For those going to the VTR gathering in Boulder, I thought that I'd
post some places I've enjoyed out there. This contains no brit-cars
content so feel free to skip it if you're not going and please forgive
the travaloge dialog prose style.
First, a warning. I just got back from a meeting in Boulder and I
heard that Maggie Thacher is going to be there on the third of
August to visit some of the gov't research installations located
there. Security may be tight. Hmmmmm, maybe she'll stop by the VTR
gathering too.
Boulder tour notes:
Most tourists at some point end up cruising the Pearl Street
pedestrian mall. Lots of outdoor entertainment, patio restaurants,
book stores, art shops and people watching are to be had here,
particularly on the weekends. You usually can't go wrong looking for
a restaurant there.
Also, try going up Boulder Canyon to Nederland. It's a pretty,
steep drive with a big resevoir and some nice rustic restaurants up
on top. Experience has shown that it is not a wise idea to get
outdoor seating once the sun has gone down. It can get real cold real
quick.
For the brew-types, don't miss the Walnut brew-pub on Walnut Street
downtown (a block west of the Pearl Street mall). Highly recommended,
they brew and serve 5 different fine beers as well as food. It's very
new, so even some of the locals may not know where it is.
Also, the Boulder Beer brewery is hidden out in an industrial park
east of downtown. In spite of financial uncertainty, they have a
nice new building, kettles and the obligatory tour. Though it's
more of a brewery than a pub, they do have a beer garden at the end
of the tour. Nice T-shirts too.
Of course, there's Coors down in Golden if you're into volume
production (or consumption).
For the computer, outdoor or environment types, be sure and visit
NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research). It's a uniquely
beautiful (I.M. Pei designed) site which sits alone up on a mesa on
the west side of town (a portion of Woody Allen's movie Sleeper was
filmed here). They offer tours, graphics, and a nice inexpensive
cafeteria for breakfast or lunch with the million dollar view from the
patio. Must sees here include the big-iron in the basement:
operational CRAY X- and Y-MPs behind glass, the mega-mass-store from
hell and a CRAY-1 shell around the corner and down the hall to sit and
take pictures on. Also, a nice interactive climate model 3-D movie
graphical display is located one floor directly above the reception
desk. This is a science lab, not a security installation, so things
are friendly and no one will stop you from walking around and looking
at things. You can leave your car there and hike the trails to the
Flatirons behind the building. Bring water bottles and sun screen or
die painfully. The building is open 9-5 and directions are easy: find
Table Mesa Drive and go uphill until you run out of road. The upper
road is open till 10pm and is great for evening rides and
contemplation of the colorful Boulder County power-grid. Watch for
deer and speed-traps. Do NOT visit here on the third.
Mountain bikes are the preferred mode of travel out in Boulder and
there are plenty of places that rent them. The bike path thru town
and up Boulder Canyon is lots of fun. The primary dangers are
getting winded from thin air or getting distracted and crashing from
watching all those healthy bodies going the other way.
Boulder is a fun, beautiful, trendy, expensive city filled with
fun, beautiful, trendy, expensive people with lots of fun, beautiful,
trendy, expensive restaurants. Get the picture? You'll have a good
time, but bring your wallet. With the dry air and the altitude, it
can get pretty chilly once the sun goes down. I usually drag along
a sweater or a jacket just to be safe.
Finally, since we won't be attending the VTR gathering, we can
offer a place to stay for any SOLers traveling through Indiana. We
are located an hour northwest of Indianapolis on I-65. Though it may
be a bit out of the way (1/2 hour north of I-70), we have lots of
space and welcome visitors.
Lawrence and Anne Buja
ccm0b@vm.cc.purdue.edu
317-494-0670 (w) 743-6955 (h)
1561 W. State
West Lafayette, IN 47906
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