John Denver Sanctuary in Aspen, Colorado

Every single time I drive to the mountains, I make sure there’s at least one John Denver cd in the car player.  It’s strange how vividly I can remember seeing the breaking news announcing the plane had crashed in 1997.  Born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., but known as John Denver, he was taken too early!

I really enjoyed taking a snowy stroll around the John Denver Sanctuary on my last trip to Aspen:

It’s a beautiful park setting with a nice walking trail with a creek and stream passing through.  Several of his song lyrics are etched on rocks as you stroll by.  It may have helped that it was frigid and snowy, but the place was so peaceful! Wikipedia (which is always right!) quotes John Denver as saying: “photography is a way to communicate a feeling”… I like that!

I started playing John Denver music on the iphone while walking around…it was awesome!  I really appreciate Denver’s devotion to the environment, nature, the mountains and everything that you see when you get out of the ‘big city’!

Here’s what it looks like with the song lyrics engraved into the rocks:

There are SO many wonderful lyrics, but here are some of my favorites…

When I’m on a plane arriving back to Denver I think of  these lyrics:

“Hey it’s good to be back home again
Sometimes this old farm feels like a long-lost friend
Yes ’n’ hey, it’s good to be back home again” – Back Home Again

Guess I travel a lot because I always here these lyrics when I head out:

“All my bags are packed
I’m ready to go
I’m standin’ here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin’
It’s early morn
The taxi’s waitin’
He’s blowin’ his horn
Already I’m so lonesome
I could die” – Leaving on a Jet Plane

I have to list it, because on those crazy colorful sunsets, I always think of the line,

“I’ve seen it rainin’ fire in the sky” – Rocky Mountain High

And the song that reminds me to live in the moment:

“Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I’ll taste your strawberries, I’ll drink your sweet wine
A million tomorrows shall all pass away
‘Ere I forget all the joy that is mine, today” – Today

Just a few minutes walk from downtown Aspen (behind the Hotel Jerome), this was a very enjoyable reminder of his life, music, what he stood for and the imprint John Denver left on the world…I recommend this quick stop to anyone heading to Aspen!