Friday Afternoon At Chautauqua

I spent some time up in Boulder yesterday afternoon and made a stop at Chatauqua Park, one of my favorite places in Colorado. It was threatening rain, but that did not seem to stop the intrepid locals from heading up the trail into the Flatirons, as seen in the photograph on the left. I myself would have chosen a sunnier day, but Boulder is known for its hearty outdoor types, who would no doubt shrug off a few raindrops. I hiked those trails many years ago and really enjoyed it. You wind around the back of the sheer face and when you get to the top have a spectacular view of Boulder. Definitely worth the effort.

I passed by the Chautauqua Dining Hall and noticed a fair number of people still having lunch on the outdoor patio, as seen in the photograph on the right. Boulder's Chautauqua was constructed in 1898 with the assistance of Boulder City leaders, the Gulf and Southern Railway, and Texas Regents to create a teacher's school along with a Chautauqua. It consists of a dining hall, an auditorium, and cottages and lodges for students and short-term visitors. All of the original structures are still in use today. I fondly remember having Sunday brunch at the Dining Hall a number of times with my brother-in-law George, sister Susan, and our mother Mary. Having breakfast on that patio with that wonderful view is a great experience.

The General Store in the photograph on the left is a relatively new addition. As for the auditorium, it still hosts many concerts and events. I remember attending a Peter Kater concert there one night with Susan and my mother. The acoustics are truly wonderful. I think my mother used a transit chair to get around at the time, and they put us in the front row, which made for a really wonderful experience. The cottages were originally just for summer residents, but over the years they have been winterized for year-round use and can still be rented by the public. Plus, if you do stay there, it is only a 15-minute walk to Boulder's Pearl Street Mall, filled with restaurants, bars, shops, and performances by various buskers and musicians. I would especially recommend a Friday or Saturday afternoon hiking the Flatirons, and a visit to a very lively Pearl Street Mall in the evening. Tell them I sent you.