Colorado - Day 8: Denver and Red Rocks
On Sunday, August 18, 2024, I spent the day exploring Denver’s Union Station neighborhood and capped it off with a concert at Red Rocks!
I started my own walking tour with a visit to the Colorado State Capitol. Although I didn’t go inside, I snapped a photo of the beautiful exterior. I had wanted to climb up to the 15th step, where “One Mile Above Sea Level” is engraved, but with my knee still sore from hiking to Crater Lake in Maroon Bells and summiting Mount Elbert, I decided to skip any extra steps. I was grateful just to be out walking!
Next, I headed to Commons Park, an urban oasis at the edge of Lower Downtown, strolling along the 16th Street Mall on my way. I was surprised to see that a portion of the mall, from Cleveland Place to Curtis Street, was under construction as part of the 16th Street Mall Project, an effort to revitalize the mall from Market Street to Broadway. Construction started in spring 2022 and is scheduled to finish in 2025. Luckily, since it was Sunday, there was no active construction, and I was able to enjoy the walk without any extra noise.
After walking around Commons Park, I stopped at Blue Agave, a Contemporary Southwestern spot, for their house salad and a margarita. When I was ready to start walking again, I made my way to Union Station for a closer look, as I hadn’t had a chance to explore it earlier. Union Station serves as Denver’s main transit hub but is also home to several restaurants, boutiques, and the Crawford Hotel.
Finally, I headed to Thirsty Lion Gastropub for an early dinner before catching the RRX Shuttle to Red Rocks to see O.A.R. live!
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
I’ve always wanted to see a concert at Red Rocks, and 2024 felt like the perfect year to make it happen. I knew I wanted to end my Colorado trip with a concert at Red Rocks. O.A.R. fit perfectly into my schedule, and while I’d never seen them live before, I knew I liked their music. So I thought, why not make them my first Red Rocks experience?
It was incredible! If you’re staying in Denver, I highly, highly recommend taking a shuttle from Denver to Red Rocks. It made everything so convenient. Check-in began at 3:30pm at Thirsty Lion Gastropub with the buses starting to depart at 5pm. I had a 3:45pm reservation at the restaurant, so after checking in, I enjoyed a slider and a beer on the patio. I settled my check just before 5pm, then hopped onto one of four shuttles lined up for Red Rocks. If you weren’t ready to leave exactly at 5pm, there was a bit of leeway with the additional buses.
I arrived at Red Rocks around 5:45pm, in awe of the beautiful amphitheater. I had a general admission ticket, which gives fans access to a group of specific rows, which was rows 60 and beyond for O.A.R. When we arrived at the parking lot, it started to rain a bit. Luckily, I had the foresight to stop and buy a poncho at the Target on 16th Street Mall earlier in the day, so I was prepared! After going through security, I made my way up to a spot in the GA section to await DJ Logic, the first opener. Luckily, the rain didn’t stick around for long, and we were greeted to a beautiful rainbow just before DJ Logic went on stage!
Amazingly, I had two sets of friends also attending the concert! I met up with one group for DJ Logic, stayed with them through Fitz and the Tantrums, and into a portion of O.A.R.’s set. About halfway through, I headed up to the restroom near the top of the amphitheater and then went in search of my other friends, who were closer to row 40 on the left side of the stage. The shuttle was scheduled to leave no later than 30 minutes after the show, so as it got closer to the end, I started feeling anxious about making it back in time. Watching the second half of O.A.R.’s set in row 40 with friends, versus row 65, was a fantastic way to wrap up the night!
Watching three incredible acts at an iconic amphitheater under a full moon, with a rainbow gracing us earlier in the evening, was the perfect ending to an unforgettable Colorado trip.
