Boulder
The city is home to The University of Colorado at Boulder, which is a sprawling campus of brick and stone buildings. Due to this, there are many trendy restaurants and shops in town to attract college students and tourists alike. You will find most of them along the Pearl Street Mall.
Spring
Autumn
Winter
When visiting Pearl Street, you will most likely have to pay for parking. There is street parking as well as a few parking garages. The city has automated parking fee machines that accept credit cards, so there's no need to have change to pay.
Last year, while walking around the city on a frigid December night, I decided to check out a vegetarian restaurant called Leaf (http://leafvegetarianrestaurant.com/) for dinner. When I walked in, they asked if I had a reservation. I did not, so I was told to come back about an hour later if I would like a table. I was upset about being sent back out into the brutal cold, but really wanted to try the place, so I did as they requested. Upon returning, the restaurant did not seem any more or less crowded than it was an hour earlier. So I am not sure why a reservation was needed. Anyway, the menu had some weird items on it, and beets seemed to be the star of the show. Overall, I liked my food, but I also felt it was a little too strange and pricey. It's worth a visit though if you want to check out a unique vegetarian restaurant...as long as you make a reservation.
Beet pierogies and _____ (I can't remember.)
Beet steak on the right and a special of the day, which was probably something else with beets.
This October, as I walked down Pearl Street looking for a nice spot for a late lunch (around 3pm), I came across Zeal (http://zealfood.com/.) It is an organic restaurant, which I feel tend to be vegetarian friendly, so I stopped in. I would say the menu was at least 40% vegetarian/vegan, and there were many options to customize your item or add on extras for a charge. Like Leaf, there were some strange-sounding items on this menu. I decided to go for something different, and ordered a Thai Salad with shrimp added. I also selected Chia Pudding as a dessert, because it sounded interesting and was vegan. My salad and pudding weren't exactly what I was expecting, but I enjoyed my meal a lot. I recommend the place if you are looking for somewhere healthy and unique to eat, and don't mind paying a little extra for organic and natural ingredients.
Good salad, but it was mostly red cabbage.
Boulder is also the headquarters of many national and semi-national companies that I like, such Boulder Canyon Natural Foods (potato chips), Chocolove (chocolate bars), and Go Lite (outdoor lifestyle goods.) Even better, some companies located here offer free factory tours.
Last year, I went on the tour at Celestial Seasonings. When you check in, you receive a tea bag sampler pack as your "ticket," which you get to keep. While you wait for the tour to start, you can take a look at the artwork on the walls (which was featured on the packaging of their products), browse items for sale, sample at least six flavors of tea for free, or purchase a beverage from their in-house café.
Yes, I'm a dork.
My ticket, a 4-pack of tea bags.
When the tour begins, you will watch a video giving the history of the company. Then everyone must put on a hairnet before entering the factory itself. You will get to see where they store bulk ingredients for their teas, and learn about some of the more unique ingredients and where they come from. You will also be taken into the Mint Room. This is where all mint and peppermint is stored, to keep other ingredients from being tainted by the smell and oils from the mint. The room has an overpowering smell, which will surely clear your sinuses. Your guide will also explain the difference between different types of teas - herbal, black, white, and green. Next it's onto the production area where you will see products being made and packaged. I noticed that the tea products are given a 2-year expiration date from the day they were produced.
No photos are allowed during the tour itself, so this is the best I got.
The tour leads you out into the gift shop, which is FILLED with all sorts of stuff, not just tea. I spent a lot of time looking around because there were so many unique things that I had never seen before, such as Celestial Seasonings organic lip balm in flavors matching some of their teas. They also sell all flavors of their tea, some of which are nearly impossible to find for sale in stores. Tour info: http://www.celestialseasonings.com/tours
Taking a look at EVERYTHING.
They had at least 6 different flavors.
Fast Lane is a special extra-caffeinated tea that can only be purchased at the factory. (They said it is especially popular with the UC Boulder students.) I'm a fan of their Victorian Earl Gray, which is nearly impossible to find in stores.
Another company that offers tours is Leanin' Tree. Unfortunately, tours of their card-making factory are only offered Monday through Friday. However, they have a western art museum (free admission) and factory store that are open daily. I have not been able to check it out for myself yet, but plan to the next time I am in town. Factory tour info: http://www.leanintreemuseum.com/plant-tour.asp Museum info: http://www.leanintreemuseum.com/
Golden
Last winter, I decided to stay overnight in Golden for some small town Christmas festivities. Golden is a very old mining town, so there are cute Victorian and western buildings everywhere.
City at night during the holidays.
