John Denver

GraciesMom · 09-20-2008, 08:21 PM

October 13th is the 11th Anniversary of John Denver's untimely death. A lot of the TV stations here in Colorado are playing tributes to him. I'm watching one on PBS now and remembering the influence that John Denver had on my life. I was a shy, guitar playing teenager when he hit it big with "Rocky Mountain High". I bought the album, learned all the songs, and marveled at the gorgeous photos of the rockies. I dreamed of the day when I'd leave Alabama and live in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. John Denver is the reason I had the courage to join the Marines and leave Alabama. John Denver validated my desire to travel and experience all that this beautiful country has to offer. I will never forget when my bootcamp friend and I first drove into Colorado. It was just unheard of, for two young women to drive cross country alone in those days. My mother was worried sick. But we had the time of our life!! We had "Rocky Mountain High" playing on the tape player in my little 1978 Subaru, and when we rounded a curve in the highway and saw the Rockies in all their splendor, I had to pull off the road. We stood there, hugging each other, crying, and singing along with John with everything we had!! We were almost late checking into our first duty station at 29 Palms, CA, because we just couldn't drag ourselves away from Colorado. We took the long way out of the state - through Aspen (in hopes of catching a glimpse of John!), and then down through Utah . . . Moab, the Painted Desert, Monument Valley, etc. When I was traveling through Canada the summer of 2007, the words from "Rocky Mountain Suite" came to mind. "Up in a meadow in Jasper, Alberta, two men and four ponies, on a long lonesome ride. To see the high country and learn of her people. The ways that they lived there, the ways that they died.. . . " Since then, I've seen so much beauty, but that first glimpse of the rockies was a moment I will treasure for the rest of my life. And I will always be grateful to John Denver for the beauty and emotion he put into all of his music. How wonderful to leave such a legacy . . . .

GraciesMom · 09-20-2008, 08:21 PM

October 13th is the 11th Anniversary of John Denver's untimely death. A lot of the TV stations here in Colorado are playing tributes to him. I'm watching one on PBS now and remembering the influence that John Denver had on my life. I was a shy, guitar playing teenager when he hit it big with "Rocky Mountain High". I bought the album, learned all the songs, and marveled at the gorgeous photos of the rockies. I dreamed of the day when I'd leave Alabama and live in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. John Denver is the reason I had the courage to join the Marines and leave Alabama. John Denver validated my desire to travel and experience all that this beautiful country has to offer. I will never forget when my bootcamp friend and I first drove into Colorado. It was just unheard of, for two young women to drive cross country alone in those days. My mother was worried sick. But we had the time of our life!! We had "Rocky Mountain High" playing on the tape player in my little 1978 Subaru, and when we rounded a curve in the highway and saw the Rockies in all their splendor, I had to pull off the road. We stood there, hugging each other, crying, and singing along with John with everything we had!! We were almost late checking into our first duty station at 29 Palms, CA, because we just couldn't drag ourselves away from Colorado. We took the long way out of the state - through Aspen (in hopes of catching a glimpse of John!), and then down through Utah . . . Moab, the Painted Desert, Monument Valley, etc. When I was traveling through Canada the summer of 2007, the words from "Rocky Mountain Suite" came to mind. "Up in a meadow in Jasper, Alberta, two men and four ponies, on a long lonesome ride. To see the high country and learn of her people. The ways that they lived there, the ways that they died.. . . " Since then, I've seen so much beauty, but that first glimpse of the rockies was a moment I will treasure for the rest of my life. And I will always be grateful to John Denver for the beauty and emotion he put into all of his music. How wonderful to leave such a legacy . . . .

randco · 09-21-2008, 02:56 AM

It's interesting... the memories we all share. I happen to have one somewhat similar to yours about the first time I saw Colorado. In 1960 at the ripe old age of 11, my dad was transferred from St. Joseph, MO to Denver. There wasn't an Interstate back then, it was a drive on the two lane US-40. As a kid though, I thought it was such an adventure. No air conditioning in the car, eating at A&W Root Beer or Dairy Queen and an overnight stay at a Best Western motel with a pool was the greatest. Traveling on US-40 through Kansas was boring but also beautiful as we traveled through the high plains. From a hilltop, one could see the highway stretched out in front of us as straight as a string through the fields of golden wheat. As we got closer and closer to Colorado I remember seeing a faint darker color on the horizon. Then as you described, it seems as if we rounded a corner or magically the Rockies appeared. What a beautiful sight.
My dad did the same thing. We pulled the car off of the road and admired what we saw.

We lived in the Denver area for about 10 years.
I grew up there and loved the mountains.
I really loved those days!

SargeW · 09-21-2008, 04:33 AM

That's so true GM, I loved his music as well. It's funny now that no one will admit to listening to his music back when we were kids! I couldn't wait to get to Colorado either. We still consider it a contender for the place we will settle down some day. There is so much there that is just beautiful.

Sarge

Happymi · 09-21-2008, 05:05 AM

John Denver is right up there with another great voice"Elvis". Both of these guys have brought us many pleasurable hours of listening. What great losses.

Surly missed but never forgotten.

Happymi

Rick Long · 09-21-2008, 06:55 AM

I saw John Denver, up close, in a small concert at the University of Calif, Davis, back in the early 70's. I run a small guild (148 members) on a game site and my personal profile page has a background picture of a Country Road with an animated guitar player standing on it, while playing the song "Take Me Home Country Road".

