COME TO LIFE | Alamosa, San Luis, Monte Vista, Saguache, Crestone check out Zapata Falls , a cool respite in summer and a giant ice sculpture in winter. Blanca Vista Park is loved for its picnic areas, wildlife, mountain-bike trails and views of the dunes. Detour to Hwy. 17 and check out two unusual spots: the Colorado Gators Reptile Park in Mosca , where you can see and even handle alligators and other scaly critters; and the UFO Watchtower in Hooper , a quirky roadside attraction where you’ll learn of the valley’s surprising number of UFO sightings. Book a glamping tent at the new Rustic Rook Resort to roast s’mores while you scan the skies for extraterrestrial vehicles. COLORADO GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE Day 2 To the south, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is an 1880s train that travels from historic depots in Antonito , Colorado, to Chama, New Mexico. In Alamosa , stop by the Colorado Welcome Center for directions to hiking/biking trails within the city and along the Rio Grande. Get there from Antonito via Los Caminos Antiguos scenic byway to discover 16th-century Spanish influences through adobe missions, museums, galleries and authentic cuisine. Photogs will find Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge a worthy detour for shots of avocets, killdeer, herons and other wildlife. March’s Monte Vista Crane Festival draws thousands to the refuge to admire 20,000 migrating sandhill cranes. MYSTIC SAN LUIS VALLEY GOLDEN HOURS IN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY The Rio Grande snakes through a valley ringed by mountains and peppered with hidden lakes, waterfalls and picture-perfect landscapes. Explore intriguing, tucked-away towns like Alamosa , San Luis , Monte Vista , Saguache and Crestone . Day 1 Leap into the valley’s deep roots in the state’s oldest town: San Luis , which dates back to 1540. La Vega , a plot of land on the edge of town, is where settlers first established a communal way of life in the late 1800s before SPEND A WEEK AT ZAPATA RANCH TO RELAX WITH MASSAGES, HOME-COOKED MEALS AND HORSEBACK RIDES INTO THE GREAT SAND DUNES. 168 1-800-COLORADO THIS PAGE: GETTY IMAGES. OPPOSITE PAGE: MILES/DENISE CHAMBERS. Colorado was even a state. Visit the Shrine of the Stations of the Cross for a taste of the area’s vibrant arts scene. Gripping bronze sculptures depict Christ’s judgment, crucifixion and resurrection along a path that leads to an adobe chapel. Continue north to Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve ’s visitor center to learn how North America’s tallest dunes came to nestle against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Then, play on Colorado’s most unique “beach” — Medano Creek ; and CATCH A RANGER-LED STARGAZING PROGRAM AT GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE — AN INTERNATIONAL DARK-SKY PARK — OR EXPLORE THE SURREAL LANDSCAPE UNDER A FULL MOON.
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2022: Page 168
