Embedded Files
Updated 9/27/2018
We headed to Salida to see friends who are building a home there. And while I knew our friends would select a great place to build a home, I didn’t expect that we’d fall in love with this town too . Salida has a cute town center with restaurants and shops that is virtually a prerequisite for me in a place to live – I want to be able to grab a cup of coffee or have lunch somewhere without having to get into a car. And it was a historic town center to boot – some of the houses were the Arts and Crafts bungalows that I adore (if I can’t have contemporary). Our friends selected the town for its beautiful scenery and proximity to their outdoor passions – skiing (downhill and cross country), hiking, biking – all of the things we want close to our next home, too. Plus it has the Arkansas River running through town, ideal for rafting.
This shows a part of our friends' house with a bonus fire in the distance. A more complete picture of the same fire is below.
Our friends took us to nearby Buena Vista, where we lounged on this fabulous art furniture installation, and Dorian checked out the offerings of their Arkansas River Whitewater Park. After dinner, we headed to soak in the hot springs of Cottonwood Inn and Spa. This is definitely not a hoity-toity spa experience …. The large pools fed by the hot springs are communal, and you can move between several pools featuring different temperatures and, if you’re lucky (as we were) be treated to a therapist’s banging brass bowls underwater to create intensely groovy vibrations in your chest and stomach that make you feel…weird, in a good way…like, aware of your breath and internal organs. Very Zen.
It's the Arkansas River but maps refer to it as "the headwaters of the Arkansas River" for some reason.
July 4th found us and hundreds of Salidians gathered on the town green listening to the community chorus sing patriotic tunes. Unfortunately, fireworks weren’t on the agenda due to widespread wildfire danger. Instead, we spent the holiday evening at the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. This site can be scorching on a summer day, but this summer evening was relatively cool and good for scrambling and sliding on the huge sand hills.
Pippi faces off with a mule deer in Salida. (The maternal one of us makes Pippi wear a sun shirt.)
Fire! Everybody in Salida knew which fire this was, but I forget the details.
Ramona remains imperviously cheerful despite having a giant boulder on her foot.
Would We Come Back?
Would We Come Back?
Yes. I probably would not stay at the Four Seasons RV Resort. There are a few riverside spaces that are actually parallel to the Arkansas River and those looked nice if one is willing to pay the premium charged for them. Except for those sites parallel to the river, though, the other sites by the river are really crammed in, almost negating the impact of the riverside location. And the loop we were in was by Highway 50 along with the usual traffic noise. There appeared to be some BLM land just down the road, and I think we'd try to dry camp there, if or when we come back.
Would We Live Here?
Would We Live Here?
We really liked Salida and even inquired about the riverside property pictured here. Although Salida doesn't have the big lake we were looking for, the kayaking on the Arkansas River looked like so much fun that one might be induced to change sports. And downhill skiing at Monarch Mountain is close by. The town itself is small and laid back, with the usual bevy of brewpubs that one finds in such Colorado towns. Its small size was a bit of a drawback for us since we're looking for a place with more in terms of services and facilities. The numerous brewpubs were a plus, of course.
It wouldn't be right to say that Salida was in our top five choices but, even so, when discussing the front runners, Salida keeps coming up in conversation. In any case, it's too early to start ruling out great places.
Maybe one day we'll decide between these two Great Sand Dunes pictures and delete one of them...
Report abuse