Monday, March 30, 2026

A Tour of the Colorado Rockies Coors Stadium


 
The 2026 American baseball season has begun, and it reminded me that I never showed photos of a tour we took last April of the National League Denver Rockies baseball team's home field,  Coors Field in Denver, Colorado!

Opened in 1995, the park is located in Denver's Lower Downtown neighborhood, four blocks from Union Station. The stadium has a capacity of 50,144 people for baseball.


Tours of Coors Field are available Monday through Saturday. Our tours provide a behind-the-scenes look at one of the premier ballparks in Major League Baseball. Tours typically last 70-80 minutes and cover a distance of approximately one mile. Our "Motley Crew" friends group all pre-purchased tickets to attend the tour, and we met in front of Gate D, where the tour begins.



The guided Coors Field tour took us through the dugout, premium seating areas, press level, and the rooftop, and gave us many insights into how Coors Field operates beyond what fans see during a game.


One of the most distinctive features of Coors Field is the famous purple row of seats, in the upper deck, 20th row, which marks exactly 5,280 feet--one mile--above sea level. (1,609.344 meters)


We learned fascinating facts about the stadium on the tour, such as the fact that the grass has an electric heating element below ground to keep it green and fresh even in cold early-season weather. We also learned that baseballs have to be specially treated to function in the mile-high altitude of Denver. The baseballs are kept in a humidor set at 70 degrees and 50% humidity. It is well-known that baseballs travel approximately 9% further at Coors Field because of its elevation.


The Rockies Clubhouse was off limits to visit, as the players leave their private possessions there, but we were able to visit the visiting teams' clubhouse. Our tour guide showed us the various rooms for the visiting manager and coaches, as well as the dressing room for the teams. The teams are treated to gourmet meals, and laundry and other services are provided. 



Coors Field has many dining options, from casual to upscale.
The Rooftop at Coors Field is a 38,000-square-foot addition to the upper deck in right field, offering numerous eateries, a variety of seating and standing-room options, and stunning views of downtown Denver and the Rocky Mountains, along with craft beer options and lively entertainment. The Rooftop opens when gates open and remains a favorite hangout spot for fans throughout the game. No special access is required, but it’s best to arrive early to claim a good spot.





The Rockpile is one of the most budget-friendly and iconic seating areas in baseball. With a history dating back to Coors Field’s opening in 1995, these seats offer an old-school bleacher experience. 

Day of Game Rockpile: Both $4.00 and $1.00 Rockpile tickets are available for purchase on the day of the game for most home games, beginning two hours before game time at the Rockpile Ticket Office located near Gate A. Rockpile tickets are available to Guests 12 years of age and younger and 55 years of age and older for $1.00.

We have attended a few games with our grandchildren at this great price and enjoyed seeing the game from one of the most unique spots in the park!


Some fun displays around the stadium.
Dinger is the Rockies Mascot. He is a lovable, purple anthropomorhic triceratops dinosaur that has been the Colorado Rockies’ biggest fan since he firsthatched from his egg at Mile High Stadium on April 16, 1994. 

The choice of a dinosaur, specifically this type, was inspired by the discovery of a number of dinosaur fossils—most notably a 7-foot-long (2.1 m), 1,000-pound (450 kg) triceratops skull—at Coors Field during its construction.



McGregor Square is a new addition to the Coors Field experience, featuring dining, shopping, and a massive outdoor screen that broadcasts games. It’s a great spot to soak in the baseball atmosphere before or after a game, and entry is free!

We all enjoyed our tour of Coors Field and highly recommend it to all baseball fans.

Go Rockies!!




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Sunday, March 22, 2026

The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance Visits our Community Senior Group


 Last week, our community's senior group, which has the catchy name "Ageless and Unstoppable," and is sponsored by a local realtor, Kali Hepker, and our area's Metro District, hosted a wonderful visit by the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.  All registered participants met at our community Ranch House one morning on a bright blue-sky day. The bit of snow we had already melted, except for the north face of one of our high foothills in the distance.


