What to do in Boulder with your parents

I was recently faced with a unique challenge in Boulder: entertaining my parents. I was a little bit worried about what they would do. Drive next to me while I bike? Call out my splits at the track? Eat PB&Js for dinner with me??

Luckily, it turns out that Boulder is actually very parent-friendly. Here are some things my parents liked, and yours might too.

1. Pearl Street: It's the obvious choice, of course. Parents love seeing the lively street and it's performers (my dad is still talking about "Sventastic," the juggling show), and the poor college son/daughter will undoubtedly enjoy the delicious meal on mom and dad's tab. You can't go wrong here pretty much any time of day - it's always happenin' on Pearl Street.

Be patient, parents tend to be very misbehaved

2. Rocky Mountain National Park: What better way to show your parents that life in Boulder is about more than weed and the bars downtown than by taking them to the national park right down the road? The options are really limitless here. If your parents are athletically inclined, you might consider a long loop starting from Bear Lake. I promise that you'll have somewhere in the range of 1,000,000 perfect photo ops for that Christmas card picture your mom worries about all year.

3. First Flatiron at Sunset: Showing off the cool views walking distance from your house is sure to impress your parents. Just leave plenty of time and remember that there is a little bit of rock scrambling involved. I almost got written out of the will for conveniently leaving that out of my description.

4. Dushanbe Tea House: Parents love the cultural richness, delicious menu, and charming setting of the famous tea house on 13th between Canyon and Arapahoe. My parents liked it so much they went back without me :(

5. Farmer's Market: Ahh the wholesome goodness of the farmer's market! Food, beer, wine, music, parks... can you say family friendly?? Go get your parents to treat you to that eight dollar salad you've been eying between trips to the Boulder Granola stand for free samples.

So there you go. Five time consuming activities to do with your parents in Boulder. I'm still working on the post "How to ditch your parents while you go on a long ride without seeming mean."