Denver Public Bike Adventure

Denver's citizens made their city green partially by design and partially by necessity.

Wealthy Denverites have been endowing huge tracts of land to the municipality since the gold rush in an attempt to urbanize the wide-open feel of the Rockies.

When I was a child, there was still a working cattle ranch in near range of the state capitol. The foothills were underdeveloped and still quite lush.

By the time I went to high school, a boom in development left Denver struggling for air. Once reknown for its numerous sunny days and abundant oxygen, temperature inversions trapped Denver’s carbon emissions in the metro area. Air quality was second only to Los Angeles in severity.

Help was already on the way. As an air traffic hub with millions in federal dollars, Denver made bold plans to enhance its transit and its airport. It took the green road without looking back.

Today, five light-rail lines extend far into the suburbs. A robust bus line, a mall closed to vehicles, and wide sidewalks help its natives get granular with civic attractions. Denver also boasts more parks per capita than any other city.

The public bike system is a further enhancement. One can rent bikes in a number of convenient, high traffic locations near parks and businesses.

I paid five dollars for a 24 hour membership to see how much of the local character I could take in during one day.

I went from The Denver Post building to Cheeseman Park. I continued through the Speer Boulevard Bike Trail to the Denver University stop off near Larimer Square.

The racks of public bikes are make more striking by their bright red color. Also, every bike has a basket. Perfect for shopping!

This is some of the public art along the Spear Boulevard bike trail. What was once an inconvenient ditch has been transformed into a twisting, elegant trail that takes cyclists from the South East part of Denver into LoDo or Lower Downtown.

File under "This is not a water feature." The trail follows an indigenous whitewater stream the downtown area was constructed around back in the day.

The gardens at Cheeseman Park. There are several bike racks around the park.

The giant clocktower at Arapahoe in LoDo where Denverites ring in their new year!

Larimer Square is a historic preservation district in LoDo with restaurants and shopping.

One of my all time favorite rest-stops at the end of any jounery! The Tattered Cover is a world-reknown independent bookstore with a lovely cafe. This is Jackie's Corner where authors covet the chance to be featured.

Game Day Adventure at Coors Field

It's tough to snag good seats to watch the World Champion San Francisco Giants play baseball in their hometown.

Seeing them Coors Field in Denver is an excellent compromise. Seats just to the left of home plate were absolutely attainable.

The Colorado Rockies franchise is relatively young, only 15 years old. Their design of their expansive stadium has quirky touches appropriate for a team looking to endear themselves.

Wynkopp Street, which leads pedestrians from the heart of LoDo (Lower Downtown) to the stadium, is trimmed with baseball themed sidewalks and an asymmetrical arch which is a tribute to game balls.

Inside the park is another playful touch. A small pond, stocked with mallards, is tucked at the edge of the first base outfield.

When a home run is hit, the scoreboard lights up with the phrase, "Watch Out Ducks!"

Entering Coors Field from Wynkopp Street

Yours truly beside the columns of the ball arch, where various balls from the koosh ball to the croquet ball are commemorated

I'm standing fewer that twenty rows back

Fresh popcorn and fresh lemonade (hold the sugar) are de rigueur vegan ballpark treats

"Watch Out Ducks!": the fountains shoot up every time there is a home run at Coors Field

New Adventures Posting Soon to Frequency Hopper

Yours Truly hugging a caged tree on the 16th Street Mall in Denver, Colorado

To kick off a summer full of posts, I'm adding the following adventures between now and April 24. Keep checking back!

Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.

Game Day Adventure at Coors Field

Denver Public Bike Adventure

Mile High Capitol Adventure

Northern Colorado and the Wyoming Border, U.S.A.

Fort Collins Hot Air Balloon Adventure

Northern Colorado and Wyoming Tiny Town Adventure

Prescott, Arizona, U.S.A.

Iron King and Peavine Trail Hiking Adventure

Sedona, Arizona, U.S.A.

