Can Colorado get any more colorful than this? An alligator farm, a UFO observation tower a half-mile north of there, and a swimming pool created in the 1930s, when wildcatters struck hot water instead of oil. Denver Post staff writer Michael Booth goes on a Round Trip around the San Luis Valley, putting down his wheels at places like the Great Sand Dunes and the Ludlow Massacre historical site, and stumbling onto the silly and the sublime along the way.
Take in the sights in the San Luis Valley
There’s a reason the good people of Crestone believe they occasionally host UFOs at the northern end of the San Luis Valley. The wide, flat plain between the San Juans and the Sangre de Cristos feels like another world, dominated by the luminous Great Sand Dunes at the eastern edge. A walk in the rolling, ever-changing powder of the dunes will send you back to civilization babbling to friends about sublime nature and supernatural bliss. But there are plenty of practical pleasures to be had in the valley and on the way, culminating this fall in a pre-Christmas festival. Throw some walking shoes, a few bottles of water and a warm hat into the trunk for this trip. The high, dry air is subject to visitation by Unidentified Flying Moisture at any moment. – Michael Booth
Getting around: Our southern itinerary starts along I-25 between Pueblo and Trinidad, about 2 1/2 hours south of Denver. The most scenic route to the San Luis Valley is from Trinidad on Colorado 12, over Cuchara Pass and down into the beautiful town of La Veta, then west along U.S. 160 toward Alamosa.
