Fri 1 /6 – 15241 steps, 21 flights of stairs
Happy birthday Simon
Today was about bikes and Red Rocks.
We ate breakfast on the train and arrived at Denver Union station at 8am. It has a stunning hall, with free wifi and good coffee. Good place to people watch and plan your next move.
We went out of the city to meet Nadine, a friend from Swaziland who now works at Elevation Cycles in Denver. David had ordered a bike from her and we spent most of the day there so David could test ride and get it adjusted. I also got a new bike – an ebike, now there is no excuse.
Many thanks to Nades, who not only gave us such good prices, but also arranged for bikes to be packed and delivered to our hotel in San Francisco on Friday. What a star! Swaziland’s loss is definitely Denver’s gain.
We finally got to our apartment a block away from the station at 3:30. We had just enough time to unpack, shower and get ready for Red Rocks.
We met the shuttle at the Thirsty Lion gastropub, where we got delicious calamari and chicken tenders with our drinks. Then it took about 30 minutes to drive to Red Rocks. The bus parked at the lowest point available and we had to climb the mountain. Not much oxygen up there, with Denver already being one mile high. At the base of the rocks was a ramp going up and up and up. Luckily it was packed and the queue moved so slowly I could get my breath back. It took an hour and a half to get to the base of the amphitheatre. Then we had to climb the stairs to our seats right near the top. No wonder I climbed the equivalent of 21 flights of stairs.
Once there, however, Red Rocks is incredible. We watched Xavier Rudd, followed by Michael Franti. What wonderful music in a wonderful setting.
Chuckle of the day: I thought we were last on the bus so I asked the bus driver if I should close the (hydraulic) bus door!
What I learnt:
Personal use of cannabis is legal in Colorado and I think there was more Swazi Gold at Red Rocks than there is at Bushfire. Also having grey hair does not limit your dance moves. (unfortunately can’t show video on this blog)
Clever idea: We arrived in Denver at 8am with all our luggage, and could not check in or store luggage until 3pm. However, there is a clever guy, who has a permanent parking place outside Union Station and he parks a small van there and stores luggage. He also delivers it to your hotel. If you are ever in Denver, remember the name,”Lugden”. What a pleasure. I would nominate him for entrepreneur of the year.
Kim's journey 