rockies – Vacation Vagabonds

The Ultimate Weekend Guide to Boulder, Colorado

October 20, 2019October 20, 2019vacationvagabonds

Boulder has a college-town meets low-key mountain vibe. With a pedestrian-only main street, plenty of coffee shops and breweries, and surrounding natural beauty, it is easy to fall in love with. Boulder is one of those places that has something for everyone!

What to Do

Take a hike. The Flatirons are a fantastic hiking option for any age and any level. Start at the Chautauqua Park, which has a small parking lot and starts off relatively flat, and pick your trail as you ascend.

Or drive or hike up Flagstaff Mountain (roundtrip 3 miles beginning near Gregory Canyon Trailhead) to reach Artist Point. Enjoy aerial views of the town, Continental Divide, Rockies, and foothills. For those looking for more challenging hikes, Royal Arch Trail and Mount Sanitas and Sanitas Valley Loop Trial are harder. Check out AllTrails for more detailed hiking information.

Looking for other things to do out West? See our guide for Jackson Hole, skiing Taos, and why you should visit Yellowstone.

Explore town. Wander in and out of shops on the main pedestrian street through central Boulder. From mountain-chic apparel to local artisan goods, throwback posters, and books, there’s something for everyone.

One of our favorite shops we explored was the Savannah Bee Company. The store with floor to ceiling displays of packaged honey offers free tastings of their varieties. Visitors aged 21+ can also do an informative mead tasting of 6 samples.

Catch a college football game. Imagine breathtaking views of the mountains in the backdrop of a Division I Pac-12 stadium. Fans are friendly, beer is sold inside the stadium, and the Buff’s mascot Ralphie the Buffalo charges the field at the start of the game and halftime. What more could you ask for?

Pick up something unique at the farmers market. Taking place every Saturday in Central Park from April through November. Stroll through the stalls of local vendors offering plants, produce, crafts, and eats. You never know what treasures you’ll find!

Sample local breweries. West Flanders has a wide selection of craft beers that we were impressed with. Other local breweries include Boulder Beer Co., VisionQuest Brewing, Sanitas Brewing Co., The Post Brewing Co., Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., and many more.

Where to Eat

Boxcar Coffee Roasters. Custom brewed coffee in a quaint setting. The large space is shared with other vendors selling artisan food products, locally-sourced cheese, fresh bread, charcuterie, and wine. We ordered lattes to wash down Mexican dark chocolate and a massive cheese plate with sliced baguette – it was heavenly!

The Laughing Goat. Cozy local coffeeshop feel with live music and big servings of coffee and espresso drinks. Great place to relax, socialize, or get work done, as long as you can mentally block out the buzz of activity.

Dushanbe Teahouse. This famous teahouse was a gift to the city from Tajikistan and was shipped and assembled piece by piece at its current location on Pearl Street. The interior is colorful and captivating and so worth the visit, as if the food and tea weren’t enough. Come for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or tea time, and make a reservation ahead of time — this spot gets packed with hour-long wait times or more. If you do get stuck with a wait, wander Central Park and the scenic Boulder Creek that runs through.

The Mediterranean. One of the most popular spots in Boulder, “the Med” serves up top notch lunch, dinner, and tapas during a regular and late-night happy hour. Great accommodation for large groups too. We personally recommend splitting some tapas and digging into a pizza or paella.

Pasta Jay’s. If you’re looking for no-fuss classic Italian cuisine, this is the spot for you. Popular with the locals and student crowd, Pasta Jay’s dishes up reasonably priced Italian dishes in generous portions.

Where to Stay

We recommend staying in an Airbnb or hotel near Pearl Street to be close to a lot of the action with easy access to shopping, restaurants, and nightlife.

Or stay in a nearby charming little mountain town. We stayed in Louisville (pronounced LOUIS-VILLE with an audible “S”), a short 20 minute drive from Boulder, and absolutely loved it! Main Street was packed with cool cafes, restaurants, and shops, and nearby local parks offered views of the distant mountains. We almost just wanted to stay put right there.

