DESTINATION

Boulder

The combination of climate, scenery and the 32,000-student University of Colorado attracted such agencies as the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the laboratories of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics as well as other large corporate installations.

The University of Colorado's establishment in 1876 spurred the struggling gold and agricultural community, then called Boulder City, to a new vigor. The 1,590-acre campus has a computer center, the Fiske Planetarium/Sommers-Bausch Observatory and the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre. The theater hosts the Colorado Shakespeare Festival from early June to early August; box office (303) 492-8008. Campus tours are offered Mon.-Sat.; phone (303) 492-6301, ext. 2.

The Dushanbe Teahouse, presented as a gift from its sister city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, is a traditionally decorated Tajik teahouse that sits at 13th Street in Boulder. The hand-carved, hand-painted structure, which arrived in 200 crates, was assembled by Tajik artisans; phone (303) 442-4993.

An 8,555-acre system of mountain parks includes Boulder Creek Path, Boulder Falls, Colorado Chautauqua (see attraction listing), Flagstaff Mountain and the Flatirons. Boulder Creek, which flows through the city, offers a multitude of recreational activities. In combination with Boulder Creek Path, which winds for 16 miles alongside the creek, opportunities exist for casual strolling, picnicking, tubing and fishing.

Boulder obtains its water supply from a municipally owned glacier. Twenty-eight miles of pipe channel the clear, soft water from Arapaho Glacier to the town's taps.

Held downtown, the three-day Boulder Creek Festival celebrates the unofficial beginning of summer with three performance stages, carnival rides, arts and crafts and a rubber duck race down the creek. You'll find both residents and visitors gathering at the Boulder County Farmers' Market to shop for fresh produce from local growers as well as baked goods, flowers and crafts. The market, on 13th Street adjacent to Central Park, is open Wed. 4-8, early May-early Oct. and Sat. 8-2, early Apr.-late Nov.

Visitor Centers

Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau 2440 Pearl St. Boulder, CO 80302. Phone:(303)442-2911 or (800)444-0447

Shopping

In Boulder's downtown historic area, not far from the University of Colorado campus, is Pearl Street, a four-block, pedestrian-only outdoor mall lined with bookstores, art galleries, coffeehouses, boutiques and restaurants. Street performers and seasonal arts and crafts shows help contribute to a fun atmosphere.

Just east of 28th Street (US 36) between Arapahoe Avenue and Walnut Street is Twenty Ninth Street, an open-air lifestyle center combining retail establishments with dining and outdoor gathering spots. Shops include LOFT, Anthropologie, Apple Store, Victoria's Secret and a J. Crew Mercantile.