Travel: A Weekend in Boulder, Colorado

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Colorado never crossed my mind as a place to visit until my brother and roomie brought it up. Mike and I ended up going by ourselves due to a change in plans and instead of staying in Denver, we thought that being in Boulder was more in line with what we wanted to do – which was to be outdoors in nature and hike. Little did I know that Boulder was actually a hipster town with a hippie history that is very much in line with the values of a ChooseFIer. We were surprised to see everyone donning hiking boots, active shorts and sports bras. Most cars that drove past either had a dog sitting in the rear seat or a bike on the rooftop. Every hiking trail had kids, families, young folk, old folk, rock climbers, trail runners, and more. It was like outdoors was what people lived for, and I loved it. In California, I see most people dressed up as if they were going to the movie set every day. In Boulder, there was an understated style, one that said, “I just spent all morning rock-climbing and here I am in my gear picking up organic yogurt and fruit at Whole Foods.” Of course, within minutes, I was making plans to move here, in true style. We only had a weekend to spend in Boulder but I fell in love with this city, and am seriously good with upping life and living here for a while. Of course, I have yet to experience living in snow….

In the meantime, here’s a quick city travel guide.

PS: We spent $0 in flights and hotels for this trip. We travel hack our way around the world, and for this trip we spent Southwest points which we earned by opening Southwest credit cards and Marriott points which we earned via the Marriott Bonvoy card. Sign up to start traveling the world for free, or check out my post on how to budget for travel.

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♦◊◊◊
Not worth the time.

♦♦◊◊
Good, but ordinary.

♦♦♦◊
Great. Worth a visit.

♦♦♦♦
Exceptional. A must-do experience.

$
Frugal friendly

$$
Reasonable

$$$
Pricey

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Stowaway Kitchen

♦♦♦♦
2528 Walnut St #104,
Denver, CO 80205
$$

This place used an amazing ciabatta for their BLT sandwich. If that is my opening sentence, then I hope you know just how good it was. Mike also said that the Chicken Sando was much better than our local favorite in SoCal – which is saying something since we ordered from our local fried chicken joint every week during the start of COVID! The vibe was very hipster-modern, with large ferns and lively tendrils hanging past white-painted ledges, wooden tables spaced six feet apart on cement floors. It had both outdoor and indoor seating, and the service was fantastic! I do recommend.

Woods Quarry Loop

♦♦♦♦
LEVEL: EASY

This hike is a great introduction to Boulder. It starts off from a parking lot that meanders through a quick loop trail with signage introducing visitors to a few facts on the terrain found in this area. The path continues into a meadow clearing, with the rocky mountain-side as the backdrop. Butterflies flew around us as we hiked past flowers and green grass.

Eventually, you will be led to the trailhead for Woods Quarry, which begins with a short incline that I would rate as “easy”. The top of the hike has a great view, but the best part is the collection of stone-stacked “chairs” that locals have created. Flat rocks warmed up by the summer sun serve as great rest points, wherein one can eat a sandwich while taking in the views.

The sky that day was very clear, although I must warn you to take note of any clouds rolling in. Lightning and thunder are common visitors in the afternoon, and many unsuspecting people get caught on top of a mountain exposed to storms.

The Oak at Fourteenth

♦♦
1400 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
$$$

The thing I want to say is that this is really pricey fare for (if I’m being honest?) mediocre food. Maybe it’s because we are Californians surrounded by a plethora of great food options. We ordered five items, and three were really good, but two of them I disliked. The three pictured here are our top choices. Unfortunately, the drink, was not as great to me. A little heavy on the alcohol, and they brought it over as a make-your-own-drink with the sparkling water on the side so that we could “dilute the alcohol to our liking”. Despite all this, they do have interesting menu items and when I looked across the table behind Mike’s head, I was very, VERY interested in the desert cake that our neighbors ordered – so much so that I actually regretted ordering fries! I was way too full to order dessert.

First and Second Flat Iron

♦♦♦
LEVEL: DIFFICULT

This hike was rated moderate, but I would actually classify parts of it as difficult. First, it starts at the Chataqua trailhead which has a steep incline. The road itself is paved but there is no relief from the sparkling sun. It beats down on you like a hammer, which makes the climb rough. We set out before 8am but still had to stop for water breaks multiple times. I would highly recommend starting out early.

Once you switch from the Chataqua Trailhead to the First and Second Flat Irons Trail (an out-and-back trail, not to be confused with the loop), the ascent becomes rockier and rockier. You may not see it here, but this is actually the “path” to the top. Somewhere in that stone pile is a trail of flatter stones on which to step.

This is the view from above. But if you think the scrambling is over, you would be wrong. I was not prepared to scramble up a rock face but that I did. In retrospect it wasn’t that bad, what with footholds in the giant boulders. I looked over my shoulder to watch other, more experienced climbers ascend via the flat faces of exposed rocks – definitely not something I would dare try. This photo shows the spot after the “bouldering” that we did.

