![\"CU](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/CU-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 CU Campus<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n We’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to Denver<\/strong> to see family.\u00a0 We enjoyed fabulous times in their spa-like back yard, a great meal at Shanahan’s, and a lung-collapsing walk at the 5200 foot elevation.\u00a0 It all seems like a dream now that we are experiencing record heat in the desert.\u00a0 Were we really feeling chilly just a week ago?\u00a0 To compensate for today’s triple-digit temps<\/strong>, I’m going to harken back to that time long ago – last week – to describe our day trip up to Boulder.\u00a0 Maybe just thinking about it will make me feel cooler.\u00a0 Or more confused – read on.<\/p>\n First, it must be said that Colorado is one of the most beautiful states<\/strong> in the country.\u00a0 It’s little wonder that Denver is now one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation – good jobs, good housing and spectacular surroundings.\u00a0 We have been to Denver a few times so this trip our daughter<\/strong> thought it would be fun to venture up to Boulder<\/strong>.\u00a0 We were excited to see\u00a0a city\u00a0that we’ve read so much about – a burgeoning tech community,\u00a0fun college town, and haven to hippies and retirees alike.<\/p>\n The beautiful Flatirons<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n So off we headed for the\u00a045 minute drive and decided to take\u00a0Dash the Wonder Dog\u00a0<\/strong>along for the ride.\u00a0 After all, Colorado is one of the more “outdoorsy” states; you can hardly walk a block without seeing someone with a dog.\u00a0 Or two.\u00a0 In Boulder more than a third of the population owns a dog so we expected Dash would be in his element.\u00a0 As we approached the city the first\u00a0site that came into view was the Flatiron Mountains<\/strong>, a range of five peaks that have a sheer upright face.\u00a0 Images of the\u00a0Flatirons\u00a0are ubiquitous symbols of the city of Boulder.\u00a0 The city government, the University of Colorado, and many businesses make use of this symbol in their logos, advertisements, and marketing materials.\u00a0 The mountains form a perfect background for the CU campus.\u00a0 Combined with the hundreds of trees and the park-like setting, it has to be <\/span>the most idyllic school in the country at which to\u00a0goof off rather than go to class.\u00a0 The center of downtown Boulder is home to the Pearl Street Mall<\/strong>, a four-block pedestrian mall that has cute shops, numerous restaurants and more than it’s fair share of street “performers”.\u00a0 We found a parking spot close by and embarked on a tour.\u00a0 We drifted in and out of many of the stores and in each one, Dash the Wonder Dog received oodles of attention.\u00a0 In one store the clerk asked to have her picture taken with him.\u00a0 In the kitchen and home store the clerk engaged me in a long discussion about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.\u00a0 So far, we were loving Boulder.\u00a0 For a fleeting moment, recalling the forecast for Scottsdale this week, I thought perhaps we should go home, pack up and move to Boulder.<\/p>\n Pearl Street Mall<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n About half-way through our tour of the mall we came to the restaurant that our daughter\u00a0suggested\u00a0for lunch.\u00a0 My husband ran in to take a look at the menu<\/strong> (to say he’s not an adventurous eater would be an understatement of gargantuan proportions) and to see if we could sit at one of the tables on their patio that abutted the mall.\u00a0 He came out of the restaurant with a rather stunned look on his face.\u00a0 I assumed that the “special of the day” was elk ear or moose gizzards<\/strong>.\u00a0 But instead he told us that not only was Dash not welcome on their patio, but that dogs were not allowed AT ALL on Pearl Street Mall.\u00a0 Whaaaaat?\u00a0 Just five minutes before Dash was sashaying around the place like he was the mayor.\u00a0 And now he’s not allowed?\u00a0 Sure enough, we looked at the signs on a pole at the entrance to the mall and in addition to No Spitting, No Loitering, and No Bikes was the sign I hate most of all – No Dogs.\u00a0 You’d have thought one of the people who worked in the stores might have said something.\u00a0 I’m guessing that they are secretly dog owners who think the rule is stupid<\/strong>.\u00a0 We finally found a restaurant perpendicular to the mall where Dash could join us as long as he was tied up on the street side of the patio.\u00a0 He was not amused.\u00a0 After we got back in the car, I did a quick Google search and sure enough, Boulder, contrary to what one might expect, is not a dog-friendly town. \u00a0Turns out that “man’s best friend” is not allowed in any restaurant patio or to be off-leash at any time.\u00a0 Uniformed Animal Control agents\u00a0patrol the city\u00a0and are quick to give out citations for any violations.\u00a0 Geez,\u00a0I guess we were lucky that Dash didn’t end up\u00a0behind bars.<\/p>\n So, what was my impression of Boulder?\u00a0 It’s truly a spectacular city<\/strong> with beautiful views, a vibrant college campus, great shopping…and stupid dog laws.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson We’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to Denver to see family.\u00a0 We enjoyed fabulous times in their spa-like back yard, a great meal at Shanahan’s, and a lung-collapsing walk at the 5200 foot elevation.\u00a0 It … read more![\"The](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Flatiron-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"Pearl](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/PearlStMall-150x150.jpg\")
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