Winter Excursion to Sunflower Farm

Where: 1150 Prospect Road
Web: www.sunflowerfarminfo.com
Hours: See website

We wrote about Sunflower Farm many years ago, and they have gone through some programming changes, but it remains a fantastic place to visit. We stopped by this past afternoon with a picnic lunch in hand and took some photos that I wanted to share. How lucky we are as Colorado residents that we get to have a picnic lunch at a lovely farm in the middle of February. (Of course, it could have just as easily been a snowstorm.)

These days the farm is open somewhat erratically so it is best to take a look at the website to find out what their upcoming hours will be. When they are open, you will discover a farm buzzing with energy. Seemingly endless varieties of chickens, peacocks, turkeys, and guinea hens roam freely. Goats, sheep, and llamas beg for a taste of corn. Horses and cows bask in their sunny pens, completely unaware that they have one of the best views in town.

There is a hay maze that kids can climb through or leap around on top (see above), a long zipline, tree swings, horse rides, an extensive tree house, and a lot more. Bring supplies for s'mores and you can join the crowd toasting marshmallows around the campfire!

End of Summer Dog Swim

(Updated for 2014)

Every year the summer draws to a close, and the kids' activity pools close their doors in anticipation of children returning to school. A few days later, the doors open again - for just a few hours - letting in the water-loving canines of Longmont. The pool is full of wagging tails and bobbing tennis balls, and the owners look on, soaking wet, from the sidelines. Labs and goldens are the majority here, but all friendly pooches are welcome. Bring your 3 dollars, the city provides balls and bags.

This year there is only one kids' activity pool because the Kanemoto pool was destroyed in the 2013 flood.


2014 dates:
Tuesday, August 19 and Wednesday, August 20, 4-7pm at Roosevelt Activity Pool, $3

Sunflower Farm

An updated post about Sunflower Farm can be found here.

Where: 1150 Prospect Road
Web: www.sunflowerfarminfo.com
Hours: See website

Located on a beautiful hillside right off of Highway 287, Sunflower Farm offers families a chance to experience a real, working farm in all its neighing, baa-ing and oinking glory. You *will* get your hands dirty!  Kids can feed the friendly animals (including cows, horses, pigs, sheep), collect eggs, clamber on top of a hay bale and play on the very cool treehouse. Our daughter especially loved the big swing, which sent her soaring through the air. Whee!

 

 As shown in the hours listed above, Sunflower isn't open to the public over the summer
except on Friday evenings -- but if your kid is between 3 and 10, sign 'em up for the farm's summer camp in June, July and August, 9am to 12:30pm, Wednesday through Friday. They'll get lots of sunshine, learn all about the rural way of life -- and probably come home wondering why there isn't chicken coop in the backyard.

The Tasty Weasel Tap Room / Oskar Blues Brewery

Where: 1800 Pike Road

Web: www.oskarblues.com/restaurant/tasty-weasel-tap-room

When: 12-8pm daily

Deep in the heart of south Longmont's nondescript warehouse/office park district, you'll find the place many craft beer lovers consider paradise: the Oskar Blues Brewery. Oskar Blues is known nationwide for making cans cool again -- but who cares what container they use, the brewery's beers are phenomenal, from the flagship Dale's Pale Ale to the malt-tastic Old Chub Scottish Ale. Those two examples are just the beginning of beer nirvana at OB's tap room, The Tasty Weasel, which serves as the testing ground for the brewers' latest creations. Any time you visit, there will be beers that are available nowhere else on the planet -- nitro taps, firkins, oak-aged selections, weird/wild experiments, you name it. We recommend visiting. Often. The Tasty Weasel's patio, with picnic benches and plenty of sunshine, became one of our favorite afternoon weekend spots this summer. For a brewery, it's extremely kid-friendly -- get the kids a B. Stiff & Sons Root Beer, fix them up with quarters for skeeball and some free peanuts and they'll be happy for hours. There's also usually some folky/rootsy live music happening in the late afternoon, along with a friendly crowd of locals and beer tourists. The Tasty Weasel doesn't serve food, but oftentimes Oskar Blues' food truck, the Bonewagon, is parked right out front. Their cheeseburger may just be the best cheeseburger in the universe.

Tip: Go behind the scenes and see where the magic is made -- Oskar Blues offers free tours of its brewery Friday, Saturday & Sunday at 2, 3, 4 & 5pm and every day at 4pm.

LoBo Trail

People are serious about bikes in Colorado, and Longmont is no exception. This year, the League of American Bicyclists rated the city at the silver level in terms of bike-friendliness. After a few years of living here, we're finally getting into the cycling scene -- and loving every minute of it. Our current favorite ride follows the LoBo Trail about seven miles to nearby Niwot. Hook up with the trail on Sunset Ave. (just south of Pike Rd.) and follow it out to where it runs parallel with the Diagonal Highway. About a mile in, the trail turns from concrete to crushed gravel, and the ride gets slightly less smooth. But don't worry, you'll have plenty of excuses for breaks -- the magnificent views of the mighty Flatirons pretty much command you to stop and soak in the sights. 

You can ride the LoBo Trail all the way to Boulder  -- a 12-mile adventure we've yet to undertake. Hey, we're just getting into this biking thing, remember? So far, our final destination of choice has been the Winot Coffee Co. (7960 Niwot Road), located in the Cottonwood Plaza. Coffee, pastries, sandwiches and a sunny patio. What more could sweaty cyclists wish for?

Tip: For maps and other two-wheel resources, look no further than www.BicycleLongmont.org.

Prospect Eats / Sound Bites

When: every Monday from May 11th thru September 7th, 5:30pm

Where: 100 Year Party Court

Web: https://www.facebook.com/events/1632630200299448/

(Prospect Eats changed its name to "Prospect Trucks and Tunes" last year and has again changed its name to "Sound Bites")

The gourmet food truck trend is nothing new, but it's finally hit Longmont with a resounding bang, thanks to Prospect Eats. Prospect, if you're not familiar, is a "new urbanist" community located on the south end of town, which is slowly-but-surely becoming a must-visit dining destination. Last year's inaugural Prospect Eats was pretty mellow, with a handful of trucks serving pizza, Mexican food and burgers. In 2012, however, things have blasted off, with close to two-dozen mobile eateries offering everything from Venezuelan sandwiches to smokin' BBQ. 

At the last few events we've attended, the lawn has been packed with picnickers, so word is getting around. We suggest getting there early, since those lines were starting to get extremely long as the evening wore on. But even if you're stuck waiting, it's not a bad place to wait, with adorable kids running around, a live band jamming and the trees gently swaying in the summer breeze. Here's to a new summer tradition in Prospect!