Golden, Colorado: My brother had two full days of touristing planned for us, but there is a Big Storm coming into the Denver area over-night, so we packed it all in today - just in case.
The Magna Peregrinus, parked at Red Rocks AmphitheaterAfter a hearty breakfast, we took the motorhome, our Honda and Steve's car to Red Rocks Amphitheater, where we left the RV and explored via car and on foot - with Kris and Delaney as well - for several hours.
A beautiful natural amphitheater with legendary acoustics, stone seats were added between 1936 and 1941 by the Civilian Conservation Corp, with help from the National Park Service and the Works Progress Administration. 90,000 square feet of flagstone, quarried in Lyons, Colorado, were placed by a crew of 200 workers. They made $30 a month. Now the amphitheater is home to concerts and plays of all sorts - from opera to The Beatles.
James Taylor loved playing here
Red Rocks Amphitheater
Kris, Steve and Delaney at Red Rocks AmphitheaterAfter our visit to the amphitheater, Steve and Kris drove us a few miles to Dinosaur Ridge, where hundreds of dinosaur bones have been discovered.
Beautiful view from Dinosaur RidgeOf particular interest are hundreds of dinosaur footprints. The park has painted the footprints with dark glow-in-the-dark paint and the print-laden rock is illuminated at night to show the dino-claws glowing.
Ornithomimus & Iguanodon prints at Dinosaur RidgeAfter all this walking (at 6000-ish elevation), we went back to the RV. I set-up a make-it-your-own-self sandwich bar and we sat outside on folding chairs, enjoying our lunch and beautiful views.
After lunch, we drove the RV to our reserved campsite in Golden, checked-in, and headed out to tour downtown Denver in Steve's car - but mostly on foot.
Coors Field - Home of the Rockies
Union Station (under renovation)
Colorado State House - also under renovation - is built at one mile above sea level
Denver City Hall
No comment
Brown Palace Hotel and the Blue Bear
Closed off to traffic, 16th street is a fun shopping/dining destinationYou would think all this walking and touring would have been enough, but you don't know this family. Back to have a walk around Golden, Colorado!
We had a walk around town, snapped photos of Clear Creek - coming and going - and finally had a much-deserved brew at Mountain Toad Brewing. Nephew Michael joined us in Golden, and we all had dinner at a local joint.
My brother, Steve, daughter Delaney (19),son Michael (26) and sister-in-law, Kris
A super-fun-filled adventure, but we were done for the day. My family dropped us back to our RV. We will see them again tomorrow.
Assuming we aren't snowed-in.
Pedometer: 16,000 steps, over 7 miles... and don't forget, Saturday is my day of rest. I'll try to rest tomorrow.
Until my next update, I remain, your mile-high correspondent.
RV PARK: Dakota Ridge RV Resort - near Golden. Pool, hot tub, putting green, fitness center, playground, clubhouse, laundry, billiards, free wifi (fast!), propane, shop. We have a long paved pull-through full-hookup site with 50 amp. We paid $50. FYI: marijuana is not allowed in this RV park.