The week prior to our first pet sit in Durango, we found an really cool rental in this old mining town called Crestone. Much like the coastal Maine city where we spend time, you have to want to get to this place. If you are in Crestone, you are not passing through. It is on the end of a long road on the far eastern edge of the San Luis Valley. For those keeping track of our “biggest this and that list”, the San Luis Valley is the largest alpine valley in the world. The valley floor is at an elevation of 7,600 feet and Crestone is a bit higher at 7.930 feet. Our rental, in a believe-it-or-not subdivision developed in 1971 called Baca Grande sat a bit higher up on the base of the mountains. We had an exceptional 180 degree view looking west across the valley. On the far side, on the mountains on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley is the Continental Divide.
So, I could honestly go on and on and on about how amazing, beautiful, interesting, and historic this place is. What sparked our interest is that it has become a spot where 24 retreats and meditation centers exist. Many religions of the world are represented here. We walked to an Ashram with earthship gift shop. We also walked to one of several stupa built here. One of those was done at the behest of a Tibetan Monk who visited Crestone and returned to celebrate its completion.
Another day we hiked to a Ziggurat. Yeah, we also had no idea and had to look that up. I’ll save you some time. It was built privately by a resident of Crestone as a prayer tower styled after what was found in Mesopotamia. In fact, as we took a few walks here and there is was easy to stumble upon centers for religions or sects of religions that we had never heard of. These were sprinkled amidst quite the variety of private homes – from adobe styles, to typical stick built, to geodesic domes, grass-topped hobbit house (for rent, actually) and the Gaudi-style stunner.
With all the moving around we had been doing, Crestone became a well-needed place to pause. The word respite came to mind often. Trev brilliantly realized ahead of time we should try to buy some groceries in Colorado Springs to get us through the week. Never was our cooler so important. We had enough to coast the whole week in our lovely little post cabin rental. So many great features to his place but the best was a balcony off the upstairs room. Birdwatching, painting, talking over wine, and watching the storms roll in. We loved it.
When not working, we took walks in pinon pine forests peppered with huge Ponderosa pine and crossed several creeks that flow out of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. I can understand why so many world religions have a foothold here. This is a special place.
I almost feel guilty to admit that we only ventured into the actual town of Crestone the morning we headed out towards Durango. We stopped for a coffee in their local hangout, clearly a happening spot with the locals, and then took a short drive around town to get a feel for it. Lots of history here as an old mining town. Crestone may be small, but has a lot to offer.
I guess I didn’t mention yet that Crestone also has the only active, legal, open-air cremations site in the country. Since 2007, the Crestone End of Life Project has run this Pyre which can be seen on the road a few miles before you get to Crestone. These are the curiosities, and I mean that in a good way, that you can find when you travel. There are lots of facets of the human condition manifested in our cultures, habits, beliefs, and interests.
