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girlawhirl sees red – as in the red rocks – outside of denver Jul 7, 2008
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Girlawhirl had heard of Red Rocks because of all of the famous concerts held there. But an amphitheater – even if it is an outdoor one – is not the first thing that springs to her mind when she's looking for a scenic diversion. Good thing her friend knew better. Just 15 miles outside of Denver, Red Rocks was a beautiful place to spend her afternoon.
She started at the amphitheater itself, flanked on either side by two massive sandstone monoliths – Ship Rock and Creation Rock – that help create the perfect natural acoustics that have attracted performers for more than 100 years. From the amphitheater's upper plaza she had a panoramic view of Denver, and then she walked down to stand on the stage and imagined herself a rocker performing to a packed house on a clear Colorado night, a star-filled sky as the backdrop.
Next stop was the underground visitor center, which, even though she was there for some outdoor time, was worth checking out. There were displays explaining the geological history of the area, interactive exhibits featuring clips of some of the musicians who have played there through the years and a short movie about the history of the park and amphitheater.
Then Girlawhirl got to what she had really come for – her nature fix. There are a couple of trails within the Red Rocks Park to hike and bike. (If she had been in it just for the workout she could have joined the many people she saw running the amphitheater stairs!) She chose the 1.4-mile Trading Post loop trail. Starting from the Red Rocks Trading Post just southeast of the amphitheater, the trail wound through truly awe-inspiring rock formations and a beautiful natural meadow – where she even saw a bunny hopping around. Ending up back behind the Trading Post, Girlawhirl took a few minutes to sit on the rocks and admire the spectacular view of the valley below.
After her fabulous afternoon among the Red Rocks, Girlawhirl decided she needs to come back for a concert! For more information on visiting Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater, click here.
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Whenever Girlawhirl’s visiting a city she, of course, loves to check out the shops, restaurants and even the touristy sightseeing destinations. But she’s also an outdoor girl and she seeks out natural beauty whenever she can. So when she was in
