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Sunday, October 27, 2024

Salida, Colorado



On our last day celebrating our special anniversary, we left the Mt. Primcton Hot Springs Resort to drive to the nearby town of Salida for dinner. Although the resort had a wonderful restaurant, we wanted to enjoy a drive along the scenic Collegiate Mountains located in the Sawatch Mountain Range.  The Sawatch Mountian range includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at 14,440 feet (4,401 m) elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies. Salida has the nickname "The Heart of the Rockies," as it is beautifully nestled between the Sangre de Cristo and Sawatch Mountain ranges,


All photos in this post will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on


As you can see the drive along the Collegiate Peaks is beautiful! We passed many ranches and were entertained by the formation of clouds bringing precipitation to the distant peaks.



Salida was founded in 1880. Salida, meaning "exit" in Spanish, was named for its location near the point where the Arkansas River flows out of the valley and into Bighorn Sheep Canyon, upstream from the Royal Gorge. 

 One of the first things a visitor to  Salida is likely to notice upon arrival is the mountain with a huge “S” on it. This mountain is Tenderfoot Mountain, but it’s also referred to as S Mountain.  There is a road to the top and also trails. Prominently located at the end of F Street — the town’s main street – it is normally adorned with white lights in the shape of “S.” This alternates with a red heart symbolizing the “Heart of the Rockies." At Christmas, the mountain is zig-zagged with 4,500 brightly colored LED lights to form a 750-foot tall Christmas tree. It shines on Tenderfoot Mountain from the summit to the base over Salida throughout the holiday season, from late November into mid-January.



We parked our car and walked to the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, which is 148 miles of river park well enjoyed by rafters, kayakers, and standup paddleboarders. The stretch of Arkansas River in and around Salida has up to 5000 trout per mile so it is also a fisherman's favorite!


The river was lined by beautiful autumn-hued Cottonwood trees.



We walked along the Salida River Trail.



We were amazed by the giant height of the Cottonwood Trees along the river trail and enjoyed sitting on a bench for a while watching the river flow by.


We then spent some time walking around the historic downtown.




Salida has Colorado's largest historic downtown district! Salida was first established in the 1800s as a stagecoach stop and later as a stop-over for travelers on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. Downtown Salida is on the National Register of Historic Places. 
It has the finest collection of historically significant buildings in the state. Salidachamber.org has the map above with links to all the businesses and restaurants in the historic district.



Downtown Salida is a certified designated Creative District! The historic downtown is filled with artisans of every genre, including advertising and architecture, blacksmithing and metal, ceramics/pottery, digital media, fiber arts, videography, fine art, graphic design, murals, music, performing arts, photography, sculpture, and writing.



We enjoyed browsing through antique and bookstores, as well as the souvenir "Five and Dime" store. Along one of the side streets, we saw a very old and weathered piano on display!



There were also many art galleries to browse.



Halloween decorations were on display in many of the shop windows.



We decided to try a highly-rated Mexican restaurant called Casa Calaca. My husband had their triple sampler and I had their seafood mariscada. Both were delicious!


After dinner, we had another scenic drive back to our room at the resort, where we were able to enjoy the hot spring pools again. 
It was the perfect ending to a wonderful anniversary holiday!


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Monday, October 21, 2024

Autumn Beauty Along Cottonwood Pass


On the second day of our stay at the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort—click here to read about the resort—we decided to drive to the nearby Cottonwood Pass. 
Cottonwood Pass is a 56.8-mile stretch of paved, winding mountain road connecting Buena Vista and Almont, Colorado. It summits at the continental divide (at 12,126 ft elevation) and features some of Colorado’s best hiking trails, campsites, and mountain vistas
It's a stunning mountain pass known for its colorful fall aspen groves, and we hoped to still be able to catch some autumn color during our drive.



Cottonwood Pass is in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. The road over Cottonwood Pass is the highest paved crossing of the Continental Divide in the U.S. The area surrounding the pass is mostly forest, with the San Isabel National Forest to the east and the Gunnison National Forest to the west.

It was the second time we drove over Cottonwood Pass--click here-- to see that late summer drive where we followed the pass all the way to its end in Almont


We were thrilled to see that the autumn colors were still vibrant! Bright patches of orange and rust foliage mingled beautifully with the golden aspens.


 Clouds were building up and a few raindrops fell at times and we drove along the winding road.

More bright colors!

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We passed some very tall aspens and many cottonwood trees.



As we drove higher there were more pine trees and scrub brush.



