Hello there!
On Saturday, July 23, I meant to write a blog post about a lovely day I spent in Nederland, CO! (Seriously, guys, the titles are writing themselves these days. I'm so thrilled.) After a long day of exploring, I returned to my apartment too tired to write. I have worked every day since then and have always returned home with just enough energy to make it through to bedtime with minimal exertion. Today's the day though. Here goes!
Nederland is a small town of about 1,500 people just a half-hour drive into the mountains from Boulder. Nederland is best known for its Frozen Dead Guy Days. Frozen Dead Guy Days celebrates Bredo Morstoel, a Norwegian man who died of a heart condition and was frozen in dry ice in a state of suspended animation. While it's illegal to store a dead body (human or otherwise) in Nederland, Bredo was "grandfathered in".
Bredo's story is obsreved every spring with a celebration of the end of winter and the start of spring warmth known as Frozen Dead Guy Days. Visitors who miss out on FDGD can find plenty of information and stories from locals year-round, like I did!
If you find yourself in Nederland outside of FDGD, there's plenty else to keep you entertained. Kevin and I started our day at the Nederland Mining Museum. Staff at the Mining Museum refer to it proudly as "the Touch Museum" because visitors are encouraged to get familiar with any museum artifact that catches their eye. I took full advantage of this policy. I picked up several types of minerals, turned the crank of a blower that was more than 100 years old, and tested out a very old thermometer. Spoiler alert: the thermometer is no longer accurate.
The Nederland Mining Museum isn't open very much, but it's a wonderful place to stop in, especially if you have small children. If you or your children have fond memories of the story Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, the museum is an extra interesting attraction as there are two original steam shovels rusting out behind the museum. I was surprised by how much equipment the steam shovels required. They were chalk full of gear and other mechanical wonders, more than I had anticipated.
Once we'd finished up in the Nederland Mining Museum, Kevin and I moved on to wandering through Nederland's many small shops. There are shops for Nederland souvenirs, fossils and other valuable rocks, and art produced by local artists. Some of the shops are highly specialized, such as The Alpaca Store and More, which carries products made from alpaca wool. Some pride themselves on being extremely local, such as the well-stocked Mountain People's Co-Op. And some are just about the happiest place a person could find themselves, like Blue Owl Books.
Blue Owl Books offers patrons books, hand-churned ice cream, and coffee. I couldn't get over how cozy I felt surround by walls of books. Good thing they don't also serve Mexican food, otherwise I may never have left! Things at Blue Owl Books were pricey. However, I felt that the prices were fairly typical for a small, tourist-trap of a town. If you're a coffee-drinking, ice cream-obsessed bibliophile, Blue Owl Books is worth the stop.
Althought their were many options when it came to dessert, we selected The Train Cars Coffee and Yogurt Company. The Train Cars is just what it sounds like- a homey coffee shop made of cobbled together train cars. Their selection goes far beyond coffee and yogurt, too. Kevin and I ordered malts and for the first time in a long time, I enjoyed a noticeable malt flavor to my ice cream. I was very tempted by the fresh-made donuts as well, but I was quite full from our picnic lunch and couldn't mange to squeeze in another bite!
The Train Cars is another Nederland Spot I'd highly recommend. They have a little something for everyone and although the prices are again a bit higher than I would have preferred, I felt that it was worthwhile in the end.
Nederland is a fun place to pass an afternoon if you're in the area, with plenty to do and welcoming locals at every turn. Be prepared for the elevated prices, but also for a day full of smiles.
Until next time!