You may be thinking, with so much to do in Boulder, why leave and take a day trip elsewhere? Trust me. If you are out this way, there a few memorable road trips within a short distance and you’ll be glad you hit the road. First stop: Head north of Boulder on the Hwy 36 and in minutes you will leave the housing sprawl on the outer edges of town and be driving in rolling hills and ranch lands. Your destination is Estes Park, a mountain town of 6,000 folks and home to Rocky Mountain National Park, a mere 55 min minute drive. Get an early start and stop in Estes Park for a hot cup of coffee before going a short distance further to arrive at the Lumpy Ridge trailhead just a few blocks north of town. The day we hiked there were just a few cars in the large parking area, but I imagine it fills up early in the warmer months. Lace up your boots, grab your water bottle and take the Gem Lake Trail, a 4.6 mile out and back. If you followed my road trip blog, you’ll know that for me a perfect hike needs to have four things, interesting and varied topography(rocks, boulders, giant trees, meadows), water(a babbling stream, ponds, waterfalls), eye-catching views, and length. It has to be long enough that I can escape my monkey mind and enter into that zen-like state of wandering. Gem Lake is a perfect hike. You will get your heart pumping and the layers will come off as you build heat on the constant but manageable incline. Almost immediately, the trail gets visually pleasing. The path winds and zigzags through giant boulders and rises quickly above tree line affording magnificent views of the distant Rockies. I love a hike that leads to a pleasant surprise, whether a flower-strewn meadow, an alpine lake, or a thundering waterfall. In this case, the trail winds up to a small but gorgeously situated lake. The day we arrived , we were gifted an additional bonus, the lake was frozen! There were a few of us up there and we had a blast skidding across the surface of the lake and freaking out at the occasional boom of the ice cracking under the late morning sun and the warming temps. The lake is surrounded by a sandy shore, looming cliffs and giant stepping stone boulders allowing access to the top. It’s a great place to pause and eat a packed lunch. There are options to continue and hook up to other hikes in the area but we chose to make it an out and back. By now, if you did not eat on the trail, it would be a great time to head back down to Estes Park to eat lunch and take a stroll down the picturesque main street. Lots of fudge, rocks and t-shirt shops, I almost forgot that this is a gateway town to The National Park. We arrived to the entrance of RMNP on the day of the government shutdown, hoping there was minimal staffing. Turns out there was no staffing but the gates were wide open. It was fortuitous as the Trail Ridge Road in to the park was closed after 8 miles due to snow anyway. But what a spectacular short drive it was. We knew we’d be back another day to tackle some of the excellent trails in the park.
Before you make the drive back to Boulder, be sure to stop at the stately Stanley Hotel built in 1909, perched high on a hill looking sternly over the town. The inspiration for the film The Shining and the actual set location for the television version of the same, it’s a hoot to tour the gorgeously restored lobby. Check out the basement where a mini-museum and photo stills from the tv shoot adorn the walls. The gift shop makes the most of its haunted past and capitalizes on Stephen King’s The Shining’s infamous cultural references(wineglasses with REDRUM etched on them, anyone?) and of course, Room 217 is available for you movie buffs, but it does cost you extra. It’s all a little bit commercial but the buildings architectural bones can be appreciated and the view from the front porch is about as stunning a vista as you’ll see of the Rockies.
You could drive back to Boulder the way you came but I would suggest taking Hwy 7, the Peak to Peak highway as it is known, it adds about 45 minutes but it’s completely worth your while. Incredible mountain views, winding roads through craggy rock faces, and plenty of opportunities to see wildlife will convince you to slow down and take it easy. There are access trails into RMNO from this road as well, if you still have some energy left to burn. Definitely drive up the curvy road to the trailhead for Long’s Peak, one of the fourteeners. A word about the fourteeners. This moniker refers to a mountain peak with an elevation of at least 14,000 ft.There are 53 alone in the state of Colorado and bagging all of them is like the holy grail of hiking. It’s the quintessential bucket list check-off and you’ll hear many references to the 14er’s in conversations throughout Boulder.
