Destination Alamosa

Savannah Schlaufman

Alamosa is an authentic Colorado experience. It is fair to say the town of around 10,000 isn’t particularly fashionable with urbanites from Denver or those who visit the state specifically for the snow-capped ski resorts along I-70, but it oozes authenticity along with a healthy does of history, culture and a burgeoning farm-to-table movement. At the heart of the San Luis Valley, Alamosa is less than five hours from Grand Junction, four hours from Denver and less than three hours from Durango and is absolutely worth a visit.

Period Communications

Alamosa’s history dates back 11,000 years to when Native American Paleo-Indian cultures inhabited the area. Spanish explorers arrived in the late 16th century and the Westward expansion and a boom in mining in Colorado started Alamosa towards its current incarnation. A stroll around downtown, taking note of some of the beautiful buildings, gives this history a tangible quality by showcasing several different architectural trends that found their way to town, from late Victorian to Mission Revival to Art Deco. The best way to see these historic buildings is to take a self-guided walking tour. The City of Alamosa has a printed brochure with information about 26 buildings.

Period Communications

Alamosa was a major point on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, and for half a century commercial and passenger trains passed through on their way to and from Denver. The narrow gauge supplied ore, lumber, cattle, sheep and farm products to the developing valley while shipping agricultural and mining products out.

The first building on the walking tour is the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Depot. Over a hundred years old (it was built to replace an earlier depot that was destroyed by fire), it is now a Colorado Welcome Center and home to the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad.

A big draw for train enthusiasts, the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad begins in Alamosa and travels over La Veta Pass. With several different excursions throughout the year, including a Mountain Rails Live concert series in the summer, autumn offers the chance to see the incredible palate of fall colors which contrast with the evergreens and Colorado’s famously blue skies.

If you’re still hankering for more history, a visit to the San Luis Valley Museum on Hunt Avenue should satisfy you with educational displays featuring artifacts, photographs, antiques and collectibles portraying early

ranch and farm life. There are also exhibits of Native American artifacts, information on Hispanic settlers and the very interesting settling in the area of a Japanese-American community. There is, of course, early railroading miscellany, too, as well as Zebulon Pike’s trunk, he for who Pike's Peak is named. The museum is part of the Museums of the San Luis Valley group.

ELSEWHERE

Period Communications

Cole Park, northwest of downtown, is a quaint park that hosts various events and live music from time to time, mostly in summer. A walk along the Rio Grande River from Cole Park will take you, eventually, to tiny Blanca Vista Park where you can get a fantastic view of Mt. Blanca, the fourth highest mountain in Colorado at 14,351 feet.

Kale Mortensen

There is Cattails Golf course if you want to hit a few balls, and less than 15 miles southwest of town is the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge and Visitor Center. One of three national wildlife refuges in the valley, the 11,169- acre refuge has a mission to provide food, cover and breeding habitat for migratory birds and resident wildlife and is perhaps best known for the biannual sandhill crane migration which sees more than 20 thousand cranes pass through the valley. The migration peaks in mid-March and mid-October. Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is less than 20 miles west.

Visit Alamosa

REGIONAL FUN

Alamosa itself is good for a few days of wandering, eating and learning about the area’s history, but if you’re planning on a slightly longer getaway, you will need to look at what the valley has to offer. In fact, it’s what’s close to Alamosa that makes the town a great jumping off point for several days of exploration.

Period Communications

Undoubtedly the most popular nearby attraction is Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. THE draw for the area, Alamosa benefits directly from the volume of people who visit the park every year. As spectacular as it is otherworldly, the highest dunes in North America offer a very unique Colorado experience and autumn is arguably the best time of year to visit. With the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Range contrasting with the beautiful dunes, the park offers both adventure and solitude. And speaking of solitude, the park was recently designated an International Dark Sky Park and offers unrivaled opportunities for stargazing and astrophotography. Also, check out Zapata Falls on your way to the park if you have a four wheel drive vehicle. Read more about sand dunes on page 34.

Period Communications

Then there is the Colorado Gators Reptile Park in nearby Mosca. Started back in the 1970s by Erwin and Lynne Young, what eventually became the Colorado Gators Reptile Park started as a tilapia farm (made possible thanks to geothermal water in the valley). As a way to dispose of dead fish and the remains of filleted fish, the Youngs purchased 100 baby alligators. Naturally, people wanted to see them and the park opened in 1990. In the intervening almost 30 years, the park has also become a sanctuary for exotic pets with people dropping off alligators, pythons, tortoises and iguanas among other species.

The Greenhouse at Sand Dunes Pool

The Greenhouse at Sand Dunes Pool is a relatively new addition to the area and offers adults-only soaking yearround inside a 10,000-square-foot greenhouse. There are three small soaking tubs with varying temperatures, a pool, a 10 person sauna, gardens, several deck and patio spaces and a bar where you can get an adult beverage! It is a few minutes north of the Colorado Gators Reptile Park.

Kristi Mountain Sports

Autumn in the region is also great for hiking and biking with the Rio Grande National Forest, which encompasses the San Luis Valley and surrounding mountains, offering numerous biking trails as well as plenty of hiking trails. Penitente Canyon is the place for avid hikers, rock climbers and mountain bikers. See page 20 for more information.

EAT AND DRINK

Whether you’re staying in town or have been gallivanting around the valley, there are some great places to cool off with a beer, get caffeinated or fill up pre- or post-adventure.

