47 Must-Do Items
Boulder’s Winter Bucket List
Holiday Gift Guide
Local Shopping Adventure
Carousel of Happiness A Surprising Story of Healing
Best Restaurants for Special Occasions Fireside Dining for Winter
WINTER-SPRING 2019-20
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FROM THE EDITOR
PUBLISHER
JOHN R. BRICE
WINTER-SPRING 2019-20
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Every once in a while, you visit a place that changes you, deep down on some profound level. When I walked into the Carousel of Happiness, I felt it: the unmistakable energy of inspiration. Inspiration is the sweet seed of transformation, and when it plants inside you, you better hold on. I swear it wasn’t just the chocolate-covered mini donuts I’d eaten (Cookie Monster-style) at the coffee shop next door. OK, maybe my racing heart was a sugar rush. But I felt something beyond heart palpitations as I walked through the doors of the colorful carousel. I followed my curious fingertips across dozens of hand-carved animals. Finally, they stopped on one: a smiling pig wearing a saddle. Big ol’ ears like wings and legs coiled like flying. He made me laugh. The pig would be my partner on this ride. I held onto him as the carousel whirled us in circles. Each rotation blurred the outside world more and more, replacing it with internal clarity. I didn’t want the ride to stop, but when it did, I was different. That night, I went home and turned down a list of freelance editing jobs. I began writing a fiction novel: about a magical carousel. The book is nowhere near done, and maybe it never will be, but that’s irrelevant. What matters is that something shifted inside me. Fears healed, creativity blossomed. It wasn’t until months later that I learned the history of the Carousel of Happiness. Unknowing, I’d felt something special about this place, but its story was even more incredible than I could have written in my own (maybe eternally unfinished) fiction novel. I have to share the (nonfiction) story with you. Read it on page 50. Travel Boulder’s winter-spring magazine is packed with inspiration, including stories about local artists: supernatural graphic artist, Sonya Shannon, page 56; jeweler J. Albrecht, page 36; and musician Mark Oblinger, formerly of Pure Prairie League, who wrote “Amie,” which I was named after (in the delivery room, my mom forgot how to spell it). We also offer ideas to inspire your taste buds (“How to Eat Local Throughout the Winter,” page 69, and “Boulder’s Best Restaurants for Special Occasions,” page 62), plus info related to shopping, entertainment, innovative beer-makers and a fun winter bucket list to keep you entertained, no matter the weather. I hope you enjoy reading these words as much as we enjoyed writing them. Maybe I’ll see you around — on the carousel, with sticky donut fingers, trying to erase my fears and finish that darn book. I call the pig. The carousel says this pig symbolizes joyful flight, “racing headlong for the fun of it.” I can’t think of a better energy to twirl me into the new year. Let’s go, 2020.
JILL NAGEL-BRICE
EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / WRITER AIMEE HECKEL
PHOTO EDITOR
MARK LEFFINGWELL
MANAGING COPY EDITOR SARAH KUTA
PUBLICATION DESIGNER MONIKA EDGAR
DIGITAL SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER MICHELLE FULLER
ADVERTISING SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES JOHN R. BRICE JILL NAGEL-BRICE MEGHAN HOLTON
CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS
BRITTANY ANAS CALLIE PEDERSON SARAH KUTA
PHOTOGRAPHERS
AIMEE HECKEL, ARIELLE SCHWARTZ, ANN DUNCAN, MARK LEFFINGWELL
DIGITAL TEAM DREW BARON, TYLER PERCY
On the cover: Boulder Creek in the winter. Photo by Mark Gunn. Gunn is a California-based photographer and self-proclaimed tech nerd/geek dad who also enjoys hiking, wildlife and travel. View more of his work at flickr.com/photos/mark-gunn. Copyright 2020 by Go Visit Media Co. & Travel Boulder LLC. All rights reserved. Any reproduction of the material in this magazine or Travel Boulder website is strictly prohibited without publisher’s permission, including original editorial, graphics, design, photography, advertising and sponsored content. Travelboulder.com and Travel Boulder magazine are published by Go Visit Media Co., 2535 Meadow Ave, Boulder CO 80304 | Phone: 720-708-6803
Enjoy (no, really, enjoy!), Email: customerservice@travelboulder.com
Aimee
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Aimee Heckel Editor-in-chief
Sales: john@travelboulder.com, jill@travelboulder.com, meghan@travelboulder.com Editorial: Aimeeheckel@gmail.com Online: Travelboulder.com Facebook.com/travelboulder Instagram.com/travel_boulder
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EDITORIAL ASSISTANT KAITLYN PAYNE
COPY EDITOR CLAY EVANS
CREATIVE SERVICES / PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION MANAGER SARAH MILLER
PUBLICATION DESIGNER MONIKA EDGAR
ADVERTISING DESIGNER DAWN SHUCK
Contents
TRAFFIC MANAGER SARAH EATHERLY
ADVERTISING SALES
10 ASSOCIATE From the Editor PUBLISHER RANDY GOLDNER 14 Calendar of Events
ACCOUNT Don’t miss these things EXECUTIVES to do this winter and spring.
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MICHELLE ADAMS, RYAN GRAF GEOFF HERDEN, AARON LOVATO Shopping Guide Explore Boulder’s shopping districts.
CONTRIBUTORS
BOULDER WINTER BUCKET LIST Pull on your Colorado beanie and get outside.
Page 18
PHOTO 36 COVER J Albrecht Designs
ANN DUNCAN Catch a glimpse of makers’ magic.
44 PHOTOGRAPHERS Boulder Beer Turns 40 ZACH ANDREWS, JONATHAN AUERBACH, 50 56
Try popular seasonals this fall and winter. EMILY CARL, STEPHEN COLLECTOR, ANN DUNCAN, PAULA GILLEN, Carousel of Happiness JACOB HELLECKSON, BRIAN LOPEZ, Step inside the swirl of whimsical stories in Nederland. JESSICA MORGAN, GRANT NYQUIST, WERNER SLOCUM, EMILY TAYLOR, Sonya VANDENOVER Shannon PRUNE Discover the unseen with the visionary Boulder artist.
WRITERS
ANAS, JESSICA MORGAN, 69 BRITTANY How to Eat Local KAITLYN CALLIE Find local foodPAYNE, in Boulder County in thePEDERSON wintertime.
HOLIDAY SHOPPING IN BOULDER See our holiday gift guide.
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72 Copyright 2018 by Go Visit Media Co. & Travel Boulder LLC. Meet the Brewers 77 78
All rights reserved. Any reproduction of the material in this Learn more about how the beer magic happens. magazine or Travel Boulder website is strictly prohibited Advertiser without publisher’sIndex permission, including original editorial, graphics, design, photography, advertising and sponsored Experience Boulder content. Travelboulder.com and Travel Boulder magazine are From pinball to hot springs to world class music. published by Go Visit Media Co., 2465 Central Ave. Suite 203 Boulder, CO 80301 | Phone: 303-544-1198 | Fax: 303-449-6121 Advertising Sales 303-544-1198 Ext. 102 Email: customerservice@travelboulder.com
BEST RESTAURANTS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS Winter dining, Boulder style.
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CHAMPION | LEAGUE | WINCRAFT | MVSPORT | GEAR FOR SPORT | ZEPHYR | CREATIVE KNITWEAR
1615 Pearl Street Boulder,Colorado
(303) 386-4638 facebook.com/Bocolifellc @shopbocolife Photograph by Connor DeMott
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THE BEST WINTER-SPRING EVENTS IN BOULDER COUNTY
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN DOWNTOWN BOULDER. PHOTO BY FLICKR USER RAYMOND JOHNSON
Fall and winter is when Boulder shines brightest. Whether you will be visiting over the holidays or want to make a 2020 bucket list, here are some of the highlights in Boulder for the end of 2019 and first part of 2020. This is by no means all that’s going on. For the full list of activities and events, check out the calendar on the homepage of TravelBoulder.com. We update it constantly.
November
February
Mid-November through mid-February: See hundreds of thousands of holiday lights illuminating Central Park in downtown Boulder at the annual Snow Much Fun celebration. Nov. 23: St. Nick on the Bricks starts late November and runs through Dec. 22. This is a fun, family-friendly event downtown where kids can meet Santa Claus for free.
Feb. 9: Mmm, chocolate. The annual Chocolate Lovers’ Fling, complete with chocolate tastings, pairings and other tasty desserts, is right in time for Valentine’s Day. It benefits the Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence. Feb. 26: Catch the famous Glenn Miller Orchestra live at the BDT Stage, Boulder’s dinner theater. Get tickets through March 1.
December
March
Dec. 6: Head to Macky Auditorium on the University of Colorado campus for its holiday music showcase. The annual Holiday Festival highlights live music by student choirs, bands, orchestras and world-class faculty performers. It runs through Dec. 8 at various times. Dec. 7: Welcome the holidays with the annual Lights of December Parade on the Pearl Street Mall. This annual parade has floats, music, singers and, of course, the jolly ol’ man himself. Dec. 14: Add some fun to your shopping with the Freezie Fest: Hunt for a small, stuffed snowman in various shops along the Pearl Street Mall, hop on free train rides, visit Santa, do holiday crafts and win big prizes.
March 4-15: The annual Boulder Jewish Film Festival kicks off March 4. The event centers around films about the Jewish experience. March 5-8: One of the most anticipated events in Boulder is the Boulder International Film Festival, an annual film event that draws more than 25,000 people. The event screens films, presents music and offers special events, like food and film pairings. BIFF (as we call it) has been named one of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World. March 8-10: Early March is for one of the weirdest events in Boulder County (and really, the world). Frozen Dead Guy Days, in Nederland, features live bands and odd events, like coffin races and frozen T-shirt contests. The event was inspired by a man who died and asked to be frozen in a Tuff Shed on dry ice near Nederland. He remains there today. March 13-15: It’s time for the Local Lab New Play Festival, a three-day event of readings, theatrical workshops, production of a new play and more. >
January Jan. 1: The New Year starts off with a chilly scream, during the annual Polar Plunge. People, often in crazy costumes, jump into the frigid waters of the Boulder Reservoir. That’s how Boulder starts the new year.
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C A S UA L E L E G A N C E IN THE HEART OF BOULDER COLORADO
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THE BEST WINTER-SPRING EVENTS IN BOULDER COUNTY
CONTESTANTS IN THE FROZEN DEAD GUY DAYS COFFIN RACE NAVIGATE AN OBSTACLE COURSE. PHOTO COURTESY 0F DANIEL OBERHAUS
March TBD: Boulder loves beer, and every winter (often early March), the city will pay tribute to local brewers at its Winter Craft Beer Festival. This year, find it at the Balch Fieldhouse at Folsom Field on the CU campus. March TBD: Boulder Arts Week (usually late March through early April) is a full week filled with art. Expect art exhibitions, stage performances, music, dance and more at locations throughout the city.
April April 4: Early April is when the Boulder Farmers Market opens. Find markets Saturdays and Wednesdays in Boulder and Saturdays in Longmont (plus in other cities throughout Boulder County). This huge outdoor market was named the No. 1 farmers market in the nation by USA Today readers, and we agree. It’s been a Boulder staple since the ’80s and features tasty food, shopping, live music and more. April 6-10: The weeklong Conference on World Affairs is an exciting, educational event on the CU Campus. The public is welcome to pop in on about 200 different panels, events and concerts for free, featuring world-famous thinkers, teachers, leaders and innovators. This is a special event unique to Boulder. April 7: Boulder greets spring with its annual Tulip Fairy and Elf Festival on the Pearl Street Mall. Hundreds of kids dress up like fairies and elves,
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and the “tulip fairy” joins them to frolic among the 15,000 colorful tulips annually planted along the mall. It’s a magical, colorful scene. April TBD: The Taste of Pearl takes over downtown Boulder every spring. Local restaurants, art galleries and wineries come together to bring this interactive, walking tour of Boulder’s creative and delicious side. Stroll through different shops, sample food paired with beverages and learn more about Boulder’s makers.
May May 23-25: The Boulder Creek Festival is one of Boulder’s biggest events, along the banks of Boulder Creek. For more than three decades, the free, family-friendly fest has featured food, entertainment, vendors and more. May 25: Finish the Creek Fest with a run (or walk) (or dance) through the BolderBoulder. This 10K is one of the biggest, most famous races in the world. It also includes a huge Memorial Day ceremony as the grand finale of the race.
MORE FUN IN BOULDER CHECK OUT THE FULL AND ALWAYS CHANGING ONLINE CALENDAR AT TRAVELBOULDER.COM/EVENTS
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THINGS TO DO
THE BOULDER WINTER BUCKET LIST SNOW DAYS ARE THE BEST DAYS IN BOULDER. JUST BECAUSE THE TEMPS AND THE SNOW START TO DROP DOESN’T MEAN IT’S TIME TO DROP OFF THE RADAR LIKE A HERMIT. THERE’S A TON OF ACTION IN BOULDER WHEN IT’S NOT SUMMERTIME. BOULDER HAS MORE THAN 300 DAYS OF SUNSHINE ANNUALLY. AND DESPITE BOULDER’S CLOSENESS TO ELDORA SKI MOUNTAIN, BOULDER AVERAGES JUST 35 DAYS OF SNOW A YEAR. EVEN THEN, THE STORMS AREN’T TOO BAD; THE AVERAGE YEARLY DUMP IS JUST 88 INCHES OF SNOW. SO WHETHER IT’S SNOWING OR CHILLY OR DARK EARLY, NO EXCUSES. PULL ON YOUR COLORADO BEANIE AND HAVE SOME FUN. HERE ARE 47 THINGS TO TRY IN BOULDER OVER THE WINTER AND EARLY SPRING: THE BOULDER WINTER BUCKET LIST.
BOULDER UNDER FROST. PHOTO BY AIMEE HECKEL WINTER-SPRING 2019-20
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HOW MANY OF THESE HAVE YOU DONE? 1. Go skiing.
This one’s obvious, but it’s a must-do every winter at Eldora Mountain Resort, just 21 miles west of Boulder. Eldora is relaxed, unpretentious and generally cheaper and less busy. That’s why the locals love it.
