My First Road Trip (Spring 2018)
What’s happening Road Trip Warriors!? I have never written about it, but this past spring I went on a road trip. My buddy and I drove from Upstate New York to Colorado. We would stop and explore along the way in different states and cities. This trip led me to my favorite place in the United States which would be Boulder, Colorado. It was unplanned, but we ended up staying two days and one night in this scenic city. I wanted to share with you some of the endless fun you can have in Boulder in a short period of time.
Day One
After driving for two-and-a-half days, we were close to Boulder, CO. As we approached, the Flatirons towered above us and the snow-capped Rocky Mountains painted a scenic landscape in the far distance. Our destination was Pearl Street Mall. This street is a destination known for its shops and restaurants. After getting lost in the campus of the University of Colorado Boulder, we finally found Pearl Street and parked my car.
After being in the car for the past eight hours, we were starving. Our stomachs found solace at West Flanders Brewing Co. located right on Pearl Street. This restaurant is a Belgian-inspired brewpub that brews their unique beer right on Pearl Street Mall. I unfortunately did not try any of these drinks as I still had to drive. The food we ordered was reasonably priced and tasted great. We enjoyed beautiful weather and were able to people watch while eating. We had not even explored much, and I was already in love with the city.
Hotel Boulderado
After eating, I came to the realization that we needed to find a place to stay. I did some mobile research whilst exploring Boulder and came across the Hotel Boulderado. It is a historic hotel where the original building stands five stories tall with impressive brick walls. The exterior of the Hotel Boulderado boasts extraordinary towers with tall windows. This beautiful structure was finished being built in 1909 after roughly three years of construction. The fifth floor was completed in 1910.
I wish I had taken a better picture of this building, but we had so many things planned on this road trip that the idea of photographing this building flew over my head.
There were more interesting details about the Hotel Boulderado that I had found online. This building is said to be haunted. Apparently in rooms 302 and 304, a suicide took place where a man chloroformed himself. The fifth floor is also said to be haunted where a woman in white has been known to roam the halls. After observing the magnificent exterior and reading the history of this place, I made a reservation for the night.
The parking was not included in the room cost and it added $20 to the cost. The service that I received at this hotel made it well worth it. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. Once in the lobby, I was amazed by the wooden staircase and Italian stained-glass ceiling. We were able to take the old Otis elevator up to the second floor by one of the hotel attendants.
Our room that we were provided was not in the original structure and part of a newer addition to the hotel. So I unfortunately have no stories of my pal and I finding any ghosts. After we brought our gear into our room, we decided that we would go out and see what the bars were like in Boulder.
Bars
There are numerous bars in downtown Boulder. Some of these bars include The Bitter Bar, World Famous Dark Horse Bar & Grill, West End Tavern, and Pearl Street Pub & Cellar. There are countless other bars as well. Now, we only ended up going to one bar as we were exhausted from traveling the prior two-and-a-half days.
Day Two
We woke up early and checked out so we would have time to shop on Pearl Street and hike the Flatirons (the Flatirons are going to have their own post). Pearl Street Mall on a sunny day is absolutely gorgeous.
There are plenty of places to grab breakfast on this street and it has some of the most unique stores I have been to. One of my favorite stores was the Boulder Book Store. It is a three-level bookstore that hosts over 100,000 titles. In 2018 it won the Publishers Weekly Bookstore of The Year award. We bought a bunch of Boulder souvenirs here like the tourists we are.
Another store that I really enjoyed was one that my brother had texted me about. It was called Rocket Fizz. It is basically a large candy store, but what grabbed my attention was the classic arcade games in the back of the store. It had Donkey Kong, Super Mario, and more. It is always fun to play games that bring you back to your childhood.
After spending a little bit more time on Pearl Street, we headed to my car to hit the road. We had planned to hike the Flatiron mountains nearby and needed to stock up at Target. All in all, Boulder is my favorite city in the United States. That is not an exaggeration either. It has just about everything an individual could desire. It contains outdoor activities, great food and bars, unique shops, and friendly people. I have considered moving here one day, but I have more places to explore before I ultimately decided where I would like to live.
RTW Note
If you are thinking about taking a road trip, even a short one, do it. The experience that you will have is one that you will never forget. The photos, the people you meet, the places you explore…that is what you are going to remember in your life. I have to be honest and upfront. I would be lying to you all if I said I was not nervous about driving across the country on my own with a buddy. I will tell you this…getting out of your comfort zone is conducive to maturing and learning who you are as an individual. I already have another road trip planned for this Spring and I am much more confident in my capabilities because I was able to get out of my comfort zone. So in conclusion, I encourage you to adventure as much and as often as you can! Keep exploring Road Trip Warriors!
-Ant
