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Destinations

Is Salida Colorado Worth Visiting?

Destinations

Salida, Colorado, considers itself “The Heart of the Rockies,” but is Salida worth visiting?

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Hints of Spring had us itching to get out and do a bit of traveling. April is prime “mud season” here in Colorado. The good skiing is all but done, though the mountains have not warmed up enough to get out in the alpine heights. Salida, Colorado, is a town known for mountain biking year-round, so we thought we’d take a little road trip and see what Salida has to offer.

We arrived in the early afternoon, headed straight for Salida’s downtown area, and quickly found ourselves in the “Creative District.” Which is basically a state designation administered by the City of Salida’s Arts and Culture Department. This designation certifies that Salida contributes to Colorado’s economy through creativity, culture, and the arts. This means that there are many great galleries and shops for the visitor to enjoy and public art sprinkled throughout the downtown area.

Downtown is also a place to discover the Salida River Trail. A roughly 2-mile trail along the Arkansas River. It is an easy, pretty flat trail that is perfect for mixing in a bit of nature with the city.

Downtown Salida

Mountain biking is the main activity that we headed to Salida for. Joyce read about a gravel ride to a small mountain town called Turret, and we rented a pair of electric mountain bikes to experience it for ourselves. E-bikes were a new experience for us, and though we like to do active things, it was nice to have the assistance of a powered bike. The guy at the bike shop referred to it as the “hand of God.” It was a pleasant ride up a mountain road with very little traffic and amazing views as we got above the treeline. And it was an absolute blast coasting back down into Salida on our return trip.

We crafted a video about that ride alone that you can watch here.

The Mount Shavano Trout Hatchery was not on our radar until we saw the sign for it in town, so we thought we check it out, and we are so glad we did. The hatchery is one of the largest trout units in Colorado and produces approximately 500,000 catchable (10-inch) trout and about 2 million sub-catchable fish (2−5 inches) per year. Species such as rainbow, Snake River cutthroat, cutthroat-rainbow crosses, and kokanee salmon are raised at Mount Shavano.

But the fun part is getting to feed all those hungry little fish. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a very friendly ranger who offered us each our own bucket of fish food. We spent the next hour or so exploring the hatchery and tossing food into the pools, creating little feeding frenzies that never got old. We can only imagine how enjoyable this would be for kids.

Tenderfoot Hill

During a visit to Salida, it is impossible to miss the large “S” on the side of the nearby hill. That is Tenderfoot Hill, and it is full of trails and beautiful views of the surrounding area. If you are not up for a hike, simply drive up Spriral Drive, which will get you almost to the top. It seems they’ve closed the final leg of the road and built a sizeable parking lot just short of the peak.

There is no shortage of activities and things to do in Salida, even during Colorado’s mud season. Because of this, we would say that Salida, Colorado is worth visiting. Check out our video where we highlight seven things to do in Salida.

Popo Agie Falls Trail, Easy & Beautiful Hike Near Lander, Wyoming

Destinations, Hikes, Our Travel Stories

Popo Agie Falls Trail can be found just a few miles outside of Lander, Wyoming, an easy hike with a big reward! 

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This trail is highly rated on AllTrails with a solid 4.7 and we would agree, in fact, we gave it a 5-star rating. It is rare to find a trail that is so close to a city that is this beautiful but not crowded. The only thing that would make it better is if it was a loop trail and not an out and back trail but that is just getting too picky.

 

Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site, Wyoming

Destinations, Our Travel Stories

Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site near Thermopolis, Wyoming, is a short hiking loop that connects you to our ancient ancestors.

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We arrived early in the day to beat the crowds and it paid off. I doubt this site ever gets truly crowded but that morning we had the whole place to ourselves for about an hour. Due to COVID-19 the visitor center was closed but that did not take away from the experience.

All total the site contains at about 283 different petroglyphs on 92 individual sandstone panels, some of them dating back 10,000 years.

More info can be found on the Wyoming State Parks website.

Pawnee National Grassland Pawnee Buttes Hike

Destinations, Our Travel Stories

The Pawnee National Grassland in Eastern Colorado is not a place you are likely to find in a brochure for Colorado. It is dry, flat, has few trees, and zero mountains, but that does not mean it is not worth a visit.

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As Joyce and I started to venture out from COVID-19 quarantine we thought the Grasslands would be a great place to start because it is not popular and has plenty of space to maintain social distancing. Plus with its lack of trees it was a great place to take our new drone out on its maiden flight.

