Springtime At Red Rocks

I took a drive through Red Rocks Park just to the west of Denver yesterday afternoon, and not surprisingly, they were preparing for a concert that evening. This happens every time I drive up there these days, since concert season is now in full swing. I checked the internet when I got home and saw that Michael Franti and Spearhead were returning to Red Rocks "for a night packed with uplifting energy, reggae grooves, and feel-good anthems" that night. I was tempted to attend, but I suspect they charge actual money to get in, and so the thought quickly passed. Red Rocks is a great place to hike or even to just drive around and enjoy the scenery, such as in the photograph on the left. There are a lot of deer around there much of the year, although they seem to make themselves scarce during concert season. I have never actually attended a performance at Red Rocks but have been tempted many times. Ticket prices and scenes from the past of concert goers being pelted by hail have always dissuaded me. So far.

Just south of Red Rocks is the town of Morrison, Colorado, settled in 1874 and filled with a number of historic buildings. Bear Creek Avenue, the main drag, is lined with restaurants and bars that attract concertgoers before they head up to the amphitheater. Whenever I drive through town, I always seem to catch the light right across from Tony Rigatoni's Italian Kitchen and its Roof Top Tavern, seen in the photograph on the right. That rooftop patio looks kind of nice, and as I wait for the green, I often think of stopping in there one of these days. Perhaps before the concert the next time Michael Franti and Spearhead return to Red Rocks.