Denver/Boulder FOTs?

[Greggulator]

Hey! My wife and I are headed to Boulder/Denver for a few days at the end of the month. We're staying with a friend of ours in Boulder.

I know literally NOTHING about this area of the country save for that Boulder's completely granolahead and that there is high altitdude. We have absolutely zero plans, aside from going to a Rockies game since they're in town (we're not halfway through the list of major league baseball stadiums) and going to the legendary CASA BONITA for the world's worst food in the world's best dining experience.

Things We May Be Interested In Learning More About:

* I assume Denver has the di riguer hipster neighborhood of indie things?

* What dive bars are there likely to have an ample selection of Ramones songs?

* What are your vegetarian favorites? (Not for me.)

* Where are your best hamburger-type places?

* Do you have "gastropubs" yet or is that still an east coast thing?

*Would you be interested in hanging out?

[yesno]

I don't live there anymore but I did for many years.  Well, I never actually lived in Denver, but in Boulder.  I can help you with some of this.

In Denver go to Wax Trax and its environs.  There is cool stuff there.  Also there is a good bookstore (Tattered Cover) and good record store (Twist and Shout) in the same building but the location is kind of dull.  The other location of the Tattered Cover in Denver ("LoDo") is cool.  The neighborhood across the river from there, near the REI is pretty okay.

Packrat antiques, for medical oddities.  And there's some stuff near the capitol.  Denver is full of dive bars but I don't know any of their names.

If you're mobile I'd check out New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins; they have a good tour.  About 40 minutes north of Denver.  And Oskar Blues, the people who do Dale's Pale Ale, have a food place in Lyon, about 20 minutes north of Boulder along a pretty road.

The area around Tennyson Street & 44 Ave is neat; a friend lives near there and is a fan of "Big Hoss BBQ."  Oh and there's this place that sells burritos, weight-lifting equipment, and flower pots (last time I was there).  I will try to find the name of this place for you.  It was really really good.

Boulder is easier and I know it better.  There are really only two areas, the Hill (you can avoid it) and downtown/Pearl Street.  Stuff around there is pretty easy to find.  if you continue east on Pearl street pass the pedestrian mall there are a number of good shops and restaurants.  I would recommend going to Mountain Sun (or Southern which is in south Boulder).  They have various hamburgers and beer.  The Pearl Street mall has a very good toy store.

As for bars in Boulder, it's a college and rich town, so there are fancy places and total shitholes that are just shitty instead of dive-y.

Eat Breakfast at Lucile's in Boulder; it's just crazily fucking good.  So good.  I took some DC people there when I was in town for a conference and they couldn't believe it.  Also the "North Boulder Cafe" is a bit out of the way, but worth going to.  It is only open in the morning, then it turns into a Chinese restaurant.  It is also very good and a good place to good Colorado-style green chile.  (Green chile is mostly a New Mexico food but Colorado has its own variation on it.)

It's pretty easy to get to Rocky Mountain National park from Boulder.  Worth doing.

[yesno]

Burrito Giant: http://www.yelp.com/biz/burrito-giant-denver

[Greggulator]

We just got back!

Thanks for the Rocky Mountain and Fort Collins suggestions. We did the big road in Rocky Mountain National Park and it's one of the best things I've ever done in my life. The scenery is amazing. When we got to the top of the summit, there was a ridiculous hail/ice/snow storm. We then drove back to Boulder from around the Colorado Great Lakes for even more insane scenery.

We didn't get to spend too much time in Denver. We hit up Coors Field (really awesome) and Tattered Cover (one of the best bookstores in the country) and ate at a very vegetarian-friendly diner (very good). Wish we got to spend more time there.

Fort Collins was really nice. We just walked around their downtown for a bit. We ate at a burger place on College Ave. that was awesome. They HATE Boulder there.

Boulder was pretty ridiculous. It's very beautiful and clean but I really hate having to think about what garbage can I should be placing my organic farmer's market-bought free range ostrich egg omelette remains in. It's very NPR-friendly and self-satisfied.

Great trip.

[yesno]

I'm glad you liked it!  I miss living in Colorado.  Especially during garbagey DC summers.

Boulder can be super-annoying.  I lived in Ft Collins on and off for about 6 years and if I could live anywhere in the country it would probably be there, provided it doesn't burn down.  The main thing I worry about in Colorado is somehow water running out but Ft Collins actually has its own reservoir. 

The people are better in Fort Collins.  I also lived in Boulder for school, and the *town* is better and more walkable/bikeable, and it's a bit more dense.  But you have to be able to ignore the fake hippies, hitchhiking street trash, and "entrepreneurs."

If you're ever in southern Colorado, I recommend the Great Sand Dunes as being one of the weirdest places ever.