If you’ve never experienced grasslands you can think of it as a grassy flat desert. On the drive out it looks like a whole lot of nothing but when you look closer you’ll discover an amazing ecosystem and hints of the American Wild West. The Pawnee National Grassland is a popular destination for bird watchers because it is home to Burrowing Owls, Long-billed Curlew, Western Meadowlark, Swainson’s Hawk, American Kestrel, Loggerhead Shrike, Mountain Plovers, Lark Bunting, and many other unique bird species (Click here for PDF guide to birding in the Pawnee National Grassland).

But if birds are not your thing, don’t worry, as you are almost guaranteed to see a few, if not many, Pronghorn – the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere. Often you can spot them without even slowing down or leaving your car. If you do pull over to try and get a photo most will quickly run as they are quite shy.

By far the biggest attraction to the Pawnee National Grassland is the Pawnee Buttes. Two buttes that rise about 300 feet above the grasslands that can be seen from miles away. Hiking the Pawnee Buttes trail is a great reason to get out and explore the grassland. It is a pretty easy hike with little elevation gain but bring plenty of water and sunscreen because you’ll not find any trees. Also the weather out there can change quickly so go early to reduce your chances of getting caught in an afternoon thunderstorm.

On our recent trip (see video) we camped near the trailhead and woke up to very thick, unexpected, fog. As the sun rose the fog quickly burned off and we were on the trail before 9AM. Some areas near the trailhead are closed in Spring due to nesting birds but you can still get a great hike in and it does not limit your access to the buttes.

The trail is basically an out and back trail with a loop around each butte. You can skip the loops and still get a great hike in. It was a Monday morning in May and we probably saw about 10 people on the trail the whole day which made for a very peaceful hike. The air was warm and filled with sounds of many bird calls. Being able to see to the horizon in all directions is truly and American West experience.

When you find yourself looking for a bit of an “off the beaten path” Colorado adventure, consider heading to the Pawnee Buttes Trailhead.

Visiting Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Montana

Destinations

Visiting Bighorn National Recreation Area, Montana

The Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area surrounds the Bighorn Canyon and Lake and spans the border between Montana and Wyoming. With a lake that stretches for 71-miles and canyon walls towering up to 2,500 feet, this relatively undiscovered area is a spectacular place to enjoy a day (or more) of boating or kayaking.

There are several campgrounds and boat launch points along the canyon as well as fourteen hiking and interpretive trails. Keep an eye out for abundant wildlife, including peregrine falcons, bighorn sheep and black bears or visit one of the four historic ranches to learn about some of the area’s fascinating former residents.

Only a short detour on the road to Yellowstone from the east, this area is a relatively undiscovered beauty. There are both north and south entrances, although it’s not easy to get from one to the other as there are no direct roads. From Wyoming you can visit the Bighorn Canyon Visitor Center and access the recreation area near the town of Lovell. From Montana on the north end, visit the Yellowtail Dam Visitor Center near the town of Fort Smith.

Our trip took us to the north end where during the summer (from Memorial Day through Labor Day) pontoon boats are available for rent at the Ok-A-Beh Marina. Although the northern portion of the recreation area sits on the Crow Indian Reservation, the National Park Service maintains a road to the marina via a continuously renewed lease with the Crow Tribe and public access is allowed (along with lakeshore camping) from the lake to 30’ above the “full” water level.

Thank you to Visit Southeast Montana, Visit Billings, the Bighorn National Recreation Area, the National Park Service and the Crow tribe for hosting us.

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Visiting Saba – The Unspoiled Queen of the Caribbean

Destinations

Visiting Saba – The Unspoiled Queen of the Caribbean

Recently, we had the opportunity to spend some time in the Caribbean – a great place to be in January I must admit. We originally booked a 4-night stay on the island of Sint Maarten. However, as we researched the area and built a 10-day trip around those reservations, our curiosity got the best of us and the trip expanded. In the end we spent time on two additional islands as well as visiting both the Dutch and French sides of Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin. All three islands – Anguilla, Saba & Sint Maarten – were magnificent and distinct, but perhaps the most unexpected was Saba.

Before we started researching this trip, we’d never even heard of Saba and once we were there it was obvious that this beautiful 8 square-mile island composed of several lava domes and a dormant volcano is one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets. Just under 2,000 people call the island home and only a few hundred more visit each week, most just on day trips from Sint Maarten. With European small-town charm, a hilly rugged landscape and a void of sandy beaches, Saba isn’t your typical Caribbean island. 

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