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Colorado Calendar
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EnCompass®
The AAA Companion
July | August 2005
Volume 79 Issue 4
Volume 79 Issue 4
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The problem, of course, is finding a way to see and do it all. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, there are exactly 15 weekends — 15 precious opportunities to grab the family, escape from the workaday world, and remind yourself why Colorado is such a great place to live.
To help stimulate your thinking about where you want to go, what you want to see and do, we've divided the following feature article into three sections: Mountains, Plains and Water. Each section was written by a Colorado travel writer and contains three ideas — one popular, one lesser-known and one that's just a bit different.
These nine ideas should be considered a mere starting point for finding your own great weekend getaway in Colorado — the state that seems to have it all.
Mountain Magic
By Eric Lindberg
Telluride
When the Rio Grande Southern rolled into Telluride back in the boomtown days of the early 1900s, legend has it that the conductor would yell, "To hell you ride!" reminding passengers of the jarring, dusty journey they'd just completed.
These days most people arriving at this former gold mining town think they've pulled into paradise. Nestled in a box canyon where waterfalls roar down from surrounding peaks, Telluride sparkles as one of Colorado's crown jewels.
The town has two personas. In winter, heavy snowfall makes it a deep-powder ski destination. In spring, wildflowers bloom, hummingbirds return, and Telluride becomes a sun-drenched alpine village where festivals, fun and a funky mountain atmosphere drive away winter's chill.
At less than a mile long, the place is made for walking. Victorian buildings line Main Street. While the brothels and gambling dens are gone and the saloons have lost their rough edges, the town offers delights and distractions those miners never imagined.
Colorful shops, café bakeries, galleries and bookstores provide plenty of low-volume entertainment, while summer events such as the famous Telluride Bluegrass Festival offer higher-volume fun. With rugged mountains on all sides, there are plenty of reasons to leave the pavement. The San Miguel River Trail follows the river for 2.7 easy miles. Bridal Veil Falls, the tallest free-falling waterfall in Colorado, can be reached via a steeper hike of 1.8 miles.
For an easier route and a panoramic view, ride the free, 12-minute gondola from town up to Mountain Village, Telluride's upscale sister hamlet. Once there, ogle the sky-high real estate, or take off on one of many hiking and biking trails that start here.
Telluride's gold rush era left numerous high country roads, and today those tracks lead to weathered mining ruins. Local companies offer jeep tours to Tomboy and Alta ghost towns, Imogene and Ophir Passes, and points beyond.
In a state known for mountain escapes, Telluride tops the list. The veins of gold are long gone, but there's still much of great value to discover.
Information: Telluride & Mountain Village Convention & Visitors Bureau, www.visittelluride.com, 888-605-2578; www.telluride.com.
Mountain Music Festivals
Summertime in the mountains delights the ears. Tumbling streams, warbling birdsong, wind whistling down the canyons — every day is an open-air concert.
But the Colorado Rockies also happen to be home to numerous summer music festivals which offer everything from bluegrass, folk and blues to classical and jazz. And each festival takes place in a high-altitude setting far from any urban center. Sizzling music, delicious food and sweet alpine air make these festivals high notes in a Colorado summer overflowing with mountain melodies. Here is a sampling of three:
Information: Colorado Music Alliance, www.coloradomusicalliance.com.
Aspen Music Festival, June 22-Aug. 21. Classical music doesn't need to be a highbrow, black-tie affair, and the dynamic Aspen Music Festival is proof. Founded in 1949 with the belief that combining art and nature encourages the growth of the human spirit, this internationally renowned festival pre-sents some of the world's most accomplished classical musicians in a lovely alpine setting.
Over a nine-week period attendees can choose from more than 200 events, including chamber and contemporary music, orchestral concerts, classes, lectures and kids' programs. Performances take place in concert halls, churches and a permanent tent structure with excellent acoustics. A quarter of the events are free, and there's always free seating on the lawn outside the tent. At each venue, black-tie and designer dresses mingle comfortably with jeans and hiking boots.
Information: 970-925-9042, www.aspenmusicfestival.com.
Winter Park Jazz Festival, July 30-31. When summer returns to Winter Park Resort, sunlight and melting snow transform the frozen ski runs into grassy slopes perfect for reclining and gazing across the valley to the Continental Divide. Add a warm weekend and some of the hottest tunes on the planet, and you get the Winter Park Jazz Festival.