2. Eat elk sausages
at Timbers Lodge. While at Eldora, refuel at Timbers Lodge in the base area. If you’re lucky, you’ll find grills cooking up elk sausages outside of Timbers Lodge.
3. Warm up with tea.
Head to the Dushanbe Tea House for a wide variety of tea in Boulder’s most beautiful, artistic building. For a quieter experience, get a cup at Ku Cha House of Tea on the Pearl Street Mall.
4. Shop the Pearl Street Mall.
Over the holidays, the mall is adorned with glowing lights that make the perfect frame for a memorable shopping experience. Stroll your way over to Central Park, where more than 220,000 lights transform the park into a colorful winter wonderland. The lights flip on every day around the holidays at 4 p.m.
5. Try a new beer.
Go on a brewery tour, complete with free beer tastings. Make sure you try the seasonal brews. Boulder County has some of the world’s top breweries, and they’re always coming up with new ways to enjoy beer. Look forward to the temporary seasonal beers, designed to complement the temperature, mood and pace of the different times of year in Colorado.
6. Go hiking.
Yes, in winter. Many of Boulder’s 151 miles of trails stay open year-round. Our favorite: Mesa Trail/Woods Quarry, starting at the Chautauqua Ranger Cottage and then heading up Bluebell Road. It tends to be less harsh even on the coldest days.
7. Warm up with cannabis.
Take a hot bath using one of Coda Signature’s Bath Bombs while sipping a hot cup of tea or coffee from Willie’s Remedy. The locally-made bath bombs feature various scents, each “bomb” containing 15 mg of CBD and 15 mg of THC. The coffee is infused with full-spectrum, locally grown hemp oil. The loose-leaf tea is infused with 2 mg of CBD per 1 g of tea leaves.
8. See a show.
Boulder has multiple local theaters. Combine dinner with a show at the BDT Stage, Boulder’s high-quality dinner theater.
9. Take a fat bike for a spin.
“Fat bikes,” named for their extra-wide tires, can handle snow and ice more easily. Rent one at Full Cycle or many other local bike shops. >
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THE BOULDER WINTER BUCKET LIST (CONTINUED)
10. Go ice skating.
Boulder has a new outdoor ice skating rink at Chautauqua that you can try during WinterFest, Dec. 13-15. The rink will stay open through Jan. 31. There is also Ice Centre in Westminster (so close it feels like Broomfield), the Longmont Ice Pavilion and Louisville’s Winterskate, an oldfashioned ice skating rink. Winterskate runs at the Steinbaugh Pavilion, 824 Front St., through February.
11. See a movie.
Something about a cozy movie theater is perfect for winter. See a big-box film at the Century Theatre or catch a unique, artsy film at the Boedecker Theater at the Dairy Arts Center.
12. Go ice climbing.
If it’s cold enough, you might be able to find ice formations in Boulder Canyon. Make sure you’re experienced or with a knowledgeable guide. Of course.
13.Warm up your taste buds with something spicy. Try one of the great ethnic restaurants in South Boulder.
Extra spicy Thai, please. Read more online at travelboulder. com/where-to-go-for-ethnic-food-in-south-boulder.
14. Float away.
The warm, Epsom salt-filled water at a float tank will relax your mind and body. The sensorydeprivation tank is a healthy way to reduce stress over the holidays. We love Radi8 Float Studio and Yoga. Also check out Isolate Floatation Center.
15. Visit a museum.
If the weather outside is frightening (and even when it’s not), take cover in inspiration, education and beauty at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art or the Museum of Boulder.
16. Build a snowman,
a snow cave or something more creative. Get inspired by the nearby snow sculpting competition, the Berthoud Snow Fest (berthoudsnowfest. com).
17. Take a ride
on the Tebo Train’s Snowflake Express, a free, mini-train through downtown for kids. You can typically find this chugging around over the holidays.
18. Go ice fishing.
But make sure the ice is thick enough to support any weight first. Know Boulder’s fishing rules before you go.
19. Go sledding.
It’s not winter without flying down the hill on a sled. Several of Boulder’s public parks have great sledding spots when weather permits. Check out Tantra Park and Scott Carpenter Park.
20. Go tubing.
It’s like sledding, but can be a little more extreme. Sleds are easier to control, whereas tubes can go faster, are harder to steer, are harder to slow down and can spin. Needless to say, you must try it. >
INSIDE CHEESE IMPORTERS. PHOTO BY AIMEE HECKEL
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2019 | 2020 SEASON For over 35 years Boulder Ballet has presented classical and contemporary ballet in venues throughout the front range. The BB company includes 11 professional dancers and 2 apprentices for the 2019—20 Season.
The Nutcracker
Photography Amanda Tipton/Katie Ging
One of Colorado’s major productions of the holiday tradition, with a cast of over 80 dancers including the professional company and charming young student dancers, a full live orchestra, spectacular scenery and special effects. November 29—December 1 With the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra: Thanksgiving Weekend Macky Auditorium, CU Boulder December 7,8 With the Longmont Symphony Orchestra: Vance Brand Auditorium, Longmont
Modern Masters: Taylor & Wheeldon
February 21,22,23 Boulder Ballet presents “Modern Masters” featuring Boulder Ballet premieres of two works by dance icons Paul Taylor and Christopher Wheeldon. Dairy ARTS Center, Boulder
The Sleeping Beauty
May 15,16,17 Be transported to a magical place where a sleeping princess is awakened by a kiss and good conquers evil. Dairy ARTS Center, Boulder
Ballet in the Park
May 30,31 Family-friendly performance of excerpts from the 2019-20 season. May 30 at Boulder Bandshell May 31 at Civic Green Park, Highlands Ranch
Photography Amanda Tipton
BoulderBallet.org 303.443.0028 TravelBoulder Ad1/2PgFINAL.indd 1
10/8/19 4:02 PM
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THE BOULDER WINTER BUCKET LIST (CONTINUED)
SALT LAMPS AT THE SALT SPA. PHOTO BY AIMEE HECKEL
21. Do a polar plunge. Coloradans are crazy. We like to
Seasonal Affective Disorder on those days when the sun is hibernating. Veranda Sun in Boulder says the body makes vitamin D when the skin gets sunlight, so a short stint in a tanning salon can help boost your vitamin D levels.
22. Tour the tea factory. You must take a free tour of the
Surround yourself with warm air in a steam room or sauna. Try the Mokara Spa at the Omni Interlocken Hotel in Broomfield. While there, ask about treatments that include a rest under a warming blanket.
jump into frigid water for fun. Often in costume. Test your grit at the New Year’s Day polar plunge at the Boulder Reservoir or at Frozen Dead Guy Days in March in Nederland. Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory and take a deep whiff of the mint room. It’ll warm you up, nose first. Try free samples of tea in the cafe area.
23. Indulge in comfort food.
Fire up the night with a wood-fired pizza from Pizzeria Locale or a gooey grilled cheese sandwich (with a side of tomato soup, naturally) from the Cheese Importers in Longmont. Or dip, dip, dip at a fondue restaurant. Find all the melted cheese and chocolate at The Melting Pot in downtown Louisville. If you prefer to drink your liquid comfort, try a decadent cup of hot sipping chocolate at Piece, Love & Chocolate. Also look for classes here.
24. Indulge in a sweet treat.
Warm up with a sweet treat like truffles from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory on the Pearl Street Mall. Boulder County is home to a handful of local chocolatiers and shops, including big names like Chocolove, Lift Chocolate, CocoLicious (which claims to have healthy chocolate that’s low glycemic, vegan and gluten-free) and Robin Chocolates.
27. Sit in a steam room.
28. Try an infrared sauna.
Yes, this is different than a regular sauna. Visit the Sweat House/Cyl Sauna Studio, a luxury infrared sauna studio in Boulder. You’ll relax in a personal sauna pod designed to evoke a detoxifying sweat using infrared energy (heat). Not only is it toasty and cozy to warm up in these peaceful pods, but there’s a long list of health benefits, too, such as relaxation, athletic recovery, detoxification and improved circulation.
29. Exercise outside.
This can boost your spirits, too. Go for a walk or hike. Experts recommend exercising outside for 45 minutes every day during the winter months. Even if you don’t want to go for a hike, simply stroll along the Boulder Creek Path or walk down the Pearl Street Mall.
30. Simmer in the hot tub.
25. Drink locally roasted coffee. Ozo Coffee, Silver
Canyon Coffee Company and Boxcar Coffee Roasters are three of the best. You can buy bags of fresh beans to take with you, too.
The East Boulder Community Center has a great one, plus a lazy river, bubble bench, water slide, steam room and eight-lane lap pool.
26. Hit the tanning bed. Suffering the “winter blues?”
These man-made salt caves in Louisville are good for your health and a nice reset on a cold day. >
While we don’t advocate for exposure to dangerous rays, some studies have shown that “controlled UV exposure” can help you deal with
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31. Sit in the Salt Spa.
Posters
Record Albums
Stickers
Photography
Apparel
PosterScene 1505 Pearl St #101 Boulder 303-443-3102
PosterScene.com
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THE BOULDER WINTER BUCKET LIST (CONTINUED)
32. Go snow camping near Boulder.
Many campsites are open year-round. Bonus: You won’t get dirty, because it’s covered under snow. And it’s much easier to reserve a campsite because demand is low. Consider visiting the Brainard Lake Recreation Area, less than an hour from Boulder through Left Hand Canyon.
33. Explore Ayurveda.
The ancient Eastern medicine system, Ayurveda, has its own approaches to dealing with seasonal depression. Actions that may help according to this practice: sunlight, warm food like soup and stew, warming spices, plenty of sleep, gentle exercise. Learn more at John Douillard’s LifeSpa in Gunbarrel.
34. Take a hot yoga class. Boulder Bikram Yoga
has been a local staple since the 1990s.
35. Get a warm oil scalp treatment
NICHOLE WIENHOLT, CO-OWNER OF YOGA POD, STRETCHES DURING A HOT YOGA CLASS. PHOTO BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
at Spavia in Boulder. This exotic treatment begins with a slow drizzling of warm nut oils on your head and neck from a coconut bowl. The St Julien Spa in downtown Boulder also offers a hot oil scalp massage with lavender and grapefruit. Pair it with the Ultimate Colorado Bliss CBD Package, which combines a scrub, wrap and massage with the non-intoxifying part of cannabis, CBD.
36. Pour some hot sauce on it.
Boulder Hot Sauce is made right here in town. According to Coloradans, it goes on everything and anything. It’s hard to be cold when your mouth is on fire.
37. Drink a warming cocktail.
Sip a hot toddy in the sexy basement space of License No. 1, below the Hotel Boulderado. Also ask local bars about their seasonal drink specials.
38. Consider supplements.
In the winter, some people swear by supplemented vitamin D, B vitamins and fish oil to help boost their mood. Pharmaca is a great resource for vitamins and supplements. You could also check out Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary and Supply for natural treatments and recommendations.
39. Smoke that hookah.
Warm up with a puff from a hookah. Boulder has multiple hookah lounges, including The Hookah House and Peace Pipe Hookah Lounge and Smoke Shop.
40. Go cross-country skiing.
While the city of Boulder doesn’t have ski slopes, you can take out the crosscountry skis at North Boulder Park.
41. Laugh more.
INTERNATIONAL SNOW SCULPTURE CHAMPIONSHIPS. COURTESY PHOTO
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Laughter decreases cortisol and stress, and it can alter dopamine and serotonin activity and secrete endorphins, which can help people in a depressed mood. Check out the Boulder Comedy Show, the longestlasting comedy show in Boulder. Catch live stand-up every Sunday at 7 and 9:15 p.m. at the Bohemian Biergarten.
BATHE YOUR TOOTSIES AT DRAGONTREE SPA. PHOTO BY AIMEE HECKEL
42. Visit the planetarium.
Fiske Planetarium offers everything from laser shows to shows about the stars, art, music and more.
BOULDER HOT SAUCE. COURTESY PHOTO
43. Cozy up at the library.
Boulder’s public library is so much cooler than an ordinary library. First, its children’s wing is cozy and fun and offers storytime reading all week long. Second, the library often organizes special events and it even has a theater, healthy restaurant and art gallery inside. The main branch is right on Boulder Creek, too, so you could stay here all day.
44. Swim in the warm-water therapy pool. The YMCA of Boulder Valley is what happens when the nonprofit Y meets the fittest city in America. This is a level above any other YMCA that you might have visited before. Find unique offerings like meditation classes, a warmwater therapy pool, ice hockey and more.
45. Ski indoors.
Shredder Urban Ski and Snowboard Park in Boulder makes skiing and snowboarding a year-round (and easy-to-access) event for kids. They can take ski and snowboard lessons in this indoor ski training facility that uses synthetic snow, man-built hills and various drills and obstacles to build the skills necessary to have success on the real mountains.
46. Go snowshoeing.
A few of our favorite destinations include Rabbit Mountain Open Space, Heil Valley Ranch and Bear Peak Trail. Bolder Adventure Travel is one company that can take you out on a snowshoeing adventure. It can provide transportation to and from your hotel and customize the route to your level of fitness, interests and time available.
47. Bathe your tootsies.
Warm your toes with a luxurious foot bath at the Dragontree Spa on Pearl Street.
SNOWSHOEING WITH BOLDER ADVENTURE TRAVEL. COURTESY PHOTO
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THE BOULDER WINTER BUCKET LIST (CONTINUED)
BEYOND BOULDER Here are some winter bucket list destinations beyond Boulder County.
Visit the Ice Castles in Dillon.
BY SARAH KUTA
VEGAN VACAY AT ST JULIEN Winter is the perfect time to treat yourself — but what if you’ve got dietary restrictions or you’re training for a big upcoming athletic event? You can still plan a relaxing (or romantic) getaway or staycation, Boulder style.
Imagine walking through an elaborate castle built entirely of ice, with clusters of icicles adorning the archways like crystal chandeliers. Wander through white hallways, walk past a functioning water fountain built entirely out of ice, sit in a frozen throne and slip down a human-sized ice luge.
