Less than 30 miles from Denver, the city of Boulder is tucked into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains — and it’s beautiful. The environmentally conscious city was the first in the nation to establish a tax to acquire, manage and maintain open space. Nearly two-thirds of the Boulder Valley is protected and preserved.

Boulder is a progressive place. Preserving the natural beauty of Boulder is a priority within the community. Regulations restrict the use of signs — particularly billboards — and building height is limited to 35 feet. The city’s shuttle system (brightly colored buses labeled HOP, SKIP and JUMP) helps reduce congestion and pollution. Ideal for visitors, HOP is a circulator shuttle that makes 40 stops in a loop through central Boulder. SKIP is a complementary local shuttle with service that runs north and south along Broadway, with a loop through the west Table Mesa neighborhood. JUMP, favored by commuters, connects Boulder to the nearby community of Lafayette.

The Boulder lifestyle is apparent to even a first-time visitor. You’ll see people biking, running, pushing strollers, no matter the season. The city has an extensive network of walking and bicycle paths. Most days, the weather cooperates and the sun is shining. Lots of independently owned stores, health-oriented restaurants and more used book stores per capita than any other city make it obvious that Boulderites care about their health and their minds.

Located in one of America’s most productive high-tech and biotech corridors, Boulder attracts top intellectuals from throughout the nation and the world. The city is home to many of the nation’s premier federal research facilities and the state’s flagship university. The University of Colorado — a powerful economic engine — boasts 25,000 students and an $800 million operating budget. The city is proactive when it comes to attracting and retaining business investment. In September 2006, the city council approved an $850,000 business incentive pilot program that is being implemented in 2007 to support primary employers.

The largest commercial development project to emerge in Boulder in more than 40 years — Twenty Ninth Street — debuted in October 2006. The open-air lifestyle center features nearly 50 fashion, lifestyle and dining establishments, many of them new to Boulder. In an unusual hybrid combination of uses, Macy’s, Home Depot, Wild Oats natural market and Wild Oats’ corporate headquarters serve as anchors.

“Of course, they want great stores and restaurants, but people in Boulder also want to be able to stroll and they want beautiful lighting,” said restaurateur Antonio Laudisio, a 30-year resident of Boulder and co-owner of Laudisio. “Even the choice of stone and the position of the buildings work well. Twenty Ninth Street says, ‘this is our town, and this is our mall.’”

DIVERSIONS

Boulder’s climate is a major draw: 2.3 million people visit the area each year. In late May, Bolder Boulder, attracts 50,000 runners, walkers, wheelchair racers and draws professional racing teams from all over the world. More than 150,000 fans cheer the racers and live bands play on every corner along the 10K course. On Memorial Day Weekend, crowds gather at the Boulder Creek Festival where more than 500 vendors display wares related to everything from art to alternative health to technology, and local music and dance performances take to the stage. Thousands of patrons visit the Boulder County Farmers’ Market each week to pick up locally grown fruits, vegetables and flowers, gourmet cheeses and wines. It’s the largest farmers’ market in Colorado. Along with the popular Saturday morning market, it also operates Wednesday evenings. Boulder’s Colorado Shakespeare Festival — consistently ranked among the most critically acclaimed of its kind in the nation — takes place each summer at the outdoor Mary Rippon Theater on the University of Colorado campus.

LODGING

MILLENNIUM HARVEST HOUSE BOULDER

Guestrooms feature oversized patchwork quilts and photographs of local landmarks. Internet connectivity is available for a daily fee. The hotel has more than 18,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in the lobby and restaurant. $$$
MILLENNIUM HARVEST HOUSE BOULDER
1345 Twenty-Eighth St.
tel 303 443 3850, fax 303 443 1480
http://www.millenniumhotels.com

THE HOTEL BOULDERADO

The Hotel Boulderado opened on New Year’s Day 1909. The hotel has maintained its 20th century charm while providing 21st century amenities. The mosaic tiles in the entryway, lobby and dining room are original. The Otis elevator in the lobby is also original and requires a staff member to manually operate the cab between guest floors. $$$
THE HOTEL BOULDERADO
2115 Thirteenth St.
tel 303 442 4344
http://www.boulderado.com

ST. JULIEN HOTEL & SPA

The 200-room St. Julien opened in downtown Boulder in 2005. Guestrooms feature complimentary high-speed Internet, in-room safe (large enough to hold a laptop computer) and complimentary organic coffee. Each oversized bathroom has a soaking tub and separate shower. The 10,000-square-foot spa and fitness center includes a two-lane lap pool, whirlpool and terrace. $$$$
ST. JULIEN HOTEL & SPA
900 Walnut St.
tel 720 406 9696, fax 720 406 9668
http://www.stjulien.com