The festival is held midsummer at the base of the ski mountain. Jazz cats spread out across a luxuriant hillside that just months before swarmed with skiers. On the stage below, rising young jazz lions and international stars lay down smoking riffs all day and into the night.
Information: www.winterpark-info.com; Winter Park-Fraser Valley Chamber, 800-903-7275.
RockyGrass Festival, Lyons, July 29-31. For much of the year Lyons is a sleepy drive-through town on the way to Rocky Mountain National Park. But for one weekend each summer the heart-plucking bluegrass strains of fiddle, banjo and mandolin fill the air at RockyGrass Festival.
Now in its 33rd year, RockyGrass celebrates this truly American musical genre. Stellar performers like Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs mix with up-and-coming artists for three days of soaring melodies, lonesome ballads, and foot-stompin' tunes. Off-stage, players gather for impromptu sessions to trade licks and tell stories.
Around midday folks relax on camp chairs and inner tubes in the lazy St. Vrain River. Soft summer breezes tickle the cottonwood leaves as haunting harmonies drift over the water. Bluegrass doesn't get any finer.
Information: 303-823-0848, 800-624-2422; www.bluegrass.com/planet.
St. Elmo Ghost Town
Far up a dirt road, deep in the Sawatch Range of Chaffee County, lies the ghost of St. Elmo. It remains one of many ghost towns scattered across Colorado's mountains. These phantoms from the past endure as weather-beaten remnants of mining camps and boom settlements that sprung up almost overnight around gold and silver strikes. Thriving until the mines were exhausted, they emptied almost as fast as they appeared.
While many of these deserted settlements vanished, lost to time, weather and development, dozens remain, tucked away in lonely places across the Rockies. One of the best-preserved is St. Elmo. Just southwest of Buena Vista, the graded road follows Chalk Creek into a high mountain valley of spruce and aspen. The road bends and opens onto a floodplain, where two dozen structures ranging from rickety shacks to a two-story hotel come into view.
Walking the creaking wooden sidewalks of St. Elmo feels like strolling the abandoned set of an old Western movie. Splintered wood buildings with false fronts line the main street. Private houses sit back in the trees, tilted and blistered from decades of sun, wind and snow.
Built in 1878, the town began as an upstanding community supplying numerous area mines. As more gold and silver was discovered and the mostly male population approached 2,000 souls, St. Elmo became a "Saturday night town" with saloons, bawdy houses, dance halls and fist fights. During its heyday, five hotels, a schoolhouse and a general store served residents. The train came to town, moving people and freight throughout the area.
When the mines played out, work dried up and people moved on. The clatter of miners, horses and machines died away long ago, and today the jabbering of jays and frantic scurrying of chipmunks are the central commotion around St. Elmo.
Sit quietly in the fading afternoon light and imagine a frontier village aglow with the fever of gold. It all happened here, a mere century ago.
Information: www.ghosttowns.com; www.ghosttowngallery.com.
Eric Lindberg is a Lakewood-based travel writer and photographer.
The lure of the Plains
By Christine Loomis
Bent's Fort
From 1821 to 1869, a critical corridor to the West was the Santa Fe Trail, a route along which many cultures met and merged. At no place was that truer than Bent's Fort, where explorers, adventurers, trappers, settlers, Plains Indians and the U.S. Army gathered for commerce and survival.
Back then, negotiating the trail meant an arduous journey of eight to 10 weeks for most travelers. Today, you can do the whole thing in two to three days, but linger awhile at Bent's Fort, located between La Junta and Las Animas, an accurate reproduction of the original fort built in the 1830s. Start with the 20-minute documentary film, "Castle of the Plains," for an overview of the fort's place in history. Then visit the 15 first- and second-floor rooms, furnished as they were when the fort was a thriving trade center.
The dining room is the largest, but the Council Room was the most important; it was here that the Bent St. Vrain Company men hosted Native American leaders. If all went well, the Indians would trade their buffalo skins, which were the lifeblood of the fort's economy. The Fur Warehouse is hung with pelts and furs and the Trade Room is stocked with the goods and supplies needed on the Trail.
