BOULDER , just 27 miles northwest of Denver on US-36, is one of the liveliest college towns in the country, filled with a young population that seems to divide its time between phenomenally healthy daytime pursuits and almost equally unhealthy nighttime activities - the town is often referred to as "7 miles surrounded by reality." It was founded in 1858 by a prospecting party who felt that the nearby Flatiron Mountains, the first swell of the Rockies, "looked right for gold"; in fact they found little, but the community grew anyway.

With an easygoing, forward-looking atmosphere and plenty of great places to eat and drink, Boulder makes an excellent place to return each night after a day in the mountains. Downtown centers on the leafy pedestrian mall of Pearl Street , lined with all sorts of lively cafés, galleries and stores - including several places where you can rent mountain bikes . The most obvious short excursion is to drive or hike up nearby Flagstaff Mountain , for views over town and further into the Rockies; any road west joins up with the Peak to Peak Highway, which heads through spectacular montane scenery to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. For rock climbing, Eldorado Canyon State Park offers many opportunities and The Boulder Mountaineer (tel 303/442-8355) can answer any questions and, of course, provide gear.

The adventurous University of Colorado offers a mixed bag of events , including in summer the Colorado Music Festival (tel 303/449-1397), in the Chautauqua Auditorium (tel 303/449-2413), and the seven-week Colorado Shakespeare Festival (tel 303/492-0554).

Boulder

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