The city of Boulder, Colorado is a college “town.” And college towns offer a unique opportunity for everyone who encounters them – it has to be a place the loyal locals love, while being a great place for the constant flow of students who spend four years there, for their families who come to visit them and, of course, for tourists. Boulder, set at the base of the Rocky Mountains, manages to be all those things to all those people. Sandy Bornstein, award-winning Real Food Traveler writer, has written a useful and enticing guide, 100 Things to Do in Boulder Before You Die, to help all of us experience the city more fully.

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The book, published by Reedy Press, is organized for ease of use, regardless of how you’re coming at it. Right off the bat, the Table of Contents is broken down by category: Food and Drink; Music and Entertainment; Sports and Recreation; Culture and History; Shopping and Fashion; Activities by Season; and Suggested Itineraries that help you combine it all. On that Table of Contents, each item is not only numbered, as part of its 1-100, but they are a teaser. For example, #14 is “Admire the Depth of Italian Cooking at Carelli’s of Boulder,” under “Food and Drink.” Or #35, “Gather Under the Stars at a Colorado Shakespeare Festival Performance” under “Music and Entertainment.” Or #43, “Glide above the Treetops with Boulder Free Flight,” under “Sports and Recreation.” The teasers are a call-to-action as much as a listing of where to find what.

In easily digestible, and usable bites, each listing gets its own page with a lively description, insider tips, and the essential information you need with which to follow up such as addresses, phone numbers and websites.

Far more than just a directory, 100 Things to Do in Boulder Before you Die fleshes out details that really help prepare a visitor for experiencing that listing. For example, “Celebrate at Frasca Food and Wine” gives a brief background on the owners, including their James Beard Awards, the vibe of the restaurant, what you can expect from the menu, and recommendations for specific dishes to try, all in one succinct, handy paragraph.

A listing to “Uncover Boulder’s Street Art with a Self-Guided Mural Viewing” lets you know you can take it all in by car, bike, or foot, the various subjectmatters you’ll encounter, and an alternative option to take a guided bicycle tour.

Boulder is an outdoorsy mecca and Bornstein certainly addresses those options, such as “Camp in a Yurt at Golden Gate Canyon State Park” with details on the accommodations to expect, trails and animals to be on the lookout for. There are many options for taking in nature from more sedate means like driving, to really getting out there by foot, boat, raft, etc.

Do consider visiting Boulder, Colorado. Don’t consider doing it without having purchased Bornstein’s book, 100 Things to Do in Boulder Before you Die first. It’ll absolutely help you make the most out of the experience.

Hungry for more? Read Sandy’s article about a special cruise experience.

About the Author
Sandy Bornstein is a Colorado-based, award-winning travel writer who focuses on active adventures, food, history, family travel, and Jewish culture. Sandy’s award-winning book, May This Be the Best Year of Your Life, is a resource for people contemplating an expat lifestyle and living outside their comfort zone. Sandy and her husband, Ira, divide their time between the Front Range, the mountains, and traveling. Whenever possible they spend time with their four adult sons and their families which includes 6 grandchildren. Follow Sandy’s adventures at thetravelingbornsteins.com.

The book is also available on Amazon.com, using this Real Food Traveler affiliate link. Plan a visit to Boulder, Colorado with the help of this Real Food Traveler Expedia affiliate link.

-By Courtney Drake-McDonough, publisher and managing editor of Real Food Traveler.
Photo of Boulder’s Flatirons by Malachi Brooks, courtesy UnSplash.

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