Upstairs, the general harshness of fort life is evident, yet by some measures the people had luxuries-beds, cooks, furs and fireplaces. You can stand out on the bastions for views of the Arkansas River and surrounding plains, just as lookouts would have done.
You can walk the fort on your own or join a guided tour. In summer, tours led by living history interpreters go at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., no reservations necessary. There's much at the fort to intrigue children (and special pages for kids on the National Park Service website), so bring the whole family. This summer you can catch the Santa Fe Trail Encampment, a reenactment of events at the fort in the 1800s, July 29-31.
Information: 719-383-5010, www.nps.gov/beol.
Burlington
Situated 13 miles from the Colorado/Kansas border on Interstate 70, this small farming community was incorporated back in 1888 and was soon voted the county seat of the newly formed Kit Carson County. Today, it's home to about 3,200 folks, and to a National Historic Landmark that you can ride and a piece of Colorado plains history that you can walk right into.
The Kit Carson County Carousel is the only antique carousel in America with its original paint still on the scenery and animals. The exotic menagerie of 46 animals, including a photogenic giraffe, was hand carved in 1905 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. Some horses have real horse tails and the deer have real antlers. At the center of the carousel is a fully restored 1912 Wurlitzer Monster Military Band Organ and 45 Victorian oil paintings. Talk about a bargain-25 cents will get you a ride and a tour.
Designated a National Historic Landmark, the carousel is open Memorial Day to Labor Day, 1-8 p.m. Ever wonder what life was like on the plains back in frontier days? Mosey around Burlington's Old Town and you'll know. Old Town, open year-round, has 21 authentic buildings from the 1800s to the mid-1900s where settlers actually lived, worked, gathered, played and prayed. Many were moved from eastern Colorado towns. A real "soddy" (buffalo grass hut built by early pioneers), leather shop, drug store, wood shop, school house, native rock jail (the first used in Burlington) and other structures give an up-close look at day-to-day pioneer life on the plains.
Complementing the visual history are voice modules throughout the complex providing an engaging audio history. Ask about occasional "gun fights," and check out the high-kicking can-can girls at the Saloon through Labor Day.
After exploring Old Town, take a tip from locals and have lunch or dinner at The Route (Lincoln Street, off I-70), or stop into its coffee shop for a fine morning latte or plain old-fashioned cup o' joe. Pick up free maps and vacation guides at the Colorado Visitor Center-one of seven in the state. Just don't wait for a rainy day to visit. According to the city's official website, Burlington has an average of only seven totally cloudy days a year.
Information: www.burlingtoncolo.com; Old Town, 800-288-1334.
Genoa Wonder View Tower and Museum
As a quirky roadside attraction about 95 miles southeast of Denver, off I-70, this definitely falls in the oddities category. It's said that from the top of the tower you can see six states on a clear day, but whether that's truth or tall tale is hard to tell, just as it's nearly impossible to tell what some of the thousands of items jammed into corners and nailed to walls and ceilings throughout the museum's labyrinth of 22 rooms really are.
You can try asking Jerry Chubbuck, who has cared for the museum and its odd collection for 37 of his 74 years. In addition to the buffalo hairball, two-headed calf, eight-foot pig and thousands of other artifacts, Jerry has a special collection of 300 items. Identify 10 in a row and you'll get your $1 entrance fee back. "One man came three times before he got 10," Jerry says, "but he wouldn't take his dollar back because he had so much fun." Jerry would divulge the identity of only one of the items, because I might go "and be able to guess 10."
Seems unlikely; the one item I now know about is a petrified dinosaur dropping. I asked what it looks like. "Well, it went in the north end and came out the south end," Jerry declares by way of description.
If you're traveling by in the heat of summer, stop in just to visit the eight rock rooms-rooms made entirely of rock and filled with 1,000 rock paintings created by a real Sioux princess. They're always cool-in every sense.
But the real reason to go is to chat with Jerry, who has welcomed visitors from as far away as China, Japan and Russia, and from every state in the union. Be sure to sign his visitor's book; he likes to read the notes and keep track of where his guests come from.
Information: 719-763-2309; opening hours are pretty much whenever someone shows up; "I live right here, you know," says Jerry.
Christine Loomis is a freelance writer who lives in Lafayette. She has traveled much of the Colorado plains and finds it as interesting as the Rocky Mountains.
