2021-12-03 12:15:24
The past meets the future in this relaxed area along the Santa Fe Trail in Lamar, Las Animas and La Junta. Day 1 Start at the Colorado Welcome Center in Lamar, which is a bit of an attraction itself, featuring a train engine, 100-year-old windmill and water tank. Afterward, head over to the Great Plains Reservoirs, seven glassy lakes perfect for boating, fishing and water skiing. Bring binoculars to spy on nearly every bird species ever documented in Colorado. At North Gateway Park, take a leisurely spin around the ponds via SUP or paddleboat. Grab dinner in Lamar before exploring the town’s historic district or strolling the 6.2-mile paved Lamar Loop Trail. Check out the Big Timbers Museum’s collection of old wagons, fire engines and cars. If the timing’s right, catch a movie at the Lamar Theater, a chrome-and-mirror art deco wonder, built in the 1940s. Day 2 Head west on the Santa Fe Trail to Las Animas and the Boggsville Historic Site. Built in the 1860s, it housed some 20 structures, including frontiersman Kit Carson’s last home. Two have been restored and can be toured. Continue on to Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, a re-created trading post. For years, the original was a commercial, social, military and cultural hub for European, Native American and Hispanic trappers and traders. Detour south to the Picketwire Canyonlands in the Comanche National Grassland to marvel at Native American rock art, early Spanish settlements and North America’s largest dinosaur tracksite via hike, bike or horseback. You can also arrange a guided auto tour through the U.S. Forest Service. Or drive east to fish, Jet Ski and SUP at John Martin Reservoir, known as “the sapphire of the plains.” Continue west to La Junta, “the junction” in Spanish. Native Americans, Spanish explorers, trappers, gold-seekers, immigrants and settlers, farmers and ranchers all contributed to the modern-day town’s colorful mix of cultures. The Otero Museum is dedicated to documenting life in early La Junta, and The Picketwire Players have kept folks entertained with revivals and other productions for 30-plus years. Take a ranger tour of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site to pay tribute to the Native Americans whose lives were taken in this tragic event. As you rove, watch for farm stands and markets, typically July to October. Arkansas Valley farmers grow corn, watermelons, cantaloupes and much more, making the area famous for its fresh vegetables and melons. VOGEL CANYON IS ONE OF THE AREA’S HIDDEN GEMS, WHERE A PLACID RIVER MEANDERS THROUGH THE LANDSCAPE AND AFFORDS GLIMPSES OF PETROGLYPHS AND THE REMAINS OF AN 1870S STAGECOACH STOP. Stay & Play Options Hasty, La Junta, Las Animas, Lamar, Rocky Ford
©Colorado. View All Articles.