At around 7:30 AM, I left Denver for Great Sand Dunes NP. The first change of scenery occurred as I abruptly descended from a green, hilly Alpine landscape into a dry flat valley near the Fairplay, CO and Jefferson, CO area. The area primarily consisted of large, privately owned ranches.
About an hour later, I descended into the Arkansas River Valley. The upper Arkansas River Valley is bordered on one side by the Sawatch Range/Collegiate Peaks. This portion of the Rocky Mountains is home to the highest peaks in the region including Mt. Princeton, Mt. Harvard, Mt. Columbia, and Mt. Yale. What’s most interesting about the geography is the difference between the landscapes on each end of the valley. On one side of the valley are the snow-covered 14,000 foot peaks, and on the other side is the dry, relatively short, desert mountains near Buena Vista, CO.
At the Northern edge of the Arkansas River Valley is Buena Vista, CO. Like many rural cities in Colorado, Buena Vista was originally a mining town. The town is located along the Arkansas River, with the town’s main commercial corridor running perpendicular to the river. As I walked down the historical main street, I was a bit amused by the hip/specialized restaurants (breweries, ice cream, coffee shops) and also the highly improved and modern infrastructure. There were large new sidewalks, brand new riverfront parks, and a new road (“Main Street South”) running along the river. Many of the businesses (including Buena Vista Bakery) have been open for almost a century and are multi-generational family owned-businesses.
After walking along the river for 15 minutes, I arrived at a newer, partially built master-planned community along the river. The center of the town was a public park, surrounded by restaurants, a coffee shop, a hotel, mixed use properties, and residential properties.
On the first floor of one of the new mixed-use buildings, I noticed a real estate office. I stopped in and asked some general questions about the area to the broker, Andre Spino-Smith (andre@southmainstco.com). It turns out that the 41 acre riverfront parcel on which the community is located is owned by a brother and sister who came up with a plan to create a resort community. Their development company is called South Main St Company (http://www.southmainco.com/) (https://www.facebook.com/southmainco/?fref=ts) The three-phase project has just completed its first phase, with the main infrastructure and commercial buildings up-and-running. As part of the three phase project, they are providing design/build services to people interested in building new homes in their community.
S. Main St. company is also in the process of opening up a new riverfront Hotel, which will be owned and operated by S. Main St. company. I wouldn’t be surprised if the commercial properties surrounding the central park are also owned by S. Main St. company. This business model is similar to the Santa Catalina Island company and their operation/ownership of Catalina Island. However, Catalina Island has a major advantage, being that Catalina Island is 99% controlled by the Santa Catalina Island company, whether through it’s the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy or whether through its business operating entity. On the other hand, Buena Vista is surrounded by hundreds of thousands of acres of vacant land private and privately owned homes. I’m interested to see how this community will come along in the next 10, 20, and 50 years.
Andre believes that most of the appeal for this investment will come from price appreciation over time. I highly doubt that will be the case. Buena Vista’s location doesn’t seem to have the appeal,exclusivity, and limited land of other high-end resort towns in Colorado (Telluride, Breckenridge, etc.)
The next stop after Buena Vista was Salida, CO. Salida prides itself as having the largest historical district in Colorado. The photo most commonly associated with Salida is probably the city with a backdrop of “S Mountain” behind it. Like Buena Vista, Salida also borders the Arkansas River and Railroad. Today, its biggest draw is tourism and recreation. Upon entering the town, I stopped by the visitor center and they suggested a few short hikes across the river. I decided on a 2 mile hike that ascends to “S Mountain” and provides a view overlooking Salida. After the hike, I walked through a few streets in Downtown. My favorite store was Spirit Mountain Furniture, a furniture store offering high-quality, hand-made, beautiful wooden furniture.
Continuing on toward Great Sand Dune NP, I stopped at a gas station/restaurant and ordered food once I realized this would be the last chance to have a meal. The potato, salad, and waffle french fries were great.
Several miles away from Great Sand Dunes NP, there was a sign for Zapata Falls. Thinking this would just be a short detour, I decided to visit the falls. After turning off the main highway, I drove about 20 minutes up a rocky, gravel road until reaching the parking area and trailhead. The hike would also end up being 1.5 miles round trip, but the scenery and experience were worth it. Upon reaching the river near the end of the hike, I had to continue skipping rocks toward an opening in a large rock hillside. Behind the opening is a partially frozen, yet flowing waterfall. Considering the temperature was about 80 degrees, the cold air near the waterfall was especially refreshing.
Another freeway stop/distraction was the Scenic Vista Trail, a short loop trail located between Zapata Falls and Great Sand Dunes NP. The short loop trail provides distant views of the Rockies and a natural drainage creek. Afterwards, I continued on to Sand Dunes NP to spend the night.
