Red Rocks

Miles was still sick with a high fever on Monday. Medicine helped ease it but everyone agreed he should rest. Everyone except Miles. When told he could watch movies, he quickly collapsed on the couch.

Melissa suggested we visit Red Rocks. Glen and I were game when Geoff said he'd look after Miles, so we piled into the Rio with Elijah, and headed for the hills. It was a lovely day for a drive.

I thought Red Rocks was a place featuring geology as its name suggests and it is, but it is also so much more. A natural amphitheatre formed by two rock formations, Ship Rock and Creation Rock, creates a place of perfect acoustics. Originally called The Garden of Angels, it attracted the attention of John Brisben Walker in the 1900s who produced a number of concerts there. In 1927, the city of Denver bought the area and built an amphitheatre designed to compliment the surrounding geology. Since 1947, it has attracted performers from around the world and is famous for its annual Easter Sunrise Service.

We wandered the main hall of the information center to read the names of artists who have performed at Red Rocks from The Beatles to k.d. lang to opera stars. The park itself is 868 acres laced with hiking and biking trails and featuring broad vistas of the prairies and city of Denver.

After we had a snack in the amphitheatre and watched a boot camp prepare to run up and down the seats (a favoured activity for the fit), we wandered out to an empty parking lot so Melissa could find the letterbox hidden there. Glen and I were to watch for security guards while she followed the clues.

Letterboxing involves finding a box containing a rubber stamp that is hidden in a public place. The origin of this idea is credited to a guide who left a bottle on the moors of Dartmoor, England in 1854 in which visitors would place their cards. Later, others left letters in boxes along the moor's trails, hence the word, letterboxing.

As Melissa hunted the area, Glen helped while I did my photography thing and Elijah did his Elijah-thing. Unfortunately, after 30 minutes of combing the edge of the parking lot, we had to leave empty handed. We were very careful not to step on the rock formations as there were signs warning that the penalty for doing so was a $1000 fine or 180 days in jail or both. Elijah read the sign out loud several times so we wouldn't forget.

We drove home through the tiny town of Morrison, "The Nearest Faraway Place" (it is close to Denver but separated from the city by the Hogback Rock formation). The village boasts many fine restaurants, museums, and parks with hiking/biking/horseback riding trails. We had no time to linger but Melissa is determined to return and I so want to be part of that adventure.

We enjoyed PF Chang's for supper and Miles even nibbled a few mouthfuls. His fever had abated and even though he wasn't his usual sunny self, he appeared to be on the mend. I asked Geoff what the PF stood for and he was quick to goggle it.

This American Chinese restaurant was founded by Paul Fleming and Philip Chiang and is based recipes Chef Chiang developed. It also has a menu dedicated to those who must follow a gluten-free diet. The first restaurant was in Scottsdale, Arizona but the chain now has over 200 worldwide although none are in Canada. More's the pity.