I was able to enjoy a smorgasbord of retail over the weekend in a place I've never before visited -- Boulder, Colo. This city, about 30 miles outside Denver, has a population of roughly 100,000 and is home to the University of Colorado.

It is a very walkable, extremely outside-friendly place. It's filled with neat shops, restaurants and stores.

I started my walk at the outdoor 29th Street Mall, which is huge and has everything from a North Face store to a Macy's. I grabbed some Mexican at the Cantina Laredo, where I had a chance to try a very interesting and delicious margarita made with a Milagro Reposado with jalapenos, cilantro and cucumber.One was not enough.

I'd say maybe a half mile away from 29th Street is Pearl Street another wonderful outdoor district filled with shops, food, pubs, you name it. The Pearl Street area really isn't limited to one street. Several streets that bisect Pearl or run parallel to it have great retail as well. Had some good pizza there and checked a couple pubs, stores and nice wine bar as well.

Bottom line, you probably can't bring enough money if you visit. So many places to check out... so little time to check them all out. If you ever stop in Denver, it would be more than worth your while to check out Boulder.

And there's a bonus... The folks in Boulder are as chill and nice as they come, many on the hippie side. Cheers...