Shopping, Learning, Dining, Sightseeing

When we visited Taos, New Mexico a few years ago we tried to find gifts that were not available on the internet. There were a lot of expensive art pieces, of course, but not too much in the affordable gift category. We did find one thing, a porcelain pig. It is in The Hotel Lobby now and many people ask us about it.  Unlike most places, the local community here has a lot of those unique items. What follows are examples not a definitive listing.

Marion Reynolds sculpture. His metal work uses scrap steel such as the remains of a train wreck in Rollinsville to make extremely visual, highly dimensional creatures. 

The Carousel of Happiness is really a work of art. This area has individuals working in most every medium possible and with a little work you will stumble upon pieces you will never find elsewhere. It is in the shopping center in Nederland. 

Several local Forest Service and State Park campgrounds feature educational programs. Golden Gate Canyon State Park, twenty minutes south of The Goldminer, is a popular evening. Rocky Mountain National Park, forty five minutes north has a more formalized schedule.

Located adjacent to the Carousel In the shopping center in Nederland is Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center. This local non-profit has provided environmental education for people of all ages for the last twenty years. Stop in and learn something and then buy from the gift shop to support Wild Bear's ongoing mission of "fostering a lifelong appreciation of the environment...."  

You will have enjoyed a full breakfast at The Goldminer and may have picked up a picnic lunch at the grocery store for your hike, but dinner will be a hard choice. There are so many places to eat and none like the other. There are a number of review sites but restaurants change quickly. Ask at the Visitors' Center or ask another Guest at breakfast. 

In 2012 Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department purchased the Nederland Mining Museum from the Nederland Area Historical Society. For years the Society had collected mining equipment and worked on developing exhibits and educational programs in the Museum in Nederland at the traffic circle but the task was so large that the Society needed help. Boulder County joined the effort and provided the next level of finance that today makes this a not to be missed opportunity. 

Mountain sheep on the road? Aspens changing color? A fifty-five mile long Scenic Byway? If your day is to be spent sightseeing, this is the place.