I did my tech training for the Air Force in Denver Colorado in '64 and was fortunate enough to have my car brought out to me by my parents (cheeriest '57 Chevy 2dr HT you ever saw). I loved Estes Park, Red Rock, Boulder, Golden and the Buffalo Park (wonder if thats still there), just outside of the city.

Frankie · 09-21-2008, 07:46 AM

When we travel in the MH,my 5 year old takes the co-pilot seat.One of the songs we listen to over and over is Country roads.He knew the words before I did.Thank You John!

GraciesMom · 09-21-2008, 09:31 AM

I've lived in Denver since 2002. I love Colorado but Denver has gotten too big, too violent and too congested for me. If I do settle down here again, it'll be in a small town somewhere in the mountains. It breaks my heart to see what has happened to Aurora. And downtown Denver - they did a good job cleaning it up for the DNC - even gave the homeless folks baths and haircuts and places to go (movie tickets, etc.) But in reality, the dream of Denver is soiled. The state is still beautiful and the mountains are still magnificent, but all the things John sang about - to warn us about - "too many people, too many machines" have come true in Denver.

If you meant the Buffalo herd at Buffalo Bill's Grave at the Gennesse (sp) exit, it's still there. Heritage park is still in operation too - believe it or not - as well as Lakeside. Elitch's Garden is now Six Flags but they haven't put the little parks out of business. I've even gone down the alpine slide at Heritage park since I've been back here! LOL!!

There's a monument to John Denver in Aspen. Huge rocks with the words of his songs carved on them. I meant to go there while I was here this time, but have had too much going on. I'll stop by on my way through to visit my son next year.

randco · 09-21-2008, 09:41 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rick Long:
I saw John Denver, up close, in a small concert at the University of Calif, Davis, back in the early 70's. I run a small guild (148 members) on a game site and my personal profile page has a background picture of a Country Road with an animated guitar player standing on it, while playing the song "Take Me Home Country Road".

I did my tech training for the Air Force in Denver Colorado in '64 and was fortunate enough to have my car brought out to me by my parents (cheeriest '57 Chevy 2dr HT you ever saw). I loved Estes Park, Red Rock, Boulder, Golden and the Buffalo Park (wonder if thats still there), just outside of the city. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Was the Buffalo park you are referring to Lookout Mountain? Burial site for Buffalo Bill.

How about Trail Ridge Road or the Garden of the Gods? Santa Claus Land and Pike's Peak in Colorado Springs were also pretty nice.

Actually, of the 10 years I live in Colorado I lived six years in Arvada and four in Boulder while going to school. I graduated from CU in 1971.

NeilV · 09-22-2008, 01:47 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by GraciesMom:
I've lived in Denver since 2002. I love Colorado but Denver has gotten too big, too violent and too congested for me. If I do settle down here again, it'll be in a small town somewhere in the mountains. It breaks my heart to see what has happened to Aurora. And downtown Denver - they did a good job cleaning it up for the DNC - even gave the homeless folks baths and haircuts and places to go (movie tickets, etc.) But in reality, the dream of Denver is soiled. The state is still beautiful and the mountains are still magnificent, but all the things John sang about - to warn us about - "too many people, too many machines" have come true in Denver.

If you meant the Buffalo herd at Buffalo Bill's Grave at the Gennesse (sp) exit, it's still there. Heritage park is still in operation too - believe it or not - as well as Lakeside. Elitch's Garden is now Six Flags but they haven't put the little parks out of business. I've even gone down the alpine slide at Heritage park since I've been back here! LOL!!

There's a monument to John Denver in Aspen. Huge rocks with the words of his songs carved on them. I meant to go there while I was here this time, but have had too much going on. I'll stop by on my way through to visit my son next year. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It just struck me that you were already living in Denver Colorado when they instituted the Cancer Plan. I had considered moving the family there until I saw that they had the higest rate of occurance of womens cancers in the nation. I decided it was not in my wife and daughters best interests to do so and we migrated to Florida instead. It is kind of an unsettling realization to see something that you were concerned of for you own family potentially afflict someone else in your aquaintence.

Broke out my old guitar (36 yrs), my John Denver sheet music and did "We Were Just On The Road".

"Back in 1958 we drove an old V8 and when it broke down (wouldn't go?) we got out and pushed it a while.

We didn't know where we were we didn't know where we'd been, we were just on the road...."

We really had an old Straight 8 at that time.

Almost sounds like RVing.

hamguy · 09-22-2008, 02:04 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by randco:
snip
Traveling on US-40 through Kansas was boring but also beautiful as we traveled through the high plains. From a hilltop, one could see the highway stretched out in front of us as straight as a string through the fields of golden wheat. As we got closer and closer to Colorado I remember seeing a faint darker color on the horizon. Then as you described, it seems as if we rounded a corner or magically the Rockies appeared. What a beautiful sight.
My dad did the same thing. We pulled the car off of the road and admired what we saw.

We lived in the Denver area for about 10 years.
I grew up there and loved the mountains.
I really loved those days! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You have moved mountains (or freeways). I-40 doesn't go anywhere near Kansas.

**Route 66** · 09-22-2008, 03:22 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Traveling on US-40 through Kansas </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> I-40 doesn't go anywhere near Kansas. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I-40 doesn't, but US-40 sure does.