Watery Adventures
By Dan Leeth
Rafting the Arkansas
The river crashes down a churning channel of froth and foam, pummeling boulders and slamming cliffs. A rubber raft aims straight for the turbulence. Entering in the mayhem, the boat bucks and buckles like a Brahma bull. Water flies, waves crash and paddle-wielding passengers scream in delight. This is what they paid for-a wild ride down the rapids of the Arkansas River in south central Colorado.
"The Arkansas is the most popular whitewater river in the world," says Bill Dvorak, Colorado's first licensed outfitter, who owns and operates Dvorak Expeditions. "We have 145 miles of runnable water. We can float all the way from Granite to Cañon City."
Arkansas River trips range from half-day excursions to overnight campouts, and its rapids vary from mild splashers suitable for beginners to heavy-duty adrenaline pumpers that require guts, stamina and know-how to negotiate. Pine Creek, a rollercoaster-meets-water-park section upstream of Buena Vista, falls into the latter category.
"I'm pretty selective about who I take there," says Dvorak. "We have to know their abilities because once we're in, we just have to go."
Downstream lies the Numbers, a slightly less intense section where rapids bear numerals, not names. It's continuous, read-and-run whitewater all the way. An easier stretch called the Narrows lies below. The most popular section of the Arkansas is Brown's Canyon south of Buena Vista, which outfitters rate as moderate over most of its distance. In spite of rapids bearing threatening monikers such as Pinball, Widowmaker, Big Drop, Zoom Flume, Raft Ripper, Toilet Bowl and Seidel's Suck-hole, this is a great run for first-timers.
The whitewater ends below Royal Gorge where thousand-foot walls hem the river and the world's highest suspension bridge spans the cliffs overhead. Here, burly rapids are separated by breathers of calm current.
Safety on the river is of prime importance, and most guides have years of experience, including extensive training in first aid and swift-water rescue. Trips will be cancelled or moved if the river is flowing too high or too low.
"You're about 20 times more at risk on a golf course than you are on a commercially outfitted river trip," says Dvorak. "This can be a great family experience."
Information: Colorado River Outfitters Association, 303-280-2554, www.croa.org.
Grand Lake
The sky blushes as the first rays of dawn creep over the mountains. Grand Lake appears glassy smooth, forest and rocks reflecting in its mirrored surface. One peak dominates.
"That's our signature mountain," explains Polly Lawler of the Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. "It's called Mt. Craig, but we affectionately know it as Baldy."
Covering 600 acres, Grand Lake is Colorado's largest natural body of water and the headwaters of the Colorado River. Here, at the scenic verge of Rocky Mountain National Park, sailors tack and jib across its sapphire surface. Kayakers and canoeists paddle past shoreline deer, elk and moose. Others employ piston power to ply its waters, aboard everything from rented pontoon boats to home-owned wooden speedsters. Anglers troll for trout and kokanee, picnickers dine on grassy slopes and swimmers splash in the icy liquid of this glacial-carved retreat.
Beside its shore lies the village of Grand Lake, a 500-resident hamlet that hasn't yet succumbed to the tour-bus crowd. While it offers trinket and T-shirt emporiums, one also finds artisan enclaves vending paintings, sculpture and log furniture along the town's wooden boardwalks.
"We don't have any chain hotels, chain restaurants or fast food," says Lawler. "Our Western heritage has been preserved."
Landlubbers find the area rife with dry activities. Bikers peddle paths, hikers tackle trails and golfers yell "fore" down fairways. For those who simply want to ogle the scenery, Grand Lake Lodge offers a spacious deck overlooking lake and countryside.
That platform will be a prime viewing site on July 4th when the community hosts one of Colorado's largest fireworks shows, a pyrotechnic barrage launched from a floating raft. On July 16 and 17, the town hosts its 58th annual Western Weekend, complete with parade, country music, ice-cream social, pancake breakfast and barbecued buffalo meat. Grand Lake is also home to the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theater, which presents summer stock Broadway musicals June 17 through Sept. 24.
Whether folks first come to Grand Lake for the activities, Lawler says they all stay for the beauty. It's difficult not to fall under the spell of Baldy's reflection.
Information: Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce, 970-627-3372, www.grandlakechamber.com.
