Boulder is steeped in old, new

The downtown is a traditional urban grid of wide boulevards lined with businesses, shops, and restaurants. But in 20 minutes you can be at the 6,850-foot summit of Flagstaff Mountain, looking out at the Continental Divide, all trace of civilization left behind.

The city retains the hippie flair of the 1970s -- which inspired The Denver Post to call it "the little town nestled between the mountains and reality." Yet it hosts some of the country's most prestigious scientific organizations, such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, as well as the University of Colorado, one of the West's largest universities and an architectural masterpiece.

We visited in early summer, a prime time to enjoy the area's natural beauty. From our home base at the Hotel Boulderado, we drove to the top of Flagstaff Mountain along Baseline Road, stopping to take a picture of a mule deer by the roadside. At the summit were picnic tables and walking trails, and a wedding was getting underway in a stone amphitheater.

We took another jaunt to Boulder Falls, where North Boulder Creek drops 70 feet into Middle Boulder Creek, again not more than 15 minutes from downtown. Take Highway 119 west (Canyon Boulevard) and look for a sign marking a small parking lot on the left side of the road; then it's an easy five-minute climb to the falls.

Indoor attractions include the Celestial Seasonings tea company, a hippie success story extraordinaire, and the Leanin' Tree Museum of Western Art, a nod to the city's heritage. The two buildings are practically next door in Boulder's northeastern corner.

Celestial Seasonings began in 1969 in Aspen, where 19-year-old Mo Siegel gathered wild herbs in the forests and canyons of the Rocky Mountains and made them into teas. Today, the company is the largest specialty tea manufacturer in the United States.