There, we all met a wonderful Outreach Program Specialist, James Garcia. 
James has been with Denver Zoo for 22 years, most of which have been with "Zoo to You Community Outreach Programs."
 He had four different zoo species to show us on this visit — the first being a Red-tailed Hawk.

The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, according to Wikipedia,  is an 80-acre (32 ha) nonprofit zoological garden and conservation organization located in City Park of Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1896, it is operated by the Denver Zoological Foundation and funded in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Its other sources of funding are ticket sales and private donations. It is the most visited paid attraction in Denver.
Denver Zoo was started with the donation of an orphaned American black bear. With the construction of Bear Mountain, it became the first zoo in the United States to use naturalistic zoo enclosures rather than cages with bars.  It expanded on this concept with Primate Panorama, featuring huge mesh tents and open areas for apes and monkeys, and with Predator Ridge, which has three separate areas through which animals are rotated so that their overlapping scents provide environmental enrichment.



James explained the Red-tailed Hawk's diverse North American habitat, hunting abilities, and distinguishing features of this common bird of prey. The red-tailed hawk preys on small mammals such as rodents and lagomorphs, but also opportunistically consumes birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. 



In the short video clip above, you can hear the hawk's distinctive high-pitched sound


The next creature James showed us was a lizard commonly called a  Shingleback Stink (Tiliqua Rugosa). The species is widely distributed in arid to semiarid regions of southern and western Australia. It is an omnivore that eats snails, insects, carrion, vegetation, and flowers.




The third creature that James showed us was the most surprising to me! It was a Boreal Toad. 

They are commonly found in the western U.S. and western Canada. 
 It is known in Colorado as the only alpine species of toad. It prefers high-altitude wet habitats (8,000–12,000 ft -- 2,438.4 meters-3,657.6 meters in elevation) such as lakes, marshes, ponds, bogs, and quiet shallow water.

Sadly, Boreal toad populations have declined recently due to an emerging amphibian disease, chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd).

 The boreal toad is currently listed as an endangered species by Colorado and New Mexico.


James explained how the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance and Colorado Parks and Wildlife are studying the boreal toad and hoping to breed ones that are fungus-resistant and reintroduce them back into their natural habitat. 
Boreal toads feed on a wide range of invertebrates and insects, including flies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, beetles, and moths. 



The last creature that James exhibited was the Corn Snake.

James laughed when some people in the audience grimaced and groaned at the sight of the snake. He said that snakes are not well-loved, but that they play a very important role in the environment, and the earth would suffer without them. He said that when he shows a rabbit, an audience will usually smile and say "Aww" with affection, but in his 22 years of handling assorted creatures, the only one that ever bit him was a rabbit!



The Corn Snake is found throughout the southeastern and central United States. The corn snake is named for the species' regular presence near grain stores, where it feeds on the mice and rats that eat harvested corn.

James pointed out that while many people feel zoos are hurtful to wildlife by keeping them captive, zoos are usually more helpful and holistic these days, with many conservation programs that are helping to preserve species from total elimination due to the destruction of their habitat
through poaching, pollution, overdevelopment, deforestation, loss of prey, diseases, climate change, etc. 


I believe all the seniors in attendance enjoyed Mr. Garcia's presentation and learned a lot about the different species he showcased. We are also excited to know that, as a follow-up, we will all be visiting the Denver Zoo together in April for a guided zoo tour. I've visited the Denver Zoo many times with my grandchildren, but I'm looking forward to this "adult visit" very much!


Have a very Happy Spring!








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Sunday, March 15, 2026

Happy March and St Patrick and St Joseph Days!


I have been fortunate to take many trips to Ireland over the years...

...my first trip was in 1972 when I was a teen.
 

I am half Irish, so Ireland has always been a place of both my heritage and dreams. 
You can see where I've traveled in Ireland on this blog label--47 posts in all, along with this label's 9 posts.


One of the most memorable trips I made in Ireland was visiting St. Patrick's grave in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland. You can view the post about this visit here.


Over the years, I've celebrated St. Patrick's Day by preparing many Irish American meals of Corned Beef and Cabbage and Irish Soda Bread. My recipe for Irish Soda Bread is on this blog link, and a gluten-free version of Irish Soda Bread is on this blog link.