Eventually, we were above the tree line


We parked for a while at the summit and seeing heavy clouds and sleety snow that began to fall, we decided not to drive further but to return to Nathrop.



We did take the obligatory photo of the summit sign!

Driving back down...


...passing the autumn scenery from the other direction

Passing a lake area as we approached Buena Visita.

A last look back at the mountain peak we just drove down from.


Looking at the mountain range in the distance we knew we made the right decision to turn back, as heavy clouds were in that area and it was probably raining or snowing at the higher elevation. Because of high snowfall, Cottonwood Pass closes for the winter, usually in November, and reopens in May

Later that evening we drove to the charming town of Salida for dinner--on my next post

Please join me again on my blog next week!


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Sunday, October 13, 2024

Mt. Princton Hot Springs Resort Fun For Our 50th Anniversary !



My husband and I celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary in early October--click here--to see that post. To continue our happy celebration, we decided to spend a few days enjoying the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort in Nathrop, Colorado.  We enjoyed this resort four years ago for a day--click here--to read that post, but we did not stay there on that visit, as we also traveled to see other Colorado sights.

Mount Princeton is a part of Colorado's Collegiate Peaks and the Sawatch Range in central Colorado. The mountain stands at 14,197 feet, and one can hike a challenging 13.25-mile out-and-back hike that ascends to a grueling 5,400 vertical feet. Nearby is the 14,269-foot Mt. Antero, which has a 16-mile round-trip hike, with 5,200 vertical feet climb. 



The resort has views of both mountains, as well as the Chalk Cliffs.  The cliffs are actually made of kaolinite. This soft white clay is deposited by hot mineral waters that bubble up through cracks in the granite. Chalk Creek flows through Chalk Creek Canyon bringing their hot springs water to the Mt Princeton Resort.

 




The Princeton Hot Springs Resort includes on-site many different accommodation options, from a lodge to cabins and creekside suites, and there is a restaurant, and spa treatments available, as well as fitness and yoga classes for guests/



On our arrival at the resort, we spent the day soaking in the Creekside Hot Springs. The geothermal hot spring water bubbles out of the ground at 140 degrees Fahrenheit and mixes with the cold water in Chalk Creek. 

Open to all guests, each pool is approximately one foot in depth with a comfortable sandy bottom, if the water gets too hot one has to simply remove a few stones to allow cooler water to rush into the rock pools. Each pool offers different temperature ranges and a unique view of the surrounding mountains above.


On the second and third days that we stayed at the resort, we enjoyed the Spa Pool. The Relaxation Pool is maintained at a soothing temperature of 90 – 99°F.


We also enjoyed the Cascading Hot Springs which are three Japanese-style cascading pools located in a more private setting next to the rushing waters of Chalk Creek. Constructed entirely from rock and fed by the hot springs, these pools are nestled right into the ground. Each pool offers a different temperature varying from 107 degrees to 101 degrees Fahrenheit.

All of the hot springs are open from 9AM to 9PM.  If you'd like to view a short video explaining how the Hot Springs were formed at Mt Princeton click on this Youtube link.
 

The unusually warm fall temperatures we had this year in Colorado meant that the resort's flowers were still in beautiful bloom!


We had a delicious and filling breakfast each day at the resort, but in the evening we drove to the nearby towns. The first day we visited charming town of Buena Vista. Buena Vista is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Numerous rafting companies are based around Buena Vista, offering guests thrilling whitewater rafting trips on the Arkansas River. Anglers also share the river, which was awarded Gold Medal Trout Water by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission.


We ate at a casual restaurant called Simple Eatery, where I enjoyed the freshly caught trout and mixed vegetables, while my husband had an Elk Burger that was on a handmade pretzel loaf bun. Both meals were delicious!



On our way back to the resort we saw a beautiful bright sunset! It was a wonderful ending to a perfect day. 

In my next posts, I'll show our drive to the summit of a mountain via Cottonwood Pass and our visit to another charming nearby town south of the resort--Salida. 


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Sunday, October 6, 2024

Our 50th Wedding Anniversary!

This past weekend we celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary!




50 years of love and shared blessings with my best friend!


We had an early family celebration in September at a local Italian restaurant.



 
It was a perfect celebration!


The night of our anniversary, we treated ourselves to an exquisite dinner at Barolo Grill in Denver.


We can understand why this restaurant is considered one of the best Italian restaurants in Colorado!


50 years in love!

Cheers to five decades of love, laughter, and shared memories. May the next 50 be even more beautiful!

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