Denver in the 1960s and 1970s (Memory Lane) (Aurora, Boulder: hotel, houses)

[DOUBLE H]

DRB! You are right, it was Yelland's son. You're right, Sockeye, on Elitches, should have let it where it was! When it was winter, there was an alternative to Elitches and Lakeside; and I'm still torqued off that it got knocked down even though the land was/is in the stratosphere in the $$$ department- Celebrity Sports Center on South Colorado Blvd. It covered everything; a couple dozen pinball machines in the first room to the left at the front entrance. One side had 50 bowling lanes, I believe, around the corner another 35 to 40. Where the counter was to check out bowling shoes and to pay, there must have been a dozen pool tables and a couple snooker tables as well.Swimming pool- that pool was huge! Bowled in a mixed league, scratch league, but had the most fun in the gift star league. Anyone remember bowling for gift stars? Every now and then you would get a certain color pin as the pins set up. I do remember this; if you had the front three pins all colored, and you got a strike, you got either 500 or more gift strars. If you got the gold pin mixed in the three pins, you won double the amount, maybe more. And in the middle of the building there was a couple more game rooms, right next to the Hofbrau, for those who liked to have a toddie or two (or three!). On that subject, the best part of Celebrity was the jazz lounge out front. Played some good music there, nice atmosphere. Man I missed that place!

[Kevin Preston]

Lived there from 3 to 13. The following I remember well--sorry for any potential spelling mistakes...

When young:

Blinky's Fun Club on TV
Elitch Gardens---my dad had his company picnic there every year, plus we could pretty much bet that we would go at least one additional time besides. The bumper cars that actually went fast, the midway. That guy in the arcades that you were supposed to "out draw" but he never worked right. First time I saw Skeeball. A real old "dark" haunted house. The hissing and hydraulic sounds of the rides.
Tiny Town, which I don't remember if I actually saw it or if my memories are other people telling me about it when I was young.
The Forney Car Museum--What a nice place, I remember my dad could have bought a Duesenberg for $8000.00, for sale there, in 1970.


Others:

LeMans Motors--They let me sit in a new Ferrari Daytona, and my dad checked out the new Lamborghini Espada. This would be about 1971. They had outside, a Mercedes 300SL "gullwing" that needed new silver paint. It was $9,000. That car is worth 1/2 a MILLION now.

Cinderella City-- This was a place that was just awesome. I believe it was the largest mall of its kind before Woodfield in Schaumburg Il, took that crown for a while. (Unfortunately I left beautiful Denver for that armpit, but never mind). Underground parking, color coded malls...I believe the Village Inn Pancake House was in there. I remember the fountain, licking the top of the ceiling when on full blast! Funny, its not nearly as big as some of the malls now, but it felt mammoth at the time.

Northwoods Inn--We used to just call it "Paul Bunyan". I visited Denver and went to their relocated restaurant down the street. Do you know that they STILL serve an unbelievably good steak? I talked with the owner lady, what happened to the huge Paul Bunyan. I informed her that they are valuable now, made by the same California company that made all the "Muffler Men" and now are a valuable artifact. The color left her face...they were not permitted to put it back up due to Denver's new zoning laws. SO THEY SAWED IT UP AND THREW IT AWAY. Sad. (the two things I hated about Denver I do not miss--their overzealous Politically Correct leadership, everything from busing to zoning, and the sheer number of goofball neighborhoods that have CCRs. When I was a kid, having a basketball hoop on your garage meant you had kids, not that you were violating some precious rule. Oh well.)

Casa Bonita--Of course.

Bear Valley Shopping Center--Before they redid it. Orange Julius. Buying Estes Rockets at Duckwalls. Riding my Huffy bike over there to get mint chip ice cream at Baskin Robbins. That bizarre two story "oil string" art piece outside May D & F. The toy department at May D & F.

Hungry Dutchman--Always went there on Christmas Day (why were they open???). Pea Soup that was great, and I don't like pea soup. Waiters pouring water from above their heads. Great food. Windmill. What else does a kid want in a restaurant.

My all time favorite memory:

1968, at the Cooper Cinerama, watching 2001:A Space Odyssey, with my dad. My favorite film, in my all time favorite theater. Mindblowing and fun.