See incredible snow sculptures in Breckenridge. The International Snow Sculpture Championships pits 16 teams from around the world against each other to hand-carve 20-ton piles of snow. The public is invited to visit this event (now more than 30 years old) and watch as the snow evolves into detailed, elaborate pieces of temporary art. This contest spans five days and turns Breckenridge into a unique, chilly, pop-up art gallery.
Blend fire and ice in Loveland.
Head to St Julien Hotel & Spa, where you can indulge without sacrificing your lifestyle with the Very Vegan package. You’ll get an overnight stay in one of St Julien’s heavenly rooms and a $50 food and beverage credit so you can try the Monday night vegan tasting menu, Friday vegan lunch buffet or one of the seasonally rotating vegan dishes on the dinner menu at the hotel’s on-site restaurant, Jill’s.
The Fire and Ice Festival includes snow and ice sculpting, as well as fireworks, fire-breathing performers and fire sculpting. Enjoy the beautiful artwork, sip hot chocolate and treat yourself to free entertainment.
You’ll also get a vegan cocktail, named the Cruisin’ in Rio, made with Novo Fogo cachaça, Aperol, passionfruit, lime and bitters.
Jackson Hole is known for being a gnarly mountain with lots of difficult terrain, so it’s a hardcore shredder’s paradise. Rising more than 4,000 feet from the floor of the valley, the resort has the longest continuous vertical rise of any U.S. ski area. If you’re brave enough, you can access more than 3,000 acres of backcountry terrain from the ski area.
But perhaps the best part: You’ll be treated to The Pampered Vegan spa treatment, which includes a full-body massage, a vegan body scrub with organic sunflower oil and finely ground sugar and a warm scalp massage with wild lime and avocado oils. Be sure to give yourself some extra time to unwind in the spa relaxation lounge, which includes a 50-foot indoor lap pool, a hot tub, a fitness center and a patio with views of the Flatirons. PHOTO ABOVE: INSIDE ST JULIEN HOTEL SPA. COURTESY PHOTO
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Explore the world’s biggest snow fort in Keystone. Snowtopia is a massive creation great for families. After exploring the corners of this unique structure, go tubing down the mountain and take in the spectacular views.
Go on a road trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Take a ski trip to Taos Ski Valley. Explore this ski areas that is off the beaten path. There’s a mystique about Taos that you have to experience to understand.
Visit a dude ranch north of Steamboat Springs. You can find plenty of opportunities to connect with horses at Vista Verde Ranch, an all-inclusive dude ranch that will make you feel like you’re roughin’ it like a cowboy — but not too rough. The ranch, located roughly 40 minutes north of Steamboat Springs and a little more than four hours from Boulder, is like a secluded winter paradise.
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SHOPPING
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INSIDE LOLO RUGS AND GIFTS ON THE PEARL STREET MALL. PHOTO BY AIMEE HECKEL
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YOUR GUIDE TO WINTER SHOPPING IN BOULDER BY AIMEE HECKEL
The downtown mall area is home to more than 400 businesses, from BOULDER IS SO MUCH MORE THAN jewelry stores to bookstores to some of the more fashionable shops in town. The 40-plus-year-old Pearl Street is a healthy combination of local CROCS, FLEECE JACKETS AND TIE- and chain shops (although downtown is mostly independent stores). Locally run faves include the Boulder Book Store, Classic Facets, Violette, Art Mart Gifts and Peppercorn. DYE T-SHIRTS. THE CITY IS HOME TO The pedestrian stretch of the mall is only four blocks long (from 11th to 15th but the shopping here extends much farther: from about 8th HIGH-END BOUTIQUES WITH FAMOUS Streetstreets), to the west to about 22nd Street to the east, with a few scattered beyond that perimeter. DESIGNERS, TOO. NOT TO MENTION shopsTheeven east and west sides of Pearl are distinctly different. A THRIVING ARTS COMMUNITY THAT WEST END The west end of Pearl has a few chains (like Urban Outfitters), but it’s INFLUENCES ITS FASHION. proudly local. It feels quaint (despite a flashy new development near 10th As a community with a strong entrepreneurial spirit that values independent businesses, Boulder is packed with unique, one-of-a-kind stores that make for amazing shopping. You can find everything from high fashion to thrift stores, shopping for all budgets and needs. Here’s where to shop, whether you want a memorable souvenir, that perfect holiday gift or an only-in-Boulder creation.
Street) and winds close to the base of the foothills. John Atencio is a high-end, Colorado-based jeweler located in the new development on west Pearl. Or for one-of-a-kind antique jewelry, Classic Facets is second to none. West Pearl also boasts the likes of Shoe Fly (for fashionable — you guessed it — shoes), Two Hands Paperie and Piece, Love & Chocolate (because chocolate makes a great gift, too).
BOULDER’S SHOPPING DISTRICTS
EAST PEARL
Boulder’s got everything to fill your shopping bags: high-end designers, bargains, chains, one-of-a-kind local goodies. And while you’ll find shops scattered across the city, many cluster together in convenient shopping districts, where you can hit up a variety with only one parking stop. Boulder has multiple full-scale malls, strip malls, collectives, markets and shopping districts. Here’s a breakdown of where to shop in Boulder.
East Pearl is longer and feels bigger-city than west, with wider-open streets farther from the mountains. It’s definitely worth the walk, especially for the independent shops like Angie Star Jewelry, Common Era and Violette (the best place in Boulder to get dresses).
BOULDER ARTS & CRAFTS The Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery, 1421 Pearl St., is a shopping collection within a district. This shop on the mall carries goods from hundreds of artists from across the state and beyond, boasting 20,000-plus mostly one-of-a-kind products from paintings to jewelry to glass to pottery to furniture. At more than 45 years old, this gallery is one of the oldest artist co-ops in the nation. Everything here is handcrafted. >
PEARL STREET MALL Pearl Street is not only the heart of Boulder as a city, but it’s also the main artery of shopping in town. This quirky walking mall is one of the most popular tourist destinations and it was even named one of the country’s best open-air pedestrian malls by the Wall Street Journal.
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SHOPPING (CONTINUED)
PEPPERCORN. PHOTO BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
DOWNTOWN Pearl Street is a part of downtown, but don’t limit your shopping just to the street itself. Venture a bit north and south to find some incredible shopping on the fringes of downtown. Just a few of the notable offerings include the high-end Max Clothing Store, 1177 Walnut St.; the Ritz, 959 Walnut St., one of Boulder’s best costume shops; and Chantique Antiques and Chandeliers, 2020 11th St.
THE HILL University Hill, aka “The Hill,” is south of downtown near the University of Colorado campus. Needless to say, it’s popular among the younger crowd, but visitors of all ages can enjoy the independent, unique shops here. The selection includes Albums on the Hill (a record store), the Root of the Hill (a clothing store that also sells glassware, skate stuff, art supplies and more) and The Fitter, owned by twin sisters since 1973. The Fitter sells clothes, hats, smoking paraphernalia, glass and other goodies like that.
TWENTY NINTH STREET MALL The Twenty Ninth Street Mall in central Boulder features more chains and big names than anywhere else in town. Here, you’ll find Victoria’s Secret, Nordstrom Rack, Lululemon, Macy’s, Anthropologie, Apple, Sephora, H&M and more.
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The mall actually has several different sections separated by roads, so make sure you visit them all. The mall refers to itself as an “open-air lifestyle center.” Within walking distance is a Target and Trader Joe’s. The mall also boasts tons of great places to eat, as well as a movie theater and a fitness center with a pool nearby. Across the busy 28th Street, you can find other strip malls with more shops.
TABLE MESA Head to south Boulder’s Table Mesa mall on South Broadway for more shopping options: in particular, outdoor shops like Neptune Mountaineering, Boulder Cycle Sport South and Play It Again Sports. Score home goods at the Tuesday Morning chain. This is the place to shop in south Boulder, with more than 50 different businesses, as well as a grocery store. Table Mesa also has great coffee (Cafe Sole) and beer (Southern Sun Brewery). The shopping center was built in the 1960s but has undergone some renovations over the years.
NOBO North Boulder has its own district, too. This one is all about art, so head here if you want something unique. The NoBo Art District organizes First Friday Artwalks, where you can visit artist studios and shop right at the source of creation. The district is a group of more than 200 local artists and creative businesses along Broadway on the northernmost edge of town. >
CROSSROADS COMMONS
A few creative highlights here include The Amazing Garage Sale, where you can find the coolest retro furniture and home goods, and DSH Perfumes/The Essence Studio, where you can get custom perfume crafted specifically for your body and style.
Crossroads Commons, 2905 Pearl St., is a busy shopping area at the end of Pearl Street. The heart here is the ever-packed Whole Foods, but the Barnes & Noble and Bicycle Village are also big draws. Crossroads Commons is also a great place to get a massage, mani/pedi, haircut, fake tan, tooth cleaning and bikini wax — maybe not all in one sitting, although you could do them all without having to get in the car.
FLATIRON CROSSING MALL This massive mall is actually in Broomfield, but it’s a close enough drive from Boulder that it’s worth mentioning. This is more of a traditional indoor mall with just about every big chain you can imagine (about 200 stores, in fact), but it’s connected with an outdoor walking mall, as well as a great movie theater. Stores include The Container Store, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Macy’s, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Old Navy and Nordstrom.
MORE ON SHOPPING IN BOULDER Get the full scoop on shopping in Boulder with Travel Boulder’s Ultimate Guide to Shopping online: travelboulder.com/boulders-ultimate-guideshopping. Here, you will find: • The best Boulder souvenirs that aren’t cheesy • The weirdest shops in Boulder County • Boulder’s best locally owned shops • Fill up on foodie shopping • Tips and tricks for shopping in Boulder • Top-notch outdoor and athletic stores • Boulder’s greatest health and wellness shops • The most fashionable shops on the Pearl Street Mall • The guide to high-end vs. affordable shops • Local shops for hobbies • Children’s shops in Boulder • Boulder’s music stores • Shopping near Boulder: Louisville vs. Superior • A profile on the Fresh Produce Clothing store >
VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER The Village is a collection of more than 40 shops (90 percent local) centrally located between Arapahoe and Canyon and 28th and Folsom streets. This is an outdoor strip mall, but it’s nicely appointed and home to some of Boulder’s most beloved staples, such as McGuckins Hardware (seriously, it has everything), Grandrabbits Toy Shoppe, Colorado Multisport and Pedestrian Shops (which also has a Pearl Street presence). Also make sure you visit Epic Mountain Gear.
ALCOVE ON ARAPAHOE/ ARAPAHOE VILLAGE Alcove on Arapahoe (also known as Arapahoe Village), 2798 Arapahoe Ave., is a smaller shopping center in central Boulder. The anchor here is Safeway, but shoppers also love to get home goods at Homegoods, Pier 1 Imports and JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts. This is also where to find a Petco in Boulder.
A SHOPPER PASSES BY BOULDER ARTS & CRAFTS ON THE PEARL STREET MALL. PHOTO BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
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Holiday Gift Guide
BY BRITTANY ANAS A HARPIST SETS THE SOUNDTRACK AT MCGUCKIN’S HARDWARE STORE DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON. SANTA HIMSELF IS TAKING TOY WORKSHOP ORDERS ON PEARL STREET DURING ST. NICK ON THE BRICKS. COME SUNDOWN, A GIANT STAR ILLUMINATES FLAGSTAFF MOUNTAIN, CASTING A PRETTY, GOLDEN GLOW HIGH ABOVE THE CITY. WHAT WE’RE GETTING AT? SHOPPING IN BOULDER DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS A MAGICAL AND MULTI-SENSORY EXPERIENCE. SO, SKIP THE INTERNET, GRAB A COFFEE OR HOT CHOCOLATE AT SPRUCE CONFECTIONS AND COMMENCE YOUR SEARCH FOR THE BEST-EVER GIFTS. HERE, A HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE — BOULDER EDITION.
GIFTS UNDER $50 1. CANDY CANE LANE TEA: Did you 1. Celestial Seasonings Tea
know Boulder-born Celestial Seasonings celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019? The iconic tea maker crafts a holiday blend that starts with decaffeinated green tea and adds cool peppermint, creamy vanilla and a dash of cinnamon. A box of 20 ($3.49) will help stock stuffings or make a great host gift.
2. SOCKS: Socks for Christmas isn’t necessarily
original. Unless you gift these HotSox, which come with some fun designs and quippy expressions. Feliz Naughty Dog with a cute pup in the design? Feels on brand for Boulder. Come the holidays, McGuckin’s is a one-stop shop for decor and stocking stuffers like Hammond’s candy canes and gingerbread house assembly kits. That’s where we spotted these punny socks like “All the Jingle Ladies” for women and the “What’s Crackin?” nutcracker socks for men. McGuckin Hardware, socks are three for $18.
2. HotSox
3. A CHEW TOY FOR YOUR DOG: Some cliches are true; Boulder loves dogs. If you’ve got a good boy or girl on your list (and we’re betting you do), stop into Farfel’s Farm and Rescue. The Boulder shop on the west end of Pearl Street is like Toys “R” Us for dogs, stocked with gear, treats and beautifully woven collars. The Abaca-Dabra toys are made with super-strong fibers and are perfect for dogs who are known to chew apart their toys before the rest of the pack is finished unwrapping presents. We like this whimsical giraffe with a blue mane. Sturdy chew toys start around $12. 4. A BIG SUR-SCENTED CANDLE: Cedar & Hyde is a modern-day mercantile in downtown Boulder, with a thoughtfully curated collection of home goods. Really, it’s a goldmine for gifts with luxe spins, like a champagne bucket with leather handles (Who’s hosting New Year’s Eve?) and hexagonal felt coasters (You’re hosting? You’ll want to put these out). But an affordable gift from this high-end store that we love are the $28 coconut wax candles that can burn up to 60 hours each. The Bixby Creek scent has base notes of cedar and light notes of ginger. The Ragged Point candle has the cedar base notes, but a subtle smokiness. Both scents are inspired by Big Sur, California. 3. ABACA-DABRA CHEW TOY
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5. SPICES: Sugar and spice for your nice list. But make it local. While you’re at Savory Spice
Shop loading up on spices and rubs for your baking and holiday cooking, keep your eyes peeled for gift ideas. We suggest creating your own Colorado-inspired gift basket for those on your list who love to grill and cook. To do that, buy this trio of rubs: Pearl Street Plank Rub (a sweet and smoky rub that has a hint of maple), Flat Irons Prime Rib Rub (it’s oniony and peppery) and Mt. Evans Butcher’s Rub (a pepper-based rub with herbal notes). The spiceshop also has recipe cards incorporating the rubs that you can add to the gift basket. Savory Spice Shop, Pearl Street Plank Rub, $9.30; Flat Irons Prime Rib Rub, $7.70; and Mt. Evans Butcher’s Rub, $7.85. Total cost: $24.85.
