Its first settlers came to hunt for gold, but today, this casually sophisticated university town looks and feels very little like a mining camp. Tucked into the foothills below a rock formation known as The Flatirons, it's close to Denver geographically, but worlds apart in attitude.

Its feel-good Earth Mother reputation is well deserved. The Naropa University, the nation's only Buddhist University, is located here, as is the Boulder School of Massage Therapy.

Shopping, they say, is the number one pursuit of travelers these days, and you'll find plenty of it here. Shops with clever names and unusual wares will draw in passers-by on the Pearl Street Mall downtown.

But shopping isn't the only way to get outdoors in Boulder. The city was voted by Outdoors magazine as the best place in the nation to indulge in outdoor sports. Here, you'll find 33,000 acres of designated space to hike or ride a bike, climb a mountain, kayak a river, fish, golf or ride a horse. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are popular in winter.

Elegant, historic hotels compliment modern digs to provide a variety of overnight accommodations. Restaurants also abound, and vegetarians are more than welcome. Don't miss Boulder's great microbreweries and exciting nightlife, thanks in part to the college-age crowd.

Because Boulder is home to Colorado's largest institution of higher education, the University of Colorado, it offers rich cultural experiences, such as the annual Colorado Shakespeare Festival and its reputation for hosting world-famous performers and guest speakers, who expound on a menagerie of topics.

Boulder has long been a forward-thinking community. That fact, combined with its high-altitude location, inspired the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to settle here – both offer tours to visitors.

Community Resources:
Boulder Convention & Visitors Bureau
2440 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
303-442-2911or 800-444-0447

Colorado Vacation Directory
Boulder, CO
Phone: 303-499-9343
Toll Free: 888-222-4641