Boulder / COME TO LIFE SIDETRIPS Boulder is close to Rocky Mountain National Park (1 hour), Eldorado Canyon State Park (15 minutes) and Golden Gate Canyon State Park (45 minutes). You can confidently claim that Nederland , just a half hour outside of Boulder, will be unlike any other town in your vacation repertoire. Case in point: Each March Frozen Dead Guy Days celebrates the remains of a man who died of a heart attack in 1989. His family keeps his body preserved in dry ice in the hopes that future science can revive him. Celebrate Ned’s nutty culture with craft brews, art and live music, and soak in the ambiance by browsing around local shops and restaurants. 6 5 AFTERNOON Head next door to the Dushanbe Teahouse (4) to admire the intricate paintings and carvings adorning this building, shipped piece by piece from Boulder’s sister city in Tajikistan. Have a bite to eat and order a pot of tea from the exhaustive menu. Then, discover the hiking trails in National Historic Landmark Chautauqua Park (5) , with options to suit every level of hiker and up-close views of the Flatirons — the slanting slabs of red sandstone that are Boulder’s most recogniz-able landmark (see tip for visiting on previous page). Stop into Chautauqua Dining Hall (7) , which has been serving Boulderites since 1898. There’s also the Museum of Boulder , which hosts big-name traveling exhibitions from the Smithsonian and other nationally recognized museums. Its rooftop deck of-fers some of the best views of the Flatirons in town. Or check out Wonder Wonder , an im-mersive digital-art experience with 18 rooms of light displays, technological contraptions and art encounters. 7 “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” For more secret places to eat and explore, visit boulder coloradousa.com . After, visit a brewery to taste the local suds and take a tour — there are more than 20 now (not to mention two cideries, four distilleries, two wineries and one meadery), pretty serious for a town of 100,000 people! In fact, Boulder has more breweries per capita than any other city in the U.S. Pick up a Boulder Beer Trail brochure at area visitor centers or catch a ride on the Colorado Brewery Bus . Another thing brewing in Boulder is kombucha. Taste this fermented tea that’s full of probiotics, beneficial yeast and enzymes at Upstart in north Boulder or Rowdy Mermaid inside Rayback Collective (3) — a food-truck park/beer garden/live-music venue that’s drawing those in the know east of downtown. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: FROZEN DEAD GUY DAYS IN NEDERLAND, JONATHAN PHILLIPS; CHAUTAUQUA PARK, CHAD CHISHOLM; THE KITCHEN; CHAUTAUQUA DINING HALL, EFRAÍN M. PADRÓ; DUSHANBE TEAHOUSE, @RANDOMCS. STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Boulder (page 193), Eldorado Springs , Louisville (page 201), Lyons (page 202), Superior , Westminster (page 205) EVENING Boulder is one of the reasons Bravo’s “Top Chef” filmed a recent season in Colorado, so dinner at one of the city’s restaurants is a must. Wander around Pearl Street for plenty of award-winning options, including Provençal-inspired Mateo ; Pizzeria Locale ’s Ne-apolitan pies (brought to you by the chefs at another Pearl Street favorite, Frasca Food & Wine ); or The Kitchen (6) , an eco-friendly bistro that pairs food with decadent brews. Additionally, Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage and Zoe Ma Ma are two stop-worthy gems that have been featured on Food Network’s @randomcs 4 COLORADO.COM / 159
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2020: Page 159
