marijuana Rally held in a downtown park.  A typically jovial and laidback crowd numbering in the tens of thousands were gathered to celebrate Colorado’s recent legalization of pot.  We stayed for just a few minutes before continuing our tour of the city on foot and by car. (About an hour later, two people were injured when they were shot in an isolated incident which took place at the rally.  It is unfortunate that gun violence happened at what is supposed to be a peaceful gathering.)

Late that afternoon we checked into our hotel the Residence Inn by Marriot Denver Downtown- our studio room was the perfect size for three- and got ready for one of the highlights of our entire trip: the Cypress Hill/Slightly Stoopid ‘Hot Box at Red Rocks’ 4/20 show.  You know Meg and I had been talking about what we planned to wear to this event for the past few months.  We had thoughts of long dresses or hippie skirts.  Alas it was in the 30s that night and we were bundled in hoodies, hats and gloves. 

We met up with a couple of Lisa’s friends in the upper parking lot of Red Rocks Amphitheatre, chomped on some Doritos and headed in.  Not only does it have some of the best natural acoustics in the entire world, it is the most visually stunning arena I have ever experienced at any concert or performance at this point in my life.  As we walked down the steps toward the stage, a feeling of euphoria filled my body.  I was chilling with my family and friends at Red Rocks watching a spectacular event. 

After Tribal Seeds ended a short but powerful set, the act I was there to see- Cypress Hill- took the stage.  I was a teenager in the 90s.  We drove around listening to stuff like Rage Against the Machine, House of Pain and I cannot express just how much I loved the Judgment Night soundtrack.  So anyway, seeing Cypress Hill live was crazy!  We danced, Danced, DANCED.  At one point I looked up at the lights and noticed that it was snowing but there was such a great vibe moving through the crowd and we were all boogying with such abandon that it really didn’t seem cold at all. I chilled a bit more for the Slightly Stoopid portion of the evening and made an effort to take everything in- the lights of the stage and directed onto the rocks on either side, the sound of the instruments coming at me, the beat of the music, the laughter of my friends.  It was an incredible evening.  Legendary.  Epic. 

The next morning we rose early and started another day of exploration with a blast to the past- way deep into dinosaur times.  We headed out to Dinosaur Ridge, a small educational center that offers tours of nearby dinosaur bones, ancient dinosaur footprints and information about the geology of the area.  We paid $5/per adult for a bus ride to the top and a guided tour.  I think our guide’s name was TJ, it was his birthday and he was super.  He was such a smartie!  He knew everything about dinosaurs and fossils and microbes and stuff.  The 45-minute tour was interesting for the kids and adults in the group. 

We had a picnic in Red Rocks Park, then hiked one of the easier trails, a gradually climbing trail that transitions from packed ground to slabs of rocks and boulders to navigate around.  It was a beautiful day and the whole gang spent some try relaxing on some rocks with the sun on our faces before heading back down the hill.  On our walk down we encountered a Red Rocks Ranger, a particularly friendly woman who chatted about other parks nearby and funny experiences she’s had at this one.  I really appreciate the open friendliness of the population in Colorado.

Our next stop was Myxed Up Creations, a local shop selling Hot Box at Red Rocks concert memorabilia.  Neil wanted to pick up a shirt so we headed out that way taking a winding route through the neighborhoods on the outskirts of downtown Denver.  When we pulled into the parking lot we instantly recognized a familiar sight- the Slightly Stoopid van which had been on stage at the concert the night before.  How cool!  Myxed Up Creations is like a head shop superstore.  It had a large clothing section, purses and pouches, incense and more.  Neil scored his concert T-shirt along with a poster given to him straight out of the store window. 

After eating a dinner prepared by Lisa, we headed out for an evening at a local music venue Quixotes True Blue and watched a band called Funk Trek do their thing.  Funk Trek, a jazz fusion and funk (obviously) group was led by a quirky bass player, flanked by two kool kat saxophones, a key board guy, a guitar player or two, brass instruments and a drummer in the back.  I dug it.  There was a small group on the dance floor and as we started dancing near our table, a few girls moved over to dance with us- yet another experience of the welcoming attitude of the friendly people of Colorado. 

