Ithaca is Boulder....or is it the other way around

I finally made it to Colorado, and it met me with wonderfully sunny weather.  I spent my first night there in a campground out on the prairie, allowing me to wake up early Friday morning to go do a birding tour loop around the Pawnee National Grassland, where I found lots of unique birds including the Burrowing Owl, a small owl that lives underground in abandoned prairie dog holes.  Afterward, it was time for me to drive to Boulder to meet up with my friend Ashley who works at NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research).  And what a place to work!  The facility itself sits above at the foothills of the Rockies, with plenty of hiking trails surrounding the area.  And supposedly the weather there is always sunny.  We did a hike up into the hills behind the research center to a known bat cave.  We didn't see any bats, but the whole hike was very enjoyable, just chatting about our lives and plans.  Simply seeing a familiar face was a real joy (I hope she felt the same way.  At the very least I gave her an excuse to finish work early on a Friday).  I only wish we could have done more, but our schedules didn't quite jive, so I left Ashley in the late afternoon and headed into downtown Boulder, thanks to Ashley's directions.  I drove through the University of Colorado, home of the Buffaloes, and the setting for the famous running story, Running with the Buffaloes.  I gotta say, CU is probably the only school I've ever seen that made me want to go there just based on it's looks.  The place was amazing.  All tan buildings which fit in perfectly with the arid mountain scenery.  And it's situated just a mile or so from downtown....very similar to how IC is to the commons.  Speaking of Commons!

A familiar face!  Ashley and I atop the NCAR building. 

Boulder has one.  It's setup is nearly identical to that of Ithaca's.  Lots of independent shops, street vendors, a fair share of hippies, and on the day of my visit, even a magician (I truly felt like I was in the Ithaca Commons in summer watching that guy amaze us with the $20 bill inside a lemon).  No hemp shops though, not that I could see.  But this commons was a bit higher scale than ours.  For one thing, it was a full two blocks.  There was a Cheesecake Factory, and few other high end restaurants.  And things seemed more expensive.  The gelato I bought ran me 3.75 for a single scoop.  I made up for that with a visit to DP Dough.  Yup, you read it correctly, Boulder has a DP Dough!  I had no idea it was a chain.  I guess they know the business is good close to colleges where drunk kids will call in at 2 in the morning to make unnecessary purchases.  I got myself a calzone (Buffer zone for those who know what that is) and a small drink.....for $5!!  We're getting jipped in Ithaca.  I made quick work of my meal while sitting on the curb, taking in the sights and sounds of Boulder.  Lots of outdoorsy folks here- runners, bikers, you know the type, real fit people.

DP Dough for $5.

The commons in Boulder

Honestly, along with Banff, Boulder is the other place where I wish I could have spent a lot more time.  There seemed like there was so much to do.  And with a culture similar to that of Ithaca, I felt right at home.  A revisit may be in order at some point in the future.