San Juan Scenic Byway - Chama to Antonito

We took a drive the other day, follow Route 17 north out of Chama, stopping to take in the views.  Beautiful country but we are concerned because everything is so dry.  Very little snow this winter and there is a state wide fire ban going on.  Even camping in the national forests are prohibited because someone probably will be careless and their fire will ignite something.

The railroad runs parallel to route until Cumbres Pass

Cumbres Pass - road below the railroad  which is hallway up that mountain 

Our route for the day (blue line)

Just north of Chama, 4 miles to be exact, we step into Colorado.  And then the scenery gets amazing. Driving through the Chama Valley, still climbing up to Cumbres Pass (cumbres (coom-bress) means summit in Spanish) at 10,015 and then continuing on up to La Manga pass at 10,230, following the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. The railroad turns more eastward and away from the driving route which continues northbound for awhile, with amazing views of valleys and mountains.

Small world - we had stopped to get an ice cream in Antonito at the local stand and our neighbor from Picacho, Janet, was waiting in line to pick up her order.  She and her husband live during the summer months in the next community, La Jara.  Continued on and went to Alamosa for shopping.

After Alamosa, and heading back, we stopped at a couple places that looked interesting.  One was the oldest church in Colorado, still active.  Stepped inside to look, beautiful. Lots of history in this area - the old Spanish Trail from Coronado's time came through there.  Most people who live in the San Luis Valley  which is the area of Antonito to Alamosa and further up for another 85 miles can claim their heritage to be Spanish (from the when Spain ruled this area) or Mexican (Mexico was part of the Spanish empire until its independence).

This hotel was booming at the turn of the century

Pretty little Catholic Church

And some opulence - mansion of a sheep herder built in 19112

Oldest church in Colorado - Our Lady of the Guadalupe

Antonito Train Depot 

Had to stop and see what this was all about - burned down in 1975.

We did not see the train (northbound Chama to Antonito every morning at 10am, and another south bound train leaves from Antonito to Chama at the same time) northward and then when we got to the Conejos (cone-ee-hose) Valley and boom - there was the train heading back to Chama.  Homes are summer only and have to be self-sufficient meaning - propane gas for heating/cooking (or firewood); outhouses that have to be self-contained like a septic system and that has to be pumped out in the fall; no electricity at all.  We did see a new home being built, would look fantastic when done.  In winter, if people can get to the Conejos Valley they go snowmobiling.  We see gates to close the road down right past our campground, and the snow markers are quite high in the passes and valley.

Then we saw the train heading back to Chama

The homes in background are summer homes/self-sufficient

Continued on out of the passes, climbed down to Elk Creek area and was told there is a very scenic road to take that will give us some wow factors.  Sounds like another day of sightseeing!