Road Trip - In the Steps of Pioneers - Part 1
By the 1850s, Hispanic settlers from New Mexico had migrated into the San Luis Valley to establish small plazas within land grants issued by the Mexican governor in Santa Fe. These pioneers gave birth to the permanent settling of Colorado. Soon after, people from a variety of backgrounds seeking mineral wealth, free land, or frontier experiences joined the progression.
Day 1
Photo credit: NPS/Patrick Myers Beyond the dunefield, the GSDNPP contains six other ecosystems, including subalpine forest. Mosca Pass Trail, Medano Lake Trail, and Music Pass Trail go through dense forest, with meadows of wildflowers in summer months. Enjoy the flowers while they last!
Activity - Mosca Pass and Monteville Trail
Located within the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve- The self-guided Montville Trail is a half-mile loop that parallels Mosca Creek and leads past the remnants of a historic toll station. For a longer hike, visitors may take the Mosca Pass Trail, which winds through aspen and evergreen forests to the summit of a pass in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. Mosca Pass served as an entrance to the Valley for nomadic hunters, Spanish soldiers, homesteaders, and traders carrying goods bound for Plains Indian tribes. In 1807 Zebulon Pike, author of the earliest known written description of the Great Sand Dunes, passed nearby with his men, enroute to the river and the valley floor.
-- Insider's Tip --
While traveling along this Colo-Road Trip make sure to download the free driving tour app – TravelStorys and follow along the Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway to hear more details of the historic areas along the area’s highways of Hwy 150 (near the Great Sand Dunes), Hwy 160 (by the towns of Blanca and Ft Garland), Hwy 159 (down to San Luis), Hwy 142 (from San Luis over through Manassa), and southern end of Hwy 285 (into Antonito).
Lunch - Lu's on Main Street
Lu’s on Main (Blanca, CO) – (photo provided) a real undiscovered gem. Wonderful homemade entrees, pies and cakes. You won’t regret a stop a Lu’s. Women-owned business and a local favorite for 20+ years.
Activity - Fort Garland Museum
Designed as an outpost to facilitate settlement in Ute country, Fort Garland served many purposes in its 25-year history. The command of Kit Carson from 1866 to 1867 brought peace with the Utes and food for the impoverished tribes. During the Civil War, Union troops trained here. After the war, Buffalo Soldiers were stationed here for several years. The Fort was abandoned in 1883 but later restored by the Colorado Historical Society.
March 1st - October 31st - 9am - 5pm daily
November 1st - December 31st - 10am - 4pm Wed - Sat
January 1st - Feb 28th - closed
(719) 379-3512
Dinner - Mrs Rios and Thai Kitchen
If you're after amazing Thai food in southern Colorado, look no further than Mrs. Rios Restaurant & Thai kitchen. You'll also find an array of other entrees - including all-American hamburgers and Southwestern fare - so there's something for every palate.
-- Sustainability --
The San Luis Valley Museum Association supports the efforts of 25 museums and historic locations. Now called the Museums of the San Luis Valley and Southern Colorado to be inclusive of our expanding membership. The MSLVSC is an all-volunteer nonprofit that supports the efforts of its museums in the towns of San Luis, Antonito, Manassa, Fort Garland, Walsenburg, La Veta, Crestone, Saguache, Monte Vista, Del Norte, Alamosa, Creede, and Lake City throughout the Mystic San Luis Valley.
Donations are much appreciated.
Activity - The Vega and People's Ditch
The Vega/People’s Ditch – Take a relaxing stroll along The Vega/People’s Ditch. Two landscape features near the town of San Luis illustrate traditional land uses. Built in 1852, the San Luis People’s Ditch is the oldest irrigation system in continuous use in Colorado and was the result of the first water right application in the state. The Spanish word for these waterways is acequias. Another unique landscape feature in San Luis is La Vega, a public commons, one of only two left in the United States. La Vega continues to be used for its originally intended purpose–communal grazing. Founded in 1851 by Hispano settlers, San Luis is the oldest continuously occupied settlement in Colorado.
Lodging - Indiana Jones B&B
This unique bed and breakfast was a movie set home for the movie 'Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade. This will provide a unique lodging experience.
Activity - Dark Skies
Back track a bit to the Don Diego Vargas Crossing at the Rio Grande to take in some Dark Skies on Hwy 142 at the crossing over the Rio Grande). Interpretive site marking Don Diego de Vargas's 1694 crossing of the Rio Grande. Fearing retaliation by the Taos Pueblo Indians for raiding their village to feed hungry Spanish settlers, de Vargas, the governor-general of New Mexico, rode north into the San Luis Valley.
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