I Saw the Sign

Taking a Closer Look...

10/17/25 - Late Morning

The fresh smell of fall danced through the air and beautiful colors exploded across Observatory Park. I loved the satisfying crunch of leaves beneath my feet as I walked toward my favorite bench near the basketball courts. The sidewalks were almost completely covered by foliage, and I realized that I had never actually looked very closely at the concrete. What I discovered next opened up a whole new world to me.

As it turns out, there is a whole solar system engraved along the concrete paths at the park. It makes sense, considering that there is a historical observatory on the premises. I decided to follow all of the engravings and I was able to locate all eight planets (no Pluto!), along with a few stars.

I probably looked pretty silly walking in circles staring at engravings in the ground, but I didn't care because it took me on a quite the adventure. Next, I decided to take a closer look at some other signs around the park. I noticed that benches seemed to hold a lot more meaning than I initially realized. Many of them had plaques with dedications to all sorts of people, and I couldn't help but dig deeper. I looked up some of these obituaries online and was completely touched by the love and care expressed by everyone.

For example, Dustin Travis Allee was said to have loved nature, and his obituary even included the Native American saying, “In the stone-cold mountains of the desert there is a strange trade. You can swap the whirlwind of life for eternal peace of the soul”. This quote is especially meaningful considering that this young man sadly took his own life. At the end of the day, death is extremely difficult to cope with, and nature is a manner in which we can heal ourselves emotionally and spiritually.

After taking a moment to process the deep history and emotions brought up by the plaques, I went over to the Chamberlin Observatory to learn more about the history of the park.

Made of red sandstone, the striking Chamberlin Observatory, established in 1890, is the central pilar of the park. It is owned by DU and maintained by the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Since 1894, public nights have been hosted there by the Denver Astronomical Society.

These metal circles can be found on tree trunks all over the park. They are likely used for either land management purposes or scientific research.

Two names, likely those of two young people in love engraved forever on this bench.

After leaving the park, I felt as though my perception of time had changed. In many ways, we humans make an eternal mark on the world, whether that be through a historic building, or a rough engraving on a bench. We leave behind a visible legacy that people can experience, appreciate, and wonder about for years to come. However, I also felt as though I had gotten a glimpse of the impermanence of human life. In the grand scheme of things, we are here for such a short time, and it is up to us to determine the way in which we want to be remembered.

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