The History of Boulder, Colorado

Boulder, Colorado is conveniently located less than an hour’s drive northwest of Denver. It’s an all-in-one destination that seamlessly combines beautiful nature with big-city action.

Discover the City By Bike

A great way to experience the city and the surrounding nature is to take a bike ride on the Boulder Creek Trail. It’s a long recreational trail that follows Boulder Creek in the city of Boulder, CO. You can walk, bike, skateboard, or sit on a bench and read while taking in the scenery. During the summer, the river is also a popular place to go tubing. Some people even sunbathe on the banks. This well-maintained trail shows how much Boulder residents care about a healthy lifestyle. They focus on the cleanliness of their open spaces.

An Eco-Responsible City

Boulder embodies good green practices. The city is surrounded by 21,500 acres of protected space. It’s nearly three times the size of Manhattan. You can walk or ride 300 miles of greenways and bike paths. The municipality has an active policy in the fight against pollution. In April 2007, it was the first city to introduce a tax on electricity from coal-fired power plants. This is to encourage households and businesses to use alternative energy sources. One-third of municipal waste is recycled. The North Boulder Recreation Center is a municipal recreation center. It has one of the largest solar heating systems in the country. The Boulder Outlook Hotel boasts a zero waste policy. And lastly, pizza delivery drivers drive Priuses (Toyota’s hybrid car).

If a restaurant uses organic products or composts its waste, it makes a strong statement. The Sunflower’s menu, for example, details its ecological respectability on the front page:

• It claims to use certified organic products that are free of chemicals
• It serves nothing that contains chemical additives, artificial products, growth hormones or antibiotics
• It uses only non-irradiated herbs and spices, salt from Brittany and filtered water
• It offers only organic wine produced using the biodynamic method

The Buddhist University

Boulder is the only city in the United States to host a Buddhist university. Naropa University offers the teaching of classical subjects. There’s also an introduction to the contemplative disciplines inherited from the Tibetan tradition. Its founder is Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. He fled Tibet in 1959 and taught Buddhism in Oxford before emigrating to the United States in 1970. The degrees awarded on this campus are recognized by most other American universities.

Tea Culture in Boulder

Fall under the spell of another Boulder specialty: tea. In fact, the city has a lot to offer for tea lovers. World-renowned tea manufacturer Celestial Seasonings is based in Boulder. He even offers free tours of its factory. After learning how Celestial Seasonings makes their teas, enjoy a free tasting.

Another must-see attraction is the beautiful Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse. It’s located on the Boulder River. It was given to Boulder as a gift from its sister city, Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Relax over tea and delicious food in this remarkable building. Enjoy the finely detailed hand-painted and carved decorations.