Walking Around Chautauqua

I drove up to Boulder yesterday afternoon and took a walk around Chautauqua Park for the first time in a number of years.  It is a beautiful spot, sitting right up against the Flatirons, which can be seen in the photograph on the left. Trails wind all through the area, and if you like, you can even do a little rock climbing, too. But instead of rock climbing, I decided to just walk around the park itself, which is a National Historic Site and consists of a 19th century wooden concert venue, the dining hall, and cottages that that are rented in the summer to tourists and, in many cases, to faculty teaching at the University of Colorado the rest of the time.

Although the concert season was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus, I was happy to see that the dining hall was open and people were out sitting on the restaurant's deck, as seen in the photo on the right. Years ago, when my mother Mary would come up from Stuart, Florida to visit, we would drive up on a Sunday morning and meet my sister Susan and brother-in-law George - who would drive from Fort Collins - and have brunch here, which was always a treat. Of course, at the time, Chautauqua stopped serving breakfast at noon, and so it was always exciting to see if Susan and George would make it on time. They always did, but it was always close - very close.  But definitely worth it to be able to sit outside along the railing and look at the view.

And if all of this seems inviting to you, I saw that the cottage in the photo on the left is for rent. It says on a plaque on the front porch that it dates from 1898, but I am sure it has been updated since then. Maybe. Best of all, it fronts on the park, and you can sit on that enclosed porch and enjoy a spectacular view. Feel free to call the phone number on the sign in front of the place to get details. Just don't forget to have them send me my commission check if you do decide to rent it.