http://www.cs.colorado.edu/95-96/boulder.html (PC Press Internet CD, 03/1996)Boulder is on US 36 about 30 miles north west of Denver. Interstate highways I70 and I25 intersect in Denver, but there are a couple of local short cuts.
For general information about Boulder and the surrounding community visit the Boulder Community Network.
Fly to the Denver International Airport (DIA) which is about 50 miles south east of Boulder. There is no commercial airport in Boulder, but if you fly, there is a small airport for private planes. DIA is a new airport (due to open in 1993, actually opened in March 1995) with a few services already in place. There are car rental offices, bus and shuttle services, cabs, and restaurants, but no hotels. The car rental offices close by 9:00pm, so make reservations or arrangements if you're coming in later.
The following are transportation options from the airport to Boulder.
Freeways: Exit from the airport onto Pena Boulevard (the only choice out of the airport) and go about 12 miles (from the parking lots, about 8 miles from the toll booths) to I70. Take I70 west to I25 north (about 10 miles), exit right onto I25 north and continue about 5 miles to the US 36 west exit (marked Boulder). Take US 36 west about 20 miles to Boulder.
Streets: Exit from the airport onto Pena Boulevard (the only choice out of the airport) and go about a mile (a mile from the toll booths, easily 5 miles from the parking lots) to Tower Road. Take Tower Road north (right turn) a few miles to a traffic light at 104th Street. Turn left (west) and go about 10 or 15 miles to US 36 west. Turn right on US 36 (west) and continue about 10 to 15 miles to Boulder.
Within Boulder US 36 becomes 28th Street; numbered streets run north-south with low numbers to the west (toward the mountains). Campus is to the left at the first light on US 36 in Boulder; to get downtown go left at the second light on US 36 (Arapahoe), the third light (Canyon), or the fifth light (Pearl). Hotels listed as on 28th St are on an access road just east of US 36 as you get into Boulder.
The Boulder Creek bike path is great for walking, roller blading, bicycling, etc. and goes from out East, beside campus, to downtown and up into the mountains about 3 miles.
The Boulderado is a lovely old hotel right on the Pearl Street mall. It has a neat bar with live music in the evenings (usually jazz) and several fancy restaurants. Its only a block from the bus station and about 2 miles from the campus.
The Briar Rose is a homey bed and breakfast that feels like a New England Inn. Has only 9 rooms, a living room, no bar (but bring your own) and a big cookie jar of yummy cookies. Breakfast is healthy (Boulder style). Its about a half-mile from the campus. Rates are lower in the winter, higher in the summer; there is typically a 10% discount for University bookings.
The Pearl Street Inn is also a bed and breakfast with 7 rooms each with private bath and fireplace. The rates include a full gourmet breakfast and wine and cheese in the evening. It is about 1 mile from the Campus and is on the bus line; its only a few blocks from the Pearl Street Mall (walking street of little shops and galleries).
The Clarion is a big hotel with swimming pool, hot tub, tennis courts, exercise room, about two-three blocks from campus. It has an FAC (Friday Afternoon Club) that will keep you awake to loud rock-n-roll till 2AM on Friday nights.
The Holiday Inn is 5 blocks from campus. Kids are free. It has a pool, sauna, hot tub, fitness room, game room.
The Best Western is 7 blocks from campus. The price includes continental breakfast.
Denver International Airport finally opened (March 1995) 2 years late and with a manual baggage system after the high-tech completely computerized system failed miserably. This information is taken from a blurb called "Surviving the Switch to DIA".
Add extra drive time. DIA is 18 miles beyond the Stapleton freeway exit. Add 20 minutes to your old airport drive time. From I-70, travel east and use Exit #284, Pena Blvd, the 13-mile driveway to DIA. From Boulder it's a 50-mile drive.
Don't be confused the first time you see East Terminal and West Terminal signs. There is only one terminal. East & West refer to the sides of the terminal bldg.
You'll park on either the east side or west side of the terminal depending on the location of your airline ticket counter. (See Below) Park on any level in the garages but Level 4 is limited to 2-hour parking. Parking at DIA is $2/hour, with the first 30 minutes free. Long term parking is $10/day on day one & two; $5/day on days three-six; and $4/day beyond that. The west terminal parking lot seems much busier than the east side lot; you may save time by using the east lot for an easy parking place and then walking a bit further to your west side ticket counter.
If you have carry-on luggage only and your ticket proceed directly to your concourse and gate via the train and check in at the gate. Expect all airlines to be more restrictive about carry-on luggage. Confirm your departure gate on the DIA Flight Monitors located near check-in and in all concourses.
A subway train takes you between the terminal and your concourse. Along the way there are 4, 5 or 6 up & down escalator rides. Wheelchair passengers and those with small children, strollers or bulky carry-on should prepare accordingly. At busy times the best way to get a train to where you need to go may be to take the train the other way to the end of the line and just stay on it. This is especially true if you are trying to go from Concourse B to the Main Terminal -- go on out to Concourse C and then head back to the Main Terminal. They need more trains.
Add extra walking and train time your first several trips thru DIA. Allow 15-20 minutes to get from curbside to your gate. Add more time for crowds and especially metal-detector area delays. United Airlines & particularly United Express passengers will have the greatest distance to walk thru the massive Concourse B. Concourse A passengers can take the train or walk across a skybridge. From the check-in area, it is a 10-minute walk to get to the farthest A-gate via the skybridge.
Pay attention to the door number you pass thru entering the airport. This will help you remember your level & parking location. Here's the terminal side and door numbers for various airlines:
WEST SIDE EAST SIDE --------- --------- United 616-606 Continental 601-605 American 604 Frontier, American West 603 Northwest/KLM 602 Mexicana & Midwest Express 607 Sun Country 602 TWA, US Air 609 MarkAir 600 Delta 611
Concourse assignments are as follows (Concourse A & C tenants subject to future change):
A CONCOURSE B CONCOURSE C CONCOURSE
----------- ----------- -----------
Continental United TWA US Air
Mexicana United Express American
Frontier Vanguard
American West MarkAir
Midwest Express
Northwest/KLM
Delta
Charters & Commuters
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