We spent most of our last full day in Colorado Springs, about an hour south of Denver down Interstate 25.  First we stopped at the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center to get a map of the road that passes through Garden of the Gods Park.  Although it was very misty, the clouds broke for quick moments and we were able to see Pikes Peak in the distance from the observation deck out front.  We picnicked in the parking lot, then piled into the cars to navigate the one-way route that circles the park and passes by some of the most mesmerizing rock formations I’ve ever seen.    We stopped at every few parking lots to get out and take pictures.  Although it was in the 60s when we arrived in Colorado Springs, it was way windy, like knock-you-over windy.  We had to hold onto each other when taking group pics.  It was hard to pull cars doors open and shut.  The temperature dropped almost 30 degrees in the short time we were there.  And that was just a small taste of the unpredictable and extreme sides of Colorado weather.

Before leaving the area we made one last stop at the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum, located inside the Pikes Peak Harley Davidson.  Although it was small, the motorcycle museum was really neat with a lot of antique bikes, unique motorcycles like those used in World War II or mobile Harley mechanics.  It was a totally free activity with the added bonus of browsing the selection of Harleys for sale in the showroom below- I, personally, would love to get a silver bike that answers to the name Silky. 

Like my last visit, a homemade dinner with Nicole’s family plus the friends we’d met the Red Rocks show was how we spent our last night in Colorado.  We made a giant pan of sausage with peppers and onions, spinach salad with bacon and rolls and Nicole whipped up a delicious desert of fruit baked in cinnamon over ice cream- everything was delicious.  Nicole’s family talked about coming out to Ohio to visit friends and family and it would be great to return their hospitality with a big house party of our own.

The next morning we woke up to the thick layer of snow blanketing Denver.  A 30-minute drive to the airport turned into a hour with horrible road conditions, near zero visibility and driving an unfamiliar car but we still made it back to the airport with plenty of time to return our rental and make it to the gate.  Unfortunately, it took an hour to de-ice the plane and we missed our connection in Atlanta where we spent the next six hours waiting for the next flight.  We finally made it home around midnight.    

It was another fast-paced, high energy, hectic excursion around Denver and points surrounding.  We were again able to fit in a lot of free fun by doing walking tours and hiking trails and by picnicking and making home cooked meals.  We danced every chance we got.  We made the most of every minute of the 71 hours we spend in Colorado. 

51 Hours in Colorado

51 Hours in Colorado
September 28-30, 2012

Lisa is my partner in shenanigans.  We manage to get ourselves into wacky predicaments that are nothing less than totally random and highly hysterical.  Her move to Colorado didn’t change that- Denver is just one non-stop flight away out of Akron Canton Regional Airport (CAK) on Frontier, the cutest of all the airlines.  I left on a Friday morning around 6:30am and arrived at the Denver International Airport (DEN) around 7:30am, the difference in time zones making a 3-hour flight seem like a mere hour- it is like I traveled in time.  Or maybe time traveled with me?  Anyway, Lisa and her girls Skylar, Tierney and Justice drove up cheering and whisked me away on what was to become one of the most non-stop, whirlwind weekend trips of my entire life. 

I could see the mountains in the distance and took in the landscape in the morning light but really, the very first Colorado sight I saw was a giant field full of prairie dogs.  Hundreds of prairie dogs.  And one rabbit.  The peculiar thing about this was that the field was really more of an undeveloped lot between a movie theater and retail shops in a busy commercial part of town.  The prairie dogs had just made it their own, peaking their little heads out of their holes or boldly standing up on end with an air of claim over the plot.

After we dropped the kids off at school, Lisa and I headed toward Denver.   Lisa said she wanted me to see a Denver traffic jam- I was kind of ambivalent about this plan.  I mean, you see one traffic jam, you’ve seen them all.  It was a lot of traffic.  We detoured onto side streets and were soon involved in a haphazard high speed tour of the city.  We zoomed past the US Mint, the Art Museum, Mile High Stadium and an amusement park right in the middle of the city (that’s pretty cool).  

 

Lisa offered up several options for afternoon activities.  We chose Red Rocks Park based on its close proximity to Denver- it turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip.  We started the excursion by climbing 386 steps to the very top of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.  We toured the museum, made souvenir pennies and, bound to get into some sort of hijinks, did the chicken dance to the cheers of roadies setting up the stage for a show that night.  From there we set out to do a little hiking.  I was instantly enchanted by the vista of rock formations, wind torn trees, cacti and other desert foliage.  Lisa and I climbed up the trail stopping to scope out secluded spots with great views.  On our way out of the park we stopped at the Trading Post to take in even more totally spectacular views and shop for little things.
 

