Vince D.'s Profile

One of the nicest places to make happy hour in Boulder. The Corner Bar has got a little something for everyone--a TV, a patio, a great, historic location, good food and drinks.

It is a bit on the classy side for me, though. I like my places a little more on the dive side, but this is a great place.

I dig Pharmaca, though, as opposed to restaurants and clubs, it's a a functional relationship. So, I'm not really going to gush, except to say that they've always filled my scripts and provided me with whatever I need.

It's a pharmacy. What more could you ask for?

My first time there was pretty comical. I got a case of Bell's Palsy, and the left side of my face was temporarily paralyzed. I was at the hospital across the street from the north Boulder Pharmaca. After being seen, they sent me across the street to pick up a script for steroids (no, not those kind of steroids).

Why was this funny? Due to the paralysis, my left eyelid was stuck open, and if not accounted for could cause blindness. So, they'd affixed an eye patch over my left eye. I stumbled into Pharmaca trying to walk a straight line with one eye, but very nearly took out everything in the store! I was the proverbial bull in the china shop.

And god help you if you were on the road during that drive home!

A good buddy of mine recommended this place. OK, raved incessantly is more like it! He used to go here when he lived in Denver and it was a local dive.

Now they've got this incredibly nice Boulder locale that is worthy of my friend's raving. I love this place. Easily one of Boulder's top two or three Chinese places. I love their sesame chicken.

Oh, and their Thai Iced Tea is out of this world.

I've got a lot of memories on this stretch of asphalt: Watching the craggy foothills brighten as the first morning light illuminates them on a trip to the ski slopes. The mountaintops backlit majestically en route to a full-moon summit of Gray's Peak. Their welcome familiarity after a week-long road trip to California.

Stars were deducted, however, for Highway 93's many perils. For one thing, it takes you right past Rocky Flats. Don't want to think about what wonderful chemicals they've still got floating in the air out there.

Also, and more tangibly, head-on traffic isn't the greatest thing for a highway, and that dreaded wind can be lethal in the winter.

But otherwise, I have to agree this is a nice stretch of highway. Oh, and one last withdrawal from the memory bank: All those amazing trips to Red Rocks!

One of Boulder's hippest little joints, Urban Pearl Salon and Spa is actually a cultural epicenter masquerading as a salon.

Yes, you can get a hipster haircut here, but they also have a top-notch tattoo parlor in the back--Rising Tide--and an art gallery consisting of the basement and the salon. They've got quality stuff here, and I suggest making this a regular stop on your First Friday art tour.

In the past they have even had events, like movies, in the basement space. I would love to see more.

Great date place. Came here during a convention one evening--conveniently located down the street from the convention center.

My company remarked about the quality of the wine list. Not my area of expertise. But I can tell you I loved the salmon.

Without a doubt, one of Boulder's most enjoyable places. It's a bit of a haul, and if you don't know where you're going you might not think you're headed toward one of the city's best trail heads. But trust me, it's worth the drive. But if you reach Gross Reservoir you've gone too far. Turn back, Hoss.

If memory serves, Walker Ranch is a 6-mile loop that twists down into Eldorado State Park (no fee required on the Walker Ranch Trail, as it doesn't connect to the rest of the park); meanders along, and crosses over--multiple times--South Boulder Creek; and offers hikers, bikers and equestrians great views of the mountains, intoxicating meadows and beautiful wildflowers.

Hike it. Bike it. It's all good. It's a beautiful place (still recovering from the fire from a few years back), and you'll love every second of it.

Don't go to Marshall Mesa if you don't like to have fun. In fact, I considered filing it under "Playground," because this place rocks.

Actually, I shouldn't even be telling you about it because for as cool as it is it isn't completely overrun by weekend warriors--though make no mistake, it is indeed a busy little playground.

To the point: This is my favorite place to mountain bike. Now, keep in mind that I'm no extreme sports, Mountain Dew-slugging, X-games wannabe, so I'm not cut out for extreme thrills. If you're looking for hardcore mountain bike trails try elsewhere, like Walker Ranch.

At the same time, I'm not a Sunday stroll flatlander. I like my biking to come with a bit of a challenge. Recent renovations/additions to Marshall Mesa provide just that.

For one thing you've got a wicked uphill and downhill, regardless from which direction you approach the mesa (it's a loop, so you'll get one of each either way). The uphill isn't that killer, but provides a good workout so you can feel good and sore afterward. The reward is the rocky downhill descent (watch yourself here).

At the top of the mesa is a flat trail that runs along the ditch. It also offers connections to other trails, like the Doudy Draw and Greenbelt Plateau. You could easily make this into a 10-plus mile ride with all the variations.

Of course, there is one thing that makes Marshall Mesa my favorite ride. They recently added a westbound trail of twisting ups and downs that makes for a lot of fun. It's got enough of a challenge to provide a thrill, but it's not so treacherous that a biker with basic riding skills can't do it. You can even catch a little air on the trail. Great stuff. Great fun.

You're not likely to stumble upon the East Boulder Community Center by accident, but no matter how you find it, it's a great place to spend an afternoon in Boulder. It's also a good place to get your exercise in if you're not into the mountains.

While I am into the mountains, I'm also into biking or jogging the few miles from my house to here, a community center tucked away in a sleepy neighborhood that hardly feels like Boulder. They've got an AMAZING dog park here, tons of tennis courts, hand ball courts and wide open fields to kick, toss or throw the projectile of your choice.

It's also a nice place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon and just hold hands, stare at the geese (or ducks, I'm never sure which) and sit on a bench watching the sunset behind the mountains.

Wild Oats and Whole Foods merger: Bad thing

Carnegie Branch Library for Local History and Boulder Public Library merger: Excellent thing

Don't come here looking to check out a book, though. The Carnegie Branch of the BPL houses historic materials, like newspapers, photographs, old documents.

If you're a history buff, or just someone in love with Front Range, you could spend a happy day or two here going through the old photos. It's educational and fun, and it's a great community resource that will survive long after all of us have passed.