Aurora Akimbo

Part of what this blog is all about is celebrating things we pass by all the time and don't really think much about. You know, they're the things that maybe once upon a time we looked and thought, "oh, that's kind of weird and interesting," but now it's just an everyday thing. As if three giant letter A's doing flips could ever be an everyday thing! Which brings us to this unique piece of art in Aurora.

Located at the north end of Aurora's Expo Park, this piece called Aurora Akimbo is quite the landmark for drivers heading down Alameda Ave.  Though they don't look quite the way you're first grade teacher would've wanted you to draw write them, these three giants are supposed to be A's doing cartwheels. Not only does the A stand for Aurora, but also Aspirations, and Achievements. The piece was created by artist David Griggs in 2007 and it's made of cast fiberglass.

You can't miss this unique piece as you zoom down Alameda, but if you want to get a close up look, you're going to need to park at the south end of the park, off of Exposition Ave. It's a short hike up the park trails to the north end where the sculpture sits. The address of the park is 10955 Exposition Ave in Aurora.

War Memorial Rose Garden

I do not have a green thumb. To be completely honest, it is hard to make things grow in Colorado, even if you're an expert in that sort of stuff. Needless to say, I need to step outside of my own yard if I want to admire flowers. Luckily, there are all sorts of spots around the metro area to do just that. One is located just east of downtown Littleton at the War Memorial Rose Garden.

The land purchased by the city of Littleton in 1964 was once known as Knob Hill. The park is now dedicated to veterans who served in any US war. Today it features over 1800 roses of all types.

At the south end of the garden there is a sundial that was purchased by the city of Littleton in 1969 for $4,000. There is also a gazebo just north of the sundial.

In the center of the rose garden is the Orian Sterne Fountain. Orian was the daughter of WC "Billy "Sterne, one of early influential residents of Littleton. Sterne Parkway and Sterne Park (right across the street from the Rose Garden) are named for him. Orian Sterne passed away at the age of 19, on December 31st 1923. A few months later, on what would've been her 20th birthday, the family erected a memorial fountain in front of the Carnegie Library, which is now the Melting Pot restaurant at the west end of Main Street in downtown Littleton. The fountain went into storage at the Littleton Historical Museum when the intersection of Santa Fe and Bowles needed to be expanded. It was moved to the rose garden in 1988.

The War Memorial Rose Garden is located at 5804 S Bemis St in Littleton. 

Bonnie Brae Ice Cream

I don't know what it's like where you are right now, but here in Denver it's been HOT! I mean, it is summer, after all. Plus, it'll just be a few weeks until the possibilities of snow re-enter our daily lives, so I guess we can take the heat for a bit. Of course, one thing that's great on a hot day is some really good ice cream. Lucky for me, my wanderings on a hot day took me into the vicinity of one of Denver's best places to go for Ice Cream...Bonnie Brae Ice Cream.

Located at the corner of University and Ohio Ave, Bonnie Brae Ice Cream is a charming neighborhood shop that has that old-time kind of feel. The family business was started in 1986, and no, it wasn't started by a lady named Bonnie Brae. That's the name of the neighborhood, silly. 

The shop offers well over 30 different unique flavors, and as their awnings proudly proclaim, "Yes! We Make It Here!" A scoop of Banana Strawberry in a sugar cone was my choice on this most recent visit.

This is the kind of establishment that we see too few of these days...a great neighborhood hang out. Of course, it's a very popular spot, especially in the summer. On weekends the line is usually out the door and down the block, but it moves fast and is worth the wait. I didn't have to wait at all when visiting on a weekday afternoon, but just as I was leaving a charter bus full of high school girls pulled up and...well, the line got huge! Also, be warned that there is no parking lot. Parking in the neighborhood behind the shop is usually best, but the streets are narrow and there are usually many cars parked on the street. 

Bonnie Brae Ice Cream is located at 799 South University Blvd in Denver

Sports Art

Aurora is a big place! The only cities with more people in the state are Denver and Colorado Springs. With so many people, there's always a lot of activity going on in Aurora, and for many families that means sports. With so many different sports going on each weekend, Aurora decided to create a huge park devoted to providing space for all these activities. It's called Aurora Sports Park, go figure! However, in a cool stroke of genius, the city of Aurora chose to bring together both the sports and arts communities, as there are several unique sports-themed art installations on the grounds. 

First, just a little ways inside of the main entrance to the park, is a piece called Trophy. It was created in 2002 by artist Rafe Ropek. Made of painted steel, it includes abstract versions of various types of balls. If you look close you'll find a baseball, soccer ball, and a football.

Next, we have a piece called Ball Caddy. It was created by artist Don Mitchell in 2002. It's made of painted steel and aluminum and depicts a child pulling a cart full of soccer balls.

