What a Great 4th of July

by mike

Wow, this was one incredible Fourth of July and there was no more exciting place to be than the Glass House.

But lets just document the day in order

Starting the morning of the fourth a slow growth of individual party camps began popping up across the green grass of commons park. With mini grills set up and the smell of bar-b-q in the air Commons Park become center stage for running dogs, frisbee tosses, and volleyball.

One group, which was doing it right, got there among the very first and set up their own tent on the top of the mound commanding the highest views in the Park.

On my quick dog walk through the park I saw so many happy faces, and even more happy dogs, enjoying and getting prepared for the great evening ahead.

As the sun set we headed over to Glass House to join in what had to be the biggest party of the year. The lobby was pulsing with excitement as people flowed in and out of both towers. Caterers arrived with food in hand. Residents and guests arrived carrying, pulling, toting and dragging everything from fine wine to PBR, fried chicken and burgers to cheese trays. This place was hot. There were even folks in the lobby holding signs to assist people in finding their party. And no one I met was planning on attending just one.

Our first stop was the pool deck with our first party in one of the spectacular terrace units. These folks have it made with their own outdoor party space plus spill out to the pool level. I talked to a few of the folks I new who were staking out the pool and found out that many had been out here since the early am hours. They had come in groups and laid claim to their own individual kingdoms, taking turns patrolling their zones and chilling out with drinks while others in the group migrated throughout the building visiting other parties or taking on supply responsibilities to refill the coolers. But all was still cool and relaxed, with everyone respecting the building and each other. So far so good.

Before dusk we headed up to a bit more quiet spot overlooking the city and the pool deck. It was a cool night, just a few sprinkles of rain, and great views out to the city and Coors Field. As the night went on we got perhaps the most unexpected of all treats. From Glass House the other fireworks across the city and in the burbs were visible. From every directions we got a periodic treat of fire and color.

And then of course we got our grand show right in front of us with Denver’s awesome fireworks show. Here are a couple of some of my favorite shots from the night.

To improve our wonderful show mother nature joined in and gave us some wonderful heat lighting across the sky. With flashes of white brilliance in the sky the lightning created the most powerful show of all. The haze and smoke from our man made fireworks only allowed mother nature to create even more of a glow with every burst. I tried to capture a few shots of this as well and got a bit lucky, but as you know lightning is impossible to predict.

And of course, I had to geek out on the great glow that the fireworks and everything did against the panes of glass and with the night photos. Here are a few of those favorites.

And then, of course, a few folks start to take things even farther. These folks jumped in the pool still with their clothes on. Guess when you forget your suit you just have to make do.

.But of course the end of the fireworks gets crazier than the show itself. Lines of traffic stretched across town and the massive exodus of everyone leaving the show clogged not only elevators but streets and sidewalks. Off for more partying, the happy residents and visitors of downtown took off for their next event.

Myself, I just chilled out scanned back through the shots and thought what a wonderful visual the city and this night was. Hope you all enjoyed your fourth as well. Lets hope the rest of the events over the night shared the same respect and civility I saw at the beginning of the night. But I have heard that there were some folks, there always are, who may have gotten a bit out of hand.

The ability to have such a wonderful night, to celebrate with friends and neighbors so openly, and to be able to relax through it all with a smile and a laugh we need to be able to trust each other. I heard that a very few (and you know who you are) might have forgotten your manners. Don’t. This city rocks. The people are awesome. And we all want to have as much fun (or more) next year too in this wonderful community we live in.

With that I wish you all a happy belated independence day. Let’s celebrate everyones right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Later!