I love living in Boulder and having a restaurant in Lyons. Having moved here twenty-something years ago, you find all the amazing nooks and crannies that make the Front Range so special. I originally moved here for university, so being able to experience the Front Range at various ages and stages of life makes it all the better. The local amenities and access to an amazing outdoor lifestyle are hard to beat in the area, and there's rarely a reason to be bored on a sunny day. Raising two kids here is a dream for a lot of people, and I'm always thankful for that.
The Eldorado Springs pool is an absolutely classic summer hang. It's set in Eldorado Canyon, surrounded by soaring cliff faces and atop a natural artesian spring. Originally, it was a resort for the rich and famous in the Great Gatsby era, and little has changed, though they recently updated a bunch of their locker facilities and cafe. It's a sleeper to most tourists, which keeps the crowds relatively low.
In North Boulder, Gateway Fun Park is another vintage and classic place to spend the afternoon. I've spent days of my life at the driving range there, absolutely hammering the airplane set at 90 yards. When I bring the kids, we hit the go-karts and mini golf. There are batting cages and an arcade indoors in case the mid-afternoon rains come.
The park in Lyons is another fantastic place to hang out, just out of town. After the big flood in 2013, they redeveloped it and put in a crazy, fun playground for the kids. There's an unofficial jumping rock into the river and places to rent tubes to float down with. It's great to grab a sandwich at the St. Vrain Market and walk over there for the day.
A circuit I love is going to Lucile's for brunch and walking across the street to the Shambhala House shrine room for a little meditation and focus afterward; maybe a walk down the Pearl Street Mall after.
We have a handful of regular restaurants we go to as a family. More often than not, they're not the fancy places, but places that over the years have become second nature. Chez Thuy has been my favorite local restaurant for over twenty years. It's family-owned, delicious, and is an absolute classic restaurant in town in my eyes. China Gourmet is another restaurant we eat at fairly regularly, another great family-owned restaurant, and the food is terrific. Lucile's is the best brunch in town if youre a brunch person; I'm not generally, but when I am, it's my top pick. Parkway Diner, though... It's so damn good. It's basically a Mexican diner, and it can't be beat. Generally speaking, Basta is our go-to for a nice meal out; it has a tremendous wine list and hospitality, and the food is top-notch. I don't know any other restaurant that has meditated on pizza more than the team there. In South Boulder, where I live, we love the new Boxcar Coffee location and get burgers and beers at Southern Sun, which is always a win. Siren, just downstairs, has the best martini in town.