Tour de Colorado’s Best-kept Secret for Families: Chautauqua
You’d think my choice for Colorado’s best-kept secret would be a far-flung destination but I have been absolutely amazed how few locals know about Chautauqua’s charms. Located at the base of the Flatirons in Boulder, this National Historic Landmark has rental cottages that are surrounded on three sides with open space that includes 48 miles of hiking trails and thousands of acres of natural lands begging to be explored.
I had been living in Colorado less than a year when I hiked Chautauqua’s Enchanted-Mesa Trail with my daughter and I was, well, enchanted. After my hike, I explored the grounds and was smitten by the Dining Hall’s throwback-to yesteryear patio and the 110-year-old Chautauqua Auditorium, which hosts films, lectures and an entire series dedicated to children. The workshops include Young People’s Concerts (ages 3-7), Family Fun Concerts (ages 4-8), Classically Kids Workshops (ages 7-11), and Masterclasses for Emerging Musicians (ages 13-18). Be sure to enter to win 15 passes to the Young People’s Concert for you and your friends.
When I saw their quaint and affordable cottages, I vowed to my 6-month-old baby, “Someday, we will stay here.”
Five years later, we finally did.
Chautauqua was my family’s first leg in our Tour de Colorado. Amidst much fanfare, we loaded up the car, buckled in the kids and started the ignition. Or at least we tried to: the car was dead. After jump-starting the battery, we drove to Boulder. The next drama occurred when the blaring car alarm decided not to turn off and so we made a grand (and loud) entrance at Chautauqua. Our ultimate resolution to silence the beast was to unplug the horn fuse and let the car battery run out.
Pity us not. There are worse things than getting stranded in Colorado’s best-kept secret.
About Chautauqua
I’m not a big history buff and have been known to fall asleep faster than a narcoleptic when watching the History Channel. But Chautauqua fascinates me. In the 1920s, almost 200 Chautauqua assemblies dotted rural America. Each summer, they brought culture in the form of concerts and classes in what became the country’s first mass experience with 30 million people in attendance. Colorado’s Chautauqua is one of the only remaining assemblies and we were thrilled when they offered to host us for one night.
This historic district has 60 cottages for rent, including their oldest that was built in 1899. The cottages are unassuming on the outside but are quaintly restored on the inside. They are perfect for families and offer studio, 1-, 2-, or 3-bedroom rentals. Don’t expect modern amenities like TVs or DVDs. With Chautauqua’s many activities, we did not even have time to acknowledge their absence.
Upon arrival, the kids zoomed down the hill-side slide at the playground and played hide-and-seek in the adjacent wooded grove. We basked in the midday sun and watched the flowers dance in the breeze at the Centennial Garden. We strolled down a lane of celery-green trees to the on-site Ranger’s Station and learned about Chautauqua’s wildlife.
That evening, we dunked basketballs and played tennis at the courts behind our cottage. We ate on the Dining Hall’s outdoor patio, absorbing the dazzling views and fragrance of fine cuisine. Prior to retiring for the evening, we watched the sun dip behind the Flatirons’ dramatic uplifts as we hiked Bluebell Road. We attempted to capture the fleeting magic with a family photo in a meadow.
Chautauqua was a quick weekend getaway of beauty, bonding, amusement and appreciation.
On second thought, maybe I’ll just keep it my little secret after all….
Also visit:
The Boulder Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. This isn’t just any farmer’s market—it is an outdoor extravaganza with a cornucopia of organic food, eccentricities, live entertainment and fun. My kids loved the booths (read: tasty samples), chatting with the farmers and the face-painting tent.
Be sure to take a walk along the Boulder Creek Trail and take a short walk to Pearl Street Mall to shop, play in the spray fountains, eat and watch the street performers.
For more information about Chautauqua, go to www.chautauqua.com.
Chautauqua video journal. (And no, I am not a valley girl as my “like totally rad” commentary would infer.)
WOW! I would say you might have wanted to keep it a little more secret- but since you so graciously decided to share- I am going to look into it for a family trip in the future. Thanks for the information and review-
Glad to share the love.
The best part of this trip? It was only a half-hour drive from my house!
Looks absolutely beautiful! I’ll be keeping this one in my back pocket as well!
I’m noticing you don’t have much luck with cars…
Guilty as charged! We’ve been here over 10 years and have yet to explore Chautauqua! It sounds like an awesome place to experience…and we’re so close!
Holy moly! Your kids have gotten so big! Do you know I have never been to Colorado? It’s next door and I don’t think I’ve ever stepped foot in it. Weird.
You guys just confirmed what I already knew about Chautauqua–even the locals don’t know about it. And Loralee? We need to get you out here!
I have always regretted that we didn’t spend more time at Chautauqua when we lived in Boulder (years ago when we first married). But it definitely ranks high on my list of places to go with the kids now!
I’ve only been to Chautauqua for concerts (Indigo Girls next month, Baby!) and had never really thought of it as a destination. You just made my local world a little bit bigger and better.
I’ve been to Chautauqua just once for a concert. The place looks so cozy and quaint and has been on my list of places to stay.
Nice video. Too bad you had to get up at dawn to get some quite time.
Gorgeous! I’m ready to vacation up to Colorado and to Chautauqua!!!
All righty. Whenever we do this house-swap thing, I’ll definitely have to take my family THERE!!
The kids programs at the Auditorium are really, really fantastic! I took my 18 month old to the Young People’s Concerts last year and plan to take her (now 2.5) this year. After the concerts they have a little fair in the lawn with balloons, face painting, and the animals walk around and sign autographs for the kids. I recommend packing a picnic and just hanging out and enjoying the park!
Wow. I have to admit (with shame) that I have never been to Colorado. Isn’t that weird? This makes me want to visit.
I also want to say I love the video commentary. Didn’t you work for TV before? You still have the skills for on-air reporting apparently.
I used to be a broadcast journalism major, which is why I laughed at this video because I sound like a Valley Girl.
Oh, and thanks for your feedback everyone! You really need to put this on your list of must-visit places in Colorado.
i’ve been to chautauqua, but only briefly. i was only allowed to oooh and aaah at the beautiful buildings (i love history!) and area as we drove through that area looking for a parking space. we ended up parking out on the main road (don’t remember the name) and walked in and hiked up the hill for a ways before turning around and returning to our car. we then drove up further into the hills and found another trail to hike. it was all beautiful. i would love to go back and stay in one of the cabins. thanks for the review, but it’s not going to be much of a secret now =)
[...] those keeping track: this is our second glorious destination on our Tour de Colorado. And this is the second time a vehicle has died, leaving us stranded at Said Glorious [...]
[...] NOTE: Read the final Chautauqua trip report here. [...]