K&A’s Adventures in:
Boulder, co
Boulder is one of our favorite spots in the United States. It totally fulfills our beer, football, and outdoor needs.
K and I have taken this trip several times. We have spent as many as 4 days exploring the area and as little as 30ish hours. I went to University of Colorado Boulder from 2001-2003 and I have been an avid CU fan ever since. I was lucky enough to be at the 2001 CU v Nebraska game and I have been hooked ever since. My poor wife is now also an avid CU football fan but hasn’t had many opportunities to celebrate. Despite the multitude of tough seasons, we try to make it out for a football game each season. We love Boulder and hope this guide helps you love it as much as we do.
We always try to spend a little time in Denver when we are visiting Boulder. The train from the airport to Denver Union Station is easy, fun, and affordable. In general, public transit in the Denver/ Boulder area is easy, fun, and affordable.
Renting a car is rarely our first choice but we do our best to take full advantage of it when renting is unavoidable. I recommend renting a car in Denver instead of the airport, especially if you are dropping it off at different location, such as Boulder. It takes a little more time to search out a rental car location in Denver that is convenient to public transportation but it is worth the money saved. It is also an excuse to explore a different area of the city.
PRO-TIP: Taking the train allows you to avoid driving on Peña Blvd to and from the airport. Cops love Peña Blvd and I’m still bitter about a ticket I got in 2002.
We land in Denver and head to the train. They leave regularly and during our trips in October/November we have never had trouble finding a seat. The train ride is about 40min to Union Station. Make sure to enjoy your first peek at the Rockies and the beauty that is Union Station. It always makes a great photo op. The area around Union Station is LoDo (Lower Downtown) and it is great and has plenty of coffee shops for a quick break before heading to grab our rental car. I like to leave plenty of buffer time so that we aren’t late picking up our car and I don’t like having to return it too early in the morning. We usually kill time by relaxing in a local coffee shop, relaxing in a nearby park or grabbing treats to enjoy on a leisurely stroll to the rental place. Once we pick up our car, we head to one of our favorite spots in Denver – Hops and Pie! Sometimes we get there before they open but the area around Hops and Pie is a fantastic place to explore and you guessed it, my wife is always ready for more coffee and a pee break. We LOVE their pickles and garlic cheesy bread and we haven’t disliked anything we have tried.
***Due to COVID we haven’t been in a couple years so I don’t have personal experience with their donuts but I can’t wait to taste them. I also love an excuse to get a jump start on trying as many local beers as possible and they have a great selection and sell flights.***
After our lunch, we head out to Grant, Nebraska to visit my grandmother. We spend a day or so exploring western Nebraska with my grandmother before heading back to Boulder.
On our return trip to Boulder, we leave Grant extremely early in the morning and are rewarded with a lovely sunrise over the cornfields behind us. We aim to be back in the Boulder area around 8am, which gives us about 3 hours for a quick adventure that is easier with a car. So far, we have enjoyed a ride up Boulder Canyon Drive to Nederland, CO for breakfast at Sundance Lodge and Café, and a trip to Left Hand Brewery. We used slightly different approaches to these two side trips.
The ride up to Nederland was beautiful and even if you don’t have time to stop I highly suggest that you take the ride up and back whenever you can. We made good time back to Boulder so we were able to grab a bite in Nederland. For this trip we returned our car in Boulder and were able to complete the rest of our trip via public transit, biking, and on foot. As much as we enjoy the adventures a car can provide, our favorite part of renting a car is giving it back. Coincidentally enough, that is also our mentality towards children.
Our trip to Left Hand Brewery was a bucket list item for us and if you love beer, it should be for you too. It is an amazing spot that easily surpassed our high expectations. It was equally inspirational and delicious. As a homebrewer and avid craft beer drinker, I loved being surrounded by so much craft beer history. Left Hand Brewery is located in Longmont which is about 15miles away from Boulder. We found a rental car drop off in Longmont that was about a mile from the brewery. It was a beautiful day so we happily embraced the Coloradans love of the outdoors and walked to Left Hand. It was a lovely walk and we were happy that we had packed light. After thoroughly enjoying all of the delicious beer at Left Hand and picking up so much needed to go beer we decided to treat ourselves to an uber/lyft to Boulder.
The area around Boulder is full of opportunities like the two examples above and it only takes a couple of extra clicks to find an adventure. Even though it’s nice to have a rental car and enjoy exploring a larger radius, I absolutely recommend ditching the car for the majority of the trip if not the entire trip. Since my grandmother passed away, removing the main motivation to drive to Grant, Nebraska in 2019, we no longer rent a car for this trip.
