Boulder has a varied workforce including educators, students and high technology workers, but we also met our share of “ski bums” and others working odd jobs to support other outdoor passions.
The weather largely prevented me from pursuing my outdoor passion, so Toni and I bummed around Boulder in our own fashion for several days. This included eating and drinking, taking in the urban street scene, and visiting the Museum of Boulder.
Toni gives a full review of our dinner at Frasca here. It was a memorable meal, and we also had other notable meals in town. These included dinner at The Kitchen Bistro on Monday, lunch at the Dushanbe Boulder Teahouse on Wednesday, drinks and light dinner at License No.1 in the Boulderado Hotel, breakfast at Lucille’s Thursday morning, and dinner at Flagstaff House on Thursday evening.
Each of these meals was remarkable in its own way.
Our dinner at The Kitchen Bistro included a moist and flavorful pork chop and pasta Bolognese, but the real treat was a 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva that was a perfect pairing for the Bolognese (and not bad with the pork either).
The Dushanbe Boulder Teahouse is a unique architectural experience. It was constructed by local artisans in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, then dismantled and reassembled in Boulder as part of a cultural exchange in 1990. Boulder’s contribution to the exchange was construction of one of the first cyber cafes for Dushanbe. I think Boulder got the better end of the deal. The Teahouse serves a full menu of central Asian food in addition to a wide selection of teas.
License No.1 in the Boulderado derives its name from the fact that it received the first liquor license in Boulder after the city went wet, over thirty years after the end of prohibition! The bar proclaims that it has been serving Boulder since 1909, and legally since 1969. The ambience reflects its early history as a speakeasy, hidden away in the basement with dim lights, dark wood furnishings, and red leather banquettes. We enjoyed their specialty, an Old Fashioned, and the prime rib sliders made a meal for the evening.
Lucille’s is a quaint, New Orleans themed restaurant with friendly service and excellent hot chocolate and eggs benedict with pan fried trout (among many other tempting items on the menu). Most of the patrons appeared to be members of the Colorado University community meeting over breakfast to discuss research projects and the like.
Flagstaff House offers remarkable views from the hills above the town, but the food and wine are worth the trip even without the great views.
We also visited Pearl Street, the pedestrian mall that runs through the heart of downtown Boulder. We walked its length on a cold, rainy afternoon, and the atmosphere was somewhat subdued. It reminded us very much of the Church Street mall in Burlington, Vermont, where Kyle went to school. I’m sure Pearl Street is as lively and eclectic on a warm summer evening as Church Street was the several times we visited there.
The Museum of Boulder provided the proper haven from cold rainy weather, and it was just across the street from our hotel, so we took that in one afternoon. The Museum is quite small. The first floor was taken up by the obligatory (but tiny) gift shop and an exhibit that promotes the reintroduction of wolves in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, arguing that reintroduction would improve balance to ecosystems in Colorado as it has done in Yellowstone and central Idaho. The second floor devotes a room to an interactive exploration of the past and present of Boulder. It provides useful background on Boulder’s culture, from displacement of Native American populations, through the mid 19th century mining boom, to the development of Boulder as an education and technology center. If you visit Boulder, this exhibit is a good quick introduction.
I spent much of my time in Boulder trying to forget that I was supposed to be on my bicycle all week. But Boulder contains too many reminders of its cycling heritage to allow me to forget. The museum referenced the Boulder Bicycle Club’s start in 1890, Boulder’s role in launching the Coors Classic bicycle race, and the extensive bicycle path network in and around Boulder. And this is the picture that is above me as I write up these notes in the Boulderado Hotel.
We’re leaving Boulder Friday and plan to drive to South Dakota to rejoin the cross-country route. Given Boulder’s rich cycling heritage (and the need to reacquaint my legs with daily rides), I plan on cycling my way out of town when we leave tomorrow. I’ll only ride the first 35 miles of the 350 miles to South Dakota, but at least it’s something!