Stroll tiny downtown Morrison (population about 430), which lies two miles southeast of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Have a look at Bear Creek, see the old white Morrison Chapel and browse the shops along Bear Creek Avenue, the main street.
Try breakfast or lunch at the Cow an Eatery. Before you head to a show at Red Rocks, maybe have a game dinner at the Fort.
Also, stop in at the Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave on Lookout Mountain, which celebrates the life and times of outdoorsman and showman Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917). The museum features Wild West show posters and artifacts. As for the gift shop _ you've never seen so many refrigerator magnets.
Golden, eight miles north of the amphitheater, is another worthwhile town near Red Rocks. It's best known for the Coors Brewery, and, yes, there are tours.
But you may prefer to walk Washington Street and admire the "Howdy Folks!" sign overhead. Check out the path along Clear Creek, where there are often kayakers. Try the pizza at Woody's Wood-Fired Pizza. If you like, eat it at a picnic table on the bridge over Clear Creek.
The Origin Hotel is supposed to open by the end of the summer. Rates start at $212, dipping to $169 in November.