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SHOPPING (CONTINUED)
GIFTS UNDER $100 6. TRAVEL BACKPACK: Got someone who loves
to travel on your “nice list?” Turn your attention to the Adventurist Backpack Co. The Denver-based company sells backpacks at Go Far on Pearl Street. The backpacks are stylish, minimalist and have padding to protect electronics, plus they’re 16-by-10-by-6 inches, making them a perfect fit for underneath the seat of an airplane. For every backpack sold, the company provides 25 meals to families in need in the United States through a partnership with Feeding America. The company has provided more than 100,000 meals since its launch. The Adventurist Classic ($65) comes in a halfdozen colors.
8. GOORIN BROTHERS FELT HAT
7. THE HEART COLLAGE: When is the last time
you developed film? How many great photos are in the forgotten folders on your iPhone? Turn your photos into art that’s worthy of some wall space — not your Facebook wall, your real wall. Admittedly, collages can be cheesy. Not this one from Mike’s Camera. You can go online and create a custom heart that’s made with 25 square photos. The most basic lab print starts at $30, but we’re eyeing a metal print for $72.
8. A PERFECT WINTER HAT: In a word, the 6. ADVENTURIST BACKPACK
Goorin Brothers hat shop on Pearl Street is handsome. Stylish fedoras and flatcaps fill the shop, with hats for both men and women. The unisex wool felt Henry Jones is a wide-brim hat that comes with a brown or black band. It feels just right for winter. The hat comes in right at $100.
13. CHANDELIER FROM LOLO RUGS & GIFTS
7. CUSTOM HEART COLLAGE FROM MIKE’S CAMERA
12. TODD REED CUFF BRACELET 11. GLEN RANDALL ART 10. COLORFUL POUF FROM GYPSY JEWEL
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What’s the difference between good and fabulous?
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PRICE DOESN’T MATTER 9. AN EXCURSION WITH A PRIVATE GUIDE:
The intrepid types on your gift list are itching to get outdoors and master a new adventure sport. Help them do just that by buying them a Boulder activity (or a gift card for one) from 57hours. The platform connects certified guides with adventure seekers, keeping things like skill level in mind. Activities in the Boulder area include mountain biking, backcountry skiing, climbing and kayaking. The service handles all the logistics, which makes it great for those to test drive a new sport before buying all the gear. Pricing varies, but a half day of climbing the Flatirons with a private lesson and guide starts at $175.
MAPLETON HILL | UNIVERSITY HILL | BELLA VISTA
10. CUSHY POUF: It’s as though a rainbow burst in Gypsy
theacademyboulder.com
Jewel, a color-saturated store on Pearl Street that sells imported scarves, jewelry and textiles from Southeast Asia. Beautiful cushy poufs with tassels can instantly brighten up a room, while also serving a practical purpose of adding more seating. Or, they’d make a perfect addition to a yoga space. Prices vary, but medium sized poufs are $126.
11. FLATIRONS ART: If Boulder were to have an official
postcard, we’d nominate the Flatirons. But, it’s tough to choose the season that these sandstone formations look their best. Dusted in snow in the winter? Sharing the snapshot with abundant flowers in the summer? Shrouded by a crimson glow in the fall? Rising out of a verdant landscape in the spring? Thankfully, local outdoors photographer Glenn Randall understands the conundrum; he captured all the seasons and put four photos on one beautiful piece of art. Art Mart Gifts, $129.
12. A TODD REED PIECE:
Every piece that luxury jeweler Todd Reed designs is hand-forged in the Boulder studio. Made by hand, the fine jewelry artistically incorporates raw and natural colored diamonds with recycled metals. Certainly a splurge item, a bangle bracelet with rose cut diamonds starts just under $1,000 and earrings dripping with diamonds can reach the $25,000 mark.
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13. CHANDELIER: Prepare to be hypnotized by the chande-
q
liers in Lolo Rugs and Gifts. The merry and bright Pearl Street shop’s Turkish mosaic chandeliers are bursting with color and are overthe-top in the best of ways, with the potential to define a room. Or an entire home. The more extravagant chandeliers are definitely splurges, but the shop carries smaller scale mosaic table lamps for under $60, too. Lolo Rugs and Gifts, Mosaic Chandelier for $6,000.
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MEET THE MAKER BY AIMEE HECKEL
KENNY REAVES, LAINA ALBRECHT AND JAY ALBRECHT INSIDE THE J ALBRECHT SHOP IN DOWNTOWN BOULDER.
A BOULDER GEM
PHOTOS BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
Behind the Scenes at J Albrecht Designs
If you’re lucky, you might get a glimpse of real makers’ magic when you walk past the windows of J Albrecht Designs on the west end of the Pearl Street Mall. This high-end shop, at 951 Pearl St., isn’t your ordinary, modern jewelry store with sales associates standing behind cases of trendy rings and necklaces. This is so Boulder, in all the best ways. It’s family run by Colorado natives. Jay Albrecht himself is a fourthgeneration Coloradan, whose family dates back to the Civil War era
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around here. “We’re Colorado, through and through,” he says. When you walk into the shop, you’ll talk to the actual jewelry designers and makers. While you can buy some pieces out of the case, the most popular (and growing) niche is custom jewelry. That’s J Albrecht’s specialty. Got an idea or want help developing a completely original jewelry concept? Staff here can bring it to life (and if needed, make it structurally sound so it will last). >
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HANDMADE JEWELRY FROM J ALBRECHT travelboulder.com
MEET THE MAKER
“
It’s the same materials — beautiful diamonds and gold — but more wearable, more in tune with the modern lifestyle. We do that purposefully. That’s our lifestyle, as well. We’re not designing tiaras. This is jewelry meant to be worn and enjoyed. –Jay Albrecht
J ALBRECHT DESIGNS STACKING RINGS. COURTESY PHOTO
KENNY REAVES CLEANS A CLIENT’S RING.
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”
LAINA ALBRECHT CLEANS AND POLISHES A RING FOR A CLIENT.
And perhaps most surprising to visitors, most jewelry is made right there, in house. If the curtains are open (sometimes they’re pulled shut for lighting reasons when setting stones) and you’re walking past, you can watch the jewelry being made. While Albrecht calls his business’s unique style “elegant-casual” and “in tune with the modern Colorado lifestyle,” something about this jewelry store harks back to older times — when makers passed down their crafts to their children, and you could walk into your neighborhood jeweler with a wish and get it made just for you. In fact, both of those ring true for Albrecht. He grew up in a family
jewelry business and learned the trade that way. He, his wife Laina (who went to the University of Colorado in Boulder) and his brother-in-law, Kenny Reaves, started the business together. Reaves is a goldsmith, along with Riley Huber and Chrissie Paris. The Albrecht family opened the shop 15 years ago in east Boulder County and moved to the Pearl Street Mall more than a decade ago. They’ve watched the mall evolve and grow, and with it, J Albrecht Designs has grown, too. “We have solidified our reputation in town,” Albrecht says. >
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MEET THE MAKER
OUTSIDE THE J ALBRECHT STORE ON PEARL STREET.
As the west end of the mall has filled out, he says he attracts increasingly more travelers, in addition to the long-time local customers. Driven by internet shopping trends, he says his customers are typically looking for something unique and different. For that, J Albrecht’s characteristic design channels Boulder’s style, Albrecht says: heirloomquality, beautiful, fine jewelry that’s wearable every day. “We engineer them to be worn like that,” Albrecht says. “We understand where we live and what we’re doing, as far as the activities, and we tailor our designs to that.” Don’t expect stones sitting high off the finger and delicate pieces you can’t wear with an active lifestyle. “It’s the same materials — beautiful diamonds and gold — but more wearable, more in tune with the modern lifestyle,” he says. “We do that purposefully. That’s our lifestyle, as well. We’re not designing tiaras. This is jewelry meant to be worn and enjoyed.” While J Albrecht does not offer tours of its workroom (there’s some expensive stuff back there), every day of the week jewelry is made in the shop. The only step not completed on-site is the casting.
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CONNOR STAUFFER AND SOFIE GRAHAM TALK TO JAY ALBRECHT ABOUT SIZING AND DESIGN FOR GRAHAM’S ENGAGEMENT RING.
“People like coming in and speaking to the designers and makers face to face. Oftentimes with the internet, you can’t do that,” Albrecht says. “It’s a very valuable thing a lot of people want, including young people.” Solidifying its Boulder vibe, the environment here is casual, complete with a shop dog, an English bulldog named Frida. As the website (jalbrechtdesigns.com) explains, “Forget the snob quality.” While the shop does carry a few other carefully curated jewelry lines (that they’ve been carrying since the beginning), the family doesn’t commission out the work, all the way down to the website. Laina Albrecht wrote and designed it herself. Big stores dominate the market, Jay Albrecht says, but there’s still a market for people who want to shop local and value hand-crafted, personal work. “People are so used to walking into a jewelry store speaking to salespeople, which is fine; there are all sorts of ways to run shops,” Albrecht says. “But there’s a pride in dealing directly with the people who are responsible for everything. In a city like Boulder that’s more cosmopolitan than it ever has been, to still have that local, home flavor is really valuable.”
SPAN
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Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence
www.safehousealliance.org Crisis Line: 303.444.2424 Outreach Center: 303.449.8623 835 North St. Boulder, CO 80304
SPAN is a human rights organization committed to ending violence against adults, youth and children through support, advocacy, education and community organizing. SPAN serves Boulder and Broomfield counties. This year is SPAN’s 40th Anniversary. In 40 years, SPAN has provided support to over 330,000 survivors of domestic violence and their children.
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John Allen Woodward
1505 Pearl Street Boulder, CO johnallenwoodward.com (720) 667-4846
Made on the premises, one piece at a time. Master craftsman John Allen Woodward and son craft works of art in the front window of their Pearl street store and workshop. People stop and stare as the magic of making one of a kind boots, shoes, belts, bags, wallets and belt buckles unfolds. There aren’t many places in the world where you can see a master leather craftsman creating their work but that’s exactly what you can do right here in Boulder. “I love the magic of making. Whether it’s shoes or boots or music… You have an idea that you pull out of space, and
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you gather a pile of raw materials on a bench and at the end of the day, that image becomes real. Real Magic”, says John Allen Woodward. John Allen Woodward got his start making cowboy boots in 1992 in Nashville while pursuing a music career. After years with stores in California, John relocated to Boulder. John’s work has recently been featured in shows for Netflix and Fox Television.
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BEER
HELLES-STYLE LAGER. PHOTO COURTESY OF BOULDER BEER COMPANY 44FESTBIER WINTER-SPRING 2019-20
BOULDER BEER TURNS 40
CANNING LINE AT BOULDER BEER COMPANY. PHOTO BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
BY AIMEE HECKEL
THE COLORADO CRAFT BEER CULTURE STARTED HUMBLY IN 1979, WITH TWO UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO PROFESSORS MESSING AROUND WITH HOME BREWING.
Boulderite’s taste buds can keep track of. But back then, it was Coors and a few dozen other breweries with mostly lighter lagers and pilsners.
Home brewing had only just been legalized. Few people were doing it casually, much less as a business. The ingredients, the equipment and the methods were hard to find. But David Hummer and “Stick” Ware (nicknamed for his height) were curious, smart and motivated (after all, they were astrophysics professors). They hunted down the parts and techniques and experimented with recipes, inspired by the full-flavored ales they’d tasted while traveling in Europe. Forty years later, it’s hard to imagine Boulder (or Colorado) without craft beer, home brew and more styles of beer than even the beer-iest
As the story goes, after a few years, their wives grew sick of the smell of hops in their homes and sent their buckets of brew off to an old goat shed in the Hygiene area.
These two Boulder professors would help change all of that. “They were learning as they went. They were explorers, going into the unknown,” says Tess McFadden.
