Rocky Mountain High and Denver Delights

Abstract

t was in 1977 that I first visited the "mile high city." Aside from the natural beauty, my first

impression of the city was the cleanliness and a feeling of safety that I had not experienced in any other big city. We were in town for a convention being held right downtown, and felt secure walking around even at night. This was a unique experience for someone born and raised in Detroit where walking around downtown was practically a suicidal act.

Since that first trip I have had the pleasure of visiting Denver on business at least a half a dozen times. Each subsequent visit renewed that initial impression of a pleasant, clean, and fairly safe city. Denver has become one of my favorite cities in the U. S. When I found out that AF A has scheduled the 25th anniversary convention there I decided to use some vacation time to take my wife Janis there for a pre-convention visit. I was anxious to see if the city was as inviting as it had been in years past. We certainly were not disappointed: Denver was Great.

Whether you're seeking adventure, natural beauty, or history, Denver is the place to go. However, if your tastes lean more towards exotic gourmet foods, fine dining, shopping and nightlife, Denver is still the place to go. There truly is something for everyone in this dynamic mountainside city.

Mountainside is a good description because Denver is not in the Rockies as some folks believe, but sits east of the Rockies on the verge of the Great Plains. The relatively mild winters, and low humidity resulting from the shelter of the Rockies, made it the ideal winter camp for the Arapahoe Tribe. The Arapahoe were displaced when gold was discovered in 1850 at the junction of the Platte River and Cherry Creek. The City of Denver was born.

The entire area surrounding Denver is rich in history. From the ancient Anasazi tribe through the golden age of the plains tribes to the fur trapping/ mountain man era to the gold rush days, man has left his impact. In just a short drive from Denver you can visit a 900 year old cliff dwelling, the site of the mountain mens' rendeZIX)usthe epicenter of the gold rush (at one time the richest square mile on Earth), and Pike's Peak named after one of our nation's earliest explorers. One of the most interesting sites we visited was the cliff dwelling at Manitou Springs just outside of Colorado Springs. The cliff dwelling was built and occupied between 1100 and 1300 AD and has been preserved in excellent condition. It is not the largest nor bestknown such site, but is unique in that it has been preserved in such a way as to allow visitors a "hands on" experience. This is one of the few historic sites that I've ever visited where one can actually touch and feel the exhibits. You get a real feeling for how life must have been for the "Ancient Ones" who originally inhabited the dwelling.

The structure itself is made of slabs of square cut stones stacked like bricks. These were then chinked with mud to create wind proof walls. Logs were used as floor joist supports for the upper stories. That's right, I said upper stories. Some sections are three stories high and provided small apartments for up to three families. The entire structure was built into a wide mouthed cave with an over hanging roof. This overhang provides shelter and is responsible for preserving the condition of the building. Ladders that could be withdrawn in the event of an attack provided access to the dwelling. Sealed food storage bins kept rations safe from vermin and allowed the people to survive a long siege if necessary.

There is a nice little cafe and a great gift shop at the site. These modem facilities have been constructed so as to retain the "flavor" of the historic site. The three-story gift shop is of adobe and was built by Native Americans from the Taos Pueblo. It abuts the original dwelling and uses the raw cliff wall for its back interior wall. It blends with the rest of the site so the visual impact of the dwelling is not affected.

Beyond the visual impact there is an emotional one as well. Wandering through a village built by an ancient and mysterious people who seem to have just vanished leaves you somewhat awed. You can feel their presence upon you as you touch these rough stone walls. Imagining life as it once was is easy; just touch the stone, close your eyes and dream. Maybe the "Ancient Ones" aren't really gone, but still exist within these walls.








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