Stuff to Do, Stuff to Eat

Not that the two of us will have much time to frolic in the shade of the Rockies (this is turning out to be less of a vacation than we had hoped), but you might. And we are thinking of you. In your honor, here are some ideas for things to do and eat:

Breakfast:

Boulder is a breakfast town. Expect lines where ever you are. Dinner is a different story. Good luck finding something after 9:00. That's not a joke.

1. Dot's Diner- two locations, the one on the Hill usually has a longer wait, but it is worth it. They have THE best biscuits in town. For a breakfast town, that's saying a lot.
1333 Broadway, Boulder - (303) 447-9184

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2. Lucile's- an easy second for the biscuits. Cajun breakfast food. Also Sonja's old employer. It's her vote for the best breakfast. Even though she did get sick of eating grits every day, she will be back for a bite.
2124 14th Street
Web site

3. Foolish Craig's- great crepes. Good for lunch too. On Pearl Street, so it's an easy walk to the mall, where you can see the Jamaican contortionist.
1611 Pearl Street
Web site

Lunch:

1. Mountain Sun- a brewery and burgers place where we considered having our rehearsal dinner. In a typical Boulder fashion, all the servers have dreadlocks and mushrooms are painted on the walls.
1535 Pearl Street
Web site

2. The Kitchen- slightly more upscale than Mountain Sun (read: the dreadlocked servers have Ph.D.s). All locally grown, mostly organic produce.
1039 Pearl Street
Web site


3. Hapa- the Japanese word for a person who is half-Japanese, half-American. As you might expect, sushi with a slightly more western take.
1117 Pearl Street
Web site


Stuff to Do Besides Eat:

1. Drive up Canyon Road. This road leads into the mountains and eventually into Nederland, which is what Boulder was before the hippies left. The Boulder Creek runs all the way along the edge. It's gorgeous, and there are a lot of little hiking trails off the sides. Here's a map with directions to Canyon Road from the Broker Inn:


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2. Drive up Flagstaff. An incredible, twisted road that makes you really feel like you're in the mountains. If your car has bad brakes, skip this one. There are a lot of shorter hiking trails all along here and scenic pull-offs where you can see all the way to Denver. The best thing about this route is that you pass Chautauqua Park, also a great place to hike or get married (like on Saturday at 4:00). Another map from the Broker Inn:


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3. Rent bicycles- Boulder is a serious biking town. Don't try to ride up Flagstaff, you will never walk again.
University Bicycles- ubikes.com
Full Cycle- fullcyclebikes.com

4. Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory- You can take a tour of this tea factory, whose headquarters is just outside Boulder. There's a mint room to calm your nerves if you have had a lot of wedding planning to do recently and feel a little stressed- oh, wait, that's just us.
Web site

5. Pearl Street Mall- It's not like a regular mall, it's an outdoor walking mall. Stores and street performers galore. Good place to people watch and get an idea of what Boulder is like.
Here's the Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Street_Mall

Maps to Chautauqua Green and Sunflower

As you may recall from your invitation, our ceremony will be held at the Chautauqua Green. The reception will follow at Sunflower.

If you click on"view larger map," it will lead you to the Google Maps page with complete directions for those of you who prefer words over maps.

Directions:

From Denver to Chautauqua via the Boulder Turnpike (36):


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From the Boulder Broker Inn to Chautauqua:


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From Chautauqua Park to Sunflower Restaurant (1701 Pearl Street):


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Just a little picture for your relaxation.

If you check today's weather for Colorado, you're likely to see a blinding storm of snow. The great thing about that state is that in two weeks (it's coming so quickly!) there's a strong possibility that it will look like this photograph.

Fingers are crossed. Counting down the days.

Expect a post soon with a top ten list for Boulder. We'll include ideas for short (or long) hikes, restaurants, etc. Maybe the post will just be hikes and restaurants, because that's pretty much what you do in Boulder. It's not New York City, we don't have Broadway show recommendations. Just enjoy the nature. And the food.

NYT Writes up Boulder

The New York Times recently published an article about Boulder's Bouldery-ness. You might want to take a look at it to see what you are entering, or reentering.

Be prepared to recycle.

Twenty-Five Square Miles Surrounded by Reality
by Florence Williams