Ouray Hot Springs
Calming waves of hot mineral water envelop the body. Relaxed eyes gaze at mountains and forest. Nothing but sky hangs overhead. Simmering in an outdoor pool of earth-heated water may be the hottest way to enjoy Colorado's wet side.
The state offers at least 47 natural hot springs ranging from therapeutic resorts to wilderness soaking holes. Some feature mega-size pools while others require tub-squeezing friendliness. A few are geared for adults-while others, such as Ouray Hot Springs in southwestern Colorado, remain family friendly. "We've got a gym. We've got a slide. We've got a volleyball area," says Liz Gracesun, Ouray's director of parks and recreation. "We're a very family-oriented facility."
Ouray's pool holds more than a million gallons of water divided into three temperature ranges. The soaking section offers a soothing 104-106 degrees, a warm-water play area features temperatures between 96-98 degrees, and there's a cold water section maintained at a tepid 80 degrees. The water is virtually sulfur free, so it doesn't smell like rotten eggs, and it won't turn silver jewelry black. "Things may come out a little bit orange, though," Gracesun says. "We have a very high iron content." The facility sits beside U.S. 550 in one of Colorado's grandest, box-canyon mountain towns. Nicknamed "the Switzerland of America," Ouray bears scant resemblance to anything European. Instead, the town flaunts a mining-era heritage with brick storefronts lining Main Street and Victorian homes peppering side streets.
The town serves as a convenient base for exploring the northern San Juan Mountains. Silverton, Durango and Telluride lie short drives away. Four-wheelers can motor the Alpine Loop, a rugged route connecting Ouray with Silverton and Lake City, or the road into Yankee Boy Basin, an alpine valley bursting with summer wildflowers. Hikers will find trails to tread and summits to scale, including Mt. Sneffels, one of Colorado's famed "fourteeners." There's also plenty of mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing and golfing opportunities to be enjoyed.
No matter what the activity, when the day is over, it's time to head back for a fatigue-fading soak. After all, that's what hot springs are for.
Information: Ouray Chamber Resort Association, 800-228-1876, www.ouray colorado.com.
Dan Leeth is a full-time travel writer and photographer from Aurora. He's simmered in numerous hot springs, recently ran Colorado River rapids in a wooden rowboat and-plied with enough antifreeze-might someday even take a dunk in Grand Lake.
Great Weekend Getaways
Readers' Recommendations
Our invitation to members to tell us where they liked to go for summer weekends elicited numerous great responses-including some from canny business owners with an eye on self-promotion! Here are the ones we think represent the opinions of individual readers.
We love to adventure the two-wheeled way. This trip was done on a Yamaha touring motorcycle to one of our favorite corners of Colorado-Dinosaur National Monument.
Jim and I left Eagle on a rainy morning. It was snowing on Vail Pass. Boy, am I glad we didn't go that way! We drove north through scattered showers and bits of blue sky. I was thankful for my heated suit. Once we got to Dinosaur, the weather had cleared to patchy grey and blue.
We went into the Colorado side of Dinosaur National Monument. I swear we saw a few dinos running through the distant fields, but Jim doesn't think so. We did see a whole lot of cows and one lone antelope. On the way in, we passed through the Mormon cricket migration. There were hundreds of thousands of them crossing the road. It looked like the pavement was moving as we made the 32 mile journey to the confluence of the Green and Yampa rivers.
We did the mile hike to the point (they said it was a mile, but it must have been the longest mile ever!). It's a very strange sight indeed. The Yampa River flows through a sloping plain with stark white limestone hills while the Green cuts a deep narrow canyon in the red rock and sandstone. At the place where the two rivers meet is a distinct fault line where the color (and rock type) changes. It looked to me like a kid was coloring and ran out of crayons. No bones here, but the crickets had an ancient and ugly look to them.
We spent the night in Vernal, Utah, on the western side of the park. Not much there-just some giant dino statues and a natural history museum. We went to the museum in the morning. It was interesting to see so many of the fossils, all from the area around the park.