It was out of that little goat shed that Boulder Beer Company was born. Boulder Beer was the first craft brewery in Colorado and the 43rd brewery in the modern brewery era, since the Prohibition repeal. To put that into perspective, today there are more than 7,000 breweries and growing. >
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BEER
NINA ROY, QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER, TESTS BACTERIA SAMPLES AT BOULDER BEER COMPANY. PHOTO BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
BREWER MARY COSENZA FILTERS BEER AT BOULDER BEER COMPANY. PHOTO BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
BREWER SEAN SPRINGMEIER STIRS IN THE MASH WHILE BREWING AT BOULDER BEER COMPANY. PHOTO BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
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With nearly 400 breweries in 2019, Colorado continues to have one of the highest number of breweries in the nation(and nine breweries per 100,000 residents). It was ranked second in the nation for the total, according to the Brewers Association, up from nearly 350 breweries in 2017. It’s hard to deny Boulder Beer’s role in the growth. Many breweries in Colorado and across the nation spiraled off Boulder Beer, with former employees going off to launch their own businesses. McFadden, who is a spokesperson for Boulder Beer, can rattle off successful breweries in Oklahoma, Virginia, Wisconsin and even Sanitas Brewing in Boulder that branch off the Boulder Beer family tree. “It goes all over the place,” McFadden says. “Not just brewers who started here, but also people in different departments who went off to stay in the brewing industry. It’s fun to have a network of people who all have fond memories of this place.” The historic significance, combined with Boulder Beer’s popular creations, has turned this brewery into a bucket-list destination for beer lovers visiting Colorado, as well as locals. Boulder Beer celebrated its fourth decade with a facelift: It spruced up its outdoor patio (open year-round) and rebranded its logo and packaging. This summer, it held a big birthday bash and released a special 40th Anniversary Beer (that’s the name). You can still taste the limitededition beer on tap and in bomber bottles, as supply lasts; don’t worry, they brewed an extra batch this fall for the Great American Beer Festival. Boulder Beer is one of only five breweries that has participated in every GABF since it started in the early 1980s. McFadden calls the 40th Anniversary Beer a “nice, big beer,” with 9 percent alcohol by volume. It’s an oak-aged, golden ale, but without any Belgian spiciness. It was aged on fresh oak chips and then finished with (get this) champagne yeast and pineapple. Right. It’s different. But people love it. At Boulder Beer’s summer party, guests could vote for their favorite beer and the 40th Anniversary Beer won. “What makes it so unique is it’s big and boozy, but it has a lighter-bodied base beer to start, and the champagne yeast dries it out a little bit, making it effervescent,” McFadden says. >
BARTENDER LAWRENCE HUPP POURS BEERS FOR CUSTOMERS AT BOULDER BEER COMPANY. PHOTO BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY BEER BEING POURED. PHOTO COURTESY OF BOULDER BEER COMPANY
BACK PATIO AT BOULDER BEER COMPANY. PHOTO BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
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BEER
GRATEFUL DEAD COVER BAND SEEING STARS PLAYS ON THE PATIO AT BOULDER BEER COMPANY. PHOTO BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
“The pineapple’s really subtle, so for being such a strong beer, it has a refreshing aspect to it, too. It’s different and has had such a good response to that.” And really, you’d expect nothing else. Boulder Beer has some innovative styles of beer (like a blood orange IPA), yet it’s been brewing IPA for more than 15 years, long before the current IPA craze. Mojo IPA is considered a classic Colorado IPA: hoppy and bitter. For many discerning drinkers, it’s a forever favorite. Over the years, many names have been interesting, too. Recent releases include Spaceman Double IPA and Gender Fluid Lager. In true Boulder fashion, Boulder Beer is known for its experimentation, and that has had a ripple effect, encouraging other brewers to get creative, McFadden says. “Who knows how far that ripple goes, but I have to think they played a part,” she says. Here are some ways you can celebrate Boulder Beer’s 40th anniversary in 2019 and 2020:
1. TRY A SEASONAL FAVORITE. This fall and winter, you can enjoy two of Boulder Beer’s popular seasonals. The Oktoberfest-inspired Festbier is a German-style, helles lager that’s light and crisp. Irish Blessing is available December through St. Patrick’s Day. It’s an oakaged coffee stout; the oak chips are soaked in Irish whiskey, and the beer is conditioned on those. Although this is Irish Blessing’s fourth season,
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it has a new label design. If you’re in Boulder late March or early April, look for Perilous, the newest spring-summer beer, a prickly pear cactus-infused wheat beer. In a glass, it almost looks like rosé and is just as refreshing on a warm day.
2. VISIT THE PUB ON WILDERNESS. This taphouse is the old-school location (er, well, since the goat shed), 2880 Wilderness Place, making it a total destination. You won’t just stumble upon it; you have to choose to go there because it’s in the middle of an office park (which grew up around the brewery). But it’s worth the trek. Here, you can get a free tour of the brewery, complete with free samples. One thing many people don’t realize is the Boulder Beer pub also has a full bar, complete with spirits, wine, non-alcoholic options and cider for gluten-free visitors. The brewery also has a full restaurant known for smoking its own meats onsite. There are lunch and dinner specials daily. From 11 a.m.-2 p.m. there’s even weekend brunch complete with “beermosas.” Think: a blood orange IPA or fruity hop with a dash of OJ. You know, a “breakfast beer.” The patio welcomes dogs on leash and kids and regularly hosts live music.
3. LEARN ABOUT BEER (AND LOCAL HISTORY). The free tour brings you through the entire brewery up close and personally, not behind glass from afar. Learn about the brewing process, from fermentation to canning to kegging. Bonus: You end with free beer.
WELCOME TO THE NAPA VALLEY OF CRAFT BEER 3 BEST BREWERY TOURS IN BOULDER
BY CALLIE PEDERSON Whether you’re walking around the Pearl Street Mall, out on your bike or just sightseeing around town, you’re guaranteed to come across a brewery or two. With all the adventure and hard work (play) that takes place here, it’s no wonder that many end their days with an ice cold beer. With breweries, when you’ve seen one you have not seen them all. Each brewery is unique and puts its own spin on things. Some use exotic fruits, allow their beers to age in bourbon barrels or use only locally grown ingredients. A brewery tour allows you to understand the science behind how beer is made and where the ingredients come from. You’ll learn what it takes to make a great beer, from choosing the right grains to the bottling process and everything in between. No matter which brewery you decide to visit in Boulder, you can’t go wrong. However, if you want the best experience possible that allows you to not only try delicious beer but also take an awesome tour, check out the top three brewery tours in Boulder. Each of these breweries is notable because they offer guided, scheduled tours instead of only upon request. The tours are educational and more structured, rather than just being casually shown around by a bartender. These are also the three of the largest breweries in Boulder, which means impressive production facilities. As a bonus, they all three offer food options, live music and events, which many other breweries in town don’t have.
HERE ARE OUR THREE FAVORITE BREWERY TOURS: Boulder Beer Boulder Beer is our favorite brew tour in Boulder. The facility has an old-timey, English pub feel. The tour takes about 45 minutes to an hour. No reservations are taken. It’s first come, first served. Capacity for tours is 30 people, so stop in early and get your name on the list. Some of the most popular beers here include Hazed & Infused, Mojo IPA and Shake Chocolate Porter. Avery Brewing Company Get a guided tour any day of the week at Avery. Tours are at 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Weekend tours start a little earlier, at 2 p.m., plus an extra one at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. You can also book a private tour. Some popular Avery beers include White Rascal and Avery IPA. Upslope Upslope has two locations in Boulder (1898 S. Flatiron Court and 1501 Lee Hill Drive), both with a local and welcoming feel, perfect for après beers. Upslope offers several different beers year-round, including a rotating Limited Release Series, in addition to the unique Tap Room and Lee Hill Series brews. With 24 different beers on draft at the Flatiron Park taproom and 14 beers at the Lee Hill facility, there is something for every beerdrinker. Saturday tours at the Lee Hill tap room are 4 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the Flatiron Park brewery. Light food options are available and both tap rooms are dog-friendly. Visit the website for the food truck and live music schedule. The most popular Upslope beers include the Upslope IPA and awardwinning Upslope Craft Lager. Don’t forget to try their craft hard seltzer, Spiked Snowmelt, too.
Resource Conservation
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A YOUNG RIDER WAVES WHILE RIDING THE CAROUSEL OF HAPPINESS.
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The Carousel of Happiness PHOTOS BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
BY AIMEE HECKEL
AS THE ANIMALS WHIRL ROUND AND ROUND, THE WORLD BEYOND THE CAROUSEL MELTS INTO A BLUR OF COLORS AND SOUNDS. REALITY HANGS ON THE MELODY OF A 1913 WURLITZER ORGAN. No matter which seat you choose, you are riding history and a dream. Each hand-carved, wooden animal in the menagerie has its own story and symbolism. In fact, this unusual carousel in Nederland is a many-layered swirl of stories and symbolism. On the surface, it’s colorful, playful, whimsical and fun. After all, this is the Carousel of Happiness, and the sign at the front door urges: “We are open for rides. Don’t delay joy.” From the outside, 20 Lakeview Drive is already a curious building, wooden with 12 sides. It sits next to a row of old train cars converted into a coffee shop (you can smell its fresh mini donuts in the air). Circus animals painted on the train seem to be eyeing the entrance of the carousel. Step inside the Carousel of Happiness. You immediately notice the quirky gift shop filled with puppets and gifts, and you hear that old organ. Its cheerful tune feels like a step back in time.
What you may not realize is you are standing inside the mind of U.S. Marine Scott Harrison. Harrison, originally from Texas, served in the Vietnam War. While in service, his sister sent him a small music box. When he wound it up and pressed the boxless mechanism against his head, he could hear it playing Chopin’s “Tristes,” and the sweet jingle reminded him of a lighthearted, innocent carousel at the fair. When the terrors of combat, death and firefights felt like too much, Harrison would wind up that music box and hold it to his head, letting the music calm him. While listening, he was temporarily transported out of the battlefields as a machine-gunner by imagining the most beautiful carousel spinning in a mountain meadow. “I had a vision that was the exact opposite of where I was. It helped me survive the war,” he says. Across the world, a different kind of survival story was also unfolding. It was the tale of The Carousel at Saltair. The Carousel at Saltair was designed in 1910 by one of the most famous carousel makers in the day, Charles I.D. Looff. His creation went to Salt Lake City, Utah, where it ran for nearly 50 years. But not without a fight. The carousel caught on fire multiple times and was ravaged by
wind storms. It was struck by lightning. In one storm, a roller coaster was blown on top of the carousel. It was rebuilt with two rows of animals instead of four. Another time, the Carousel at Saltair was the lone attraction to survive a massive park fire, miraculously untouched by the tragedy. In the late ‘50s, the park declared bankruptcy and the carousel was given to a school, where it served people with mental and physical disabilities. They enjoyed it for 27 more years. But in the ‘80s, an investor bought the carousel. The animals had good resale value (only a few hundred wooden carousels remain in the country today), so he picked them off the ride and cast aside the empty frame. It sat abandoned and unused, soon headed to a scrap metal yard. Until Harrison heard about it. He was long back from battle and had long since lost his beloved music box (left behind after he was injured and sent to a hospital in Japan), but the fantasy still lived in his mind. He had moved to Nederland, built a house for his family and used the scrap wood to build three carousel-style animals: a rabbit, panda and giraffe. His carving was self-taught, and he had no experience repairing amusement park rides, but he knew he needed to bring it to life: a beautiful carousel in a mountain meadow. >
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TBA
MURPHY ROBINSON (RIGHT) LAUGHS AND HOLDS HANDS WITH HIS DAUGHTER, REMI ROBINSON (LEFT), 6, WHILE RIDING THE CAROUSEL OF HAPPINESS.
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MAY DALLAS, 18 MONTHS, WAVES WHILE RIDING ON THE HAND-CARVED ANIMALS ON THE CAROUSEL OF HAPPINESS.
He and a friend took two weekends to disassemble what remained of the carousel’s frame and drive it to its new home in the Colorado mountains. Here, it would transform into the Carousel of Happiness, but it would take 26 years. “It was a labor of love,” says Mary Heinrich, the community outreach manager for the carousel. “He worked full-time with Amnesty International and was a father with two kids. This was something he would do in the evenings and weekends.” He taught himself how to use knives, chisels, gouges, power tools and wooden mallets to craft 56 different animals, and not just the regular horses (although there is one pony). His first carving, the rabbit, now lives on the sign in front of the carousel. Harrison eventually made an alpaca, bear, calico cat, camel, cheetah, cow, coyote, deer and dolphin — and that’s just to the letter D. Each animal has a story worthy of its own chapter in a book. A gorilla inspired by a real gorilla he met in then-Zaire. A snake wrapped around a giraffe based on an ancient sculpture a friend saw in Botswana. A donkey for a miner friend who used donkeys to pull his carts. A white “ghost” camel expressing Harrison’s
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feelings about the Gulf War. And hidden inside the box-style core of each animal is a special poem, story or piece of art.
The carousel is an inspiration and a survivor too, but against so many odds, it continues to spread happiness. Each animal is also a symbol. The bear leaning over a bench (with yin-yang decorated wings) embodies healing, personal health, strength and bravery. (Perhaps a fitting seat for a veteran.) The camel signifies patience and perseverance. You know, like a person who might spend decades bringing an old fantasy to life for others to enjoy. Some animals (the ones on golden spindles) go up and down while the carousel whirls. Others, like the romantic swan cart, are stationary. Even beyond the animals, powerful stories hide throughout the building. Take the “Somewhere Else” wall. It’s the only windowless wall of the building, made with a special crushed marble and limestone mixture that’s supposed to allow your imagination to flow
through. Parts of carved animals peek through the wall, as if they’re alive and coming or going. Buried inside the wall: the urn and ashes of one of the carousel’s biggest fans, a woman who died in a motorcycle accident while driving the new bike off the dealership lot, and a blood-stained rock of a veteran who died in Afghanistan. While Harrison was finishing the wall, two strangers knocked on the carousel’s door. They had been on a cross-country roadtrip with the rock, which they had picked up at the scene of an accident where they lost their friend in war. “They wanted to bury the rock with messages to him, far from Afghanistan,” Harrison says. They somehow ended up at the carousel, standing in front of the Somewhere Else wall, with another veteran who understood. The rock is part of the carousel now. “Maybe it’s magic or serendipity. I don’t quite know why. But people react in here,” Harrison says. Harrison didn’t want to make any ol’ goofy amusement park ride. He wanted to make something meaningful, something that could bring more joy into the world. Just like the music box that he brought to war.
