Girls Trip: Red Rocks!
Sometimes Moms have just got to get away and cut loose for an evening, which is exactly what we did in late August. After two weeks of what felt like nonstop back-to-school hamster wheel spinning, my fellow Mom friend and I treated ourselves to 28 hours in Denver to see Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. Sure, it was a bit of an extravagance. But the mental reset and opportunity to see a truly spectacular performance at Red Rocks Amphitheater was well worth it. If you haven’t been, add a night at the Red Rocks to your bucket list.
A few recommendations for when you go:
Getting to and around Red Rocks
We Ubered to Red Rocks from the Cherry Hill neighborhood. It was less than 30 minutes and pretty reasonable. The Uber/Lyft drop off is at the top of the amphitheater (and parking lots) and by hill, I mean cliff? Steep incline? We had to walk down to get to our pre-show party and seats which was a slight challenge because I was wearing a massive ankle boot. But if you drive and are heading in the opposite direction, be prepared for an uphill hike! Wear sneakers!
Seating at the Amphitheater
We splurged and bought tickets for a Marigold Project pre-party with VIP seating. The Marigold Project is Nathaniel Rateliff’s charitable endeavor and does some pretty amazing work on issues I care a lot about, so the contribution was a no-brainer. Turns out the seating provided was phenomenal. And we didn’t have to stake them out a la general admission. If you can’t negotiate a similar sweet deal, I would say plan on getting to the amphitheater an hour before the show to grab a good seat.
Food and Drink
If you get there early, don’t fret. There is a ton of good local beer to sample and snacks to tide you over. Also make sure you hydrate because the altitude is no joke. And if, for whatever reason, you find yourself desperately needing a snack after the show, we found an enterprising group of high school students selling the best Chick-Fil-A sandwich I’ve ever had in the parking lot near the cab stands.
About the Amphitheater
If you haven’t been, Red Rocks is a destination in itself. Carved into existing rock formations, the acoustics are incredible. And if you go on a clear and cool night, which we were fortunate enough to have, the visible stars and high-desert landscape are worth the price of admission. Especially if you are coming from, say, humid and hot New Orleans.
Getting to check off a bucket list item with a good friend, sans kids…priceless!
Note: Not sponsored by Goodr sunglasses, but could be! Call me!!
Pretty sure some of this video was filmed at Red Rocks!