Well hello friends and fellow travelers. Welcome back to what is (*gasp*) my second post of the year! Someone really needs to speak with my editor about getting these posts up faster — and to my accountant about properly funding this travel blog. Something tells me that if I’m paying monthly to keep this domain kicking, maybe I should post once a month? Or just spend my money more wisely?
Ah. I digress.
Welcome back! In January, I had the pleasure of being shown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania through the eyes of a couple great locals. Following the same trend, this time around, I got to see the sights of Boulder, Colorado while visiting a near and dear friend.
This trip was made possible by my company: Future plc. Let’s all give a round of applause to my new employer who so generously gave all its employees not one but TWO four-day weekends this August. The company is British and, as we know, the Brits love a summer holiday. As soon as I learned of my good fortune, I immediately texted Logan (the near and dear friend, as mentioned above) about visiting him in Boulder, where he is currently in grad school. And just like that, it was time to explore a new city!
I ended up flying Delta instead of Frontier (thank goodness), mostly due to the fact that Delta ended up being significantly cheaper after accounting for Frontier’s hefty $60 carry-on bag fees each way. (Always be sure to calculate those fees in when comparing travel rates between airlines!)
On Friday, I took a nice 7 p.m. flight out of Atlanta, Georgia (my new home since we last spoke in January) and flew three hours into the Denver International Airport (the closest airport to Boulder). From there, it’s roughly a 45-minute car ride or 1.5-hour bus to Boulder (of which the RTD AB-route buses run hourly).
Because it was already getting late and the time change was bound to make me delirious (it did), Logan was a wonderful person and picked me up from the airport (which really was a BREEZE getting in and out of in comparison to, say, LAX or the ATL airport).
After dropping my bags at his apartment, we Ubered five short minutes downtown — you can’t ask for a better location, really. The weather was a little dreary, but we still met up with a few of his school friends at ND streetBAR.
The service was very slow and I was very hungry, but when I did get my long-awaited tomato soup and grilled cheese (typical), they were both very much up to snuff. Also, as a part of ND streetBAR’s happy hour (which starts after 9 p.m.) I bought us a few wine slushies for only $2 bucks a pop.
After hitching a ride home, it was off to bed for the both of us before what would be a very busy Saturday.
And let me tell you. My heart was so full on Saturday. After catching up over a cup of coffee (and as a certain someone powered through his two-drink hangover), Logan drove us to Lucky’s Bakehouse — where I proceeded to ogle every pastry. We ended up getting two ginormous almond croissants and one chocolate chip/oatmeal cookie (which I did not share as planned as it very well may have been one of the best cookies I’ve ever had).
We then drove 20 minutes to hike around Green Mountain, stopping once on our initial ascent so I could take a very artsy photo of my croissant before eating it among the rocks of an overlook. The drive up was beyond beautiful and very curvaceous, so beware if you’re prone to getting car sick. The hike to the peak from the main trail entryway was roughly 4 miles roundtrip, with plenty of views on the way up.
I don’t know about you, but I can be a little picky about hikes. I don’t want to walk for miles only to spend 5 minutes somewhere and think “oh, nice” before heading back. The Green Mountain Trail was a great example of “It’s all about the journey man.” Every time we turned a corner, there was something new and beautiful to see.
This photo shown below isn’t even close to the peak!
It was not a particularly hard hike, but there is significant incline in the last stretch, with numerous rocks to scale if that is a factor in your hiking choices. As Logan so often reminded me, there IS also more elevation than what my body was used to, so pace yourself. Naturally, I scoffed — If I can hike Machu Picchu after barely recovering from pneumonia, I will preach up and down that I can do anything.
From there, we headed over to January Coffee for our second pick-me-up of the day. Logan tells me this is his favorite coffee shop in Boulder, and both the vibes and the coffee didn’t miss the mark.
Before heading back to the apartment, we stopped at Terrapin Care Station. This was only my second time in a true dispensary and, as Logan told me ahead of time, it was a bit of an “ordeal.” I gave my ID, was checked in by a security guard and was told to sit in a waiting area until I was individually called into the back room.
I ended up picking up some assorted sour gummies and cannabis-infused soda (both had 10mg THC). The guy helping me was very nice, but it can be a little overwhelming if you don’t know exactly what you want. For anyone who is a “lightweight” like myself, I recommend cutting the gummy in half to take a 5mg dose, as well as sipping VERY slowly. It was actually a tasty soda!
After a little rest and recuperation, Logan and I set out to Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery on Pearl Street — Boulder’s “Main Street.” Given that it was a Saturday, this place was popping! And for good reason. Our waitress was lovely, the food was great (we even got free fries) and the pitcher of margaritas we split was well worth it (and also a good deal – roughly the price of what three normal house margs would cost). I had a swiss mushroom burger with house-made chips. And if there’s a wait, like there was for us, feel free to duck into some of the other bars around until your table is ready.
By the time we left, it was just after 8 p.m. and Logan and I (being the old farts we are) decided we would go play a round or two of pool before calling it a night and heading home at a reasonable hour.
