Home   Directions   Reservations   About   Boulder   About   Hostelling   About Us   Pictures

About Boulder Boulder, flush against the Rocky Mountains, is a lovely small city, preserved as such by far-sightedness in the 1950's and 1960's. It has restricted growth, and is an icon for ecological groups. It has famously good and safe schools, and its commitment to bicycle travel is exemplified by its numerous bike and hiking trails. The city is laced with paved paths denied motorized vehicles. The average house in Boulder sells for around one third of a million dollars, with rents and leases in proportion. It is considered a wealthy community, but works hard to provide low cost housing options and to support families. If you come from San Francisco, New York, or Tokyo we will seem cheap, but most consider Boulder on the expensive side. Virtually everyone considers it worth the price. Famously considered a liberal community in a conservative state, Boulder is not that simple. Any place that is home, after all, to Soldier of Fortune Magazine and many vocal Libertarians does not entirely deserve the sobriquet of The People's Republic of Boulder, even though the city passes enough official comment on international affairs that it can honestly be described as the only American municipality with a foreign policy of its own. And yet... Boulder has proposed an ordinance that changes the status of dogs and cats from "pet" to "companion" and the other end of the leash from "owner" to "guardian." This absorbed City Council time in public debate. Honest. It has one of the few Buddhist-based universities in the world as well as one of the nation's largest state universities, famous music and Shakespeare festivals, a Farmer's Market, a thriving art community, and a ten kilometer race that attracts nearly fifty thousand participants yearly. Its medical facilities and personnel are excellent. The Federal government has numerous scientific and educational facilities located here. It is just about always listed as one of the great communities in which to live and raise children in the nation. Most citizens are in their twenties and early thirties even excepting the University students. It has cutting edge software companies, famous micro-breweries, and the world's shortest St. Patrick's Day parade. Boulder has cosmopolitan eating tastes, reflected in our variety of restaurants, and our markets feature food from all over the world. Vegetarians are right at home here, and virtually no restaurant fails to have extensive choices for that persuasion. Boulder was one of the first communities to ban smoking in any public building. This includes the Hostel. There are strict fines. You may smoke on the Hostel's spacious verandah. Boulder has more world class athletes per capita than any other city on earth (supposedly, more people who have climbed Everest live here than anywhere, including Nepal.) It has a highly educated population, a versatile, durable, and high end economy, an often great music scene, and a surplus of deer, who startle residents by appearing on major streets at any time. Boulder is a famously safe city, and as a rule you do not need to be overly concerned about leaving things in your car or being out at night. Our Weather Boulder's weather is, well, interesting. A day with a seventy degree swing in temperature is not unheard of, and we can sometimes sun ourselves in the morning on the lawn and have to shovel snow to get to the door that night. Which is to say, be prepared. Boulderites, who like to simplify, commonly divide their weather into only two categories: Good for Bicycling or Not Good for Bicycling. In general, though, Boulder is a high desert with only about twelve inches of moisture annually. Since we average about three hundred and twenty days of sunshine a year, that is not surprising. Our snow, even when deep, is dry and light. We live in what is called the Banana Belt of Colorado; snow doesn't last long on the ground, and warm sunny days are common in winter. That they alternate with scathingly cold winter wind and snow is an acceptance which must be made. Nevertheless we are not to be mistaken for, say, Buffalo. In summer, a typical day starts pleasantly before biodegrading into brief afternoon thunderstorms which can be exciting. Autumn features our clearest weather, with warm days, cool nights, and spectacular views of mountains and foliage. Winter can go either way, but on average is bearable and often beautiful. Spring can provide snow into June along with some days of strong wind, and is considered bracing.