photo by tobytobias

The university city of Boulder is just 45 miles northwest of Denver. It has a cityscape of evergreen parklands, bicycle tracks, and pristine suburbs. Boulder’s cultural activities are generally through the esteemed University of Colorado.

The city has soaring real estate prices, with many of the residents working in the high-income fields of technology and medicine.

It is a beautiful city that provides a wealth of recreational pursuits—the Flatiron Range forms a perfect backdrop to the city, and hiking the Flatiron’s mountain trails is a very popular activity. The most popular track is along the Mesa Trail, which brings into view the spectacular Eldorado Canyon and the National Center for Atmospheric Research—a good place to rest and check the Doppler screen for storms.

Founded in 1859 by gold prospectors, Boulder has evolved into a rather fashionable city of 91,000 people, with the downtown district of Pearl Street Mall remaining the major draw. Other attractions in the area include the Boulder Historical Society Museum on Euclid Avenue and Naropa University. It is here that the Beat poet Allen Ginsberg co-founded the university’s Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics.

In the summer, visitors can catch the University of Colorado’s Shakespeare Festival, from June to August, and the Rocky Mountain Bluegrass Festival in early August.

Boulder Airport provides regular shuttle service to Denver International Airport.