BOULDER, CO // TRAVEL GUIDE

When I say 48 hours, in this case, I literally mean 48 hours. The quickest of our weekend adventures occurred in the wonderful cities of Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Denver, Colorado. These cities, particularly Boulder, did not disappoint a bit. Here’s what to do if you find yourself in need of some rocky mountain fresh air.

WHAT TO DO:
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Rocky Mountain National Park
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Rocky Mountain National is as breath taking and spiritual as you could imagine. Hike to Dream Lake. It’s the most famous, perhaps, of the hikes, and is featured on the Colorado quarter. It's about an hour drive to the park entrance from Boulder. 

Sanitas Mountain Trail
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My dear friend, JR, who is in impeccable shape, said this hike would be “short and sweet.” While I can agree it is incredibly sweet, as it provides undeniably beautiful 360 views of the entire city of Boulder, it was not so short. For JR, it was a stroll through the park. For Hannah and I, it was like climbing  Everest. In the 1 hour hike to the summit from the trailhead, the hike makes elevation of up to 7,500 ft above sea level. That’s a lot of feet in a short time. Bring water. And lots of water.

Rayback Collective
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Rayback Collective is just outside of downtown Boulder and is a functional, pleasant space with many offerings. Rayback features food trucks that rotate throughout the day, with a large variety of offerings. Relax and enjoy social beverages in their enormous indoor space with live music, bar, comfortable seating and TVs. We were wowed by the Rayback’s creative use of space and down to earth vibe.

Garden of the Gods
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An hour drive from Denver will land you in the city of Colorado Springs. In Colorado Springs, you will find the world famous Garden of the Gods. This is a MUST see that lives up to its hype and beyond. Both paved and unpaved trails alike make this an easy excursion for most. The hike lends to incredible red clay formations that surround the park as far as the eye can see

WHERE TO EAT/COFFEE:
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Pizzeria Locale (Boulder)
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Pizzeria Locale is a trendy wood-fired pizza joint in a modern, stylish environment that offers delicious Neapolitan style pizzas in Downtown Boulder. We ordered the Margarita, and were so famished from our aforementioned hike up Mount Sanitas, that we ordered another. And finished the whole thing. (Sorry, we were too hungry for photos. The pizza got devoured quickly. Here are some photos of downtown Boulder, it's as dreamy and mountainous as you would imagine.)

Hapa
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Sushi with a Hawaiian twist, Hapa offers unique takes on sushi and Hawaiian foods in downtown Boulder. Hannah ordered the poke, and it was love at first bite. I ordered sushi and it was absolutely terrific. Among the best I’ve ever had.

Fior Di Latte
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Fior Di Latte is an Italian gelato boutique situated in downtown Boulder (not far from Hapa) that offers a variety of delicious gelato flavors and allows you try as many as your heart desires.

Boxcar Coffee
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Downtown Boulder, we found this local coffee roaster that was PACKED...typically a sign of good things to come. And fortuitous as that line was, the coffee was terrific! Definitely worth a visit! 

Thanks for getting weird with us. Colorado is a breath of fresh air that those from all climates must explore. RMNP is an iconic, and worthwhile visit, which rivals anything I've seen in the continental U.S. in terms of beauty (save for Big Sur!) 

Travel well, friends! 
-Ty