After this, there’s a series of switchbacks like a stairway to heaven leading you up to the very top part of the second flat iron. The lime stone around the rock is gorgeous. We leaned against them as we ate our snacks, with squirrels running around us trying to catch stray crumbs. By then, it was around 10am, and the sun was unbearably hot. We decided to head back after reaching the top, a one hour descent ahead of us. I do have to say that the return journey down Chataqua was very pleasant. Gorgeous views of the valleys below the entire trip down.

Avery Brewing Co.

♦♦♦
4910 Nautilus Ct N.
Boulder, CO 80301
$$

When you go to a brewery, you kind of know what to expect. Avery Brewing Co. did not disappoint. From their barbacoa nachos to their beer, I thoroughly enjoyed what they had to offer, especially after hiking up the flat irons. I must also say that their upside-down pineapple cake was the best thing I ate on this trip. The caramel-like sauce was made with their Quinntiki beer, which was fermented in rum barrels with pineapple, coconut, orange, and nutmeg. The waitress brought over the beer to sample, but the dessert was much better. The two beers that I ordered were the White Rascal and the Paws & Claws. The first was very refreshing and the second was the perfect hazy pale ale. Yum!

Sforno

♦♦♦♦
1308 Pearl St
Boulder, CO 80302
$$

We were actually supposed to dine in at a hard-to-reserve farm-to-table restaurant the evening we went to Sforno, but our decision to cancel and get pasta at this little Italian spot was one that led to zero regrets. I recommend sitting inside the restaurant, which was renovated to look like a tiny nook in a tiny alley transported straight from Italy. I don’t know what was more endearing – the fake planters, the cobbled walls, or the string lights. The food was very good – pasta that you would imagine an Italian grandma would make, paired with a nice glass of wine. For dessert, we ordered the Creme Brulee. All that was missing was a violinist serenading our table. (Do they do that?)

West Mesa Loop Trail

♦♦♦♦
LEVEL: EASY

This trail was perfect for a leisurely morning stroll! If I were to walk it again, I would recommend taking the path to the left to start. That way when you return downhill, you have wide-open views of the green grasses below. It begins with a mini bridge that crosses a babbling brook. If you took the path to the left, you will ascend in shade. On the return hike, the hill is exposed to the sun but that isn’t such a bad thing when you are traversing down-hill. I try not to let the rattlesnake that almost attacked me cloud my judgement. Just keep an eye out because it is the season, and I guess rattlesnakes are not very happy to see visitors tramping their terrain.

Dushanbe Teahouse

♦♦♦
1770 13th St
Boulder, CO 80302
$$

They say that you must check out the Dushanbe Teahouse for it’s interesting interior but also, for it’s wide selection of teas. We don’t know much about tea but the waitress recommended we try one that smelled like butter popcorn – a white tea without any additions to it other than the tea leaves themselves. It was the most interesting drink I have ever had – a must! We also ordered food, and the pan-fried noodles with tofu was so good, but the samosas and the xiao buns were mediocre, which explains the triple-diamond rating. We ended with a gluten-free almond cake with figs and apricots, thereby a high note. I suddenly thought of moving to Britain to see what tea time was all about.

Basta

♦♦♦♦
3601 Arapahoe Ave
Boulder, CO 80303
$$

Can I give this place five diamonds?! I mean, freshly milled dough is my jam. But this pizza was more than that. Perfectly thin but gummy, thick crust but soft. Charred in a brick fire oven (which they also had at Sforno by the way!), and topped with the most simplest basil, tomato sauce and mozzarella. It was heaven.

Boxcar Coffee Roasters

♦♦♦♦
1825 Pearl St B,
Boulder, CO 80302
$

If I am being honest, the lack of coffee roaster options in Boulder would be the number one deterrent for moving there. I am so spoiled with California’s long line of roasteries competing to make the best pour-over. As a coffee fanatic (my husband has diagnosed me with a coffee addiction, which I think is extreme since I only drink one cup a day), I really value innovative third-wave roasters. It was something that I sorely missed in Boulder. The town’s only saving grace was Boxcar Coffee Roasters. We ordered two filter coffees to go and I must say, I was very pleased with their batch coffee! I think they would be the place to hit up if you are a fan of a good cup of Joe. We sipped on it on our car ride to Louisville heading towards Moxie…

Moxie

♦♦♦♦
641 Main St
Louisville, CO 80027
$$

Of course, before we left, we had to search for a good bakery. We traveled to a little town in Louisville outside of Boulder just to pick up pastries on our last morning there. If you are a bread/dough/flour/grain lover, you may want to check them out. Great croissant, great vibe, great service. If we were staying longer, you know I would’ve ordered all the bread loaves.

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