Bell Rock Vortex Hiking Adventure

Sedona Loving Bowls Adventure

Scotland posts begin at the end of this month!

xxoo
Dale

Nightlife Adventures in Denver, Colorado

When I fly into Denver, I usually stay with my Mom just north of here. So staying with a friend in town for a few days and nights is an adult treat.

My pal David is typical of Californians emigrating to Colorado. He used to have a high-powered career and an overpriced home. He now has greater disposable income relative to necessities and a more conservative outlook on healthy living.

David lives in Capitol Hill, walking distance from dozens of brew houses, restaurants, and alternative businesses. He lives with his 15-years-young Pomeranian, Teddy and cultivates a contrarian sense of humor.

Because Teddy is mostly bald, people ask what breed he is when one walks him. David says his breed is “old.”

His computer is programmed to play a riff from “Master of Puppets,” Metallica’s famous drug-addiction song, whenever one of his friends logs onto Facebook.

The vibe in this part of downtown Denver skews younger and more transient than other U.S. cities. There is no rent control. The market is filled with attractive affordable sale apartments. There are lots of alternative businesses.




It is more diverse than the rest of Colorado, where the dominant Mexican-American and Euro-mutt contingents saturate a landscape covered with churches and schools. There are tons of black folks and gays and a small international crowd.

Many of the nightspots in Denver give casual nods to the its Wild West roots. It is not unusual to see cowboys or wagon wheels or beer barrels. Instead of a disco ball, Charlie’s has a pair of mirror paneled shit-kickers hanging over the dance floor.

Athens Adventures Pics

A South view of the arcades of the Odeum of Herodes Atticus

Odeum of Herodes Atticus preparing for a concert. The black bags are filled with cushions for the marble seats. The entire ampitheater is marble.

A Roman bath near the National Gardens. Workers were digging a vent for the subway when they discovered it!

The Temple of Zeus. You can see how the temple's upper structure modeled a fishbone. The columns were stacked up like the vertebra of a spine, which you can see from the one laid out on the ground.

Me at the temple of Athena on the Acropolis grounds.

On one of the rocks overlooking the Odeum of Herodes Atticus

At Boo's Cafe. A gay hangout near my hotel auspiciously bearing my childhood nickname!

The Parthenon. You can see construction cranes. One of the facades is being reconstructed.

The Temple of Athena

A wide view of the Acropolis. Hard to believe this is right in the middle of Athens!

A crowd of tourists roaming the Acropolis.

The Sunday convocation at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The changing of the guard in Sunday dress whites. The weekday garments are brown.

Athens Adventures

posing with one of the guards at Athens' Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

On my recent trip to Greece, I spent three days in Athens on either end of my journey.

On both ocassions, my local guide was a couchsurfing.com buddy, George-Michael. The first night, he led me from my hotel near Omonia square to his favorite hangout near Athens’ University.

We spent the evening chatting with two of his friends at a hookah bar.

I learned that the park just beyond the awning had once been overrun with substance abusers. A neighborhood socialist organization decided to reclaim the park by meeting there every night. The park was now populated by students and seniors, sipping sodas and eating ice cream.

The next evening, George walked me past the Acropolis. A large pedestrian walkway forms a semi-circle on the site’s south side. There were many Atheneas strolling about or eating a late meal at one of the outdoor restaurants. Quite a few people were on top of the Acropolis rocks listening to a Croatian singer perform in the Odeum of Herodes Atticus, a Roman-era ampitheater exposed to the elements.

George showed me the place overlooking the Agora where he goes to meditate. He also showed me the Gasia, a cosmopolitain gay neighborhood to the north.

I explored the Parthenon, The Temple of Zeus, and the National Archeology Museum with my friend Vivian who I ran into strolling the ruins Sunday afternoon.

We were excited to discover a gay cafe near my hotel. Boo’s Cafe, was auspiciously given my childhood nickname! The proprietors filled it with antique rosewood chairs, subtle lighting, oil paintings, and lots of color to pop against the dark walls. I returned to Boo’s several times.

I saw the changing of the guard twice - once during the week and the hour-long convocation featuring all the guards on Sunday at 10 am.