It seemed appropriate to stay in a Bed & Breakfast in a setting like this. I chose the Dove Inn (http://www.doveinn.com/), which is right in the center of town. The host was extremely nice and breakfast was delicious. She even asked me what type of cookies I would like her make for the afternoon snack. I asked what my choices were, and she said "Anything!" So I asked for white chocolate macadamia, and that's what she made. Now that's good customer service!
The bed spread had "Ride 'em" written on it. Hmmmmm....
The old downtown is a neat area to walk around (especially if the temperature isn't below freezing, like it was when I was there.) Every weekend in December before Christmas, the town had a parade down the main street. The day that I went, there were probably only 30 other spectators due to the frigid temperatures. I was quite surprised that they didn't just call the whole thing off! Holiday events info: http://visitgolden.com/plan-your-visit/community-events-golden-colorado/olde-golden-christmas-parades-candlelight-walk-free-holiday-shopping
Brrrrr!
I wasn't exaggerating about how cold it was.
Also in town is the Coors Brewery (actually MillerCoors Brewery), which offers free factory tours. I've only been there once, and that was about eight years ago. From what I recall, it was fairly entertaining, so I would say it's worth a visit if you happen to be in the area and have some time to kill. At the end of the tour, you are offered a free beer sample. And if you don't drink, or if you are traveling with children, the free sample can be of soda. Tour info: http://www.millercoors.com/Brewery-Tours/Golden-Brewery-Tour.aspx
Nederland
Wanting to see the fall colors in the mountains, on my most recent trip in October 2014 I drove past Boulder to Nederland. The view of fall colors and mountain scenery along the way was wonderful! The drive along CO Route 119 for 19 miles follows the path of Boulder Creek and enters Roosevelt National Forest. There are interesting rock formations, as well as pine and Aspen trees all over. As you approach Nederland, you will see a large lake which is the Barker Dam Reservoir.
One small tunnel along the way.
Nederland is a very small town with a sort of hippie vibe to it. It's worth a short visit if you are looking for somewhere to go in the area. If you are a nature lover, there are plenty of places to walk and hike around in town.
View of the reservoir from town.
The town has a mining museum with free admission. It was pretty interesting to take a look around and see old mining cars, minors hats, tools, and whatnot. Employees of the museum will be happy to answer any questions you have.
One indoor attraction is The Carousel of Happiness. (Not to be confused with Disney's Carousel of Progress.) It is an old carousel with hand-carved whimsical animals. The cost is only $1 to ride, so it's a nice place to take a break and feel like a kid again.
Tucked away in a shopping center near the carousel is the Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center, which also has free admission. It isn't much to speak of, but has some bugs, turtles, and tarantulas on display. They have a small gift shop though with some neat items at decent prices. I especially liked the watercolor artwork by local artists.
Unobstructed view of Madagascar hissing cockroaches. Ewww and yikes!!!
They gift wrapped (for free) a painting I bought in seed paper. The paper can be planted, and wildflowers will grow from it. How cool is that!?
Morrison
- If you travel to the Denver area during the warmer months, I highly recommend catching a live concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater. It is like no other place and makes any show a memorable experience! If a concert doesn't fit into your schedule, there are parks you can explore instead. Park info: http://redrocksonline.com/visitor-info/contact
- Close to Red Rocks is The Fort Restaurant. While the fort building itself is only replica, this place is pretty cool, especially if you are a meat lover! I visited here a few weeks before Christmas, and loved the way the place was decorated for the holidays. They also had a huge bonfire burning outside. The highlight was when a group of female acapella carolers of all ages dressed in vintage garb came by the tables to sing some witty tunes. Restaurant info: http://thefort.com/
Rocky Mountain National Park
About a one-hour drive from Boulder is the eastern entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. This place is beautiful, and worth a visit all it's own during the summer months. If visiting any other time of the year, be aware that some roads will be blocked due to snow buildup and seasonal closures. On your drive to the park, you will pass through the town of Estes Park, which is worth a look around or a stop for a bite to eat. Park info: http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm
All of the pictures below are from my last visit here in early May 2013.
I wasn't too happy about not being able to drive further.
At least my new clothes from Go Lite are helping to keep me warm!
Other spots worth a visit:
- Louisville is a small town a little east of Boulder. I haven't had the pleasure of checking out their quaint downtown yet, but plan to do so on my next trip. Historic Old Town info: http://www.downtownlouisvilleco.com/
- The Hammond's Candies factory tour is another free activity, and it's located in Denver. The tour explains the history of the company and gives you a peak at the processing facility. And of course they have a gift shop, which is filled with chocolate bars and huge candy canes in more flavors than I've ever seen before. (Many have all natural ingredients also.) Tour info: http://www.hammondscandies.com/factory-tours-parties
Making.
Packing.
.jpg)
A free sample of their hard candy at the end.
I'm like a kid in a candy store.
No comments:
Post a Comment