Boulder, Colorado, does things its own way
“SO BOULDER.”
I heard it first from friends who moved there, as in: “The woman swimming in the lane next to me today was an Olympian. So Boulder.” Or: “Our grocery store is offering goat yoga. So Boulder.”
Then I began visiting, and I heard it not only from Boulderites (in an adoring, selfdeprecating way that makes you want to search for skits about “Boulderlandia”) but also under my own breath. Like when I found a rack of Prana dresses at McGuckin’s, the beloved hardware store; or when I realised that a pet shop called P.C.’s Pantry sells gluten-free biscuits and has an in-house baker; or when I learned that February is Stout Month, which just might, among locals, have more celebrants than Valentine’s Day.
For a city of just 103,000 residents (almost a third of whom are students at the University of Colorado at Boulder), it packs a lot of punch. And for good reason: At 5,430 feet and generally sunny, it’s a spectacularly beautiful destination that’s been smart (and pioneering) about growth and preserving open space, so it’s a magnet for athletes, bohemians, scientists and outdoor enthusiasts of every ilk.
When I visited my friends, for example, they both were training: she for her umpteenth Ironman; he for a 50-mile run at 10,000 feet. So Boulder. With a progressive dining and brewing scene, it’s a breeze to eat healthfully and drink locally. Even outdoor music is better in the Front Range: You won’t regret splurging for a concert ticket at Red Rocks, just to the south.
Here’s a hiking tip: When you’re winded climbing up Mount Sanitas and a runner flits by you in fluorescent yoga pants (and then passes you again after summiting), remind yourself you’re still adjusting to the altitude, even if you kind of already adjusted last week. Just west of downtown, Sanitas is among the most popular hikes for locals and dogs. My friends and I chose a moderate 2.5-mile loop that gained 1,350 feet in elevation, and the view from the top was stunning.
On the Celestial Seasonings Tour, the factory in northeast Boulder sounds and looks like any other - machines whirring, forklifts crawling. But it smells like stepping into a box of Sleepytime tea. Our guide, Debbie, asked us not to touch anything: “You don’t have to put your nose on something to smell it. That’s just gross.” Wearing super-flattering blue hairnets, we learned about blendmaster Charlie, who might taste 120 teas and herbal infusions a day, and walked into the calming - and eye-wateringly strong - peppermint room. At the end, Debbie explained that it takes three seconds for a machine to wrap a box in plastic “and 10 minutes to get it off.”
At Shine Restaurant & Potion Bar, my friend Sarah said “It’s a sign of an excellent menu that you’re paralysed by all the good choices,” which is how I felt in general about dining in Boulder. Shine (from Trilogy Wine Bar & Lounge’s Blissful Sisters, as the triplets are known) features a spirited menu - mushroom bisque, probiotic slaw sampler, lamb meatballs - and lifeenhancing libations.
A comfortable, intimate neighbourhood farmhouse kitchen and pub, Bramble & amp; Hare may be better known for its cocktails (ostensibly, beyond the witty names such as Here I Am, Arrack You Like a Hurricane). But equally notable: Nearly all the food is sourced at the chef’s northeast Boulder farm. A young tattooed server wearing a crocheted bow tie had me at mention of the seared farm carrots with a pistachio tarator. The menu changes daily, but the mac and cheese is a staple, as are rustic dishes such as pork and white bean chilli, root vegetable curry and beef bread pudding. Bramble’s elegant sibling, Black Cat, adjoins in the back. Peek next door for some magical decor.
If Boulderites ever kick off their Birks and dress up for dinner, it very well may be for Pizzeria Locale. The elegant restaurant serves classic Neapolitan- style pizza with perfectly doughy crust and spare, flavourful toppings. Locale - those in the know pronounce the “e” - takes pride in its Stefano Ferrara pizza oven, which cooks pizza in 90 seconds at 900 degrees, and its almost exclusively Italian wine list. A marble bar curves around the open kitchen, and alfresco dining is as good for seeing and being seen as it is for pizzasavouring.
The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse was constructed 30 years ago by hand (as in no power tools) in Boulder’s sister city, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, before it was disassembled, shipped and rebuilt here. Whether you visit for breakfast, lunch, dinner or afternoon tea - during which you can order Argentine mushrooms, Thai fish cakes, Indian samosas or Chinese tea glazed ribs - you’ll think you’ve walked into a Persian shrine. Of note: hand- carved cedar columns, an ornate, hand-painted ceiling and hand- sculpted, life- size copper figures in the bubbling fountain. Oh, and the tea!
Easy to navigate by bike, Boulder is a favourite of triathletes, who find joy in suffering up excruciating hills. But even mere mortals can bike here, and University Bicycles is the place to start. U-Bikes, as it’s called, has a solid collection of rentals, a great inventory of helmets, bike bags and maps, and fun vintage cycles hanging from
And for good reason: At 5,430 feet and generally sunny, it’s a spectacularly beautiful destination that’s been smart (and pioneering) about growth and preserving open space, so it’s a magnet for athletes, bohemians, scientists and outdoor enthusiasts of every ilk.
the ceiling - such as the Schwinn Stingray with a baseball-bat holder.
Mountain bikers, try Valmont Bike Park and the more challenging Betasso Preserve. Check U-Bikes’ website for rides from the shop, from five to 65 miles.
Need bars, energy chews, pumps, tubes or lights after hours? Visit the store’s velo vending machine out front, natch.
When I travel, I’m all about finding gifts that are local, consumable and compact, so I hit the jackpot at Savory Spice Shop. Who wouldn’t love Red Rocks Hickory Smoke Seasoning and Pyramid Peak Lemon Pepper? Savory originated in Denver and now has many locations, but some items - such as the Best of Boulder gift set I bought (including Pearl Street Plank Salmon Rub and Hippy Dip Olive Oil and Salad Spice) are only available here. An impressive list of local businesses, from ice cream shops to breweries, use Savory’s spices. For those with a sweet tooth: The Black Onyx chocolate sugar’s got your name on it.
Oh, the bounty! Among the pleasures I sampled at the Boulder County Farmers Market: tomatoes so red they looked like they’d been Photoshopped, dried peaches, black-bean dip, artisanal mole, hard pretzels, goat cheese, pea shoots, edible flowers, pesto and a bitter mustard green called mizuna. Every Saturday through midNovember, the market delights its throngs of locals and visitors who line up for the cash- only Izzio Artisan Bakery, gaze at Hazel Dell’s wacky lion’s mane mushrooms and sample cherry dark chocolate from the Fortuna Chocolate truck. The Wednesday evening market is less crowded; both have live music weekly.
My old neighbours loved jigsaw puzzles, and it was at their house that I first saw a work of art from Liberty Puzzles with its gorgeous, quarter-inch maple veneer pieces that send their cardboard brethren sulking back to the closet. So I was pleased to learn that Liberty, a throwback company founded in 2005, produces its puzzles in Boulder. Weekday afternoons, guides will show you around the factory, which includes lasercutting machines, a take- apart room where humans check that pieces are fully separated, and the wall of shame - a photo collage of naughty dogs.
Each of the 700 puzzles includes “whimsy” shapes that reflect the theme, and visitors can pick a free one from the extras jar. I picked a guitar. Buy puzzles here, or visit its retail location in the Pearl Street Mall.—