The slow awkward step that makes the guards look so ridiculous when they are leaving their posts is very intimidating when it is sped up for the Sunday parade.

Many people asked me if I suffered at all because of the numerous strikes. The very last day I did.

The subway workers between Athens and the airport were on strike. I found out on the way to the airport! I had to stay an extra night in Athens because of the mess.

Aegean Adventures - The Delphic Oracle Pics

The ruin of the Temple of Apollo where signs were once read. In ancient times, the Oracle was one of a number of female religious leaders. Now the grounds of her temple are what is referred to as The Oracle.

Statues at the Delphi Oracle Archeological Museum

An enormous marble replica of the Sphinx at the Delphi Oracle Archeological Museum

The twin cities of Kirra and Itea in the distance on the Ionian Sea.

The last intact obelisk at Delphi

The temple of Athena a short walk south of the Oracle

Text from one of the fallen obelisks. It's tough to translate as there are no spaces or punctuation and all the spellings/words are outdated.

Yours Truly at the Temple of Apollo

The Treasury of Athens, the last freestanding building at Delphi

Aegean Adventures - The Delphic Oracle

Mists envelop the Oracle at Delphi

The Oracle is the country’s number two tourist attraction after the Acropolis. In part, this is due to a confluence of destinations nearby.

The extra-long European Rambler hiking trail runs through the area. The Oedipal crossroads are still visible in a nearby tourist town. In winter, there is skiing in this part of Greece.

It is three hours each way from Athens through some beautiful countryside.

The day I went, the Oracle was desnse with mists. The cypress trees were wet. Wrinkled olive fruits, ripe enough to eat, fell and split into oily puckers under the feet of the tourists.

I had befirended an Italian student and a Dutch military man on the bus ride to Delphi. We attempted to find the site unguided in the drizzle. Since the site is not well marked, we wound up about a kilometer above it, unable to hike down except to go the way we came.

When we did reach the Oracle, it was uncrowded. There were a few tours being offered - in Japanese and English. We discovered a wide discrepancy between the adult tourist price and the student price. I paid 9 euros for entrance while students paid nothing. Not 50% off or 70% off, students paid zero!

The archeological museum at Delphi has a collection of artifacts recovered over the last 150 years, including hawk-shaped cauldron handles, larger than life kuros, an Amazon battle frieze, and bronze offerings.

A print by an artist attempting to recreate the look of the Oracle circa 4 BC prompted me to consider how magnificent the site must have been at the peak of it’s influence.

Outside the museum, the ever upward trajectory of The Oracle gave me a feeling for how hearty the early Greek citizens must have been. While it is unlikely the majority of Greeks lived even as long as I have, they would all have needed exceptional mobility to ascend to the upper grounds.

The levels of the Oracle included mausoleum-like treasuries, the temple of Apollo where fortunes were told, public art, a theater, and a stadium. I took lots of pictures and even tried to translate some of the ancient Greek carved into the obelisks.

It is odd that even today Greece does not hold re-enactments or has not re-created any of it’s ancient temples even in part even though copies exist in other parts of the world including Nashville, Tennessee.

Just down the road, one can visit the temple of Athena, flanked by olive trees, and the ancient gymnasium. Admission is free to both these attractions.

Aegean Adventures - Super Paradise Beach Mykonos Pics

Super Paradise beach

The famous Mykonos windmills

A Little Venice alleyway

Yours Truly nipping an espresso near the water

View of Mykonos Island from the mills

Pelicans hanging out

Aegean Adventures - Super Paradise Beach trek in Mykonos

The pier of Hora on Mykonos

I arrived in Mykonos in the midmorning and found an accomodation right off Taxi Square, the pier area of the island’s Hora.

It was a small, easygoing hotel with a safe above the closet, an odd painting of a red lobster eating a plate of fried cheese, a lovely candystriped window covering, and blue shutters.