If you don’t rent a car, you can either take the airport train to Denver and then the bus to Boulder or take the bus to Boulder directly from the airport. We will usually do one direct trip between Boulder and the airport with the other direction including a stop in Denver to explore for a couple of hours. For example, our next trip will begin with a bus ride from the airport to Boulder and end with a bus ride from Boulder to Union Station in Denver, bus #44 from Union Station to Tennyson Street. Do yourself a favor and put Hops and Pie in google maps or click here and look at the concentration of cafes, restaurants, breweries, and green space (especially between W 38th ave and W 44th ave). This is the holy grail of efficient exploring. We can do so much in an afternoon/evening and still get to the airport for our red eye flight back to Philly. While it is totally possible to save money and take public transit back to the airport, K and I usually splurge and treat ourselves a little to a quick uber/lyft to the airport. It allows us to maximize our fun time and is a nice treat for the end of our trip.
We finish up our first full day in Boulder with some homecoming activities and a nice dinner. We pick a new place each time. We make reservations well before to ensure that we won’t be waiting forever with the extra crowds from Homecoming. An evening stroll along Pearl Street is always a great night cap.
Game Day!!!! We love game day in Boulder. We aim for Homecoming weekend and make sure to avoid parents’ weekend. Places to stay can be somewhat limited in Boulder but don’t let that deter you. There are deals to be found. We have used Airbnb and hotels (Booking.com). Don’t be afraid to stay a little bit further away from downtown, but I would recommend staying in Boulder. Boulder is easily explored via public transit, bikes, foot, or any combination.
We have tried lots of coffee shops in Boulder and they have all been tasty. Are current favorite is The Tune up Bar. We haven’t been to their new location but they have combined beer, bikes, and coffee under one roof. It feels made for us!
After coffee, our first stop is Half Fast Subs. We LOVE Half Fast Subs. K loves the buffalo shrimp sub and I love them all!! It was one of the first places I tried in 2001 and it has been a favorite ever since. It has options for everyone, fun boozy drinks, and a great atmosphere. It even has a beer brewed just for them.
Half Fast Subs is extremely popular and the line gets looooong. It is worth the wait but why wait when with a little planning you can have your cake and eat it too! If you want to have a seat on the small patio, and trust me you do, and you want to avoid long lines you must get there a couple minutes before they open. They usually open at 10:30am but beware that moves earlier (even 8am) depending on game time. We also recommend maxing out whatever number of drinks they allow per person because by the time you are done with the first drink the line will be long. After ordering and snagging a seat on the porch, relax and enjoy the people watching.
After stuffing our faces at Half Fast Subs, we grab some cold beers (Buffalo Gold or Stampede) and head on to campus to tailgate and get ready for the game. We take this time to explore the campus. It is GORGEOUS and deserves at least a quick walk through! The game takes up a big portion of our day but it is worth it to us. If football isn’t your thing, that gives you plenty of time to enjoy all of the other things Boulder has to offer. You can grab a bike share and enjoy the amazing network of bike paths, take advantage of the quieter game day streets for shopping, or pick a local hike to conquer.
Speaking of hikes, you really can’t/shouldn’t talk about Boulder without talking about all the amazing outdoor opportunities. It doesn’t matter the season; you can always find plenty of outdoor activities all around Boulder. During our trips we usually try to fit in a hike, bike ride, or both. Our favorite hike so far is the Royal Arch Trail. It is not the easiest by any stretch of the imagination but it is worth every difficult step. It is a steep climb that many choose to abandon half way up but I promise you it is worth sticking it out and getting to the top. The views are incredible and the Royal Arch lives up to its name. Chautauqua Park is easy to reach from Boulder by foot or public transit. There are over 40 miles of trails that offer all levels of difficulty and it is absolutely worth dedicating some of your time while you are in Boulder. The Royal Arch Trail is one of the more difficult trails. The trail starts out easy but quickly builds into a steep climb up and up. Also remember, that the large change in elevation is more noticeable because you are starting at a mile high. Altitude doesn’t play favorites and you can absolutely feel the thinner air and closeness to the sun. Make sure to stay hydrated and covered in sunscreen. As you can see form the pics Kristen was feeling the difficulty of the Royal Arch Trail but she promises it was all worth it. The trek back down is rewarding due to its ease and the sense of accomplishment you will undoubtedly feel after conquering the trail. We spent most of the time on the way down encouraging people to keep going and ensuring them that it was worth the hardwork.
