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Published: September 25th 2009
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The weather continues to control our visit here in this area. The mountain pass in the park is still closed and the skies over the mountains indicate that it is possibly snowing up there. The skies to the south of us were partially blue so we decided to head in the direction of Boulder and potentially better weather. Although Frank had researched the scenic routes well before the trip we made one slight detour was to the Colorado Welcome Center to gather more material and maps.
Boulder is the home of The Flatirons and Chautauqua park. The Flatirons, named by pioneer women after the flat, metal irons used to press their clothes, are five large outcroppings of rock ranging from north to south along the east slope of Green Mountain.
Information at the Chautauqua meadows told us that a Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers, and specialists of the day. A Chautauqua was generally built in an attractive semi-rural location a short distance outside an established town with good rail service.
At the height of the Chautauqua movement in the 1920s, several hundred of these existed, but their numbers have since dwindled. At least three Independent Chautauquas have operated continuously from the 1920s into the 21st century." Boulder's Chautauqua is one of those 3.
The Chautauqua meadows surrounding the Flatirons are beautiful and there are many hiking trails to be taken.
We had our picnic lunch in the park adjacent to the meadows because the temp was 61 and the sun shining.
After lunch we took a road behind the meadows area and drove up into the city of Boulder Mountain Park. The views looked down over Boulder and out towards the mountains. It was a pretty impressive area and seemed to have it all, picnic areas, hiking and cycling trails, an outdoor amphitheater, many overlooks and more. The most impressive views were from a spot named Gulch overlook.
When we came out of the park we somehow ended up on a road named the Gross Dam Road. It was unpaved and went on for miles and miles up and down the mountain and around curves and switchbacks, past the dam and on and on until we finally came out on
Highway 72. It was scenic so all was not lost. The weather by now was changeable and there was a combo of snow and rain at times so we looked for blue sky and headed in that direction. Fortunately it was in the direction of Ft Collins where the sun was shining and the temp 68. Elevation makes all the difference here. Behind us were the mountains shrouded in cloud and what appeared to be snow showers while we were in the warm sunshine. We had dinner and headed for the hotel and the necessary evil of doing laundry.
The weather forecast for the weekend seems good with temps expected in the high 80's so with the hope that some of that warmer weather would open up the mountain passes, we've decided to stay here for a couple of extra days.
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christiane
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mon meilleur souvenir
j'ai vécu les plus belles années de ma vie à Boulder mais si j'y ai, aussi, connu pires et superbes moments : la mort de ma petite maman et la naissance de ma fille. Il y a 35 ans et je n'y suis jamais retournée ! Pour moi, c'est une des plus belles régions du monde ! Mon rêve, j'ai 65 ans, c'est de pouvoir y retourner un jour ! J'habite en France et mes moyens ne m'ont jamais permis de partir là bas ... Souvent j'y pense à ses grands espaces, ses gens charmants que j'y ai rencontrés, et puis j'y ai tellement de souvenirs !