Salida, Colorado

As usual, when I came into Historic Downtown Salida, I was taking photos of the architecture. And a lot of the old buildings in Salida are in excellent shape. I came into town pretty late in the afternoon but I saw a lot of business still going on.

Most folks just see what there is of Salida right next to US 50, which passes by on the south side of town. That looks like typical highway clutter and strip mall that could be anywere in America. But downtown... that's a whole other world.

Salida is a major jumping off point for folks vacationing in the Arkansas River Headwaters Recreation Area: one of the primary adventure sports regions in America. There's lots of National Forest and BLM land nearby and some of the best whitewater rafting in the world. And let's not forget the 18 or 20 fourteeners within a couple hours drive of Salida...