The 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.

The Pearl Street Mall occupies 4 blocks between 11th and 15th Streets. The sandbox we encountered above is near 15th street where we started our trek.

The courthouse came into view at 14th Street.

Boulder County Courthouse.

Designers went all out when decorating the courthouse for the Holiday.

The complete encasing of the whole building with lights leads me to believe that the courthouse serves as the focal point for the display throughout the Mall.

Boulder County Courthouse.

Also at this spot is the Pop Jet Fountain. Just like the fountain in Old Town Square in Fort Collins, water jets mounted in the concrete provide kids a place to cool off during the summer.

The whole area around the courthouse was really well done and featured a lot of lights and assorted decorations.

We continued our trek through the mall. The photos above and below show the intersection at the next block, 13th Street.

Pearl Street Mall at 13th Street, Boulder, Colorado.

Just beyond the intersection at 13th Street was another art piece that was decorated. The "Little Bug Bridge" was commissioned by the City of Boulder for the Mall's 25th anniversary. The bridge crosses a sand-filled pit that also contains a bunch of - you guessed it - boulders.

The photos above and below show the intersection with Broadway where Boulder got its start.

One source I examined seemed to indicate that the town actually started from this point when town planners drove a stake in the ground at what is now this intersection, (Pearl Street and Broadway). The town was laid out from there.

Pearl Street Mall intersection at Broadway, Boulder, Colorado.

I looked for the official name for the display seen in the photos above and below but couldn't find it. The stone walkway serves as a bridge over the landscaped area.

The two large rock slabs appear to be about 5 feet tall.

We finished our trek through the Mall before finding some dinner at one of the many restaurants that populate the area and then heading back to Greeley. The big day of sightseeing today was a good preparation for what was on deck for tomorrow, my final day in the west.