By the time we were done exploring Red Rocks we were famished and headed into the laidback little town of Morrison, CO to find a place to eat.  We chose the Blue Cow Eatery based on the quirky sign and the 100% buffalo burgers on the menu.  We relaxed on the covered back patio and enjoyed our juicy burgers.  After lunch we browsed a few of the shops in the area.

After picking up the kids and going to the grocery store, we headed back into the city to enjoy a little night picnic with Lisa’s friend Nicole and her family on the bank of the South Platte River in Commons Park.  We walked around the busy restaurant and nightlife district of the Highland neighborhood, then crossed the Denver Millennium Bridge pretending that we were playing a real life game of Frogger as we mimicked dodging the cars passing below.  We rode free public transit into the downtown area to explore a little more.  It was in the late night/early morning hours before we made it back to the hotel to crash.

Just a few hours later we were up for another whirlwind day of adventure.  After breakfast we packed up the car and headed north toward Estes Park in the Rocky Mountain National Park.  We were on a mission to see elk.  Lisa and I had talked about the elk many times while planning our trip.  If nothing else was planned, we knew we wanted to see elk.  It was a must!  We kept our eyes peeled as we drove along the mountain road winding higher into the mountains.  Alas we saw no elk on our drive up.

Estes Park is nestled in between towering mountains.  It has a rural, intimate village feel but with the restaurants, shops, arts and culture of a larger community.  We’d just happened to pick the weekend the Annual Elk Festival was going on but we had something else on our agenda first.  Being the end of September and nearing what I like to call ‘haunted season’, I was pretty stoked to hear that Lisa had planned for her two older girls and me to take a tour of the Stanley Hotel, the very place that inspired Steven King’s horror novel ‘The Shining.'  

We had a little while to wait before our tour started so I enjoyed one of my favorite pastimes, having a drink at the hotel bar.  There’s just something about a fancy hotel bar and the Stanley Hotel’s was especially grand with carved dark wood, a selection of fine spirits displayed on lighted shelves and a 37-foot stone top bar.  I had an amaretto sour at the bar and a second taking in the vast mountain views from the large front porch of the hotel.  The Stanley Hotel tour combined the history of the area and the buildings with the fabled stories of ghosts that inspired a book and movie for a tour that was just a little bit spooky.  Little things that might usually go unnoticed like orbs in a photograph or candy dropped in a stairwell may be a message from the afterlife in this historic landmark. 

We recharged with a picnic on the hotel grounds, then walked into downtown to explore the Elk Fest.  Elk Fest was pretty awesome!  I mean, it’s the Wild West out there- we got to check out teepees, chomp on jerky and watch Native American dances.  We explored the town shops and galleries to wind down the day. 

We still hadn’t seen any elk which was kind of an issue so we drove around the area, up and down mountain roads just hoping we’d come upon some meandering along.  We had a few false sightings- as it turns out, Colorado deer are way bigger than Ohio deer.  Lisa and I made our way toward a rushing stream to see if we could catch a glimpse of anything.  We did not see any elk- however, we did spot some mighty big, very clawy paw prints.  As the light dimmed, our chances of seeing elk diminished.  We were pretty bummed as we drove out of Estes Park.  The car was quiet.  I was beat. 

Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement in a field to my right.  I looked over to see three elk frolicking through a meadow.  I start to scream, Lisa starts to scream, we both pretty much start flipping out at the sight of these giant creatures running through the grass.  We cheered and tried our best to get at least one decent photograph.  Alas, the light was bad, the distance far- still, I got a blurry image and an absolutely amazing memory of my first elk sighting.  That’s all we needed to energize for the final leg of our evening- enjoying a delicious curry chicken & rice dish prepared by Nicole’s husband Jon.  It was a great way to wrap up our day!

We ate breakfast at the airport on Sunday morning before saying our goodbyes.  We’d packed so much into the short time we’d spent together and were already planning another visit as we munched on mini hash browns.  It was a crazy couple of days and we made the most of every minute.  We hiked rugged mountain paths and downtown streets.  We toured a music venue that’s hosted many historic concerts and a historic hotel that hosts many spirits.  We shopped and picnicked and saw wild animals.  The one thing we didn’t do was sleep.