Lyons: On the Beaten Path
Most tourists driving U.S. 36 to Rocky Mountain National Park from Boulder or Denver blaze through the dinky town of Lyons without even bothering to slow down. They're missing some top-drawer diversions in the process. For beer and music aficionados, Oskar Blues Grill & Brew, 303 Main St. (tel. 303/823-6685; www.oskarblues.com), is a fun and -- to say the least -- eclectically decorated place for lunch and a beer, or a blues, rock, or rockabilly show come nighttime. Oskar Blues owns two distinctions in that it's the state's largest brewpub (by beer produced) and that it was the first craft brewery in the country to can its beer (Dale's Pale Ale and our favorite, Old Chub) -- visitors may even can a six-pack themselves at certain times. The restaurant is open daily from 11am to 10pm; the bar is open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and 2am on Friday and Saturday. Also worth a look is the Lyons Pinball Arcade, 339-A Main St. (tel. 303/823-6100; www.lyonspinball.com), with 30 pinball machines dating from the 1970s and more recent decades, including Kiss, Black Knight, and Addams Family. For silverball fiends, it's a real trip down memory lane.
Downtown Lyons is a historic district marked by 16 Victorian sandstones, and just outside of town, the fishing and hiking are excellent. For additional information, contact the Lyons Chamber of Commerce, 350 Broadway (P.O. Box 426), Lyons, CO 80540 (tel. 303/823-5215; www.lyons-colorado.com).