Well, that idea was short-lived. Fueled by a pitcher of margs, on our way to the local pool dive we stumbled into what is now my favorite secondhand bookstore in Boulder: Beat Book Shop. They had it all: poetry, rare literature, vinyl, artwork — all accompanied by a rather odd shopkeeper (I would expect no less).
After picking up some poetry by Colorado writers (me) and what I think was some sort of plant book (Logan), we finally found our way to Sundown Saloon, a basement bar with pool tables and what the establishment calls “bargain pitchers.” They weren’t wrong. I got a pitcher of PBR for $8.
Ready to rock ‘n roll, I immediately set about trying to weasel my way into a game. Mercifully, a table of gentlemen allowed us to crash their party. Turns out Logan had randomly played with them earlier in the week! The group of two brothers and a close friend proceeded to kick our butts (I put up a good fight, carrying the team on my back) before bidding us adieu for the evening.
We probably should have left when the did as, be forewarned, this dive gets PACKED with University of Colorado students (undergrads specifically) as the night goes on.
Even so, it was the end to what I considered a pretty perfect day, the best I’d had in a long time. Great food and company, surrounded by beauty — what’s not to like?
The next morning, I felt some (slight) regret in terms of beverages consumed the night before. Personally, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it out of the apartment alive (it’s rough out here for 27-year-olds). Logan had a fair amount of grad school work that had to be done, so he dropped me off back downtown at the Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse, which was stunning.
I stole this from the teahouse’s website: “In 1987, during his first visit to Boulder, Mayor Maksud Ikramov announced that Dushanbe planned to present our city with a Teahouse to celebrate the establishment of sister city ties. From 1987 -1990, more than 40 artisans in several cities of Tajikistan created the decorative elements our Teahouse, including its hand-carved and hand-painted ceiling, tables, stools, columns, and exterior ceramic panels.”
After grabbing a chai latte (of course) and wandering past a random car show and summer festival, I met up with one of the lovely humans from Sundown Saloon the night before: Cole. A Boulder local, I was happy to be along for the ride as we strolled past historic homes to spend some time along Boulder Creek and the adjacent Even G. Fine Park.
I had no idea this is where we were heading (and he forgot how long the walk was), but if you have a little time to spare, I definitely recommend taking a breather by the water (and maybe even tubing down the creek). Just don’t forget those bathing suits and picnic blankets!
After that, we wandered back into town to check out Trident Booksellers & Café (highly rated by Logan, Cole and the people of Yelp). At this point, the hangover was really setting in, so, after making our book selections — poetry (Cole) and a second-hand book chosen specifically for the inscription on the inside (me) — we ordered a pot of peppermint tea ($4) and settled into the seating area back of shop. I can safely say that if I was a local, I would live there. Trident also has wine and beer selections.
After securing a ride back “home” (thanks Cole!), Logan and I proceeded to get what was probably the biggest Hawaiian pizza I’ve ever seen from Cosmo’s Pizza, watch Big Hero 6 and immediately pass out. Another end to another great day.
As we move onto what is (technically) the fourth and final day of my Colorado trip, please do use Cole’s music to accompany your reading. In addition to being a very personable tour guide, he also rules the local music scene.
On Monday, Logan had school (boo) so I caught the bus right outside his place to head back to Pearl Street. I had some unfinished business with a few of the shops there, you see. In August, transit was free. And while it was a little rainy off and on throughout the weekend, the weather on the day I was supposed to leave was perfect. The air up there surrounded my mountains felt both “fresh” and also “not humid.” Oh, how I miss summers on the west coast.
That morning, I stopped into Boxcar Coffee Roasters (another Logan/local favorite) and ordered an iced honey chai and pistachio rosewater croissant for $11. And yes, they were delicious, which explained the nonstop flow of customers and persistent line during peak coffee hours.
From there, I thrifted what is now my favorite pair of pants from Apocalypse (recommendation courtesy of Cole)…
Casually browsed through a great selection of records at Paradise Found…
Bought a selenite charging plate for my crystals back home at Crystal Joys…
And sat outside daydreaming, listening to buskers and taking in views before heading back to pack. It was a “quintessentially Elle” day if there ever was one.
When Logan came back from class, he drove me to the bus station (conveniently located downtown) where we said our goodbyes and I caught the AB1 bus back to the Denver airport. The ride was included in the free transit promotion that was running through August, but normally it costs $10.50.
And that was that. I paid too much for parking at the Atlanta airport and got home around midnight. The trip was short, but jam-packed and, as corny as it sounds, filled with a lot of magic. I got to spend some time with one of my dearest friends (it had been way too long Logan — I know you’re reading this!) as well as connect with new people which, as you know, is one of my very favorite things about traveling.
So will I be returning to Colorado? That would be a resounding “yes.” This was just the tip of the iceberg.
UP NEXT: A solo trip to Costa Rica in March.
Until then.
– Elle
I love reading your posts. I agree once a month would be perfect!