Boulder

Steven + Dru

Boulder

Boulder Flatirons

Steven + Dru

1/4

Itinerary

Day

1

Hiking & Tea

9 am: Put on your hiking clothes and head to brunch at Lucile's Kitchen. There a few of this Cajun & Creole restaurant in the Denver area; but we'd say it was the best brunch we had in town. Try the Chicory Coffee and the New Orleans style 'Pain Perdu' (French toast but made from a soft baguette).

10:30 am: On your way to hike, drive by the house at 755 15th Street where JonBenet Ramsey was killed. Although a bit morbid, the murder dominated the news cycle around Christmas 1996, and you'll likely recognize it. You can read about the family that lives there now.

11 am: Climb the Chautauqua Trail. Grab a map from the ranger's cottage, and head up the 'Chautauqua Trail' to the '1st/2nd Flatiron Trail.' You'll climb about 1500 feet in total, and will likely take you about 2 1/2 hours to hike it roundtrip.

3:30 pm: Afternoon Tea at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse. The building was constructed in Dushanbe, Tajikistan (Boulder's sister city) and then sent over to Boulder where it was setup. The afternoon tea is $22/person and includes unlimited tea and a three-story platter of finger-food and desserts.

5:30 pm: Walk along Pearl Street and check out the stores. They have the big chains (Patagonia, Urban Outfitters, Ben & Jerry's, etc.), but there were also some cute boutiques, including Cedar & Hyde Mercantile and Alpine Modern Coffee Bar.

8:30 pm: Dinner at Frasca Restaurant. If you're still hungry after your hike, go for the four-course tasting menu "Quattro Piatti" for $78/person. Or, if you're full from tea, you can select dishes a la carte. We ordered the Cured Salmon and Cape Cod Scallops as appetizers, and the Paccheri and Cavatelli for our main courses. Each one was delicious.

Skip the Rental Car. Take the train from the Denver airport (AB line - see schedule; $9 one-way ticket) to Boulder, and then use Uber or Lyft.
Don't get excited about the hotels. We had a tough time finding a nice, charming hotel. We ended up settling on a Marriott Courtyard ($113/night).
Make reservations in advance. Specifically for these restaurants:
1. Afternoon Tea at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse (phone: 303-442-4993)
2. Dinner at Frasca Restaurant (Open Table)
Bring hiking clothes. Shoes with good grips and outfits you don't mind to get a bit sweaty in.
2 days is plenty. We found most of our days were consumed with hiking and eating.

5 Tips

The Map

Click on the Map above to see a full-size version with the legend.

Colors: each day is in different color
Knife/Fork: places to eat
Stars: main attractions

We'd recommend downloading the app Map.Me and starring the recommended restaurants and sites. You can also download the map to your phone using Google Maps so you may use it offline.

Day

2

Hiking & Pizza

9 am: Put on your hiking clothes again and head to breakast. There are two options:

If you're still feeling full from last night at Boxcar Coffee. They have excellent coffee and various pastries.
If you're starving, try the Buff a modern diner that serves dishes like pancakes with bacon in them. And they don't skimp on the portion sizes.

11 am: Climb the Royal Arch Trail. Using your map from yesterday, head up the 'Bluebell Road' Trail to the 'Royal Arch' Trail'. Although not as steep as yesterday (1200 feet in elevation change), it will likely take you 2 1/2 hours roundtrip because it's a bit longer in distance.

2:30 pm: Lunch at Pizzeria Locale. Owned by the same restaurateurs as Frasca, we found the pizza here to be excellent. Perfect dough and yummy toppings

8:30 pm: Dinner at Centro Mexican Kitchen. Sit outside and enjoy some tacos to end your night.

FYI

For our next visit

Beginner Rock Climbing - we tried to find a guide last minute, without any success. Next time, we'll book earlier, and check out some outdoor climbing spots.