Three Days in Denver – Queen City of the Plains

This morning my tea-tray came with a flower. Away for only a few days, the hills and woods got dressed up in lacy spring green finery in my absence. Lovely to be home, but just as lovely to visit Denver in its spring attire, mountains snow-capped and majestic to the west.

A late evening walk my first day was the perfect antidote to the glamour of current day air travel. Trees in full bloom softened the streetscapes, a heady fragrance perfuming the air, dogs out walking their owners. A mix of early 20th century residential and commercial, small bungalow style homes and low-rise apartment buildings – some upscale, some budget friendly – the West Washington Neighborhood is well endowed with cafes and restaurants and shops within walking distance, rocks and flowers sprouting between concrete and sidewalk, every crevice and patch and opportunity.

A visit to Denver would be incomplete without a drive out to Red Rocks, a performance venue tucked into the hills a few miles west of Denver. At 6,450 feet above sea level, The Garden of Angels is located in a transitional zone where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains. The hills surrounding the red rocks of the amphitheater were decked out in spring blooms and the downy, fragile spring green of an otherwise brown and arid landscape, the sky bright blue, Denver’s skyline in the distance. A busy place, teeming with joggers, hikers and school groups, with open space for us all. Stone seating was strung like rock pearls between two, three hundred-foot monoliths. Rooted in musical history since the early 1900’s, the venue was developed with CCC/WPA workers over a span of 20 years, and completed in the late 1940’s, turning a beautiful piece of naturally occurring prime acoustics into an open-air theater. I could imagine a different scene at night, and could only wish that I’d been there to hear Ella or Hendrix, stars twinkling above.

My only venture out of the neighborhood was a morning spent in the new(ish) Libeskind wing of DAM – The Denver Art Museum. All angles, white, light, and bright spaces, inviting and interactive, we caught the last weekend of the BLINK! exhibit – really fun.

With thanks to dearest A and R for opening their home to me and for introducing me to their beautiful backyard in Denver. A busy and fun few days, good food and company, with enough time to wander and explore.

Now, back to packing for the next trip.