The restoration of the ride itself took time, too, but Harrison managed to preserve the original motor and controller. On July 25, 2008 (later deemed Twirling Girl Day by the mayor), Harrison broke ground on the building, but he was not alone. Hundreds of community members banded together to raise $700,000 to design and build the carousel’s new home: an ecofriendly structure reminiscent of a circus tent, with 12 sides. It opened in 2010 on Memorial Day. Today, it is inexpensive to ride: only $2 a whirl, thanks to the volunteers who keep the cost down. The nonprofit, whose mission is to spread happiness, is open seven days a week. You can even rent the carousel for special events and it has been host to hundreds of weddings, memorials, birthdays and more. In addition to the carousel (tip: head upstairs where you can watch the inner workings of the ride from above), the building is decorated with interesting art, like a mural of endangered species. Look up and you’ll see small fairies hiding in the eaves. The top of the carousel is lined with historic art from other carousels. While watching the carousel, look up for the egg sculpture and watch it appear to crack and birth a frog who turns into a girl who turns into a swan, an illusion created by the spinning of the ride. Upstairs, you will also find a puppet theater in a restored band organ facade. And since the Carousel of Happiness is built on memories, if you have a story you want to preserve, you can record it in the Story Catcher sound booth and leave with your own copy on a USB drive, in exchange for a small suggested donation. Beyond the carousel’s walls, Harrison’s newest project is the Counsel of Kindness, a reflective space at the Medicine Horse Program in Boulder. Harrison noticed that some people would come to the Carousel of Happiness but weren’t at a point where they wanted to feel happiness yet. Or maybe they needed a different way to heal. Twirling and playfulness doesn’t work for everyone. “He took this to heart and created five huge animals for a more contemplative space for people who are going through a hard time,” Heinrich says. It’s a private circle for people to meet with family or a therapist to work through things in a quiet space, she says. “In my eyes, Scott has gone through a lot in his life. He’s made these great, creative ways to deal with the horrors that he saw in war,” Heinrich says. “He’s been so creative in his way to deal with that sorrow and that pain and to heal. How great of him to share his creations and vision with the rest of the world.” She sees the carousel itself as an inspiration, too. It is also a survivor, but against so many odds, it continues to spread happiness. “Bringing happiness has always been a part of a carousel,” she says. “Then Scott brought it to life in a whole new way.” PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: IRON AND WOOD WORK MAKE UP THE BONES OF THE CAROUSEL OF HAPPINESS. CAROUSEL OPERATOR TAD MILLER POINTS OUT DIFFERENT DETAILS IN THE ARTWORK AND CARVINGS OF THE CAROUSEL OF HAPPINESS. JOHNNY DEVISSER RIDES WITH HIS SON, HAYDEN, ON THE CAROUSEL OF HAPPINESS.
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ARTIST PROFILE
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BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE WITH THE VISIONARY ARTIST SONYA SHANNON BY AIMEE HECKEL
ARTIST SONYA SHANNON | KATHERINE MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY
Some people break down into tears when they see the artwork. Seven bodies leap and dance in a circle over ancient ruins. Their flying fabric is ablaze in flames. The painting looks like a classic. It could be in a famous museum in Paris. The piece is called “Burning Down the House.” And like everything Sonya Shannon creates, each detail has deep significance. This message: Destroy the old and create the new. It’s about change. Even without knowing the artist’s intention, Shannon’s artwork seems to speak to people when they see it: hanging on the walls of churches up and down the Front Range, in gift stores and book shops, at metaphysical fairs and in healers’ offices, on greeting cards and oracle decks. Even in the Masonic Lodge in Golden. “They lose it in front of the artwork and can’t even tell you why. It just moves through them,” says Shannon, who lived in Boulder for 16 years and only recently relocated to Colorado Springs. “That’s what art should do: It transforms you. The original, sacred purpose of art is to connect us to the great mystery, the great divine at the heart of our experience here. ... It changes how you understand life.” Her art is spiritual. She calls it “visionary art.” It didn’t start that way. Shannon’s career began in New York as a 3D computer animator and animation director. She studied classical animation, where you hand-draw 24 pictures for every second. She quickly became intrigued by photorealism, which evolved into computer animation. She worked at Broadway Video, where “SNL” is created, and she taught at big-name schools, such as Pratt Institute and the School of
Visual Arts. There, she taught students who would go on to become leaders in the industry, such as Carlos Saldanha (the director of “Rio” and all of the “Ice Age” movies) and Patricia Hannaway, who has a long list of film credits, from “Mulan” to “Lilo and Stitch” to “Star Wars.” She was the senior animator for Gollum in a “Lord of the Rings” film. “I had fantastic students, and the teacher is always the one who learns from great students like that,” Shannon says. Then 9/11 hit. While Shannon didn’t experience a direct loss by the terrorist attack, it forced her to evaluate her life and re-prioritize. She left the big city and moved to Boulder to immerse herself in nature, yoga, hiking, the mountains and a more spiritually minded community. Boulder changed the direction of her career. There wasn’t much of an animation industry here at the time. And here, she felt a spiritual opening. “It was as though my old life was over,” she says. But her passion for digital tools continued. At a time when many other fine artists were “running screaming from the computer,” Shannon says she saw an opportunity to use animation to bring to life the metaphysical ideas that she was understanding. “We have this soul that is contained in our body and goes on after we leave this planet. There are other dimensions of the experience we can know about, and my role is to make that visible to the public. To reveal the unseen,” she says. Meditation helps clear her mind, but she says she can’t pinpoint exactly where her inspiration and ideas come from. She says she feels like they’re a gift, and she considers herself a servant of a higher good. >
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ART
“Some people break down in tears. They lose it in front of the artwork and can’t even tell you why. It just moves through them. That’s what art should do: It transforms you. The original, sacred purpose of art is to connect us to the great mystery, the great divine at the heart of our experience here. ... It changes how you understand life.” - Sonya Shannon, artist
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BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE BY SONYA SHANNON
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As she explains on her website (sonya-shannon.com), “I chose each artwork specifically for its power to uplift, remind and help you explore the mysterious journey of your life.” Take one of her more famous paintings, “The Narrow Gate.” It follows the forms of a woman dropping her baggage and stepping toward an energetic field, a “narrow gate” to another dimension. An oversized print of this image hangs in the sanctuary of the Mile Hi Church in Lakewood. Shannon says she hopes this piece helps remind people to let go of the baggage (material, emotional, spiritual and mental) that can weigh you down and keep you from connecting with your higher self.
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“The artwork is a kind of visual medicine. Every time you look at it, you can reset your orientation and remind you that there is more, that you know this other part of yourself,” Shannon says. Another popular piece, inspired by Boulder, is called “Patchwork Earth.” It’s a fusion of dozens of images, including photos taken around Boulder, pieced together to make a patchwork. “Patchwork Earth” is about recycling, not just material things to care for the environment, but also recycling our own energy — turning the waste (negative experiences) into something new (wisdom, growth).
THE NARROW GATE BY SONYA SHANNON
The people in Shannon’s artwork are intentionally chosen, too, down to the hands knitting in “Patchwork Earth.” They belong to a woman working through childhood trauma. Shannon has also recently begun creating commissioned portraits, which she called Higher Self Portraits (higher-self-portraits.com). Often, the requests come from people going through transitions or at new stages of life, or people who feel drawn to time periods or supernatural places that regular photography cannot capture. “It’s not just what you see when you look in the mirror. We’re all so
much more than we might think at any one moment,” Shannon says. “We are part of eternity. So how do we remember that?” Answering big questions like that is what Shannon considers her job. Ultimately, she says, she thinks all of the energy of the universe is love. So that’s what she says she pours into her artwork. “I want to find that connection between people through the frequency of love,” she says. “My aim is to carry the Vision as clearly and powerfully as I can with the technologies at my disposal.”
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FIND YOUR PLACE
VISIT PLACES, TRAVEL BOULDER’S BUSINESS DIRECTORY travelboulder.com/directory
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REFUEL
BEST RESTAURANTS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS SO MANY RESTAURANTS, NEVER ENOUGH SPACE IN YOUR BELLY. BY AIMEE HECKEL
THE KITCHEN AMERICAN BISTRO. COURTESY PHOTO
The “paradox of choice” (the stress of making a decision when there are so many options) can feel too real in Boulder, especially when you are hangry. It can get even trickier if you add to that special situations, like a limited budget, a celebration or other people’s needs, like family visiting over the holidays.
Lucky for you, we have battled our way through Boulder’s infinite culinary maze and crowned a few victors. Here are the best restaurants in Boulder for all those special occasions that may pop up this winter and spring. >
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BEST RESTAURANTS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS (CONTINUED)
THE PERFECT WINTER DINNER
But our favorite winter winner is Carelli’s, 645 30th St., Boulder. This restaurant in To qualify as the best winter restaurant, South Boulder has an impressive patio with a it must be cozy and it must have a crackling 360-degree fireplace and a soft, high-backed fireplace. Period. In Boulder, you can find banquette. In fact, this patio was awarded fireplaces in many restaurants, such as Cafe “Best Design” by the American Institute of Aion, the Kitchen Upstairs, the Dark Horse Architects. If weather allows (and in Boulder Bar and Grill and the West End Tavern. The it often does), our ideal winter evening is latter has two options: a fireplace on the first spent snuggled around a dramatic fireplace floor and a fire pit on the rooftop deck (not with a glass of red wine or hot toddy. If the fire is a no-go, the indoor space feels just as ideal for winter). sultry and warm. THE KITCHEN SIGN ON PEARL STREET. COURTESY PHOTO
Bonus: Carelli’s serves traditional or contemporary food from northern and southern Italy. Italian food is the supreme comfort food for winter time. We’re talking minestrone soup, housemade potato gnocchi and chicken parmigiana (with local chicken) baked with four Italian cheeses and pasta served with fresh garlic bread.
DATE NIGHT Boulder is built for dates, and there are endless romantic restaurants. But a good bet for just about any date (casual or fancy, first or after 20 years) is The Kitchen, 1039 Pearl St., Boulder. While this downtown restaurant can fill up, it doesn’t tend to get too rowdy. And while it has sparkling chandeliers and elevated food, it’s far from pretentious.
PEOPLE HANG OUT AND DRINK INSIDE UPSTAIRS. COURTESY PHOTO
INSIDE UPSTAIRS. COURTESY PHOTO
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It has an impressive wine list, too, including French, Italian, outliers and a separate rose list. After dinner, head Upstairs (the location and also that’s the name) to The Kitchen’s special cocktail lounge. Snag a seat by the fireplace to add some romance. Since opening in 2004, this bright, open, urban-inspired restaurant has earned a rep as one of Boulder’s best — and one of the best in the nation. The James Beard Foundation, Gourmet and Food & Wine Magazine have all deemed The Kitchen one of America’s top restaurants. In total Boulder style, The Kitchen is concerned about the environment, too, and uses wind-power, composts whenever possible and recycles its used cooking oil to power one of the server’s cars. >
A CLOSER LOOK INSIDE BOULDER’S NEXT DOOR. COURTESY PHOTO
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WITH THE KIDS Next to The Kitchen is the Next Door American Eatery, 1035 Pearl St. This restaurant was founded with kids in mind. The goal: to offer families a place to eat where the food was all fresh, real and as local as possible, but in a relaxed environment and with a menu kids enjoy. You’ll find kiddie faves like a quesadilla and ham and cheese lunchbox here, plus some equal comfort foods with a little more adventure, like a lamb sandwich, kale chips and burgers. For a splurge, Next Door serves Coke de Mexico and organic lemonade. What really makes Next Door stand out, though, is that its kids’ meals help fund the Growe Foundation, which plans school gardens. So your kids get fed and other kids do, too. Kids will feel at home with crayons and games, even a magnet board in the back. Celebrate with milkshakes and a walk down the Pearl Street Mall, right outside the front door. INSIDE NEXT DOOR. COURTESY PHOTO
CHEFS PREPARE FOOD AT THE KITCHEN. COURTESY PHOTO
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WITH YOUR RELATIVES
COLLEGE STUDENTS
Whether you have relatives visiting for the holidays, for winter graduation or for fun, it can be hard to pick a restaurant that will please everyone. When in doubt, go to The Med, 1002 Walnut St. The Med is a classic Mediterranean restaurant that offers a tapas menu (discounted during happy hour) that is perfect if you have a big family that loves to share. With classics like falafel, hummus and tzatziki, you can try some of everything for a reasonable price. Sharing food not your thing? Don’t worry. The Med also offers a full dinner menu featuring pizzas, pasta, paella and more. Dive in and enjoy a little of everything.
Dot’s Diner, 1333 Broadway St., has been a local favorite for more than 30 years. Dot’s serves a typical diner menu. Biscuits and Gravy. Eggs. Pancakes. Their green chili is amazing. Their house-baked pastries are to die for. But Dot’s isn’t just a breakfast joint. It’s also known for its Nepali food, made by Nepali cooks. The authentic chai tea is a great way to get your feet wet if you’re not sure about trying something more adventurous than bacon.
FOR A SWEET TREAT
What’s more celebratory than tequila? Tequila drinks at a place that specializes in them. That’s why Tahona Tequila Bistro, 1035 Pearl St., is our go-to celebratory restaurant in Boulder. Thou shall not sucker punch bar patrons with pre-made, syrup-thick sour mixes. This is a commandment we wish governed all bars. And we applaud Tahona Tequila Bistro for taking a stern stance against fake sour mixes. The bartenders here go so far as to say that they believe “adding sugary, fake tasting ‘juice’ to tequila should be punishable by jail time.” Tahona serves tequila flights, as well as a variety of margaritas ranging from tart coin-style margaritas to smoky, mezcal margs. As for fruity margs, you’ll find some sophisticated ones here, made with guava or prickly pear. Tequila tip: Try one of the “daily infusion” margaritas, which could include anything from watermelon and mint to cucumber and jalapeno. The spicy marg is a celebration for your mouth.
A CELEBRATION
Need to feed your sweet tooth? Get your fix at Tee and Cakes, 1932 14th St., Boulder. Tee and Cakes is a downtown Boulder icon — for its tasty and creative baked goods, as well as for its cute, food-centric apparel. Tee and Cakes makes it all, and it’s all from scratch: cake pops, cupcakes, brownies, quiche, granola bars, wedding cakes, breakfast sandwiches. The sweet and salty maple bacon cupcakes were featured on The Cooking Channel. Local tip: Don’t miss Cheddar Biscuit Thursdays (if you want a snack that’s not too sweet) or Donut Fridays, when you can find a variety of fresh donuts in different flavors.
