One perfect day in Louisville, CO- Sunset Magazine, March 2011

Have we found the next Boulder? Take a peek at this up-and-coming Colorado town with easy Rockies access and a growing high-tech scene

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• Found Underground Consignment shop in Louisville, CO.
  
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Carmel Zucker

Where the locals rock out: The Karp family, founders of Waterloo Records in Austin, Texas relocated here to open a live-music watering hole with beer, burgers, and BBQ. Waterloo rocks on Fridays and Saturdays with blues bands and country. $; 809 Main St.; 303/993-2094 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              303/993-2094      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Hit the trails:  The Coal Creek Trail is a fave for jogging, dog walking, or biking. Pick up rental wheels at Bittersweet Cafe & Confections (820 Main St.; 303/257-8955 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              303/257-8955      end_of_the_skype_highlighting), then take the trail heading west from Louisville Community Park for foothill views. (bouldercounty.org)

A spa day on the cheap: The Lotus Day Spa came to life in a former mortuary turned Zen sanctuary. Nineteenth-century Tibetan pillars and candles will set the mood on your one to three-hour retreat. From $95; 844 Main St.; lotusdayspalouisvilleco.com

Shop for finds: Not your typical off-the-rack boutique, Found Underground Consignments is in a low-slung shop where owner Nancy Cooley offers bargain hunters honest opinions on what looks good. Recent scores: 7 For All Mankind jeans ($40), a Cynthia Steffe wool skirt ($32), and an Anthropologie silk blouse ($14). Closed Sun; 901 Main St.; 303/666-6900 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              303/666-6900      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Hope you're still hungry...4 new eats in town

For pizza and beer: LuckyPie became a go-to when it opened in 2010. Farm-fresh toppings change with the seasons. Bonus: Try a pie with gluten-free crust. It's the best we've ever tasted. $$; 637 Front St.; 303/666-5734 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              303/666-5734      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. 

For date night: A fitting homage to Louisville's Italian mine-worker heritage, Zucca is a romantic candlelit dinner spot with pasta, risotto, and other favorites by fireside. $$; 808 Main St.; 303/666-6499 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              303/666-6499      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

For margaritas and tacos: In a former auto-repair shop, Cactus Wheel Taqueria offers street-food-inspired meat and veggie tacos with homemade salsas and guacamole. $; 701 Main St.; 720/620-4933 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              720/620-4933      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

For dessert: Sweet Cow ice cream shop fills the half of the old post office not taken up by LuckyPie. Look for 22 housemade flavors like oatmeal cookie and raspberry chocolate chip. 637 Front St.; 303/666-4269  Elisa Bosley|From the March 2011 Issue