The Lennon Wall in Prague, Czech Republic

On March 20, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Czech Republic5 Comments

We were fortunate to see many historical places during our time in Europe, but sometimes we came across something that was a little unexpected. We had a running joke with each other that we were guaranteed to see a bridge, castle, cathedral, and a palace in every major city that visited and that was certainly the case for our trip to Prague. One of the interesting sights that we found in Prague that wasn’t expected was the John Lennon Wall. We weren’t the only ones who made their way through the side streets to take time to enjoy this interesting expression of love and peace.

It started as an impromptu display of loss when John Lennon was murdered and an image of the iconic singer from the Beatles was painted on the wall. Over time it has become a place for people to write and draw words and images of inspiration. Due to that, the wall is never the same as new poems and images appear daily and people are encouraged to add their own reflections of hope and peace and at times outrage with the political establishments. You don’t have to be a product of the love generation to appreciate this ever evolving expression of average people with shared desires.

Not surprisingly, there was a street artist performing songs from Lennon and the Beatles. We didn’t actually put anything on the wall ourselves, but there were plenty of people adding their thoughts to the wall while we were there. It might not be the same as some of the historical sites that we visited, but this was certainly very interesting and well worth taking the time to visit.

The Taste of Colorado

On September 6, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado9 Comments

We went to Denver over the weekend to enjoy the Taste of Colorado, which is an annual event with a variety of vendors. It wasn’t exactly what we were expecting, but it was still a lot of fun. We expected it to be mostly restaurants as well as local breweries and wineries, but it was actually a lot of vendors selling crafts as well as a small carnival. There were restaurants and food trucks, just not as many as we had expected and some of them were chain restaurants. We were able to get beer and wine, but the only brewery was Coors, so there wasn’t a selection of craft beers, which was more of what we were expecting.

The event itself is free, but you need to buy tickets in order to get food and drinks. It isn’t exactly cheap, but it is typical of these types of events. There was also plenty of free music with different bands playing throughout the four days and each evening there were some fairly big names playing. It was pretty warm over the weekend, so it was nice to sit in the shade and listen to some music at times. We enjoyed hearing the Confluence Music Group, The Afters, Hypnotic Vibes, and Boys II Men.

Obviously we weren’t there with kids, but we did enjoy seeing all of the children riding on the various carnival rides. There was a wide variety of rides for the children to enjoy, including some things for the older kids such as a zip-line and a mechanical bull. The floating hamster wheels looked like they would be a lot of fun. We’re not sure if we can handle all of the spinning and whirling, but the children were definitely enjoying it.

We didn’t buy anything while we were there, but there were definitely a lot of interesting crafts available. There was everything from African masks to various types of artwork. If you were looking for interesting trinkets to put in your home, there were plenty of choices. It was great to see all of the different and unique items for sale, but it wasn’t what we were expecting as we thought that the event was going to be all about the food from Colorado.

We really had a great time, but it was definitely a busy place to be and it was very crowded. In addition to everyone being there for the Taste of Colorado, there was also an anime convention going on, so there were people dressed as their favorite character on every street corner. Living in Colorado Springs, we had never heard of the event before this year, but we will definitely keep it in mind for the future as it was a lot of fun and now we know more of what to expect.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

On March 14, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado6 Comments

We’ve been fortunate enough to see several shows at Red Rocks, but even if you don’t get a chance to see a concert there, it is definitely worth checking out if you’re in the Denver area. It is the 75th anniversary of the amphitheater this year, so they are doing some special celebrations, so it seemed fitting to put out a post describing this iconic landmark. Long before we moved to Colorado, we’d seen the video of U2 playing at Red Rocks and knew that it was a magical place and seems to bring something special out of every artist who plays there. Most of these pictures are from a concert that we went to several years ago with our youngest daughter and one of her very good friends, but they don’t do justice to how incredible the place is. There are a couple of pictures from a long time ago when we first moved to Colorado. We won’t bore you with any actual concert footage, this is all about the amphitheater itself.

The Two of Us Waiting for the Concert to Start

In addition to going to see a live music event at Red Rocks, there are some great hiking trails in the area as well. In some ways it reminds us of Garden of the Gods, here in Colorado Springs, but obviously they are each unique in what they offer. A lot of fitness enthusiasts will also run the steps in the amphitheater, which are quite steep and would definitely be an excellent workout. Red Rocks is located just outside of Denver and is nestled in the foothills of the Rockies, which makes it easy to get to. The rock formations are beautiful, but there are also great views of Denver as well.

Whether going to a concert or just visiting the park for some hiking, you should definitely make the Red Rocks Amphitheatre a destination on your list if you’re visiting Denver. Clearly, if you can go to a concert, it will be an experience that you’ll never forget. From the incredible sound that the amphitheater offers, to the beauty of the rock formations, to the normally clear blue skies of the Front Range, the music is only part of the overall experience.