Red Rocks

On Wednesday, Ron & I were off to wander somewhere other than the campground area.  Much to our surprise, we were only about 10 minutes from Red Rocks Amphitheatre.  It is truly one of the most amazing things to see, and we would highly recommend a visit if you are ever in the Denver area.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

 

 

Red Rocks is a natural amphitheater that was first used as a venue for music in the early 1900's.  In 1927, the city of Denver bought it and with the help of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) built the stage and seating.  It was completed in 1941.  The CCC was one of the programs Franklin D Roosevelt established during the Depression to help get men back to work.  I recently finished reading "No Ordinary Time" about the last 4 years of Roosevelt's life, so it was really interesting to see what a contribution this program made to the nation.

 



The first concert season was in 1947.  Many musicians and musical groups have played Red Rocks in all musical genres.  They all rave over the natural acoustics and the beauty as the sun sets.  The Beatles played there August 26, 1964 - tickets were $6.60!

 

The hiking was awesomely humbling!  The steep climbs and altitude made the 1.4 mile trail seem like 10 miles.  I read in the museum that at Red Rocks (altitude 6,200 ft. above sea level) you only get 80% of the oxygen you get at sea level.  All I know is that I had to stop and breathe.

 

Climbing up......

Climbing down

 

 

 

But the views were worth it!

 

 

Red Rocks Amphitheatre