On the Rocky road…
Matthew Sherry relives a fantastic weekend in Denver after accompanying two Sports Travel Tours customers to Denver for last season’s AFC Championship Game.
A quick look from the hotel-room window told its own story. Below the snow-topped Rocky Mountains stood our coliseum: Sports Authority Field at Mile High. From the spacious suite in downtown Denver, it looked in touching distance, acting as a constant reminder of the battle that awaited. This was the 2015 AFC Championship Game, the final edition of Brady v Manning, the battle for a Super Bowl spot.
“My wife Faye comes to all of the NFL games I go to with me, but I’ve never seen her really get into it quite like in Denver,” said Luke Woolsey, who enjoyed the trip with his wife and Gridiron. “The whole stadium was shaking during the game, and I’ve never experienced anything like that before. I love the Wembley games, but it comes nowhere near that experience. The city was orange before the game. Inside was amazing, absolutely spot on.”
The trip, though, was more than just a game; it was a five-day experience. Our base at the heart of Denver represented the perfect spot. Between arrival and gameday, we were free to roam one of America’s hidden gems. The experiences were plentiful; the dynamic and vibrant city feel of downtown a stark contrast to Colorado’s own Las Vegas, Blackhawk – a fascinating little town in the mountains boasting 17 casinos and little else.
“Blackhawk was amazing; maybe a little too high given we were already a mile up prior to heading into the mountains,” adds Luke. “If somebody had of asked me to go to Denver beforehand, I’d have probably said no. But it’s a fantastic place. We did lots, from going to a basketball game to the aquarium. We go to the States quite a lot and we had never even contemplated Denver. The Rocky Mountains backdrop everywhere you go is stunning.”
The only journey easier than the many undertaken around the city was our initial one getting there. That required merely emailing passport details to the folks at Sports Travel Tours, who took care of everything.
We were subsequently sent flight vouchers, transfer vouchers and hotel vouchers. From there, it was a case of boarding the plane, heading to the designated spot to be picked up at Denver airport and then enjoying our comfortable rooms at Denver’s Crowne Plaza hotel.
“It was so easy; there was nothing difficult about it,” says Luke. “We wanted to say an extra few days and Andrew [Hill] arranged all of that, and I just paid the extra money. It was much easier than booking it myself. We would absolutely do it again; it totally exceeded our expectations.”
Where Sports Travel Tours come into their own, though, is on gameday. The occasion was historic, a final tilt between quarterbacking royalty at one of the NFL’s best venues. But the name Mile High did not prove apt on this occasion, for there was no danger of altitude sickness from our lower-level vantage point; in fact, the only sickness we encountered was that from a man who’d perhaps had too many pre-game beers. But even he couldn’t dampen the experience. Luke and Faye are seasoned travellers stateside, having watched several games on the other side of the pond, but nothing compared to being part of the Orange Sea, stamping on every third down as an all-time defense harassed Tom Brady to ensure their guy, Peyton Manning, came out on top.
“The tickets were fantastic,” concludes Luke. “I’ve never been to a game that has been so important to everybody, both players and fans. To see a game of that magnitude, and have some of the best seats in the house, was a memorable experience. It was awesome.”
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