When it comes to beer, this is Coors country, literally. The valley is where Coors grows its barley, or more accurately barley is grown for them. However, the craft beer movement made it to town well over a decade ago when Angie and Scott Graber opened San Luis Valley Brewing Company on

Main Street back in March 2006. They have been churning out delicious craft beers ever since. Pretty much a pioneer in the valley, the Grabers and the team at SLV are still experimenting, in fact they recently released their Revenant Double IPA, a floral yet dangerously smooth brew that comes in a 8.1% ABV, while their OktoberFest will hit the taps the first week of September. Also recently released is a special release Kölsch called Imagine that was brewed for the Early Iron Festival.

Neal Z via Yelp

Stumbling distance from SLV is the second of two breweries in Alamosa. Square Peg Brewerks is a laid back place. There are no booths and they don’t serve food. It is sort of the Alamosa version of Cheers, and while it might take a while for the staff to learn your name, it is definitely a place where the community gathers. A farm-to-tap brewery, head brewer and co-owner Mark Martinez uses barley (and sometimes other ingredients) grown by the other co-owner Derek Heersink. Experimentation is big at Square Peg although there are also classic styles, too. With medals from the prestigious Great American Beer Festival under their belt, Heersink and Martinez are nothing if not adventurous. For fall, or at least until they run out, there will be an Alfalfa Farm House, a Brut IPA and the Waverly Tulip, the 2017 GABF Gold Medal Winner in the Historical Beer category, will be back.

Colorado Farm Brewery

Both SLV and Brewerks use locally grown and malted barley, which is awesome, but a few miles outside town Josh Cody and his family at the Colorado Farm Brewery have taken it a step further. The Cody family have been in the area farming since the 1930’s but today they are primarily known in the beer world for their malting operation. However, they are currently on course to being known as quite possibly the only place in the world to offer estate beers. Little Alamosa having a world first might sound a little far fetched, but estate beers - basically everything that goes into a beer being grown and turned into beer on site - are not really a thing because of the logistics of being able to malt your own barley. The Codys have no such hurdle to overcome. Long story short, Josh Cody is leading the charge and the estate beers are fabulous. Yes they taste great, but there is something satisfying knowing that you can drink a

beer and be able to survey the land from which it came, which is exactly what you can do at the Colorado Farm Brewery’s taproom patio.

Locavores via Yelp

As for spots for some good local food, Locavores is a couple of miles out of town and while this place falls into the category of fast-casual, it is the use of as many local ingredients as possible that elevates it. Meats come from Gosar Natural Foods in Monte Vista, and potatoes come from Rockey Farms in Center and Seger West Farms in Del Norte among other places. The entire menu looks and sounds very appealing, however this is a great place to get yourself a Gosar sausage with the Gosar Bold (a green chile sausage with sautéed veggies, cheddar cheese and house-made garlic mayo on a flatbread pita). If you’re watching your weight, Locavores has several Lite & Fit options that are under 500 calories. Be sure to treat yourself and get a side order of local fingerling potatoes. Locavores recently started carrying beer and wine, too, including the aforementioned estate beers from Colorado Farm Brewery.

Woody's Q Shack via Yelp

For something that will stick to your ribs, Woody’s Q Shack recently opened across from SLV Brewing. Following success with a food truck (read about Woody’s and 11 other food trucks West of 105 in the summer issue here), Kyle Woodward decided to try his luck with a brick and mortar store downtown. Elsewhere, Rubi Slipper on State Street is a no nonsense place to grab American classics.

Period Communications

For your morning cup of joe look no further than Milagros or Roast Cafe. The former is a non-profit on Main Street that supports La Puente (The Bridge), a charity that operates lots of services in the valley including an emergency shelter, 15 pantries, housing with support services, afterschool youth-stabilization services and homeless prevention resources among many more. And the latter is not only owned by the Grabers of SLV Brewing but it is next door and is home to fermentation tanks for the brewery. It is very likely the only place around that brews beer and roasts coffee under the same roof! Using ethically-sourced, locally-roasted coffee beans, their signature dark roast Wolf Creek Blend is very good. Both cafes are great in their own way.

If you want to take some local produce home, stop by the Alamosa Farmers’ Market which runs on Saturdays until the middle of October while Wednesdays through September vendors set up at Rio Grande Farm Park.

WHERE TO STAY

As for where to stay, Alamosa isn’t exactly awash with boutique hotels like other parts of the state, but there are certainly some quirky options as well as more run-of-the-mill choices. There are a few Airbnb listings, too.

The dunes at Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve aren’t just any dunes, they are the highest in North America. Clear nights offer some of the most amazing stargazing you’ll experience anywhere. Free permits for camping in the approximately 30-square-mile dunefield are available in the Visitor Center and are allocated on a first come first served basis.

Mo J via Yelp

Not far from Great Sand Dunes National Park is the UFO Watchtower. Owner Judy Messoline offers those seeking to make contact with extraterrestrials the chance to camp on her property and climb the watchtower to keep and eye out for flying saucers. Those in the know say that the San Luis Valley is a known hotbed for UFO sightings.

Alamosa is one of those Colorado towns that partly inspired the creation of West of 105 magazine to begin with. Somewhat under appreciated, it is as Colorado as anywhere else. With all of its quirks and charms and a core group of people trying to elevate the town by being innovative and creative and melding their goals with the history and tradition of the region, Alamosa should be on everyone’s Colorado bucket list.