When we booked our stay for this area, we planned to spend a day in Boulder and two in Denver. We spent the first day in Boulder, the second in Denver, and the third back in Boulder.
After Fort Collins, we made plans to see my Aunt and Uncle in Boulder. They weren’t available until late afternoon, so after moving and setting up at the new campground, we spent the early afternoon wandering Boulder’s Pearl Street and driving around the campus of University of Colorado. We loved it! We chatted with my Aunt and Uncle at their beautiful home in the historic district before going back downtown for a great dinner at Med. Adelaide and Emerson got to play with pizza dough as a “sensory activity” while we waited for the food. It was a neat place. Then, we visited the newly opened playground outside of the library. I guess it had literally opened earlier that day. Adelaide loved it. We visited some more with my Aunt and Uncle at their house before driving home a bit too late with tired kids. It was a fun day.
The next morning, we were excited to explore Denver. Hoping to find something equivalent to Pearl Street in Boulder, we walked 3.5 miles downtown. The 16th Street Mall was sort of the closest Denver has, but not as welcoming and more businesss-like. We walked from the Capitol to the Rockies baseball stadium and didn’t really have fun, despite the beautiful weather. We drove through Golden, Colorado, on the way back to the campground and missed the final Coors Brewery Tour by 20 minutes!
Denver was a major disappointment and we weren’t sure what to do with our final day in the area. we pondered visiting the mountains or a National Park, but Boulder was calling our name. So we spent another full day wandering downtown Boulder. The vibe the city has and the great mix of shops makes it great for our family and interests. The most surprising thing was wandering into an art gallery and sort of falling in love with an artist and her expensive (to us) artwork. If we can find a place to put it in our big house, we may splurge and buy a painting. It’s just about the first time Karissa and I have agreed on artwork, so it might be worth it. We visited a gigantic antique shop near our campground before calling it a night. Emerson loved the hats!
All-in-all, we like this part of Colorado. It’s scenic and has a good mix of towns of varying sizes, layouts, and offerings. We’ll definitely be back to further explore someday.
I’m so glad you had fun in Boulder! It’s one of my favorite places! You are having great experiences on your travels! Blessings to you as you head back east!
Yeah, Boulder was pretty cool. One of the easiest places to appreciate. Mountains, great little shops in an obvious area, a beautiful college campus. We wish all towns were so cool.