At the beginning of the summer, I found myself living for the weekends. I counted down the hours of work left until noon on Friday, when I got to leave the office and set off on the next weekend adventure. Having two days and two nights of complete freedom more than made up for having to work during the week, but by Monday afternoon I found myself already dying for the weekend to come.
Luckily, it turns out that there are plenty of cool things to do in Boulder in the evening:
1. Hiking the Flatirons
What: Sunset Hike up the Flatirons
Where: Chautauqua Park (at Baseline and 9th)
When: Leave an hour and a half or two hours (if you're slow) before sunset
The details: From Chautauqua Park, hike toward the first Flatiron, we usually take Ski Jump trail and then Bluebell-Baird, but you really just walk toward the big rock mountains in front of you and then follow the "1st/2nd Flatiron" signs. It will take about an hour to get to the best viewing spot so make sure you give yourself enough time. Follow the trail until it winds you around to the back of the first Flatiron. You'll see Indian Peaks Wilderness to your left, Flagstaff right in front of you, Longs Peak in the distance, and a really nice panorama of the Front Range stretching out to your right. It's worth it to climb up on the rocks a little so that you can see over the trees. And unless you brought your headlamp, make sure you leave in time so that you're not hiking down in the pitch dark.
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| Climb up on the rocks a little at the 1st Flatiron to get a better view |
2. Stroke and Stride
What: Stroke and Stride is a weekly racing underground hosted, chip-timed, open water swim (750 m or 1500 m) followed by a 5k run. You can also do just the 5k if you're more of a land animal.
Who: If you're of the multisport persuasion, this event is a must. If you are not, it is still lots of fun and a very cheap and laid back way to consider getting into the sport. Participants range from highly competitive triathletes to out-of-shape moms (not to make a generalization about maternal fitness levels, a lot of Boulder moms could probably kick my ass in any race) and middle school kids.
When: Thursday evenings throughout the summer. The first wave of swimmers starts at 6:00 pm so try to get there between 5:30-5:45.
Where: The Boulder Reservoir. (very easy to get to from downtown by bike or car, google it)
How much: It is $25 for a one time entry and this gets cheaper if you purchase a series package.
What to expect: Most people will use wetsuits but there are also a fair amount who don't. Free samples (vitamins, energy bars, lotions, etc.), free massages, good music, and free pizza and refreshments after the race! (note: you may consider driving to this event and loitering around for a long time afterward, because in the event that all the pizza is not eaten, the organizer will let you take a whole large home! dinner...or breakfast...for a week!)
3. Farmer's Market
What: A twice-per-week, local farmers market with lots of food to buy and often some form of entertainment.
When: Wednesday evenings from 4pm-8pm and Saturdays from 8am-2pm.
Where: 13th street between Arapahoe and Canyon, right next to central park. (You'll find it by following the Boulder Creek path toward the center of town, or if you know where the amphitheater is)
What to Expect: Tons of local farmers, bakeries, and health food companies selling their goods from tents along 13th street. If you make more than an intern's salary, buy local! If not, no worries, there are tons of free samples! There is also a whole section of delicious prepared foods for you to buy lunch or dinner at. Check it out, I guarantee you won't be able to decide.
What: Stroke and Stride is a weekly racing underground hosted, chip-timed, open water swim (750 m or 1500 m) followed by a 5k run. You can also do just the 5k if you're more of a land animal.
Who: If you're of the multisport persuasion, this event is a must. If you are not, it is still lots of fun and a very cheap and laid back way to consider getting into the sport. Participants range from highly competitive triathletes to out-of-shape moms (not to make a generalization about maternal fitness levels, a lot of Boulder moms could probably kick my ass in any race) and middle school kids.
When: Thursday evenings throughout the summer. The first wave of swimmers starts at 6:00 pm so try to get there between 5:30-5:45.
Where: The Boulder Reservoir. (very easy to get to from downtown by bike or car, google it)
How much: It is $25 for a one time entry and this gets cheaper if you purchase a series package.
What to expect: Most people will use wetsuits but there are also a fair amount who don't. Free samples (vitamins, energy bars, lotions, etc.), free massages, good music, and free pizza and refreshments after the race! (note: you may consider driving to this event and loitering around for a long time afterward, because in the event that all the pizza is not eaten, the organizer will let you take a whole large home! dinner...or breakfast...for a week!)
3. Farmer's Market
What: A twice-per-week, local farmers market with lots of food to buy and often some form of entertainment.
When: Wednesday evenings from 4pm-8pm and Saturdays from 8am-2pm.
Where: 13th street between Arapahoe and Canyon, right next to central park. (You'll find it by following the Boulder Creek path toward the center of town, or if you know where the amphitheater is)
What to Expect: Tons of local farmers, bakeries, and health food companies selling their goods from tents along 13th street. If you make more than an intern's salary, buy local! If not, no worries, there are tons of free samples! There is also a whole section of delicious prepared foods for you to buy lunch or dinner at. Check it out, I guarantee you won't be able to decide.
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