Top 5 Reasons to Ski Taos

February 11, 2017May 24, 2017vacationvagabonds

Quick Facts

Located in Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico
Elevation: 9,206 ft – 12,481 ft
Some of the best terrain in North America

1) Amazing terrain. With 300+ inches of annual snowfall and 1,294 acres of skiable terrain, the Taos Ski Valley slopes offer over 100 runs. Skiers enjoy light, dry powder, interesting terrain (including steep shoots, big bumps and challenging tree glades) and essentially no wait for lift lines, even during busier times.

2) Do a ski week. Al’s Run looming over the base area may intimidate skiers, but there’s plenty of skiable terrain for all levels. Take advantage of Taos Ski Valley’s renowned ski school and sign up for lessons. You’ll enjoy tailored instruction and perfect technical skiing skills on some slopes that may have been too difficult to tackle on your own. Overlap your visit with an Adult Snowsports Week and get 6 two-hour morning lessons in addition to “tech talk” evenings.

3) Affordability. Reasonable flights and hotel rates make this destination a no brainer. Lift tickets start from $54 if purchased online, and accommodations are just as affordable. Stay 10 min from Ski Valley in the unique town of Taos for as little as $60 per night. Hotel rates at the base of the mountain won’t take a chunk out of your paycheck either. We loved our chalet-style room at Alpine Village Suites and soaked our sore muscles after long days of skiing in the outdoor hot tub and sauna.

3) Nearby day trips. Easy day trips from Taos Ski Valley include Taos Pueblo, Rio Grande Gorge, and Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa to name a few. Santa Fe is only a couple hours away and on the way to Taos if you’re flying out of Albuquerque. Stop over in Sante Fe for jewelry shopping, pueblo architecture, native history, and delicious food. We stopped at the well-known restaurant Cafe Pasqual’s, nestled into a pueblo style building off the main square.

4) Bustling art scene. The town of Taos has a rich art history with notable artists having settled in the area, drawn to the region’s “drama of vast spaces.” Pop into an art gallery and marvel at the local artists’ talents.

5) Come for the slopes, stay for the memories. When planning our ski trip to Taos, there were plenty of articles boasting about the fantastic skiing. What we weren’t prepared for was the local culture of hospitality experienced throughout our visit. Everyone we interacted with, from ski shop employees and ski patrol to fellow skiers, was incredibly friendly. We even made some new friends sitting out by the fire pit at the base. We’ll definitely be back soon, Taos!

Hiking Bradley-Taggart Lake Loop

September 21, 2016September 22, 2016vacationvagabonds

Distance: 5.5 miles

Elevation Gain: 585 ft

Difficulty: moderate

The Bradley-Taggart Lake loop is a phenomenal moderate half-day hike with stunning views of the Tetons throughout. The loop visits two of the six glacially-formed lakes that lie at the base of the Teton Range. We started from Taggart Lake Trailhead that took us along a bubbling mountain creek and dense aspen groves with some leaves just starting to transform the trail into autumn. The trail leveled out with terrain changing from forest to clearings.

The glass surface of Bradley Lake mirroring the mountains looming over the distant shore was mesmerizing. Low wind conditions and sunny skies made for the perfect photo op! By this point, we had befriended a couple from Ohio visiting the national parks for the first time. They kept us company for practically the rest of the hike and shared lots of laughs. Props to JJ for this shot of us!

We continued uphill to reach the second glacial lake: Taggart. After a couple miles of incline we reached the overlook which sits a couple hundred feet above the lake. Sadly, our new friends decided to return to the trailhead, while we opted to continue a little farther to find the perfect picnic spot. The extra distance was well worth it! We were rewarded with a boulder nestled on the shore overlooking the deep blue and green water. Feeling content from our tranquil perch, we lounged soaking in the views for the better part of two hours.

We retraced our steps back towards Bradley Lake since the bridge connecting the loop was out. Nearing the end of our hike, we found a clearing with a panorama that tugged on Stephanie’s need to bust out some yoga moves from a boulder.

Also, Brandon was challenged to a Macarena dance off. And won.