Finally, nestled among the baseball fields we have Glove Two. This concrete sculpture was created by Rik Sargent. I'm sure many teams have used this feature for team photos.

Aurora Sports Park is located at 18601 E Sports Park Drive in Aurora. The main entrance, though is off of Colfax at Dunkirk...about half a mile east of Tower Rd.

Chapel Hill Cemetery

Yep, I'm at it again. Hanging out in cemeteries. Call it creepy if you want, but I enjoy it. Plus, I've always found cemeteries to be intriguing subjects when it comes to photography...and snappin' pics is very much my thing. This time we spent a little time at Chapel Hill Cemetery in Centennial. It doesn't have quite the history of some of the older cemeteries we've visited, but it's a nice place to visit, nonetheless.

The cemetery sits on 75 acres nestled in a residential area. Supposedly, it is at the highest point in Arapahoe County. As it is a newer cemetery, most of the markers are at ground level, so there aren't as many impressive headstones to be found here. Still, there are a few unique sites, as well as an impressive veterans memorial.

One of the most notable features of Chapel Hill, though, is a memorial to the victims of the shootings at Columbine High School in nearby Littleton. This is one of at least two Columbine memorials I know of in the south metro area. This one exists on private property, but there is also one on public property in Clement Park, just adjacent to the school itself. 

At the time of the incident in April of 1999, there was no such place as the city of Centennial. The area where Chapel Hill sits was an unincorporated area that most residents referred to as being part of Littleton. Centennial didn't come into existence until early 2001. So while this memorial is not in Littleton itself, it makes sense to have it in this location. The memorial consists of thirteen black granite crosses, one for each of the victims. Their names and pictures appear on each marker. The memorial is easy to spot as it is just a few yards in from the main entrance of the grounds.

Chapel Hill Cemetery is located at 6601 South Colorado Blvd in Centennial, though the main entrance is actually off Caley Ave.

Savery Savory Mushrooms Water Tower

North of Denver, in the city of Westminster, there sits one of the most unusual water towers you will ever see. Basically, it looks like a giant can of mushrooms. It is the only thing that remains of a large mushroom farm and cannery that operated in this spot for 30 years, from 1923 to 1953.

The operation was the brainchild of Colorado's "Mushroom Magnate" Charles William Savery. Savery moved to the Denver area in 1909, but he was originally from Chester County, Pennsylvania, which is the heart of mushroom country. In fact, at this time, 80% of the country's mushroom crop came from Pennsylvania. The cool and humid air of that region is perfect for mushrooms. Now, if you've spent any time in Colorado, you probably know that we don't have that same level of humidity. Our dry climate is not really suited to mushrooms, but that didn't stop Savery. Though the first few years of his operation were a failure, he returned to Pennsylvania to learn all he could and eventually turned his Colorado mushroom operation into a success.

The 80-acre farm was a big operation, and in many ways was its own little community. There were well over 40 structures, including residences, a general store, and a schoolhouse. Most of the over 80 laborers were Mexican immigrants, with men, women, and children all working on the farm.

The water tower was an important feature of the farm, as the nearby irrigation canals were not at all adequate for the water needs of the farm. In the years since the farm shut down, the water tower had its share of difficult times. However, the city of Westminster restored the tower to its original look back in 2006. Now the tower stands above a subdivision of relatively new houses. 

It is easy to spot the tower as you drive by on Federal Blvd. Luckily, there is a small parking area just a bit south of the tower, with a path that leads to it and even a sign that details some of the history of the mushroom farm. 

You'll find the water tower about a quarter of a mile south of the intersection of 112th and Federal in Westminster.

Buffalo Bill Days - Best of the West Parade

My family and I have always loved parades. To me, there's just such a great sense of community that comes with watching all sorts of folks march down the main street to celebrate a holiday or a local festival of some sort. Last weekend was Buffalo Bill Days in Golden. One of the highlights of this celebration each year is the Best of the West Parade, which flows right down Washington Avenue, right underneath the city's famous welcome arch. After a couple of years without the parade (cuz, you know...COVID), it was great to have it back.

The origins of this annual celebration began back in the 1960's, but its genesis has to do with trail rides to Buffalo Bill's grave that began in the 1940's. Buffalo Bill's final resting place sits atop Lookout Mountain, which towers over the city of Golden. One year, the riders went up the mountain, but when they came back down they continued through town. Shazam, the first Buffalo Bill Days Parade!

Nowadays the festival features the parade as well as events like a golf tournament, car show, muttin bustin, and more. It's a fantastic celebration of our Colorado western heritage, in one of my favorite Denver area spots! So what's not to love?