November 23: Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder, CO . . .
Read MoreThe town of Boulder, Colorado was established in 1859 as a supply town for gold miners working in the area. Its main thoroughfare, Pearl Street, which is thought to have been named for the wife of one of the founders, quickly became the center of activity. As the town grew, the horses and buggies that populated Pearl Street were joined by streetcars. When the automobile arrived, Pearl Street was the first in town to be paved.
The area went through its share of hard times as large shopping malls and plazas were built outside of downtown luring people away. The downtown area began to deteriorate as businesses closed and buildings were abandoned. City officials realized back in the 1960s that some kind of revitalization plan was needed and looked into several options, one of which was idea of creating a pedestrian mall downtown. After clearing some legal hurdles in the 1970s, Pearl Street between 11th and 15th streets was closed to traffic in June 1976 so construction could begin on the Pearl Street Mall which was dedicated in a year later. In the years since its opening, the entire area has undergone a complete revitalization and is now home to restaurants, bars, and abundant shopping.
Heather put a trip to Boulder on the agenda because like so many other places, the downtown area is decorated extensively for the Holiday. It's also convenient to our return trip from Estes Park. The normally east-west Route 36, the road on which I have been traveling all day, actually follows a north-south path from Estes Park to Boulder on its way to Denver. That section of the road is known as the North Foothills Parkway and offers a beautiful scenic drive along the base of the Front Range. It was dark when we made the drive, so I couldn't see the mountains. But I got to enjoy the lights of Longmont off in the distance to the east. The real light show began once we parked in downtown Boulder and headed to the Pearl Street Mall.There is a lot to do here, especially during the summer. The place is loaded with restaurants and shopping. Like Old Town Square in Fort Collins, artwork, trees and greenery, permanent seating, and a lot of kid-oriented activities are prominently featured throughout the Mall. In contrast to a lot of Do Not Touch architectural features seen elsewhere, designers incorporated usable features that encourage people to touch, climb on, and lean against at will. The critters seen in the photo above are part of a children's sandbox.