Boulder to Trinidad, Colorado and Raton to Las Vegas, New Mexico

August 31 - September, 1, 2021:

I take route 35 south through Denver, then route 25 south towards Trinidad, Colorado.  I bypass a couple of small towns, then stop at Aguilar, Colorado which I find to be a very interesting scenic old historic Spanish town.  There are many adobe buildings, a great general store, a couple of interesting stores, bars, a Dance Hall and lots of character !  It has much mining history and notoritity and is the gateway to scenic route (the highway of legends) which loops around the Spanish Peaks passing through many small towns and eventually to Trinidad, Colorado.  If I had known this ahead of time, I would have taken it to Trinidad instead of the faster more direct route 25.

https://www.codot.gov/travel/colorado-byways/southeast/highway-legends

The old bakery is being renovated

The Mercantile has been recently done

Beautiful mural on side of Mercantile building

History center with what appears to be a bank vault in side wall 

Beautiful stone building next to the super nice Rinco's Food Market

I arrive in Trinidad in mid afternoon on Commercial Street, where there are many attractive victorian store buildings.  As a result, I park at the first easy to get into parking space which I soon realize is in the heart of the Dispensary shopping area of Trinidad.  It is very interesting and enlightening to sit and watch the various types people coming and going into the dispensary   There are many great buildings in this area and there are signs on the more prominent ones giving their history.  I then drive to a few other areas to explore, I remember many of these places from previous visits in 2015.  I would say that Trinidad looks better than I remember it, perhaps the Marijuana industry is helping ?  I also saw a local newspaper that told of considerable funds being earmarked to the city for downtown improvements.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad,_Colorado

https://visittrinidadcolorado.com/santa-fe-trail/

Trinidad welcome sign

All good stuff !

Massive Court House on a steep uphill street

View of the dispensary area

The Savoy Hotel and Cafe could tell some stories as this was the original Santa Fe Trail

Casmiro Barela was an amazing man, known as the perpetual senator

Mr. Barela owned the center two story building 

Trinidad first National Bank

Roller Derby action still lives on here - quite interesting 

The Few Theater is looking poorly

Hard to believe the number of miners on this memorial

On Wednesday morning, I get on the road early heading south on route 25 over the Raton Pass.  There is a major construction project in progress which reduces the highway to one lane in each direction.  That one lane is also very rough, not a pleasant drive !  I cross over into New Mexico and then coast downhill into Raton, New Mexico where I stop to explore. I’ve been to Raton a couple of previous times, really like it and want to see if much has changed.  Raton seems to also be looking better, especially the Railroad Ave area.  I love the look of the Railroad area with it's wide street, victorian buildings and especially the Spanish style Train Depot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raton,_New_Mexico

A great old store that sadly looks out of business these days

Amtrak still stops at the attractive Raton Depot

Raton still has a vibrant downtown

Anti -Violence Thrift Store

Attractive Bar and cafe on Railroad Avenue

I depart Raton heading on route 25 south then take a exit hoping for a good photo angle, I was happy with this view.

  

A nice relaxing rest stop

I next take an exit for Wagon Mound, New Mexico which was a popular landmark and camping spot on the Santa Fe Trail.  The landmark was thought to resemble the shape of a Conestoga wagon.  Wagon Mound looks like a very poor town, which struck me as I sat in a line of cars waiting for mostly poor looking hispanic children to cross the street for school.  I had an immediate dislike of, (totally unfair), the beautiful people in their elitist looking car in front of me with about $10,000 worth of bicycles on the rear.

    

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagon_Mound,_New_Mexico

Wagon Mound from the cemetery entrance

Looking in an opposite direction

I drive into Las Vegas, New Mexico, spend an hour, then drive north to Pecos National Historical Park where I do the walking tour around the pueblo archeological site which is amazing.  I then check out the great historical exhibits in the visitors center.  They show a very good chronological and cultural snapshot of the Pueblo Indians time at Pecos. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas,_New_Mexico

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecos_National_Historical_Park

This was a major city in it's period

The ladder leads to an underground Kiva room

There are several other Kiva's in this settlement

The existing church ruins are a fraction of the original Missions size 

The existing church ruins

Reconstructed pueblo walls

Artists depiction of what the pueblo would have looked like

View inside the ruins

They are still doing limited archeology here, most of the rooms have not been excavated

Period bowls in the Visitors Center

On the return to Las Vegas on route 25 a wild rainstorm is moving through with heavy rain.  A police car passes me going well above the speed limit, then about 5-10 miles down the highway I see flashing lights, a line of cars pulled over onto the shoulder and several people scurrying about with a badly mangled looking police car flipped on its side off the road into brush.   

Back in Las Vegas, New Mexico it is raining intermittently as I park on a street near the historic town square.  The street is quite a mess as they are replacing piping and stuff under the streets.  This area shows much change, the city and business owners have an initiative to renovate buildings and store fronts along the street.  This area previously was a mix of nice businesses and vacant store fronts.  It appears to be coming together well.  My only complaint is that they didn’t restore Estella's Cafe, I hope at least that the old sign was saved. 

A project to renovate and improve building facades is in progress 

Its going to be beautiful when done

Much work has taken place on the Kiva Theater exterior

Las Vegas has a very nice river park

When I was last in Las Vegas, 2017, the Hotel Castaneda and Harvey House Restaurant were undergoing restoration but far from completion.  One of my reasons for stopping in Las Vegas was to see it's completion and have a meal.  When I checked the website, I found only a menu for the Castaneda Bar which was fine.  I found the bar to be small and nothing really special, sort of disappointing.  The attached dining room was also disappointing, no art on the walls or colorful  paint scheme which I had expected.  Of course, I am comparing this to the amazingly artistic dining room of the LaPosada in Winslow, Arizona.  I latter learned that there is a formal dinning room in the works, but not yet open.  I'm sure that improvements will follow and this will be a major attraction in Las Vegas.  The owner should be commended for bringing this place back to life, I never thought it would happen. 

The Hotel Castaneda is looking great now

https://www.newmexicomagazine.org/blog/post/castaneda-hotel/ 

https://castanedahotel.org/

The Las Vegas Depot and Visitors Center

The Rawlins Building across the street is also under restoration and the exterior looks amazing.  It was where the Harvey Girls were housed during their employment at the Hotel Castaneda. I had talked to the owner years ago, in 2015, when he was just starting work on the building, it's great to see it now,  It appears that work is continuing on the interior, not sure what is to become of it ?

Great progress has been made

I debate (as usual), the pros and cons of parking overnight on a quiet street or going to the Truck Stop, (crowded and noisy) or to the Walmart, (depressing and often noisy).  I go to Walmart which was good this time.  In the morning I go for breakfast at an old favorite, Charlie’s Spic and Span Restaurant.  I find that it hasn’t changed at all, exactly the same which is also good.  Afterwards I return to the historic square, the light is good and take a few photos.  The square seems deserted, several shops on the square are still closed due to covid-19 and the Plaza Hotel seems to be only partially open.

The Plaza Hotel on the historic square

It's now time to move on, my next and final stop will be Silver City, New Mexico: