Mile High City IV: Boulder, Colorado, one of America’s
most livable small cities.
One hundred million years ago, Boulder Valley was covered by
a shallow sea; pre-historic creatures roamed the region.
Realization Point sign
illustrates Boulder Valley 100 million years ago.
Boulder, Colorado, population 103,166 including 30,265
University of Colorado students, is 5,430 feet above sea level – Denver is
5,280. The city, nestled at the
base of the Rocky Mountains, annually enjoys 300 days of sunshine.
I last visited Boulder, Colorado in June, 1972 and recall
thirty miles of separation between the two cities that were connected by mostly
two lane road. As witnessed by me
on June 21, 2017, regional urban development has covered over that empty
stretch of land that commuter’s daily transverse on six to eight lanes of
superhighway.
Below picture is the view of Boulder Valley from Realization
Point.
A multi-use trail that is heavily used by cyclists follows
the main road into the city.
The Chautauqua movement was started in the 1840’s to provide
wholesome entertainment to the first leisure class of Americans. Self-improvement activities; literary
readings, classical dance, musical recitals, and artistic instruction were
popular and the movement reached Boulder in 1889. The Chautauqua mission was to educate and enlighten tourists
and limit drinking and debauchery.
The setting for rental cabins, common dining hall, meeting
spaces and now special events nurtures the soul with its natural beauty. A dozen teenagers pre-celebrating their
evening prom did not diminish the tranquility of the place.
We arrived at one P. M. and stumbled upon an Earth Day
celebration on Boulder’s famous Pearl Street Mall. A local advocate sang the message of Earth Day to an
enthusiastic crowd. Boulder is
renowned for its social tolerance of differences or oddity.
It was a great pleasure to meet up with Weequahic alumni and
old friends Carole Ades Kaye and Mona Wineburg Spiegel at the Cheesecake
Factory on the Pearl Mall.
The Boulder Theater, a rock concert venue located near the
Mall, is an outstanding example of the Art Deco art and architecture style.
The nicer the day, the more likely the Pearl Street Mall
will be crowded with performance artists seeking a crowd – a juggler enthralls
his audience.
This ends our journey through the Denver – Boulder corridor,
a region kissed by sunshine, geography and an economic boom fueled by the
legalization of marijuana.