Top of the Rockies, Celebrity Sports, Furr's Cafeteria, Kings Food Host (with the phones!), GEM department store and that big slide. Man the memories.

Does anyone remember Pat's Twist-O-Cream in Littleton?! The best!

I know I will think of more....

[RonAriba]

London House
Bogarts
Babe's
Rick's
Top of the Rockies
Hungry Farmer
May D&F before it became on hotel
The Denver Bears

[DOUBLE H]

The Denver Bears! I have a cloth patch I saved-"Watch the play in Triple A! The celebrated Major League baseball buffoon Marv Throneberry hit 46 home runs there in 1956. The Bears were the farm club of the Yankees at that time. Ralph Houk managed the Bears in those days before he went to the Yanks in '59. Billy Martin managed them in 1968, when they were the farm club of the Minnesota Twins. 50's prices: parking 25 cents, general admission $1. Yankees played an exhibition game with the Bears in '56, everyone wanted to see Mickey Mantle park 'em over the fence, playing in that thin air. Bill Reed calling the games in the 50's on KHOW, 630am.

[BlueWillowPlate]

I remember Carl Akers very well.

Sid King became a shoe repair guy. But I think maybe he finally passed away?
Not sure. My husband had his bachelor party at the Crazy Horse. And our first date was at Rick's Cafe.
Update: Edited to add Sid King's Obituary (broken link)

Tiny Town is still there, AFAIK.

I remember the Denver Bears really well.

Does anyone remember when the Rockies were Colorado's hockey team?

[DOUBLE H]

I sure do BWP! I never could understand why they moved to New Jersey. It was only a few years earlier that the Denver minor league hockey club won their league championship. They were coached by Jean Guy Talbot. That was the '71-'72 season. Sellouts in the last half of the season suggested that the NHL take a look at the market in Denver for a possible expansion team. The move was controversial to say the least.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Yay, someone else remembers the old Rockies! My entire family were hockey fanatics.
Double H, my brothers used to *live* at Celebrity Sports Center.
Remember that back room where guys could race their little slot cars?!

[DOUBLE H]

I do. My best friend worked there for 3 years. He had all the conveniences near work. He lived in the Bellaire apartments 2 blocks away. Concert tickets and new LP releases? Juli J's was right down the street. Knock off a pitcher of 3.2. beer with his friends? The Tower was 3 blocks away. Saw Woodstock at the Cooper theater with him, and the Cooper was in the same area as well. Back to Celebrity, I loved that place! Lots of stuff for teenagers to do.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by DOUBLE H

I do. My best friend worked there for 3 years. He had all the conveniences near work. He lived in the Bellaire apartments 2 blocks away. Concert tickets and new LP releases? Juli J's was right down the street. Knock off a pitcher of 3.2. beer with his friends? The Tower was 3 blocks away. Saw Woodstock at the Cooper theater with him, and the Cooper was in the same area as well. Back to Celebrity, I loved that place! Lots of stuff for teenagers to do.

heh
I well remember Juli-J's. I saw Woodstock at the Cooper, too, and I remember when that movie Bless the Beasts and Children premiered at the Cooper, with Bill Mummy, director Stanley Kramer etc all appearing there.
My brothers were always at Celebrity, but I would drive myself over to Cinderella City to hang out there.

[winglady]

What a fun post! Many of these memories were a big part of my growing-up years, too.

• Celebrity Lanes/Sport Center -- bowled and played there often
• Yep, I was in the audience at the Cooper for the initial release of 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Casa Bonita -- went there for the sopapillas & to run around the nooks & crannies (even though I wasn't a little kid any more)
• Engaging in long debates about whether it was cooler to listen to KIMN vs. KBTR
• Going to Denver Bears games whenever they played at home

Here are a few more:

• Incredible pizza from "Michael's Pizza" on E. 6th Avenue (where Barolo Grill is located now)
• Weatherman Bowman on Channel 2 drawing clouds, sunshine, etc. on his weather maps
• The Fred and Fae Show - cartoons, birthday parties, etc. (more like the mid- to late 50's rather than the 60's)
• What was the name of that Mexican restaurant on S. Santa Fe that was next to the old racetrack? I think there's still a restaurant by that name, but back in the 60's it had a lot of character and was one-of-a-kind