Staycation ... Lyons, CO

This summer I hope to occasionally create a blog post entitled "Staycation." These posts will feature sites within driving distance of our hometown -- Longmont, Colorado. I might feature locals tourist sites, fun activities or restaurants that we've visited close to home.

Last weekend we traveled about 10 miles up the road to a sleepy little town (population 2000) called Lyons. Lyons is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and is located 20 miles east of Rocky Mountain National Park and 45 miles northwest of Denver. It's situated at the intersection of State Highway 7 and U.S. Highway 36 both of which lead to Rocky Mountain National Park, so it is sometimes referred to as "The Double Gateway to the Rockies."

We hadn't walked the short three block Main Street for years, so we decided to see if Lyons had anything new to offer and decided to go there for lunch last Saturday. Recently, we've noticed a revitalization effort in the town, although it is still one place that has seemed to escape the commercialization that have infected most towns in Boulder County. Lyons is tucked up again beautiful flagstone cliffs and has many historical sandstone buildings and sidewalks throughout the town.

Lyons has become a bit of a mecca for artists, outdoor enthusiasts (particularly bicyclists and hikers), and musicians. I didn't find anything very interesting in the shops along Main Street -- with the exception of "Quilting Hands" fabric store. I didn't even know this store existed. They have a huge selection of designer fabrics and a large "sale" section that I could get lost in. Definitely worth the 10 minute drive up the road!

Source for image.

For lunch we got off the main drag and walked one street up to Stone Kitchen...

We'd never been there, but there were a lot of cars in the parking lot and even more cyclists relaxing at the outside tables.

I loved the variety of their menu and chose a sandwich named "California Dreamin' {being a native Californian how could I go wrong!?!} -- bacon, spinach, tomatoes, avocado with a garlic aioli on homemade sourdough bread. It was a whole lotta wonderful. I'm going to have to try to duplicate that sandwich at home...

We loved our quick trip to Lyons, and I'm sure we'll be reoccuring visitors to Stone Kitchen, and I'll be a frequent visitor to Quilting Hands fabric store.