We took a short detour before we went to the dino quarry. We took a local road to a service road and eventually a dirt road to Fantasy Canyon. It's in the middle of a desert and looks like an ancient coral reef. It was once at the bottom of an ancient lake or river. It's a cool place. The rocks really do look like grey coral. They call it Fantasy Canyon because some creative minds named some of the rocks for the shapes they make. We could see some of them easily but other required more imagination than we could muster! I stuck to the path, though Jim climbed around. The big sign about rattlesnakes in the area was enough of a deterrent for me! After wandering there in as much heat as we could handle, we headed back to the park and the quarry.
The Dino Quarry is unbelievable. It's about a 100' x 25' wall of exposed rock. They have removed the top layer to reveal over 2000 dino bones. There are several full-sized dino skeletons and loads of bits and pieces. It is though to be some sort of catch-all in the ancient river and all the dead dinos floated there and got stuck, then eventually fossilized.
After the Quarry we did the much more modern driving tour. You should see me reading the brochure as we go and pointing out all the sites! The tour goes along the Green River where the Fremont people lived 1000 years ago. (I told you it was much more modern!)
There are petroglyphs all along the road. It was so nice of them to put them near the road so we didn't have to get off the bike to see them! Petroglyphs are etchings in the rock. Not to be confused with cave paintings!
The tour took us 20 miles up the river to Josie's Cabin. Josie was kind of a loner and settled deep into the park (long before it was a park) to live off the land. No running water or electricity. She lived there by herself until she died at the age of 94. It's a nice spot, but a little far to go for a Starbucks. Jim wanted to move right in!
From the park we drove east towards Steamboat. We found a great little hotel in Maybel, the town with the last functioning one-room schoolhouse in Colorado. We would have stayed, but the only restaurant had closed for the evening. No grocery store either! On we rode.
In Craig we found a great BBQ place for supper and spent the night in town. On Monday we rode to Steamboat for lunch, then on down 131 and home.
All in all, a great adventure. We will go dino hunting again!
-Stacey Parnass, Eagle
Our favorite weekend getaway is Lake DeWeese, eight miles north of Westcliffe in southern Colorado. The camping is great and the views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains are spectacular. We also like to go four-wheeling in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and boating on Lake DeWeese. The lake's wildlife preserve attracts swans, pelicans, turkey vultures, golden eagles and a whole lot more, while Westcliffe has fine dining, bowling, craft shopping and small-town friendly people. We especially love the Fourth of July because of the great fireworks over the lake, funded by donations and put on by the local volunteer fire department. There is also a classic car show in Westcliffe, and a craft and flea market with something for everyone.
-Denise Gilbert, Colorado Springs
For relaxing summer weekends among beautiful little lakes and down-to-earth good folks, I go to the Red Feather Lakes area, an hour north of Fort Collins. The Red Feather village has modernized slightly in the past few years (good food, nice antique store, and even Internet service in a newer coffee/gift shop) but the ambience is still low-key and fun for families. Oops, on second thought, maybe I shouldn't be giving this place away?!
-Jean Wyrick, Fort Collins
Even though we live in a fabulous summer resort (Durango), we sometimes tire of 40,000 tourists a day, and look for a somewhat quieter spot to get away. We head to Ouray. Whether you want upscale luxury, moderate accommodations, or economical campsite, you can find it all here, and we have experienced all three. There is so much to do, but one of the best activities is to go jeeping, either with a commercial company or on your own. There is hiking, horseback riding and the box canyon falls. After a day outdoors, plunge into the municipal hot springs pool for some great relaxation. We try to head to our favorite restaurant around 4 p.m. so that we can miss the crowds but still have a great selection of scrumptious pies. In the evening you can stroll the streets, looking or shopping, and while the night life might be a little limited, you are usually ready to head for bed quite early.
-Nancy Carr, Durango
Eighteen years ago my wife and I stumbled upon an area of Colorado that changed our lives. We stopped in southern Colorado's Cuchara Valley. We lived in Wichita, Kansas and made return trips numerous times each year. We then bought a getaway home in 1996 and in the summer of 2002 we moved our full-time residence to Cuchara.
Over the years we have made many friends with persons who come to Cuchara and La Veta to get away from other areas of the state. It is truly an unspoiled, "Colorado of old" feel. With an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities and a slow-paced atmosphere, it continues to be a favorite ... some in the third and fourth generation of vacationers and visitors.
