Weekend in Denver

On August 15, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado15 Comments

Things have been more than just a little hectic for the two of us over the past couple of weeks as we try to get prepared for being out of the country for several months. Working two full-time jobs and packing up our house has caused us to be pretty stressed, so we decided to give ourselves a break and head to Denver for the weekend. It was a pretty hot weekend, but the weather was perfect for being outside and walking through Denver’s historic district. It is hard to believe that after all of the years that we’ve lived here, we hadn’t taken the time to walk the historic district of downtown Denver. It was worth the wait, however, as we really enjoyed seeing all of the buildings and statues.

The capital is under some major renovations at the moment, but its gold dome still dominates the skyline, shimmering in the afternoon sun. We walked over to the Molly Brown House and Museum, which is a wonderful representation of the turn of the century Victorian homes. As most people know, she became famous after surviving the sinking of the Titanic giving her the nickname of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”. We also walked around Civic Center Park with its columns, statues, and flower beds. In a couple of weeks we hope to return there to partake in the Taste of Colorado, which is happening in the park over Labor Day weekend.

“Broncho Buster” Statue (that is spelled correctly)

By the time we made it back to the 16th Street Mall, which is a pedestrian street with lots of restaurants and shop, it was late in the afternoon. There are hop-on hop-off busses that will take you from one end of the street to the other, but we decided to have one of the bike taxis take us to the far western end of the street as we were hot and tired at this point. They aren’t cheap, but it is a fun way to travel on the mall as they are like an American version of a rickshaw. We’re back at work today and the pressure is mounting once again, but at least for a few hours over the weekend we were able to forget about all of our stress and enjoy a beautiful summer day in Denver.

Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

Springtime in the Rockies

On March 24, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado6 Comments

So, technically we’re in the front range and not in the mountains, but March and April are our snowiest months. On Tuesday, it was sunny and warm and then yesterday we were in the midst of a blizzard with over a foot of snow and sixty mile an hour winds. When we talk to people who aren’t familiar with Colorado, they assume that getting snow like that is pretty common, but really it isn’t. Normally we get a couple of inches of snow and then it goes away the next day, so this was definitely unexpected. In fact, the storm was so bad that it closed Denver International Airport for only the third time since its been open. All highways between Denver and Colorado Springs were closed as well as from Denver and Colorado Springs to Kansas were also closed, stranding hundreds of motorists. The national guard was called out to rescue stranded motorists as this storm caught everyone off-guard.

During a storm of this magnitude, it is recommended that you stay off the roads unless you absolutely have to go someplace. Unfortunately, we had to get on the roads for a short while and it was a harrowing experience. We thought that driving in Iceland was white knuckle driving, but compared to yesterday, that was a walk in the park. At times the wind and snow was causing true whiteout conditions where we couldn’t see more than a couple of feet in front of the car. In fact, we almost missed the turn into our neighborhood because we literally couldn’t see the intersection. Fortunately, we made it home safely and were happy not to be on the road anymore.

We Couldn’t See Anything – There Are Cars Ahead of Us

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.