Denver - The Brown Palace
Hotel
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Welcome to Road Trip,
a special series where we get to vicariously go Rockin' Down the Highway
with antiMusic's Kevin Wierzbicki as he takes us along on his road trips
to various rockin' locales that played an significant part in the history
of rock n roll, highlight that history or music's heritage. (Unless noted
all photos are also by Kevin - click on photos to enlarge).
Oh sure, lots of places brag that “George
Washington slept here.” And not to slight the cherry tree-chopping father
of our country, but how many places can make the claim that “George Harrison
slept here?” When the Beatles played Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre
during their ground-breaking 1964 tour, their overnight haven was Denver’s
historic Brown Palace Hotel. The eighth floor suite where the mop-tops
stayed features a panoramic view of the city’s vibrant downtown, and a
small framed tribute to the band hangs in the room. But there’s no need
to sit and wish the walls could talk; just take the elevator down to the
hotel’s Ship Tavern and ask for Tom Baines. Amazingly, after feeding the
Fab Four a supper of grilled cheese sandwiches and potato chips forty years
ago, Baines has never left the employ of the Brown Palace. “People came
in here with screwdrivers and pliers wanting to take a doorknob or a hinge
from the door where the Beatles slept,” Baines recalls. “Girls were offering
to do anything for a pillowcase or a bath towel that they had touched.”
With a musical taste that ran more toward the Kingston Trio, Baines admits
that he didn’t comprehend the enormity of the situation at the time and
that he even got into a verbal tussle with one of the lads. “One of them
picked up his sandwich and said, ‘Bloody Americans with their chips on
everything!’ And I said, ‘Well, it’s no different than you bloody British
and your chips (fries) on everything!’ Ringo was sitting there, barely
awake, trying not to laugh.” Over the course of four decades at the Brown
Palace, Baines has amassed a treasure-chest of stories that include tales
of encounters with President Eisenhower, John Wayne, Forrest Tucker, Willie
Nelson and Spike Lee. If you want to make Baines blush, ask him about the
time he delivered room service to Connie Stevens, who answered her door
wearing nothing but a negligee.
Having opened in 1892, the Brown Palace
has a history that goes back to when not-so-sober cowboys just might opt
to park their horse right in the lobby. Baines jokes that after he dies,
he’ll be in the lobby of his beloved hotel, too---stuffed and mounted!
The Brown Palace offers three dining alternatives along with the casual
eating at the Ship Tavern; Ellyngton’s for breakfast and Sunday brunch,
the Palace Arms (four stars from Mobil) for nightly fine dining, and an
afternoon tea complete with scones and real Devon cream. The Churchill
cigar bar adjoins the hotel, which is just a short cab ride from attractions
like the city’s professional sporting events, the state capitol building
and the Denver Mint. The city’s bustling downtown shopping area is within
walking distance. The hotel occasionally offers special rates for the Beatle’s
suite; Baines’ storytelling is, of course, priceless. www.brownpalace.com
Call in advance to find out when Baines is working. (303) 297-3111.
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