Imagine,
a romantic outdoor wedding ceremony in a place surrounded by million
year old red rock formations and beautifully carved eagle statues, an
area where real eagles nest in spring. This tranquil and spectacular
place exists under the deep blue Colorado sky, in the middle of nature’s
best, in Roxborough Park. Imagine again, that this wedding ceremony
would be made possible by planting only one tree to commemorate the
event and for future generations to enjoy.
This is
the story about the owner of the land who makes these outdoor weddings
possible for all Roxborough Park residents, a bighearted man with a
passion for nature, a love for its people and their art, former Air
Force Colonel David Goodwin, known as "Colonel Dave.”
I am meeting
with the Colonel at his beautiful house in Roxborough Park, where he
and his wife Nancy live since she spotted this special place about 11
years ago.
I am invited
into the “West Wing” of their house. The view is stunning.
A large expanse of windows opens up towards the north east and displays
a red rock formation David’s granddaughter has named “Little
Indian”. With some imagination the shape of this rock alignment
resembles the profile of a face looking at the sky. A local artist inspired
by the view crafted a stained glass window capturing the beauty of the
rock configuration in bright colors; this art window decorates the “West
Wing’s” dining room.
Colonel
Dave has offered to show me his ranch in Roxborough Park, where many
wedding ceremonies have taken place and I am curious to see it. It is
early December and several inches of snow have fallen over the area;
the last couple of days have been bitter cold and windy. I am dressed
to walk and that is exactly what we are about to do. We start out in
his red pickup and drive the short trip on County Road 5 which leads
through Roxborough State Park. Access to Colonel Dave’s ranch
is through a gate that requires a security code. The 4 wheel drive truck
has no problems with the snow, but Dave stops from time to time to talk
about the fascinating history of Roxborough Park, its ranches and the
people who owned them. He stops at the top of the hill and tells me
about the time when he and his son Greg scouted the area and discovered
this beautiful spot. Soon afterwards he purchased about 100 acres, 32
of which were sold to Roxborough State Park. When he purchased the land
in 1982 there were only about 20 houses and one apartment complex in
Roxborough Park, stretched along the west side of Roxborough Park Drive,
close to today’s entrance.
We are passing a sign saying “Roxborough Park Ranch”, next
to it is a carved elm statue of an eagle that beautifies the entry path
to a barn. Here is the Colonel's work shop. He and his son in law are
in the process of fixing it up.
Continuing
slowly south on Road 5, a marble sculpture of an eagle protecting a
young maiden becomes visible on the left side. Colonel Dave bought this
art piece from Spain and it marks the entrance to his wedding spot.
We turn left and walk uphill through powdery snow.
Straight
ahead is another eagle statue, this one carved from cottonwood. Its
base had recently been re-done in spruce, which is much more durable.
Scratch marks on the front witness the presence of bears in the park;
one of them has re-carved the statue and left its own signature. The
scent of the boiled linseed oil protecting the wood must have attracted
the bear and made him want a piece of it, so part of the eagle’s
wing is missing.
We find
tracks of a mountain lion in the snow. Maybe it was attracted by a stately
carved mountain lion crouched atop a redrock ridge and watching over
the grounds?
There
it is, the wedding spot, hidden and nestled between the rocks, a place
so beautiful, it is difficult to put into words. Now covered with a
blanket of snow and next to a huge boulder is a tiled surface. This
is the place where bride and groom exchange their vows. There is plenty
of room for all their family and friends, for the whole wedding party
and their guests. Colonel Dave enjoys sharing this space with others
who appreciate nature’s beauty.
Situated
high above the wedding spot is “The Throne”, another piece
of marble art work from Spain, this is where “King David”
reigns, a symbol of the Colonel's great humor. Willingly he lets me
take his photograph there, though we were unable to find a scepter for
“the king.”
Colonel
Dave would like to build a new house for Nancy and himself; here high
up, with a view overlooking the road, where the rocks form natural terraces.
There are two patio chairs that invite visitors for a short rest in
the warmish winter afternoon sun. David points out the two waterfalls
across the road and all the Aspen trees along Willow Creek. What a place!
There
is a small office trailer on the property where David works and envisions
the future. He has planned many details already; his “to do"
list seems endless but his high energy and determination convince that
all his visions will come to fruition in the foreseeable future.
It is
such a pleasure to know Colonel Dave, a man who is so generous and eager
to share. So, should you encounter a red pickup truck driving slowly
on County Road 5, it might be Colonel Dave and he possibly will invite
you for a tour of his favorite place, his Roxborough Park Ranch.
Roxborough
Park residents who would like to celebrate their wedding ceremony at
Colonel Dave's Roxborough Park Ranch are invited to call him at 303-932-0302.
Colonel Dave with his wife Nancy
Angelika
Koehne