SOMETHING NOVEL Here’s something you can’t find just anywhere: an authentic Nepalese restaurant run by a group of retired Mount Everest sherpas. Sherpa’s is an authentic Nepali restaurant at 825 Walnut St. in downtown Boulder. Not only is the food authentic and tasty, but the lobby is filled with mementos of the incredible, true tales of the people who are making your food and serving it to you. Tucked away on the West end of Walnut Street, Sherpa’s might be easy to overlook as an outdoor dining destination. But with a large, treeshaded outdoor area, Sherpa’s is one of the best spots to sit outside for dinner. World-class mountaineers and adventurers gather on the patio, clutching cups of chai, to swap stories and tips.
A FOODIE EXPERIENCE For a dinner to please even the pickiest of foodies, head to Black Cat, 1964 13th St., Boulder. Black Cat is the epitome of farm-to-table. No, really. It’s connected to its own 500-acre, certified organic and certified biodynamic farm (likely the only of its kind in the country, according to its spokesperson) whose produce goes straight to your plate, including a special corn that the chef dries and mills for polenta. The farm also raises sheep, pigs and chickens. Even the wild fruit and produce is foraged locally by Black Cat staff. Black Cat takes local, sustainable and healthy seriously. No GMOs here. Food in this small bistro is classified as “inventive New American” and changes daily. Really, with all that natural, local influence, Black Cat’s menu is an honest reflection of Boulder’s land. Plus, Black Cat’s wine pairings are among Boulder’s best. Local tip: Make sure you request one of the private booths in the very back of the restaurant. >
DINNER ON A BUDGET Kim’s Food to Go, 1325 Broadway, is nothing fancy. It’s relaxed, inexpensive and fresh: perfect to conquer the munchies if you’re craving Asian food. Kim’s serves Vietnamese fare, such as egg rolls, curry and even pho (and everyone knows pho cures everything). Kim’s is a unique spot in Boulder, located on The Hill and widely popular among college students. The unpretentious vibe makes it welcoming to any guest, even if you happen to be in your yoga pants or after a run. You’ll love the large portions that are gentle on your wallet. You probably won’t get out in a flash, though. Everything made to order, so it takes a little time to get your food. Don’t want to be seen in public? Delivery is free.
ALSO CHECK OUT FOODIE SHOPPING FOR MORE STORIES ON FOOD AND DRINK IN BOULDER, VISIT TRAVELBOULDER.COM/ CATEGORY/FOOD-DRINK
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BEST RESTAURANTS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS (CONTINUED)
PEOPLE DINING AT NEXT DOOR IN DOWNTOWN BOULDER. COURTESY PHOTO
FINE DINING If you want to impress your tastebuds, head to Frasca Food and Wine, a refined, high-end Northern Italian restaurant in downtown. This restaurant, 1738 Pearl St., boasts some of the most prestigious awards, including three James Beard wins. One of those is for its wine service. So if you’re looking for the best wine night out in town, this is your spot. Frasca is elegant, gourmet and famous for its impressive service. In fact, that’s the most recent James Beard award: for outstanding service. The third honor was given to Lachlan Mackinnon-Patteson, the chef owner, who won “Best Chef: Southwest” in 2008. Frasca offers menus featuring cuisine inspired by Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a region in northeast Italy. It offers a four-course and a chef’s tasting menu, which gives you the option to try a variety of the unique and impressive dishes.
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On Mondays, Frasca offers a set four-course menu with wine pairings. At a significantly cheaper price point than the normal four-course dinner (but still far from cheap), Monday’s set menu is a great way to go if you want to save money and aren’t picky about what you eat.
THE HOLIDAYS Oak at Fourteenth, 1400 Pearl St., is perfect for families over the holidays. It’s one of Boulder’s finer establishments, yet it’s welcoming with an open kitchen and open dining hall. Oak offers family plates to share. While there is some cuisine that many picky eaters might not want to try (like the chicken liver pate), there are some that are all but a guaranteed slam dunk for even the kiddos: crispy fried pickles, housemade ramen noodles, a grilled double cheeseburger and housemade sodas. Yes, Oak makes soda right in the kitchen, so while you might otherwise not be big on letting your child sip
HOW TO EAT LOCAL THROUGH THE WINTER
Coke, this is a rare occasion that might warrant the splurge. Need more convincing? Oak bakes fresh donuts every morning, in various flavors. If you need a special holiday pie, the best bet is Shamane’s Bake Shoppe, 2825 Wilderness Place, Unit 800, Boulder. Shamane’s even releases a special Thanksgiving menu featuring traditional pie flavors along with a mix of other flavors and savory pies, quiches, rolls and breads. Flavors vary by season but may include apple, apple wildberry, pear cranberry, sweet potato chocolate ginger, maple pecan, pumpkin and banana cream.
TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR Dinner, entertainment and a party. Usher in the new year at BDT Stage, 5501 Arapahoe Ave. Boulder’s dinner theater presents a local fave, the FACE Vocal Band, on Dec. 31 and into 2020. FACE is a group of four wildly talented acapella singers and a vocal drummer. The New Year’s Eve event includes champagne, apps and a dance party. As for the food, this isn’t your grandmother’s dinner theater. There are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options, like ratatouille and organic bean corn tamales served with vegan, organic green chili. You can add on a cheese board, adorned with various cheeses, smoked salmon, lemon ricotta and crudité.
JUST DRINKS BOULDER ORGANIC SOUPS. COURTESY PHOTO
Toast to the wintertime in Boulder in the St. Julien Hotel’s lobby at the T-Zero Lounge, 900 Walnut St. This contemporary nightlife destination is a step above any hotel bar you’ve visited. It serves hand-crafted martinis and cocktails (many made with local liquor) and boasts one of Boulder’s best wine programs. Sit by the crackling fire and catch free, live entertainment. Or unwind in the intimate Round Room, if you have a private gathering. Live entertainment runs 6:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday in the winter.
EVEN IF THERE’S FROST ON THE FIELDS, EVEN AFTER THE FARMERS MARKET SHUTS DOWN FOR THE SEASON, YOU CAN STILL EAT LOCAL IN BOULDER COUNTY. HERE’S HOW.
1. Shop the Winter Market
COMFORT FOOD
The final farmers market was the weekend before Thanksgiving, but many local farms, ranchers and businesses still have stock. You can find a huge gathering of more than 100 local vendors at the annual Winter Market. This year, it’s Dec. 7-8 at the Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont. That’s a week later than last year.
If you’re on the Pearl Street Mall and crave some good, ol’ fashioned comfort food, pop by Ruthie’s. Ruthie’s Boardwalk Social, 1397 Pearl St., is a new, walk-up, window-serving restaurant, named after the owner’s grandmother, specializes in gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and soft-serve ice cream. Only the most comforting of comfort foods. Ruthie’s is a bit of a rebel in the face of ultra-healthy Boulder, advertising sandwiches like The Italian Caprese with “all the gluten, twice the dairy” (those are all but curse words in this town). Although, Ruthie’s adds below, gluten-free bread is available. (Because how else can you stay in business in Boulder?) Still, it’s intended to be old-fashioned, from the hospitality to the home-cooked taste, and our top stop when we need to feed our inner child.
This event, organized by the Boulder County Farmers Market, continues to feature more farmers and ranchers each year, and this year is no exception according to Elyse Wood, operations manager for the Boulder County Farmers Market. Despite the wet spring and slow start to the regular season, the fall harvest is bountiful and will benefit the winter market offerings. She says it’s an impressive showing for the winter. “Expect to see a lot of your same favorite vendors and some new product, too,” Wood says. “We’ve seen many new applicants and are excited to add new elements to the mix.” >
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HOW TO EAT LOCAL THROUGH WINTER (CONTINUED) Booths will include everything from fresh, in-season produce to meat, eggs, baked goods, preserves, cheese, hot sauce, wine, coffee, honey and kombucha. In-season produce centers around root veggies, like potatoes, beets, parsnips, sweet potatoes and squash. You can also buy late-harvest apples from Ela Family Farms.
BOULDER ORGANIC SOUPS. COURTESY PHOTO
The event is free and includes live music, free kids’ activities, free gift-wrapping (with a donation to the Longmont Food Rescue) and a chance to buy holiday gifts for local children in need.
A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE ANNUAL WINTER MARKET. PHOTOS COURTESY OF BOULDER COUNTY FARMERS MARKETS
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Local tip: Stop by the information booth to pick up a map with a full list of the vendors and where to find them at the market.
2. Educate Yourself The more you know, the better you can make it through the winter with locally sourced food. Many area farms hold educational classes and ways to live off the earth and develop new (old-school) skills. You don’t have to be a farmer or even a gardener to reap the benefits of the harvest.
For example, the Lyons Farmette can teach you about bee-keeping, bitters and cocktails, edible flowers and how to keep chickens. Growing Gardens can teach you about pasta-making, bee-keeping, farm-to-table cooking and canning and preserving, especially useful for the colder seasons. And Three Leaf Farm has workshops about making jams and jellies, among other topics. One of the best offerings: Learn to make your own cheese (using local milk) at the Mountain Flower Dairy in Longmont. The hands-on Art of Cheese classes are led by a dairy goat farmer in a special Cheese Education Center in the Haystack Mountain Creamery or at the dairy goat farm near Longmont. Offerings include cheese-making paired with wine, cheese-making date nights and quick and easy cheeses. Read more about cool classes you can take at local farms online at travelboulder.com/cool-classes-you-can-take-at-local-farms. In addition, the Winter Market will include a variety of useful demos to help you keep eating local through the winter. Learn how to properly store produce, can, ferment, pickle and prepare it in various ways. Another vendor will do a tutorial on making salsa. If you don’t want to do the work, you can buy canned or dry produce (like dried apples or applesauce) to supplement your meals through the winter. Wood recommends buying in bulk at the Winter Market and then asking the farmers how to store everything. Different veggies will have different needs. Wood says she fills a large cooler with sand, fills it with winter produce and stores it in her basement (or another cool, dark location that won’t freeze). The sand helps keep everything at a constant temperature and extracts extra moisture. She says she also does this with apples but keeps them separate from root veggies because they emit different gases when ripening.
the farm isn’t necessarily growing anymore in the fields, it sells boxes of root veggies and produce with a long shelf life that can be stored.
4. Buy Local Meat Local meat is easier to find year-round because it’s easy to freeze and doesn’t need to be harvested during the off-season. You can find meat vendors at the Winter Market, and some have once-a-month pickups at their ranch. Visit the ranch booths at the Winter Market and ask if they have winter pickups, or check their websites. Get on their email list to make sure you are informed.
5. Think Outside the Farm Eating local isn’t limited to produce and meat. At the Winter Market, you can also score Colorado-made jewelry, skincare products, woodwork items, home goods and more. Overall, the gathering will feature more than 100 local vendors. In Boulder, you can also find locally made baked goods (check out Shamane’s Bakery for starters), locally packaged tea (Celestial Seasonings), locally roasted coffee (Ozo Coffee Company, among others), locally crafted beer and distilleries, chocolate bars (Chocolove) and local dog food companies. Also add in some specialty foods, like Frasca Food and Wine’s beloved red pepper jelly (you can buy it online or in the restaurant) or garlicky marinara fresh from Pasta Jay’s downtown. Season with flavors from the Colorado Spice Company, made in Boulder. Wash down your meal with wine from local BookCliff Vineyards or Settembre Cellars or mead from the Redstone Meadery. Lots of big-name natural foods have Boulder ties: Justin’s Nut Butter, White Wave, Bhakti Chai, Udi’s and Izzio’s Bread, Bobo’s Oat Bars, Boulder Cookie, Boulder Canyon chips and snacks (the Canyon Cuts wavy chips are best-sellers; also check out the Protein Chips), Boulder Brands (this includes Earth Balance, Udi’s, EVOL Foods and Glutino products), Ancient Harvest, Rudi’s Organic Bakery, Quinn Popcorn, Boulder Ice Cream, Keen One Quinoa cups, soups from Boulder Organic Foods, Made in Nature organic snacks (like dried fruit and kale chips), Open Road Snacks (formerly the Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company), Skinny Crisps gourmet crackers and more. Longmont is home to Honey Bunchies honey bars, regularly a top-seller at healthy grocers like Sprouts. While all of these companies may not use exclusively Coloradosourced ingredients, they have Boulder County ties and are recognized for their health standards.
3. Shop the Late Farm Stands While most farms shut down for winter, a few typically stay open through mid-December. This all depends on the weather, so make sure you call first before visiting. Aspen Moon Farm in Hygiene usually keeps its Tuesday and Wednesday farm stand open through mid-December. Sign up for the newsletter on their website to stay up-to-date on closings. Boulder-based Cure Organic Farm’s daily stand usually stays open, too. It offers a special winter CSA (a food share that you can buy into), featuring the likes of salad mix, broccolini, cauliflower, onions, winter squash, dry soup beans, garlic and more. Year-round, Cure also offers an egg share, bread share, wine and cheese and coffee share. Red Wagon Farm in Boulder also has a winter CSA. You can join for free if you want to just get emails alerting you to what veggies are available at each pickup (since veggie growth is not predictable). Winter share options include organic mushrooms, eggs, organic coffee from a local craft micro-roastery (Conscious Coffees), beef and pork. Monroe Organic Farms in Kersey (about an hour from Boulder) also offers a winter CSA. If that’s already booked up, sign up for next year’s share. Monroe offers monthly produce boxes through the winter. While
READ MORE ONLINE AT TRAVELBOULDER.COM/ BOULDER-NATURAL-FOOD-COMPANIES
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MEET THE BREWERS
A Conversation With Boulder County’s Most Innovative Brewmasters BY SARAH KUTA | PHOTOS BY MARK LEFFINGWELL
IT’S PRETTY HARD TO THINK ABOUT BOULDER WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT CRAFT BEER. AND REALLY, WHAT BETTER WAY IS THERE TO SPEND A CRISP FALL EVENING OR A BLUSTERY WINTER AFTERNOON THAN VISITING A TAPROOM AND HAVING A FEW BEERS WITH FRIENDS? WHETHER YOU’RE INTO HOPPY IPAS OR NUTTY STOUTS, YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO FAR TO FIND SOMETHING TASTY TO DRINK IN BOULDER. WE WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THE BEER MAGIC HAPPENS, SO WE CHECKED IN WITH A FEW BOULDER COUNTY BREWERS TO LEARN THE SECRETS OF THE TRADE AND THEIR GO-TO BEERS FOR WHEN THE TEMPERATURES START TO DROP.