I wandered the narrow streets of Little Venice familiarizing myself with the jewelry and olive oil soap shops, the name brand retailers and the mousakka sales points. There were many bars and coffee places and when I found one to my liking I nabbed my first espresso of the journey. (I’d been drinking Greek coffee exclusively.)

My trek began with the five most famous residents of Mykonos, the iconic windmills, perched on top orange rock and brush just south of Little Venice. I followed the street beside them past shops and a bus turnaround toward the beaches.

While it is tempting to load up on food and water ahead of the 5.5km trek, I would recommend holding off until one sees the fresh fruit sign - indicating bakeries, a vegetable shop, and an organic food outlet within close proximity to one another.

Though much of the produce is shot up with water here, some very fresh small apples were available. They made my day.

Of the hikes I’ve made on the Greek islands thusfar, the road to Super Paradise was the least spectacular. I suspect, made with friends with a similar beachgoing mindset in season it would be more convivial and exciting.

There are plenty of dovecotes to distract the imagination. There is little subsistance farming to provide pickable wild fruit. The only shops, architecture, or culture of any kind is beachside, limited to alcohol consumption and life sustaining activities.

“Super P”, has blanket-to-blanket visitors during the high season. When I approached it, the crowd had thinned to about a dozen. It was lovely having the wide expanse of golden sand and indigo water largely to myself.

At the beach, I stripped and dove into the sea. I flirted with a man past the last bouy, but he ignored me and went back to shore.

Shortly after, I struck up a conversation with two other naked men from Florence, Italy, and we discussed the before and after of Mykonos. They informed me that their first journey to the beach had been made by boat in 1983, before the tourist infrastructure made driving to the area possible.

We compared notes on the different islands and I resolved to make Delos a stop on my next visit.

Aegean Adventures - Tinos Trek Pics

One of the more intact ruins from the Temple of Poseidon and Aphrodite

The towers of the Panagia Evangelista

A handsome roadside temple

A dovecote near the Panagia Evangelista

Yours Truly hanging out with the lizards in the ruins

Aegean Adventures - Tinos Trek

The port city, Hora, on Tinos.

I purchased a ticket for the ferry traveling from Milos to Andros. It was as far as I could get away from the island the day I left and I figured that was auspicious.

However, as I read more about the islands the ship was stopping at, I became excited by the possibility of stopping on Tinos. I jumped off the ferry a stop early and took a ride from a domatia operator waiting in port.

The major attraction in Tinos is The Panagia Evangelista spread which caps the central hilltop of the Tinos Hora. The central road toward this site is flanked by vendors selling religious tokens and trinkets.

The Greek Orthodox tin reliefs of various body parts I had seen on Serifos were selling for a Euro apiece. Frankensence and copal, which I was more familiar with as organic dried saps, were pressed into fingernail sized chips through which one could comb for a quick fragrance buzz.

At the Panagia Evangelista, I observed an exterior courtyard of black, brown, and white pebbled set into cement to create symbols significant to the faith. Through the plaster arches, past a faded fresco of Joan of Arc in battle, I heard the sound of the choir celebrating mass within the cathedral.

The cathedral was so crowded that celebrants stood outside each of the doors peeking in. Near the offices of the church, a crowd of locals was sipping coffee and enjoying the sound of the mass which could be heard clearly without amplification.

I sat down and chatted with Georgio, a handsome man with CP who works at the on site museum. He served as a translator for the others as they asked me questions about San Francisco and about blogging.

I inspected the museum which featured two remarkable battle frescos, several marble and alabaster busts.

Later in the day, I wandered several kilometeres downhill to the Temple of Poseidon and Aphrodite.

Along the road were several dovecotes, elegant geometrical birdhouses Tinos is famous for. The natives of Tinos have historically trained doves and pigeons.

I also saw one of the finest examples of a roadsite temple that I’d ever seen. It was a handsome Greek Orthodox shrine made of white marble columns with a St. Andrew’s cross at the peak.

At the anthropoligical site, I could hear workmen digging in the backgound. I sat on the benches, touched the columns and imagined what my life would have been like in another age.