Golden Ponds

Where: 2651 3rd Ave

If you follow our Instagram account, you may have noticed that we spend a fair amount of time at Golden Ponds. Located at the western end of Third Avenue (and just off of the St Vrain Greenway), Golden Ponds are just a stone's throw from the middle of town.

A railroad track runs along the north side of the ponds, and large electric towers cut right across them, so you will not be fooled into thinking you have escaped into the wilderness. Still you can't beat the sweeping views of the mountains, and this is a great spot for viewing some of Longmont's wildlife. Over the years we have regularly spotted bald eagles, great blue herons, osprey, white pelicans, and once we even saw a mink. Of course, there are also geese and ducks aplenty. 

A pedestrian bridge crosses over the St Vrain Creek, revealing a small waterfall. In the spring, the waterfall rages wildly (as seen above) with all of the snow melt. This is always a favorite kids' destination, perfect for throwing rocks and cooling off in the spray. 

Golden Ponds also has many shelters making it a great picnicking spot, and it also allows fishing.

Sledding in Longmont

A few days of snowfall has left Longmont looking quite picturesque. If you are wondering where to take the kids, there are three spots around town that are the go-to sledding locations.

In Old Town, there are a few rolling hills in Sunset Golf Course (where all these photos were taken). Head to the area right behind the pool. 1900 Longs Peaks Avenue.

Our friends rave about the sledding hill in the new Dry Creek Community Park, near the corner of Clover Basin Drive and Grandview Meadows Drive.

In the southern part of the town, check out the big hill at Sunset Middle School, 1300 S Sunset St.

In the eastern part of town, go to Skyline High School, 600 E. Mountain View Ave.

Any other suggestions? Please share!

Flooding in Longmont

I have debated doing a Longmont 100 post on the little beach that we like to go to along the St. Vrain Greenway for a while now. My daughter loves it, and it makes a great biking destination on a hot day. My dog also loves to dip his paws in the cold water. But it is just a tiny, rocky area with only a small creek rushing by. It feels crowded if there are more than two families enjoying the clear water. Tyler and I come from opposite coasts, where calling something like this a "beach" would be almost laughable. I decided not to bother with a post about it.

This was us enjoying it last weekend. It was a hot day, and we all looked forward to the upcoming week which was supposed to bring cool, rainy weather. We always look forward to the rain in Colorado. The rain came, and it didn't stop for days. It rained, it poured, it sprinkled, it poured some more. Dams broke. Creeks became rivers. Streets became rivers. Clear mountain streams turned brown and turbulent, stretching hundreds of feet in width.

The rain has stopped for now, but with more expected tonight. The floodwaters have already subsided significantly allowing the city, homeowners, and business owners to deal with the damage left behind. Tyler and I were lucky. We live only blocks from where the above photo was taken, but we are up the hill in Old Town, safe and dry.

I feel heartbroken over the state of things. The people who have lost their homes. The small businesses who may not recover. The wonderful parks and greenways which have been destroyed.

Mostly, what I see on Facebook is optimism. Businesses giving the thumbs up that things aren't quite as bad as they could have been. Our awesome breweries being first in line to volunteer and to set up flood relief funds. From what I have seen, the city has done a great job handling this disaster. Here is hoping that things continue to improve. Let's see some of that Colorado sunshine.

 Golden Ponds, pre-flood

Spring Farm Season

While doing a little shopping downtown at Brown Shoes, Simply Bulk, and Sun Rose Cafe, I came across this sign outside of Old Town Outfitters. We just love Old Town Outfitters. First off, they sell great outdoorsy products and clothing, but what really makes me happy is their enthusiasm for Longmont and their involvement in the community. If you haven't stopped by recently, you should.

The folks at OTO are just as excited about the impending growing season as Longmont100 is, as exhibited by this chalkboard. The Longmont Farmers Market is only a week away (April 6th!), CSAs are taking orders, and local farm stands have already started selling produce. Indeed, it looks like spring farm season in Longmont is here!