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| Glacial snow above Crested Butte |
When we told our friends and family what we were doing they thought we were crazy. First off we’d never been on a tour and had no clue what we were getting into, and second we didn’t have any idea where we were going! We are not the most adventurous of people so this leap of faith was new for us, and a surprise to those who know us well. For me it was not all that adventurous. We were only going to be gone for five days and we knew we would be staying at an elevation of around 9,000 feet. Considering the time we would be gone it seemed likely Colorado would be our destination. Where in Colorado was another matter entirely.
I believed we would be told when we arrived at the tour company where we were headed, but the tour guide kept us in suspense until the road we were on could only lead to our destination. I can say without reservation the trip was more than we expected and pleasurable from day one.
We arrived at Sun Tours to find several folks lining up to get on board, some of whom were wearing badges with pins attached. I later learned the pins represent the number of trips they had taken with Sun Tours. One lady has taken 43 trips with the company, some within the US, others internationally. "Okay," I thought. "That is a stellar recommendation for the company if ever there was one!"
It was apparent that, Clay, our tour guide was a favorite, as was Ray, the bus driver.
Our first day was a mixed bag of this and that with Clay providing running commentary, interesting facts and kicking off a contest to see who could guess our destination. He's worked for the company for a number of years and seemed well suited to the job, which consists of one part knowledge and three parts entertainment.
We were grateful to learn that the bus stops regularly. For reasons I won't go into, stopping regularly is not only a good thing it is a MUST. The stops are brief, no more than half an hour, but for some of us a welcome respite. There is a bathroom on the bus for convenience but most folks like to get out and stretch their legs, get a cup of coffee and chat.
As we left Albuquerque and headed north we could see the smoke from the fires burning near Santa Fe. The rolling landscape was taking us from hot dry New Mexico to cooler climes. The mountains in the distance held promise of a few days of rest. My husband—the primary driver when we go anywhere—was relaxed and happy to not be responsible for anything! Despite the dry weather in New Mexico landscapes as we headed through Espanola and Ojo Caliente were spectacular and varied.
Our lunch stop in Alamosa, a town I'd never been to, was delightful. We got there about noon and Ray stopped at different locations so we could pick where we wanted to eat. Clay had given us a run down of what we were likely to find and the kinds of food they served. Several of us went to the San Luis Brewing Company where my husband and I shared a huge club sandwich and fries. It was delicious and more than enough. The place was slammed with business and considering a third of a busload of people showed up right at noon, the service was efficient and friendly.
Back on the bus we continued on stopping mid-afternoon at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. What a spectacular formation! In the background the Sangre de Cristos still showed signs of snow while below was this wonder of undulating dunes formed by the whims of nature. Stone, sand and stream, the brochure states... “Unexpectedly awe-inspiring, this wild landscape pairs majestic scenery with intimate glimpses into the complexity of life and offers rich connections to our human history.”
As we boarded the bus and headed on down the road we saw clouds gathering. For many of us it was the first sign of rain we'd seen in weeks.
Our overnight stop was Salida, a mining era town that has taken back its identity and emerged as a vibrant tourist destination. I was delighted when we were told the next morning that we would be in Salida for part of the day. This is one busy little community. It has an active preservation effort going on, the benefits of the Arkansas River running through the valley, and aggressive tourism promotion focusing on the outdoors, visual and performing arts, boutique shops and antiques. Our guide for the historic tour told us Salida has something scheduled most weekends throughout the year. We just missed the annual brewers' event. Can't say that bothered me much. I don't like beer. We did get to see the beginning of a kayaking event. Watching competitors paddling through—or trying to—the gates while battling rapids was a highlight of the day. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the power of nature and how very small we are by comparison. We also went to the Salida museum where Clay displayed another of his talents. He played Amazing Grace on a beautiful antique organ. Appropriate for a Sunday morning in a historic town.
We satisfied our coffee craving in a sweet little coffee shop run by a couple of lovely girls who assured us that their coffee was better than Starbucks. It was equally as good and the coffee shop atmosphere was enhanced by the charm of the setting. Our lunch was at a little pub not far from the river. There was hardly anyone there but based on the quality of food, the place should have been packed! We very much enjoyed our lunch.
Colorado has a lot of water and it seems to be everywhere. No wonder everything is so green! The scenery is beyond description. By the time we stopped at our destination, Crested Butte, a sweet community in the high mountains, I was happy to have a place to lay my weary body. We've already done a lot of walking and there was more in store for us.
Our stay in Crested Butte was wonderful. It’s the kind of place that when you see it in all its summer glory you think, "I'd love to live here! This is like paradise!" It is indeed beautiful, but all that heavy-duty snow plow equipment parked all over the place is there for a reason. All the magnificent greenery and wildflowers come from somewhere, like the mountain snows that feed the rivers and streams. As a place to visit it is wonderful, but in a town where winter didn't end until June 1, all I could think was, “When did it start?”
Our hotel, The Grand Lodge at Crested Butte Mountain, was quite nice. Obviously the hotel caters to skiers. The lift is just across the courtyard. We were scheduled to go up for a scenic overview but it started to rain and neither of us was prepared for that.
Crested Butte is advertised as the Wildflower Capital of Colorado. We had an up close and personal opportunity to check that out on a couple of guided walks with terrific guides. One was a planned home gardens tour and the other was in the countryside.
On our last day we went up to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory at Gothic. Wow. Even though it was cold and damp I enjoyed the experience. The stories told by the guide were interesting and entertaining. We had a rustic lunch before returning to town where we were treated to a glowing history of the town by—who else—Glo (or was it Glow?). We also toured the museum. I admired the enthusiasm and knowledge of the docents.
The next day we took a different route back starting out at around 8 a.m. We saw more spectacular scenery and participated in a fun game about where we’d been, what we’d done and how far we had traveled.
Despite a few unpredicted road delays we were back in Albuquerque right on time.
As for our overall satisfaction with the trip the only thing I can say is, "We're looking forward to the next one!"
To see more photos go to vandermeerbooks.com
