Showing posts with label Urban Hikes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Urban Hikes. Show all posts

Monday, May 25, 2009

The Greening of Boulder

Rain has been more plentiful than usual this May in Boulder and I’m reveling in the sight of unusually lush green foothills and trails.

We walk from South Boulder up to Chautauqua, down to Pearl Street for a writing session at Bookend Cafe, then home in the pouring rain, and we’re happy. Our walk is in a parallel universe with the massive 10K Bolder Boulder footrace also occurring in town today but we walk alongside many of those who've completed the race as we make our way home in the downpour.

It was also May when we first arrived in Boulder in 1977, with every belonging we had packed in a tan square back VW (two guitars, a tent and cook stove, our clothes, and a remarkable number of books). For the first few nights we pitched out tent along the creek at the Wagon Wheel Campground in Four Mile Canyon outside town.

That year the weather was mild and very dry. Colorado’s arid climate and the muted sage green and gray of the Flatirons were a radical change from the emerald green forests of maple, sycamore and oak in southern Indiana. We were luckier than we knew, since May in Boulder can be quite rainy; some years, late season snowstorms cruelly weigh down and break the flowering fruit tree branches. It is only after many years here, some during severe drought, that we fully appreciate the precious rain when it comes. So it’s been raining all Memorial Day weekend in Boulder and I’ve been falling into grateful sleep each night to the steady, gentle patter on our roof.

Up in Chautauqua the sage was abundant--we each picked and crushed a leaf; the delicious scent filled me with peace and joy. When it’s been raining this long it seems as though all the green plants come out of hibernation and suddenly it looks a lot like Ireland without quite so many pubs.

Also in Chautauqua Park is a small circular flower garden with four pebbly paths leading up to an oblong sign that proclaims, in multiple languages: May Peace Prevail on Earth. As I’m reading the sign and saying my own little prayer, a woman drives by, leans out the window with a smile and calls out “Peace for all the world!” I do feel peace in my souI right here, right now in Boulder.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Urban Hikes in Boulder

A few years ago my husband and I discovered the joys of urban hikes. We live in Boulder, Colorado, which is an extremely pedestrian-friendly city. Bike and pedestrian paths with underpasses make navigating intersections a breeze, and of course the constant view of the Flatirons against a Colorado blue sky makes our walks even more enjoyable.

We freeze a little water in the bottom of two Nalgene water bottles, so that when we fill them with water they stay nice and cold, and carry everything we need on our backs. Often we will take care of errands, small purchases, even grocery shopping and wine purchases for dinner on foot during our urban hikes.

The very best part about it, though, is the conversation. Topics range far and wide from the state of the world and country, to the state of our children off at college, to my frustrations and successes at work. It is our best time to share with each other and often the walks will last three hours or more. Boulder has numerous great restaurants, so we will often have lunch out along the way.

We live in South Boulder and can easily head straight up into the foothills from our house and walk the Chautauqua trails behind the National Institute for Science and Technology buildings. Or we can walk through various neighborhoods to get to the brand new 29th Street Mall for lunch at L’s. Or we can head through the CU campus and down the big hill to walk the famous Pearl Street Mall.

When we visit other cities we always wish for the same walker-friendly environment there, since it is a great way to really see a town or city, but we rarely find it. If you know of a good walking town, post a comment and let me know.