Small town life

Here’s what I know about Castle Rock – it’s a small town about 35 miles south of Denver, though with urban development, it seems to be growing by the day. It’s named after a prominent butte that looks like – you guessed it! – a castle, and you can climb to the top of it if you want to and witness great views of the town and see the Rocky Mountains. Apparently, Castle Rock used to be inhabited by Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribes – the town has been around since 1874.

When it snows in Colorado, Castle Rock seems to get a lot more than Denver, and man did it snow while I was there! I came into town just a couple days after Colorado had been pummeled by one of the worst snowstorms in its history – I think they got about 30 inches; schools and businesses were closed, as were the major interstates. In fact, the whole state was pretty much closed as the government had declared a “state of emergency”, advising people not to leave their homes unless they absolutely had to.

If you find yourself in Castle Rock, I recommend taking a nice walk through Old Town, and climbing Castle Rock

I was supposed to come into town several days sooner, but because of the snow my flight was canceled and the best the airline could do for me was get me a flight on Christmas day, and I wouldn’t even get in until 10 at night. I was disappointed not to be able to spend Christmas with my family – I hate flying more than most things, so spending Christmas in the air gritting my teeth and trying not to lose my lunch (or small packet of snack mix) left a lot to be desired.

We thought the sky had gotten all the snow out of it's system, but no! A few days after I arrived, we got pummeled with yet another storm, though less severe. We had a white Christmas, and a white New Years too. The snow is beautiful, especially when the sun comes out and glints gold flecks off the fluffy white, but after a while the world starts to look blank and you get tired of sitting around the house messing around on the internet or watching movies.

I come to Castle Rock because that’s where my parents live, not because it is a happening town. Old Town, though, is really beautiful. As you might guess, this is a part of town with historical buildings, local pubs, coffee shops, and bookstores, and the nice air of charm that comes with antiquity. The Town Hall was celebrating its 125^th anniversary while I was there. Woo hoo! Sadly, because of the snow, we were not able to venture out much, but we did have a really great dinner at an Irish Pub called Brenigahns (see review.)

Basically, If you find yourself in Castle Rock, I recommend taking a nice walk through Old Town, and climbing Castle Rock (the butte, not the town) – Colorado is a gorgeous state and you can see much of its beauty from here (especially in the spring and summer!)