by neil kearney | Nov 14, 2010 | Colorado Lifestyle
I went to Fairview High School’s production of Les Miserables last night. It was just an incredible production and I was blown away by the talent at that school. Every part of the show was great and not just for high school. I have seen this show before performed by an Broadway cast and I got more understanding and feeling from this cast and show. I was moved to the edge of tears at times with the heart and feeling behind the performances. The student orchestra played flawlessly through the 2:45 minute production. A big congratulations goes out to all involved and especially to my friend Janice Vlachos who runs the excellent fine arts department at Fairview.
by Neil Kearney | Aug 2, 2010 | Colorado Lifestyle
I have lived in Gunbarrel, which is a part of Boulder about 5 miles northeast of downtown, for 13 of the last 17 years and I have never followed the signs to the Shelby Car Museum, what a mistake. The official name of the museum is the Shelby American Collection and what you can find there is a very impressive collection of vintage race cars designed by Carroll Shelby.
The collection includes Cobra’s, Ford GT’s, Ford Mustangs, street Cobra’s, a Ferrari and a few other surprises. The collection is housed in a warehouse type building tucked away in an inauspicious location near a plumbing company, a school and a construction company.
The museum is only open on Saturday’s 10-4 and it costs $5 per person. Kids 12 and under are free. In addition to the cars, there is an impressive collection of period signs, engines, tools, tires, and photos. Each car has a placard which shows the owner and history of the car including race results. The Shelby Racing team had 55 worldwide wins, the cars in the collection in Boulder represent 22 of those wins.
I’m not a gear head but I really enjoyed my visit to the museum. My two sons really liked it as well. They especially liked looking at the display cases with car models and vintage printed materials and sitting in the mini sized Cobra go-cart. They also saw and chose music on a vintage Wurlitzer jukebox.
For more information and a map visit http://www.shelbyamericancollection.org/index.html
The Shelby American Collection is a great place to visit, I’d recommend it. Stay tuned for more things to do in and around Boulder.
by Neil Kearney | Jul 17, 2010 | Colorado Lifestyle |
Even though we live about 20 minutes away, the Erie Recreation Center is one of my family’s favorite spots to visit, especially in the winter. The main attraction for us is the awesome twisty slide which my sons go up and down too many times to count.
Erie Colorado is a small community within an easy commute to Boulder, Longmont or Denver. It has been one of the fastest growing towns in our area. Initially, home buyers were just attracted by the affordable homes but now the infrastructure has caught up and Erie has some great public assets.
Erie Recreation Center 303-926-2550 website
Hours
Monday – Thursday
5:30 am – 9:00 pm
Friday: 5:30 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday: 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
One nice thing about a newer community is the community planning. The city reserved a large parcel of land right in a great location and over the past few years has made this area a town jewell. The Erie Recreation Center is housed in the Erie Community Center. The rec center includes the pool, gym, workout area, climbing wall and running track. Also in the building are a cool just for teens area, meeting rooms and a children’s center.
Sharing the same parking lot is the Erie Public Library. Right across the parking lot are some new additions this year. Ball fields, playgrounds and some nice tennis courts (as some of you may know good tennis courts are important to me!). Also in the complex are some open fields which also double as a great place to put on a concert.
If your looking for a great place to cool off this summer, or just a nice place to hange out check out the Erie Recreation Center. Your kids will thank you for the opportunity.
by neil kearney | Jun 14, 2010 | Colorado Lifestyle
I put together this slideshow which shows just some of the public art in Boulder. Is there a significant piece that I left out? Let me know. Enjoy!
http://static.animoto.com/swf/w.swf?w=swf/vp1&e=1276531081&f=rZpDVMzDDqKDH0P0e13fWA&d=215&m=p&r=w&i=m&ct=For%20more%20on%20Boulder%20Click%20Here&cu=http://www.TheBoulderblog.com&options=
by neil kearney | May 18, 2010 | Colorado Lifestyle, Photos
The weather is just getting good and right now is a wonderful time to take advantage of the panaloply of open space trail opportunities in 
Boulder County. Last evening I took a mountain bike ride from my house in Gunbarrel along the East Boulder Trail, the Gunbarrel Farm and to Boulder Creek along the White Rocks Trail. All of the above mentioned trails run into each other and provide a secluded area to walk, run, bike or ride a horse while surrounded by rolling rural hills.
The views are wonderful, especially when the countryside is a vibrant green. For a link to a wide variety of trails in the Boulder County system click here.
Large map of the East Boulder – Gunbarrel Farm – White Rocks Trail
by Neil Kearney | Apr 8, 2010 | Colorado Lifestyle
Bicycling Magazine named Boulder the third best town for bicycling in the nation. It’s no surprise to me, because in many cases it is 
easier to get around by bike than it is by car. Frankly, I am spoiled and take it for granted that I have many options to get wherever I’m going via multiple bike friendly routes. I remember a few years ago I took a short ride in Orlando Fl. and felt like my life was in danger.
The magazine did not disclose all of their criteria but they said it included, bike paths, bike lanes, bike shops, bike friendly regulations and public bike racks. It is hard to define a bike culture but Boulder’s got it. From organized cruiser bike rides to professional teams living and training in town to families riding down the Boulder Creek Path biking is everywhere.
For the Bicycling Magazine article click here.
