On October 25th we arrived at the Dakota Ridge RV Park in Golden, where they gave us “buddy sites” for our RVs so we would be next to each other. We immediately set up camp and sat down at the table for a beer and to soak up the beautiful Colorado sunshine. Then we drove up Lookout Mountain for a great view of Denver and the surrounding area. Of course, we had to stop by Buffalo Bill’s Museum and grave. Buffalo Bill Cody was born in 1846 and became famous for his Wild West shows and he passed away in Denver in 1917. Cody was buried on Colorado’s Lookout Mountain in Golden on the edge of the Rocky Mountains overlooking the Great Plains. That night we went into Golden and had diner at the Sherpa House Restaurant for an authentic Nepalese dinner.
The next day we drove up to Breckenridge, one of the most popular ski resorts in the west, established in 1961. We strolled along Main Street and stopped at the Motherloaded Tavern where we met up with Onalee and Tom from Cleveland for a beer. Then it was off to downtown Denver for dinner at Tag Restaurant where we met Lisa and Dave for a fun reunion.
A fun day was spent on the Georgetown Loop Railroad connecting Georgetown to Silver Plume. It was completed in 1884, a 4.5 mile stretch of 3 foot narrow gauge railroad and was considered an engineering marvel for its time. The once thriving mining towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume lie 2 miles apart in a steep, narrow mountain canyon of Clear Creek in the Rocky Mountains west of Denver. The railroad route ascends an elevation of 640 feet through mountainous terrain, along trestles, crossing Clear Creek four times including the massive Devil’s Gate High Bridge. It was a two hour ride on this historic train with wonderful views looking out over Clear Creek, 102 feet to the river, and the mountain canyon beyond.
Take a trip on the historic Georgetown Loop
Crossing over the “Devil’s Gate High Bridge
After the train ride, we explored the quaint town of Georgetown with it’s well preserved period architecture; and of course there was shopping for jewelry and caramel popcorn from the well stocked candy store.
On our way back to Golden we stopped at the Red Rocks Amphitheater. Red Rocks is a huge rock structure near Morrison, CO, ten miles west of Denver, where concerts are given in the open-air amphitheater. It is surrounded by several large red rock outcroppings angled outward from stage right and stage left and a seating area for up to 9,450 people in between. The earliest documented performance was on May 31, 1906. The Beattles performed here on Aug 26, 1964; and tickets cost $6. The beautiful and unique setting has led to the venue becoming a favorite for many performers such as: Jimi Hendrix in 1968, U2 in 1983, the Grateful Dead and John Denver etc. Aftrer watching a beautiful sunset we headed into Morrison for a great Mexican dinner at the Red Rocks Grill.