The area boasts three wilderness areas, Spanish Peaks, Sangre de Cristo and Greenhorn, all within the San Isabel National Forest. The Spanish Peaks are also designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service. With hiking trails throughout the area, high mountain lakes and roaring streams, fishing is also a recreational outlet. Golf is another popular diversion, as is shopping in the small shops of the area.
B&Bs are sprinkled throughout the valley from La Veta to Cuchara and a variety of dining is available. Nothing like sitting outside at the Dog Bar at the Boardwalk in the evening enjoying the fresh Rocky Mountain air, or having a wonderful meal with a fine glass of wine at the Timbers in Cuchara. The following is one of many legends about this area. The Scenic Highway of Legends (an official Scenic Byway) traverses the area. Wahatoya is the Native American name for the Spanish Peaks. The Native Americans tell of giants who once roamed the area around Wahatoya. A quarrelsome tribe, they built rock walls as breastworks for their wars, using huge boulders as weapons. The whole world reverberated from the sounds of their battles.
The gods of Wahatoya watched as the tribe fought one another. They grew angry and withheld rain from the area. When water became scarce, the giants ended their fighting and went in search of water. They left behind one lone warrior to stand guard over their prized valley. The giants never returned. The guard continued at his post. One day he sat down to rest and the gods, seeing his dedication, turned him into stone as a monument for all to see (Goemmer Butte).
-Steve Perkins, Walsenburg
Summers in Evergreen are the best! So serene with the lake and open spaces and wildlife! Nice little shops on Main Street. Fun festivals for the arts, jazz etc. Neat B&Bs. Still has the feel of a small Colorado town.
-Linda Kirkpatrick
During our working years, my husband made the comment "It would be great to get away for a few days and not always work on the house or in the yard."
After painting our kitchen I sat down to rest and read the local newspaper and just so happened to read the classified ads and came across an ad "Cabin For Sale." I immediately thought, "Here is the answer to our getaway." I called about the ad and was told they would show us the cabin or give us the key to look for ourselves. That evening after work, we drove to Grand Mesa and found the cabin. I liked what I saw but my husband wasn't as interested.
The cabin is old, and was in need of work. If we bought it we wouldn't be satisfied until we improved it. We bought the cabin on July 2, 1969 and began working on it at every opportunity we had.
We installed a bath, worked on kitchen cupboards, replaced the living room floor. Spent one summer picking up rocks to build a fireplace. Installed sheet rock upstairs as it was unfinished, just the shingles and rafters were showing. Laid carpet. We put up log siding on the outside and replaced the roof. Enclosed the front porch and replaced the floor with cement. We tore down the brick chimney that was used for a cook stove, and my husband replaced the log foundation on the north side with cement. My husband installed the hot water heater, we use propane gas for cooking and heat. We built a storage shed.
We have had many happy times fishing in the lakes close by, and entertaining friends. We have a full view of the lake from the picture window in the living room.
We cross-country skiied into the cabin during the winter, as the road was closed. We hiked the trails in the summer and watched the wildlife. The elevation is 10,500 feet.
We are located on top of beautiful Grand Mesa, a dream we never expected to happen.
-Howard & Zeda Powell, Grand Junction
I read in the last issue that you are looking for nominations for great weekend retreats. I would like to nominate Evergreen. There are a number of reasons, but I can say that as a result of one of those weekend getaways to Evergreen, I packed up the family and moved out of Los Angeles, where we lived on the beach. That was over ten years ago and we have never regretted it, and Evergreen has only gotten better.
There is so much to do here, from wonderful spas to great hiking and biking, golf, fishing, entertainment, great dining, quaint B&Bs and the best part is that it is only 20 minutes away from Denver but feels like it is a world away. And the weather is fabulous with over 300 days of sunshine per year.
-Denis Ouellette, Evergreen
We love Pagosa Springs, which is 300 miles from Denver in southern Colorado. Leave on a Friday afternoon and arrive that evening. There are mountains all around this town for hiking, fishing and wildlife, also the hot springs and the Fred Hartman Art Museum. Fred Hartman has quite a history with his Red Ryder and Little Beaver comic strips plus his western art. We love patronizing the locally owned restaurants and shops, and often meet other locals at these friendly places. There is a golf course too. Pagosa Springs is just a delightful community.
-Jim & Barbara Noakes, Boulder
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