DINING

FLAGSTAFF HOUSE RESTAURANT

Just five minutes from downtown, the Flagstaff House Restaurant is nestled on a mountainside with inspiring views of Boulder and the Front Range. Bon Appetit named it one of the nation’s Top 10 Favorite Outdoor Dining Spots. Executive Chef Mark Monette incorporates French-American cuisine with Asian accents. Open only for dinner, the menu changes daily. $$$$
FLAGSTAFF HOUSE RESTAURANT
1138 Flagstaff Road
tel 303 442 4640, fax 303 442 8924

PRIMA RISTORANTE BOULDER

Colorado native, Kevin Taylor serves contemporary Italian cuisine in a rustic-meets-chic atmosphere highlighted by a black granite bar, Italian opera prints and blown-glass wall sconces. Delicate handmade pastas, fresh grilled fish, sirloin and stone oven-fired pizzas are a few of the items to sample. $$$
PRIMA RISTORANTE BOULDER
1801 Thirteenth St.
tel 303 247 0600
http://www.ktrg.net

JAX FISH HOUSE BOULDER

A Boulder hotspot, Jax Fish House has been serving seafood for a decade. Try Chef Hosea Rosenberg’s innovative wasabi-crusted ono with seaweed salad or the ruby red trout with sweet corn polenta. $$$
JAX FISH HOUSE BOULDER
928 Pearl St.
tel 303 444 1811

At Home With Mathew Hayward
Author of Ego Check: Why Executive Hubris Is Wrecking Careers and Companies and How to Avoid the Trap

A former investment banker and venture capitalist, Mathew Hayward is originally from Melbourne, Australia. Hayward currently resides in Boulder, Colo., where he is assistant professor of management at Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado at Boulder.

Global Traveler: Is this your first book?
Matthew Hayward: Yes, it is my first book. Prior to publishing Ego Check, I worked on a host of articles for scholars and executives. My scholarly work usually looks at how the confidence of entrepreneurs and senior managers affects their decisions, especially capital allocation decisions. For about a year, I worked as a consultant to Intel on integrating acquired technology, which has subsequently become a topic for my writing for executives.

GT: Are there lessons that anyone in the business world can learn from Ego Check? Do you have a hubris self-checklist?
MH: Every effective executive must be able to manage his or her own ego. The research that forms the basis of Ego Check suggests four ways of doing this: having a grounded view of who we are; getting the right help or foils to aid us when we are off course; gaining, using and sharing all available feedback; and managing the consequences of tomorrow today. Essentially, the book is a checklist approach to becoming more skillful at each.

GT: What role does humility play in an executive’s success?
MH: Humility is integral to being successful because humble people know and appreciate themselves, nothing more and nothing less. True humility means that we do not purport to be more than we are or to be someone who we are not. Humility has nothing to do with being introverted, quiet and self-effacing. I know plenty of extroverts who are truly humble; and, as [author and former GE chairman and CEO] Jack Welch will willingly tell you, the last thing an extrovert should try to be is an introvert.

GT: In what ways is hubris ingrained in our culture? Is it a distinctly American trait?
MH: Hubris is ingrained in western cultures in numerous ways. In Ego Check, I write about how hubris reflects how we manage our wealth, health and education. The wrong kind of overconfidence may cause us to invest in the wrong things and to save insufficient money for retirement. Doctors’ false confidence in their abilities may prevent them from performing due diligence; investigating different treatments and getting second opinions. In education, grade inflation may cause students to get more confident but not more capable. When students enter the workforce, they may lack a grounded view of what they can and cannot do.

GT: Any plans for another book? Or what are you currently researching?
MH: An obligation for every organization is to get the best out of their workers. So,much of my future research will be directed at the factors that make people feel good about their work. I am presently researching material for a book tentatively titled Pride of Place that will examine approaches to improve worker satisfaction and fulfillment.

INFO TO GO

Boulder is located about 45 minutes from Denver International Airport (DEN). SuperShuttle Boulder (tel 800 525 3177, http://www.supershuttle.com) leaves Denver for Boulder every hour from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Departures from Boulder to Denver are every hour between 4 a.m. and 10 p.m. Boulder Express (tel 303 457 4646) offers airport shuttle service to and from the Boulder area.