by Libby Boren McMillan
Mention Boulder, Colorado, around anyone who’s been there, and it’s sure to elicit a sigh of pleasure or a rush of superlatives. One of the greenest cities in America—in both landscape and attitude—Boulder is a mecca for cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts of all types. It’s also nirvana for those who appreciate drop-dead gorgeous scenery, the freshest of air, and great food. And it’s all only thirty-five miles from the Denver airport.
What sets Boulder apart is its unique combination of what nature put there and how man made the most of it. Boulder Creek runs through the middle of town, under an abundance of leafy green trees; its rushing waters are an integral part of the Boulder soundtrack. Adjacent to the creek lies more than five miles of the city’s much-revered bike path, so enormously popular it serves as Boulder’s central nervous system until snow falls.
More than two hundred miles of public hiking and biking trails traverse and surround Boulder. Bike racks are everywhere, ready and waiting for the professionals, moms and dads, students, and retired folk who choose pedaling over driving. But while cyclists rule in Boulder, the area also draws fly-fishers, kayakers, tubers, roller-bladers, and picnickers.
In a move far ahead of its time, city leaders set aside approximately thirty thousand acres of open space as part of the 1970 Comprehensive Plan. Today, countless wide expanses of green define this beautiful city and play a large part in attracting residents tired of urban blight and crowding. City streets travel through a residential neighborhood one minute and past horses and cows the next, all within the city limits.
Home to the popular University of Colorado, Boulder snuggles up to its landmark Flatiron Mountains. At 5,430 feet in altitude, it’s a bustling, high-tech gateway to the Rockies, yet many visitors never even leave the city limits. They rent a bike, start to explore, and find themselves thoroughly enjoying Boulder’s recreational opportunities, great food, and down-to-earth vibe. With three hundred days of sun a year and 65 percent of its residents under the age of forty-four, Boulder attracts people—residents and visitors—looking for quality of life with an emphasis on the outdoors.
Boulder might be more eco-conscious than any other city in America. It’s hard to find a Jeep or SUV here sans some kind of “green think” bumper sticker. Residents’ devotion to the environment makes it no great surprise that many natural-product companies are headquartered here, Celestial Seasonings among them.
One of the best ways to get a feel for the real Boulder is to base yourself downtown. The historic Hotel Boulderado is hard to beat in this regard. This National Register Landmark has been welcoming guests since 1909, who admire the lobby’s impressive stained-glass ceiling and cantilevered, cherry wood staircase. Elegant guestrooms and suites provide the perfect place to kick off one’s Tevas after a long day of adventure.
The higher your room, the better the view of the Flatirons, and if you must hunker down and do a little work, wireless Internet access keeps guests of this historic hotel happy in a twenty-first-century way. (Light sleepers should avoid street-side rooms on weekend nights, as a popular bar lies at basement level.)
The Boulderado is just one block from Boulder’s famed Pearl Street Mall, a pedestrian-only thoroughfare chock-a-block with local, regional, and international dining options; street vendors; and great boutiques. Pearl Street performance art is world class: Watch Houdini-like contortionists escape from chains while hanging upside down or check out the unbelievable mental skills of Zip Code Man, who can tell any member of the audience where he or she is from, based on their zip code. In spring, “the mall,” as Pearl Street is called, is awash with color, when flower beds filled with tulips all burst into synchronized bloom.
From early April through November, the largest farmers’ market in Colorado is held on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., adjacent to Central Park in downtown Boulder. Don’t let the fact that you’re without a kitchen keep you from attending this market, which is a veritable happening.
Local famers, food producers, and artisans sell a mind-boggling assortment of temptations, including honey, granola, chocolate, cheese, bread, wine, fruit, veggies, and flowers. This is a golden opportunity to select your idea of the perfect “slow food” picnic lunch, then head off to a nearby green space and enjoy it. The market also has prepared-food vendors satisfying their customers with tamales, smoothies, falafels, gyros, and more. If you miss the Saturday affair, there’s another market on Wednesdays from 4 to 8 p.m., which runs early May through September.
Adjacent to the farmers’ market is the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. “Free Admission Saturdays” at the museum offer further motivation to get downtown and see what’s shaking. Docents give guided tours of current exhibits and all ages are welcome to join in the twenty-five-minute tours.
Perhaps the most shocking (and beautiful) surprise downtown is the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse. This breathtaking, Persian-style landmark was created by more than forty artisans in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, over four years time, as a gift to the city of Boulder after Dushanbe’s mayor visited to establish a sister-city relationship. Its hand-carved and hand-painted ceiling, tables, columns, and decorative panels keep patrons looking up in admiration. The teahouse also serves food (including breakfast) and offers outdoor seating. Choosing between interior beauty and alfresco dining can be awfully tricky on a summer day in Boulder.
Boulder is very much a city of the arts, with more than thirty galleries, several museums, and thirty-two movie and stage theaters. The Colorado Shakespeare Festival and the Colorado Music Festival are two great reasons to visit, but don’t check into the Boulderado without checking the schedule for the Boulder Theater (a short walk away).
This 1906 theater’s colorful past—it’s served as an opera house, movie theater, and concert hall—is as diverse as the wide range of shows it offers today. You might catch a performance by the Robert Cray Band, enjoy the Alpinist Film Festival, or groove to the Global Drum Project.
If, however, the words “super cell” are enough to get your juices going, you’re a candidate for a tour of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, on the north side of the city. (One of its main buildings was designed by starchitect I.M. Pei.) Also based in Boulder is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which offers ninety-minute tours that include stops at several research divisions and the National Weather Service Forecast Office.
Wait until the forecast doesn’t include snow, and then head to Boulder for an outdoor experience of a lifetime. Then you’ll be the one sighing the next time someone mentions this Colorado gem.
Freelance writer Libby Boren McMillan is a frequent contributor to Times of the Islands, RSW Living, and Bonita Living.