Why Not Niwot?

I give up why not? Well, K. had suggested a couple of days ago that The Circle spend an afternoon in the quaint little town of Niwot, CO. K and Too Tall-Two Timing had discovered this little gem a few weeks ago. The official description of Niwot is below...

"A quiet, fairytale community hidden just outside Boulder, Niwot is home to a burgeoning art community. A quaint, cottonwood-shaded downtown features cafes, antique shops (including one of the Front Range's largest), gift stores, art galleries and more. From pubs to a fancy French restaurant, Niwot also houses its share of cozy and delicious eateries. Named after an Arapahoe chief, Niwot (which means Left Hand) was once an important hunting and fishing area for Native Americans. Gold miners arrived in 1875, followed by a railroad extension, which boosted the local economy by linking local farms with distant markets. Today, the depot is gone, but many of the original structures on the east side of the tracks make up the National Historic District known as Old Town. Near town is the Boulder Reservoir, a popular spot for swimming, boating, jogging, biking and bird watching. Of course, Boulder's stunning red-rock parks and extensive network of trails are also just miles from Niwot. "

We were all ready for a little adventure so at about 2 pm on Saturday afternoon we headed north to see what this town could show us. The road to Niwot took us through the college town of Boulder and both The Bride and I had flash backs to when our daughter CaJenn matriculated here.

A few more miles and we were in Niwot. It is for sure, an interesting little village. The old historic Second Avenue is now full of little antique stores, galleries and....would you believe an nice little wine store that was having tastings on this afternoon!

We couldn't pass up the wine tasting and we sampled three different Pinot Noirs. One was from Italy, one from Argentina and one from California. All were very good and the proprietor described the background of each. As it turns out the shop had sold out of the one most of us liked the most. That did not stop the ladies from finding something to buy, however. These "free" wine tastings are never totally "free".

We also spent some time browsing the other shops along Second Avenue. In one antique store I spotted a nice looking Bolo tie. Over the past couple of years I have been acquiring a few of these pieces of western "formal attire". This one was not fancy by any means but it had an "experienced" look that I really liked so it is now a part of my collection.

It had been planned to eat an early dinner at a little Italian restaurant in the commercial area of Niwot and by 5 pm we were ready. K and Too Tall-Two Timing had eaten lunch there several weeks ago but had not been into the main dining room. It turned out to be a great little place and a wonderful meal. There were some initial comments about eating "light" since it was early, but before long we had cast that idea aside. A great meal and a nice Primitivo wine that K particularly liked because it included her favorite number "29.

As we headed out of the restaurant and to the car for the return trip home, I couldn't help taking a number of pictures of the Niwot Feed Store. I could see it through the window of the restaurant and kept thinking all through dinner that there was a great picture there somewhere. I don't think I got the "great" part but it is interesting none the less.

We were home by about 9 pm with that warm feeling of a fun time, great fellowship and a great dinner. What more could we ask for a Saturday night in the middle of a Colorado February?

Thanks for visiting.