COME TO LIFE / Highway of Legends HIGHWAY OF LEGENDS: 2 DAYS IN TRINIDAD, WALSENBURG, LA VETA & CUCHARA COLORADO North of New Mexico’s border, where the towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains intersect the waving grassland of the eastern high plains, lie some of Colorado’s best frontier towns. At the southern terminal of the inspiring Highway of Legends, Trinidad is an unspoiled charmer, where archaeology and architecture meet modern recreation. DAY 1 Kick off your vacation at the Trinidad Municipal Golf Course (1) , a nine-holer with stunning views of the Sangre de Cristos (especially from the seventh hole). Or spend a lazy day on the Purgatoire River , which was recently stocked for great trout fishing and has a lovely riverwalk. Afterward, delve into history at the site of the Ludlow Massacre , 12 miles northwest of Trinidad. Today a ghost town, Ludlow was the site of a vicious skirmish between the Colorado National Guard and on-strike coal miners that left 20 people dead in 1914. Restored by the United Mine Workers of America, the site includes a miners’ tent camp, storyboards and photos that recount the chilling encounter. Later, return to Trinidad for dinner and a stroll through the brick-lined streets of Old Trinidad and one of the largest collections of Victorian houses west of the Mississippi. Affordable living and beautiful land-scapes recently resulted in an influx of artists in residence and galleries; the Southern Colorado Repertory Theatre ’s professional company fills the year with classics and original works. These factors and more led to the Corazón de Trinidad (heart of Trinidad) recently being named a Certified Colorado Creative District . DAY 2 Stroll to the Trinidad History Museum , which houses the meticulously preserved Baca House , a two-story adobe built in 1870 that combines Hispanic construction techniques with British design. The Santa Fe Trail Museum exhibits evoke frontier life from the trail days to the 1920s. Among the artifacts is Kit Carson’s fringed buckskin coat. While here, you can also visit the Bloom Mansion (2) , an elaborate Victorian confection built in 1882, and the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art (3) , which houses collections of Western and Spanish colonial folk art. Conclude your visit with a drive along one of Colo-rado’s scenic and historic byways, the breathtaking Highway of Legends . From Trinidad, the byway con-tinues west to Cokedale , where a strip of old coke ovens (used to mix and heat coal at extremely high temperatures) lines the road, resembling something more ancient Roman than frontier. The byway heads north alongside the Sangre de Cristo range, affording spectacular views of those mountains to the west as well as the monstrous volcanic walls that jut from the Spanish Peaks to the east. It also passes through the San Isabel National Forest, home to six wilderness areas and three classic Colorado towns: Cuchara ’s stunning Sangre views and a sleepy downtown with gift shops and several B&Bs and cabins; Walsenburg , with antique shops, a mining museum, water park, visitor center and Lathrop State Park ; and La Veta ’s art galleries and the 1862 adobe Francisco Fort Museum . And check out the blast from the past at Uptop ghost town on Old La Veta Pass . 1 2 STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Cuchara , La Veta (page 199), Trinidad (page 205), Walsenburg (page 206) 3 QUICK TIP 172 / The Cowgirl Cantina in La Veta is a great spot for tasting ingredients from the cafe’s own farm, local ranchers and producers. Afterward, pop into Charlie’s Market’s old-fashioned ice-cream fountain. COLORADO.COM CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM RIGHT: A.R. MITCHELL MUSEUM OF WESTERN ART; BLOOM MANSION, MILES/ANNA ZOROMSKI; TRINIDAD MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE, MILES/MATT INDEN.
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2018: Page 172