Another place I have been fortunate to travel to over the years is Italy!



I also first visited Italy as a teenager in 1971 and fell in love with it!


My husband was born in Calabria, Italy, and emigrated to the US as a young child with his parents in the 1950s. He became a naturalized citizen in 1974. It has been wonderful visiting his hometown many times, where some relatives still live.  Some of our visits to Italy can be seen on this blog label--17 posts in all!


Although I've shared some Italian recipes over the years--click on this label to see them-- I've never shared the recipe for the special pasta I make for St. Joseph's Day, celebrated on March 19th. 
Since St. Joseph is known to be the foster-father of Jesus Christ, March 19th is also the day when Italians celebrate Father’s Day.
There are two different recipes I use to make St. Joseph's Pasta, also known as Pasta con le Sarde. I use the Italian Sons and Daughters of America recipe, which is closest to the way my Calabrian Mother-in-Law made it.  I have also used Cucina Italiana's recipe, which is Sicilian-style, although I leave out the raisins.
 Both are delicious! Both recipes incorporate toasted breadcrumbs as a topping, instead of cheese, as the breadcrumbs resemble the sawdust of St Joseph's craft of carpentry. 


March is the month of both holidays and also the month of the beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and traditionally has changeable weather. One day it was in the 70s here along the Colorado Front Range, and then we had significant snowfall the next day! After many windy, dry days with wildfire Red Flag warnings, it was good to see the snow!
There are predictions that by the end of this week, we will have unseasonal warm weather up to 90 degrees!

I hope that where you live, the weather has been good, and that you are also enjoying the month of March





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Sunday, March 8, 2026

A Quick Trip to New York to Celebrate a Special Family Birthday!


 At the end of February, my husband and I flew to New York to attend a special birthday celebration for a member of my family.



We stayed in a hotel in an area called Gravesend, Brooklyn, not far from Coney Island. As you can see, one of the many snowstorms that have beseiged the east this winter was still evident on the streets. The subway trains in this part of Brooklyn run above ground on elevated train tracks, and my husband and I remimisced how an exciting scene from the movie The French Connection was filmed in this very area under the elevated train!


The next day, we headed for Suffolk County, on Long Island, New York, to attend a surprise 80th Birthday party in a restaurant for my older brother, James!

I was the only sibling able to attend, and he was very touched that we were there, along with family and friends. It was so good to see my brother and my sister-in-law, my nieces and nephews, husbands and wives, and grand nieces and nephews and their significant others.



We stayed overnight at my brother's house, and the next morning we had breakfast at a local diner that decorates for every holiday. This time all decked out in green for the upcoming St Patrick's Day!


On our way back to Brooklyn the next day, I was intrigued by all the vines I saw growing up many of the trees along the Southern State Parkway. I did not remember ever seeing this in the many years we lived in Brooklyn and traveled out east on Long Island. Could it be Kudzu? From what I read on this link, Kudzu has traveled up along the east coast from the south to New York.  
When we entered the borough of Brooklyn and drove along the Belt Parkway, I snapped the photos in the collage above of the tall buildings in the distance in Manhattan and a subway terminus yard in Coney Island.



We spent a few days in Brooklyn, visiting family and friends, and enjoying so much delicious food!

 

It was nice to spend time with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, who are my husband's older brother and older sister, who reside in Brooklyn.  My sister-in-law taught me how to make stuffed baby eggplants the way they do in their hometown in Calabria, Italy, using a mixture that includes mashed potatoes in the stuffing. I promise to show how they are made when I make them again. They are very delicious and a favorite of our daughter.



All too soon, it was time to fly home to Colorado.
 After living here for the past thirteen years, we realized how much we love seeing the Front Range and the Rocky Mountains on our drive back from the airport. 



The day after we arrived, the Denver area had a good snowfall after a very dry and warm February. We hope March, which is usually the snowiest month along the Colorado Front Range, will bring more! I think this mule deer doe, resting in my backyard that day, was also happy to see the snow!


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