Morning View in Downtown Denver: A view of the morning light on a cold Sunday morning below beautiful blue skies. Downtown was bustling with football fans from Denver as well as many New England fans. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Simon & Garfunkel Music: The Simon & Garfunkel Story included two hours of the duo’s famous hits, along with projected images and a story narrative by the singers. In addition to music and visual production, the singers told the story of the origins and rise to fame of Simon & Garfunkel between each song. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Denver Bear: The art sculpture of the Denver blue bear is a popular attraction. The 40-foot-tall bear peers into the Denver Convention Center from the outside. The name of the sculpture is ‘I See What You Mean’ by artist Lawrence Argent. The convention center and performing arts center are adjacent to each other in downtown Denver. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
We returned home following a three-week excursion to Texas to help Marilyn’s parents and visit other family. We managed to avoid the winter storm that covered much of the country last week.
Last Sunday, Jan. 25, was an exciting and busy day for us as well as the city of Denver. Our daughter and son-in-law gave us tickets to attend “The Simon & Garfunkel Story” at the Buell Theatre in the Denver Performing Arts complex in downtown Denver. The performance was one that we were really excited about seeing, as the duo was one of our favorite groups in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Of course, none of us had any idea that a Denver Broncos AFC Championship game would be scheduled on the same day at the same time as the Simon & Garfunkel performance. The Performing Arts Center and Mile High Stadium are both in the downtown area, less than a mile apart.
We traveled to downtown Denver hours ahead of the scheduled time to avoid traffic issues related to the football game. The morning started with sub-zero temperatures but sunny skies when we left Castle Rock.
The roads were dry and our drive to town was uneventful, which was just fine. With the temperatures around 20 degrees by late morning we parked and walked around for a few minutes admiring the cold morning light and activity before going into our favorite downtown diner, Sams No. 3.
Sams No. 3 is a typical diner other than its larger size. The restaurant was established in 1927 and has been serving its popular breakfast and comfort foods since. We had a 30-minute wait and I wanted to photograph some of the buildings and sites in the area since we do not go downtown very often. Marilyn chose to stay inside the warm restaurant. We were seated at the exact time they predicted and had a great late morning breakfast at the bustling diner.
Our walk to the Buell Theatre at the Performing Arts Center was just a block away and it was less than an hour before shoot time. While walking to the theatre we noticed a breeze and more clouds beginning to fill the skies.
Inside the Buell Theatre we enjoyed a fabulous production of “The Simon & Garfunkel Story”. The event features performers who play Simon & Garfunkel plus a band who accompanied the duo. The show features almost 30 songs, which were brilliantly performed by the singers and band. The production also features projected photos and original film footage of events that correspond to the time when each song was popular. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire production, which lasted over two hours. The production has been performed worldwide in front of millions of attendees.
When leaving the Buell Theatre, attendees were greeted by frigid temperatures and blowing snow. We made our way to the car and began the drive back to Castle Rock. The drive normally takes about 45 minutes, but it took nearly 1-and-a-half hours in the blowing snow and snow-packed roads. Those who saw the football game on TV saw what the weather conditions were like by the end of the game.
Fortunately, when we left downtown there were a few minutes left in the game and we escaped driving home with 80,000 sad football fans. We had a far greater time at The Simon & Garfunkel Story … and the production was indoors!
What a tale of a day with two different weather events just a few hours apart. We were happy to return home and settle in for the evening with no intention of getting back outside.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Sams No. 3: Sams No. 3 is an iconic diner in downtown Denver, which was established in 1927. The restaurant has been serving breakfast and comfort foods to thousands ever since. The single-story building sits in the shadows of skyscrapers all around. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Leaving the Buell: Attendees at The Simon & Garfunkel Story are seen leaving the Performing Arts Center as blowing snow fills the air in Denver. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Downtown Afternoon: A view of downtown Denver on Sunday afternoon is a stark contrast to the blue skies seen Sunday morning. The blowing snow did create an interesting view of downtown. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com