Boulder, Colorado - I could live here!

I could move here. Right now. Just load the Jeep and go. Boulder, Colorado, it’s that cool. The wall of mountains to the west, the park that runs through the center of town, tree lined streets, vibrant street scene, unique bars and restaurants – Boulder has it all. Oh, and did I mention that it is a one hour drive to Rocky Mountain National Park?

My oldest son, Tim, recently decided that after 6 years of living in New York City, it was time to “get back to nature”. After researching places like Montana, Utah, Wyoming and Chili, he decided on Colorado.

More time on the internet, more discussion – bigger city, small town – he decided he would spend a year in Boulder, his base camp so to speak, where he could explore every corner of the state and then decide on his final destination.

Tim, adjusting to his new environment

I agreed to meet him there for a few days of recon (and of course, climbing and hiking). This was my first time to Boulder since I was a kid, and I’d forgotten just how great it is.

DAY 1: We arrived at Denver airport, Tim from New York, and myself from LA. After picking up our rental, we drove the 45 minutes to Boulder and toured a few of the apartment complexes he had identified as potential homes. All were very nice, and he decided to take a few days before making a final decision.

With our work for the trip done, we headed to downtown Boulder to check out the local scene. After doing some typical tourist stuff, we ended up on Pearl Street. Closed to vehicular traffic, the area is a magnet to tourists and locals alike, with an abundance of coffee shops, restaurants, drinking establishments, regional breweries and street musicians. We spent the afternoon and early evening here before heading back to our hotel.

Pearl Street street musician

DAY 2: After breakfast, we head out to Rocky Mountain National Park, by way of Estes Park, which guards its north east entrance. Estes Park is a bit touristy, but also has a collection of local climbers, hikers and hippies – and incredible views of the Rocky Mountains.

Typical Rocky Mountain NP view

RMNP is spectacular, consisting of mountains, alpine lakes and lush forests, spanning the continental divide. This was the perfect place for us to hit a couple of the Park’s scenic trails, as well as do a bit of rock scrambling and bouldering. The weather cooperated as it was crisp and cool with beautiful blue skies.

Rocky Mountain National Park

DAY 3: On our third and final day (we would both be flying home early the next morning), we drove around the city again, checking out the University of Colorado campus, as well as the local architecture and, of course, back to Pearl street for a local beer.

University of Colorado, Boulder

In the afternoon, we visited Chautauqua Park, with its numerous, well mapped hiking trails. The park offers expansive views of Boulder, but our mission was to hike up to the famous Flatirons – a series of steep rock faces along the east side of Green Mountain, which dominate the vista southwest of Boulder.

These crags are a very popular climbing destination with climbing grades starting at 5.0, going all the way up to world-class 5.14! Spectacular hiking and climbing all within the Boulder city limits.

Flatiron climbers

Finally, as if all of that wasn’t enough, there just happens to be a river filled with trout running through the center of town. That’s right, Boulder Creek, a 31-mile-long river whose source is in the Rocky Mountains west of the city, is the centerpiece of Central Park, Boulder’s urban showplace.

Boulder Creek in Central Park

Boulder is a modern city with a multitude of architectural styles – all of which fit nicely together. But the real attraction of this place is that it is an outdoor adventurer’s paradise. As stated, I could definitely live here but, in the meantime, I’m glad my son does so we have a reason to keep coming back.