Red Rocks Amphitheatre

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
View from Red Rocks
Crowd Surrounded by Rock Formations
Stage Surrounded by Rocks

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.

Crowd at Red Rocks
Climbing the Stairs of the Amphitheater
View of the Stage
Shot of Dusk at Concert

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.

Rock Formations
Crowd at Dusk
One of the Giant Screens
Dusk at Red Rocks

 

Spain Meets Colorado – Steak with Spanish Dry-Rub

When we travel, we try to taste as much of the local flavors as possible. Then, when we’re back at home, we try to replicate some of the things that we tried during our trips.  We certainly aren’t culinary experts, but we are a couple that enjoys cooking and trying different foods.  This particular dinner is obviously very easy, but if you’re a meat lover, it is extremely delicious.  If you ever come to the western United States, to states like Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana, you’re going to find some great steaks.  We have gotten used to the portions that restaurants serve, which is why we always split a meal when we go out and even then usually have food leftover to take home with us.

When we had first moved to Colorado, we took a trip the Alamosa, in the southwestern portion of the state, and had gone out to dinner and ordered a steaks.  We’d each ordered our own meal, so when the server arrived with our food, we almost went into shock.  A large plate was placed in front of each of us and on this plate was a huge steak.  That was all that was on the plate because that was all that could fit on the plate.  Then smaller plates with baked potatoes and vegetables were placed next our enormous steaks.  Each steak could easily feed a family of four, but apparently steak portions tend to be fairly large in the western states.

So, we picked up a nice, thick rib-eye steak from our favorite butcher at the Cowboy Star restaurant where we can get our steaks cut to order.  We marinated it with the Spanish dry-rub and grilled it to a nice medium rare.  To complete the Spanish experience, we paired it with a Monastrell wine from the Taringa vineyard in Jumilla, Spain, which was bold and spicy enough to stand up to the flavor of the steak.  We served with a side salad, just to try to pretend that we were being a little healthy.

Dry Rubbed Rib-Eye

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tbsp Spanish Paprika
  • 1 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 tsp Dry Mustard
  • 1 tsp Ground Fennel Seeds
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 Boneless Rib-Eye Steaks (about 10 – 12 oz each)
Spices

Instructions

Mix the spices in a small bowl.  Brush the steaks with the olive oil and then rub the spices all over the steak, making sure to coat both sides equally.  Let the steaks stand at room temperature, coated with the spice rub, for about 20 minutes to let the aromatic spices penetrate.  Cook the steaks on a grill, grill pan, or in a cast iron skillet until it reaches the desired temperature.  Let the steaks rest, tented with aluminum foil, for at least 10 minutes.  Cut the steak into strips or serve whole.  Serves 2 to 4 people.

Marinating Steak
Cooked Steak

 

Daily Post Photo Challenge – Seasons

Living in Colorado, every season is absolutely amazing. We like to go hiking and we’ve seen the mountains show us some incredible beauty. We like this image because it captures the inevitable transition of autumn into winter (we’d like to think we’ve got a few years before that represents our age 🙂 ).  We were hiking in Vail at the time and we the Aspen leaves were gently drifting down on to the snow-covered ground creating a lovely mix of white and gold.

Aspen Leaves on Snow Covered Trail

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/seasons/