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Connor Ventura
HEAD BREWER AT FINKEL & GARF BREWING CO., 5455 SPINE ROAD, BOULDER
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BREWING BEER? I see beer as a catalyst to community and culture. Over the past five years, our little community has grown quite wide. Seeing the reactions and responses to new beers or simply how our products can temporarily transport someone to a better place and time makes it all worthwhile for me.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BREWING STYLE OR PHILOSOPHY? Never overcomplicate things. Less is more. Everything should have a purpose and reason.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A BREWER? I am in a constant state of researching, ideation and monitoring. All too often, I find it’s hard for me to actually stop working.
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WELL-MADE BEER, IN YOUR OPINION? Balance is the most important factor in a well-made beer to me. No ingredient should ever overpower another. Everything should complement and build off one another.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BEERS TO DRINK IN THE FALL AND WINTER? I tend to indulge in bigger beers throughout the fall and winter, typically moving toward barrel-aged stouts and as the seasons change. However, I always have at least one good pilsner and IPA in my fridge. >
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MEET THE BREWERS (CONTINUED)
Tim Matthews
BREWMASTER AT OSKAR BLUES BREWERY, VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN BOULDER COUNTY AND BEYOND
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BREWING BEER? The intimacy with the process from ingredients to the science. There are still moments that can only be justified by “gut” feelings derived from that attachment.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BREWING STYLE OR PHILOSOPHY? Synergistic. All the ingredients must play off each other. For example, even when you have an incredibly hopped up beer, every component must be utilized and expressed in a way that supports that direction and gives it the proper amplification.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A BREWER? The theory and process of brewing beer is not a set science. The challenge is constantly going back to your conclusions from years back and taking the newly acquired knowledge from recent practice into account. Have enough confidence and try to refute yourself.
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WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WELL-MADE BEER, IN YOUR OPINION? First, express yourself. Make sure you are not just trying to copy. Then build upon that with a process that leaves nothing for granted: raw material quality and handling, sanitation and understanding what each piece of the process is bringing. Have a good understanding of sensory analysis with the practice needed to keep your senses keen. All that should lead to great beer.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BEERS TO DRINK IN THE FALL AND WINTER? Dry and roasty beers are great. But my favorite has to be Sierra Nevada Celebration – elegant caramel malts and traditional American hop varieties fresh from harvest.
Sam Scruby
HEAD BREWER AT UPSLOPE BREWING CO., 1898 S. FLATIRON COURT, BOULDER, AND 1501 LEE HILL ROAD, BOULDER
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BREWING BEER?
The prestige of being a brewer wears off quickly if one doesn’t truly enjoy refining their craft and continuing to learn on the job.
I’ve always enjoyed the creative aspects of making new beers. It’s like playing with Legos but you get to drink it. Independent, craft brewing came from a place that encouraged taking risks with new flavors and ideas and I have always embraced the adventurous creation of beer. It’s a phenomenal feeling when you get to sit down with a stranger and have them enjoy a beer that you created.
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WELL-MADE BEER, IN YOUR OPINION? In today’s world of the new, newer, newest beers, I want a beer that is consistent and dependable. I truly believe, given 10 attempts, that just about anyone can make a good beer once. For a beer to truly be great, it should be delicious every time I drink it. That is the mark of a truly wellmade beer from a great brewer.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BREWING STYLE OR PHILOSOPHY?
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BEERS TO DRINK IN THE FALL AND WINTER?
I want to use the highest-quality ingredients and the latest technology to achieve the best tasting beer possible. I love learning about traditional brewing processes, but I find that trying to replicate and regulate beer to traditional techniques is ultimately confining. I believe strongly in technology as a route to make a superior product.
Fall is all about malty German lagers in my book. Bust out the Melanoidin malt, it’s time to slay Oktoberfests, Marzens and Dunkels. I love the bready, caramel depth that a well-brewed lager can showcase. Winter is the only time of year that I want to drink bigger-ish (above 6% ABV) stouts or barrel-aged stouts. It’s pretty hard to beat a well-balanced bourbon barrel-aged stout when it’s below zero out. >
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A BREWER? Brewers are essentially glorified janitors that often trade in better-paying jobs or opportunities to pursue their passion. It can be a physically demanding job, and trying to retain and inspire brewers is a challenge.
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BREWERS
Ryan Wibby BREWMASTER AND PRESIDENT AT WIBBY BREWING 209 EMERY ST., LONGMONT
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BREWING BEER? Tough call for me here as I love so many things about brewing beer. One of the things I love the most is all the physical labor. I know this may sound counterintuitive but I really love brewing beer when it is hot and sweaty. In these types of conditions, you can really push yourself to the limit and really see what you are made of. I also really enjoy all the chemistry and physics involved in the brewing process. Each step in the brew day has a purpose and has a distinctive effect on the final product. To me, this means that to make the best beer possible you need to have a complete understanding of the science behind each step of the brewing process.
lagers take a month to produce, compared to the five to 14 days for an ale, it takes a lot of planning and patience to make sure we don’t rush our beers in order to fulfill the demands of our thirsty customers. The quality of our products is of the utmost importance.
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WELL-MADE BEER, IN YOUR OPINION? Drinkability is the most important characteristic of a well-made beer. Nowadays there are a lot of gimmicky beers that are super creative and interesting but in my experience are only enjoyable for half a glass at most. I do commend the creativity of these brewers, but I believe that a beer that can be enjoyed over and over (responsibly, of course) is more important than brewing a beer that sounds interesting on paper.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BEERS TO BREWING STYLE OR PHILOSOPHY? DRINK IN THE FALL AND WINTER? “Anything an ale can do a lager can do better.” I believe that the cold fermentation and aging seen with lagers allows us to create a wide range of flavors that are comparable to almost any flavor profile seen in the world of ales, yet have a crisp, clean finish leaving your pallet wanting more.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A BREWER? Currently, our biggest challenge is keeping up with demand, which is a great problem to have. Since our
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Wibtoberfest is my favorite fall beer. This delicious amber lager is well balanced and flavorful yet the crisp clean finish makes me want another while I wear my Lederhosen. My favorite winter beer is barrel-aged double Dunkel. This dark strong lager is brewed with cacao nibs and then layered on Madagascar vanilla beans. The beer is then aged further in a bourbon barrel adding another dimension to it. The smooth combination of vanilla, chocolate and bourbon flavor make this beer perfect for warming up next to the fire on those long cold winter nights.
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EXPERIENCE BOULDER
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HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN FIND ON TRAVELBOULDER.COM. HORSES GALLOPING AT VISTA VERDE. PHOTO COURTESY OF GIGI EMBRECHTS
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WINTER ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS As a parent, don’t think of wintertime as something you have to survive. Think of it as different adventures waiting to happen. When the weather gets cold, it can be trickier to entertain your kiddos. You can’t just bring them to a playground and let them run their wiggles out for the whole afternoon, at least not without having to extract at least one tongue from a metal pole. Luckily, Boulder is packed with indoor and outdoor entertainment all winter long. Here are a few of our favorite family-friendly winter activities in Boulder. See “The Nutcracker:” This holiday ballet is a wintertime tradition for many people, and Boulder has its own version, produced by the Boulder Ballet. Visit the planetarium: Fiske Planetarium is a family-friendly fave year-round, but on those days when Jack Frost is a little too nippy, head to this magical, otherworldly dome where you can watch fun science and nature shows. Play games: Pinball is huge in Boulder County. Lyons Classic Pinball is one of the state leaders in the revamping of this classic hobby. There’s also the fun year-round arcade at the Gateway Park Fun Center. Tilt in Louisville has pinball and arcade games dating back to the ’60s. Quarters Bar and Arcade in Longmont has a self-serve drink line and tons of games. Press Play in Boulder is a bar where you can play pinball, arcades, air hockey, pool and more, if you’re craving a brew with your game. Note: This one might be better for older “kids.” Play at the museum: Head to Lafayette’s World of Wonder Museum, where education meets entertainment. Kids can play dress-up on the stage, pretend to run a grocery store, do science experiments, make arts and crafts, play musical instruments and play in giant bubbles. Read more online at travelboulder.com/winter-activities-for-kids.
THE WORLD OF WONDER CHILDREN’S MUSEUM. PHOTO BY AIMEE HECKEL
INSIDE THE FISKE PLANETARIUM. COURTESY PHOTO
PLAN A WINTER ROAD TRIP ON THE COLORADO HISTORIC HOT SPRINGS LOOP There are two ways to handle Colorado’s snow: Play in it or run from it. When most people think of a winter vacation in Colorado’s mountains, they think about skiing and snowboarding. But there’s another way to dive into Colorado’s natural wonders as the air grows chillier. And it doesn’t involve cold fingers or toes. Warm (to very hot) thermal waters naturally flow throughout western Colorado and bubble up, forming hot springs. Our favorite healthy Colorado road trip, whether in the summer or winter, is along the Historic Hot Springs Loop. This drive brings you to five different locations in the Colorado mountains: Chaffee County, Ouray County, Pagosa Springs, Glenwood Springs, Steamboat Springs In total, the loop covers about 720 miles, with only several hours of driving between the destinations that you can knock out in the morning, leaving plenty of time for relaxation. Do the trip in five days — one day per area, with multiple hot springs at each stop — or take your time and stretch it out over several weeks. Read our guide online at travelboulder.com plan-a-winter-road- trip-on-the-colorado-historic-hot-springs-loop. >
A MAN PLAYS INSIDE LYONS CLASSIC PINBALL. COURTESY PHOTO
RELAXING ON THE COLORADO HOT SPRINGS LOOP. PHOTO BY AIMEE HECKEL
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EXPERIENCE BOULDER
BRIAR ROSE BED & BREAKFAST. COURTESY PHOTO
ALPS BOULDER CANYON INN. COURTESY PHOTO
THE MOST LUXURIOUS BOULDER RESORTS Valet, fine linens, plush bathrobes, beds that feel like clouds, pristine service. If you know where to stay, your hotel room can be a highlight of your vacation. Sure, many travelers come to Colorado for its camping. But sometimes, you don’t want to lie on a rocky floor in a sleeping bag and dig a hole to go to the bathroom. Sometimes, you want to go all out. You know, treat yourself. In that case, here’s where you want to stay. Here are the most luxurious places to stay in Boulder. Briar Rose Bed and Breakfast: The Briar Rose is not your traditional, luxurious resort. This is how to do luxury, Boulder style. This B&B classifies itself as “eco-luxe.” The Briar Rose, located in central Boulder, is a stunning Victorian mansion transformed into a romantic getaway, inspired by both vintage decor and zen influence. In fact, one of the innkeepers here is a Zen monk. You will feel that energy and peacefulness when you walk through the door. Alps Boulder Canyon Inn: This long-time B&B in Boulder brings the highest class in a mountain setting. It’s like living in a stunning mountain chalet surrounded by nature in the canyon, yet only a short drive from downtown. The Alps is a AAA Three Diamond-awarded property offering premium service and amenities. The building, constructed in the 1870s, is also classified as a historic landmark. Curious what other hotels made our list? Check out the full story online at travelboulder.com/luxury-boulder-resorts. THE BEST CABINS IN AND NEAR BOULDER Cabin life. It’s the quintessential way to do Colorado. You can find cabins of all different flavors, from retro to contemporary, from tiny and simple to impressive with oversized decks. We have compiled a few of our favorite cabins in and near Boulder. We put it together in an online slideshow that’s equally as useful for travelers as it is fun to just scroll through and dream. Enjoy it online at travelboulder.com/best-cabins-near-boulder. >
BIG OWL CABIN IN ALLENSPARK. PHOTO COURTESY OF VACASA
ROCKMOUNT COTTAGES IN ESTES PARK. PHOTO BY AIMEE HECKEL
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ROCKMOUNT COTTAGES IN ESTES PARK. PHOTO BY AIMEE HECKEL
BOULDER’S MUST READ TravelBoulder.com
Reach both Boulder residents and the 4.5 million estimated annual visitors with TravelBoulder.com and the Travel Boulder magazine.
DISTRIBUTION POINTS INCLUDE:
TravelBoulder.com has 500 + users per day, with over 182,500 est. 2019. Our traffic has increased 40 percent from year to year, with 2,750,000 ad impressions served. Travel Boulder magazine is a semiannual publication distributed at 105+ locations across Boulder County year-round. 33,000 copies per issue. Readership is estimated at 99,000 copies.
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EXPERIENCE BOULDER (CONTINUED)
MARK OBLINGER. COURTESY PHOTO
MARK OBLINGER. COURTESY PHOTO
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UP CLOSE WITH MUSICIAN MARK OBLINGER Boulder County has been pivotal in shaping the music of Grammynominated musician Mark Oblinger. And you can hear little pieces of all of the local influences in Oblinger’s newest album, “High Water Line.” You probably know Mark Oblinger, but you might not know he lives right here in Boulder. Oblinger’s career includes performing with bigname, chart-toppers, like Pure Prairie League (“Amie”). He played with the band Firefall (“Cinderella,” “You Are the Woman”) for seven years. But when his first child was born, he says he grew tired of touring the country and wanted to spend more time with his family. That brought him back to Boulder County, which he made his home base for a successful songwriting and producing career. Being a dad inspired him to write and produce more than 30 children’s CDs, including one that won a Parent’s Choice Gold award and another that was a Grammy finalist. He also wrote music for the Oprah Winfrey Show and won five Emmy Awards for his work on PBS. His work over the years finally culminated in his own debut solo album. We wanted to learn a little more about Oblinger, his art and his experiences in Boulder, so we spent some time with him. To read how our conversation went down, read the full story online at travelboulder.com/up-close-with-musician-mark-oblinger.
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LUXURY BOULDER COMES BY IT NATURALLY
L E T ’ S F I N D YO U R B O U L D E R !
MEGHAN BACH 619.955.2788 | WWW.MEGHANBACH.COM
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