My favorite part of this road trip was an unexpected roadside attraction that took my breath away. The Chapel on the Rock is located on the grounds of St. Malo Retreat, a spiritual center for the Catholic archdiocese. The spectacle of this architecturally exquisite stone building, its location situated in contrast to the snow-covered Rockies behind it, the windows glowing golden, created such a transcendent image that I couldn’t tear my eyes away. As I stood there, I heard an organ playing inside, followed by raucous laughter and applause and suddenly a small wooden side door opened in the stone wall and a vision in white satin emerged. She made her way to another door where she disappeared followed by her groom. It all happened in an instant and I never thought to raise my camera to my eye. It would have made for a beautiful photo, instead I just stood silently, taking it all in. Apparently, this is a very popular roadside attraction but that day there were no cars parked on the side of the road. no gawkers. There was only the sound of the wind, the snowflakes falling softly, the mist descending off the mountains, and a bride in ivory floating like a princess against the backdrop of rock and mountain.
Second Stop: A short half hour drive from Boulder lies a wonderfully funky little town called Nederland(pop 1500). a crossroads really, with a handful of local businesses scattered about. At 8228 ft. elevation , it’s a place thats asks nothing of you but to slow down and chill. I had read in a guidebook that Nederland is know for it’s Frozen Dead Guy Days, a festival in early March oddly commemorating a real attempt of one Trygve Bauge to cryogenically freeze his grandad in his backyard shed. Coffin races, frozen dead guy look-alike contests, and a fancy dance called Grandpa’s Blue Ball elevates death humor to new heights. By the way, Grandpa is still cryogenically preserved to this day in Nederland in a modernized Tuff Shed. True story. Skeptical? Just watch the documentary. I kid you not. “Grandpa’s in the Tuff Shed”. It’s an actual thing. You can see why a trip to Nederland is a must do. Beyond frozen dead people, there is a wonderful local bakery/coffee shop called Blue Moon Bakery offering homemade goodies both sweet and savory. Try the quiche, it’s filling and tastes like love. One attraction that caught my eye immediately and came to define this town’s essence for me was the Carousel of Happiness. Housed in a small building , the exterior belies the magic inside. An old-time carousel, painstakingly carved by a Vietnam vet and native of Nederland, it makes its circular journey hundred of times a day, for $1 a ride. It had been many years since I’d hopped onto a carousel and even then I’d taken the ride as a chaperone for my kids. Today, I would ride because I wanted to be a kid. It wasn’t even a thought. I chose a shiny gray donkey with an intricately carved and colorful Mexican blanket as my chariot. Alas, the music organ was temporarily out of service but the moment the ride began, those happy organ sounds from my childhood blossomed in my head and I hummed away. I was grinning from ear to ear as my hair blew back from my face and my stomach felt that familiar queasy feeling. I didn’t want it to stop and I could hear my inner child whining, again! again! What a wonderful thing to nurture and provide in your small town. There may not be a WholeFoods or a Starbucks but for Pete’s sake, there is a Carousel of Joy and that is enough. The hippy vibe is pervasive but it’s more the underlying energy of the place that shifts your mood. You begin to think, I could live here.
Last Stop: The shortest road trip ever gives you a great option for a spectacular destination right in Boulder’s southern backyard. Eldorado Canyon State Park is a jewel in the state park system. Towering sandstone cliffs up to 700 ft high, scenic South Boulder creek, and a mecca for climbers with hundreds of technical rock climbing faces attracts all manner of outdoor enthusiasts to this idyllic spot. There are also a handful of picturesque trails. The parking lot is tiny and fills up most weekends so a weekday visit in season might be best. The ride out here is of great interest as well, a bucolic blacktop leads you through rolling ranch country and the road narrows until you you enter the tiny town of Eldorado Springs. Rustic homes of every architectural style are built onto the steep hillside, an art gallery and fire station hug the roadside and best of all, there is an old historic swimming pool fed by an artesian spring, open in the summer to the public. Popular since 1905, it is a great biking destination from Boulder. Imagine a scenic 1o mile bike ride, followed by an energetic hike on the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail, ending with a dip in the warm blue spring waters of the Eldorado Canyon pool. That sounds like another perfect day in the sunny climes of Colorado.
