* 2 miles north of Hooper on Highway 17, turn east and go 2.5 miles to find the Sand   Dunes   Swimming   Pool.  Heated by geothermal water, this pool has diving boards, a concession stand, kiddie pool, toys, and a new therapy pool for adults.  Admission is $10/adult, $6/child (3-12).  The pool is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. except Thursdays.  Call (719) 378-2807.

    * Because of the abnormal and sometimes unbelievable Unidentified Flying (or Floating) Objects seen in the San Luis Valley, the UFO   Watchtower has been built just 3 miles north of Hooper on the west side of Highway 17.  A gift shop full of books, gifts, and information awaits you and camping is available for late-night visitors.  Call (719) 380-7901 or log on to www.ufowatchtower.com.

    * Continuing up Highway 17 you'll find the town of Moffat.  In Moffat Center you can visit Sanford   and   Friends, a quaint shop featuring items "Antique and Unique".  It's known as  "The International House of Leftovers".  The Willow   Spring   Bed   &   Breakfast is a great place to stop and relax.

   * For rock climbers, the San Luis Valley is almost heaven on earth. The climbing in the Valley is so good and so varied that 20,000 people a year come here just to climb.  What makes the Valley so unique in the rock climbing world is the number of world class climbs, close to 400, all of them in the La Garita Mountains on the west side of the Valley.  Penitente   Canyon is probably the best known climbing area in the Valley.  In addition to Penitente Canyon, the Rock Garden, Witches Canyon, and Sidewinder Canyon also offer countless quality climbs.  A guide book, San Luis Valley Rock Climbing and Bouldering Guide by Bob D'Antonio, is a must for anyone interested in climbing in the Valley.  One San Luis Valley shop, Casa de Madera in Del Norte, rents climbing shoes and harnesses.

   * The Saguache   County   Museum is located in a Saguache building that's over 125 years old.  It has served as a school, temporary courthouse, and residence for jailkeepers and their families over the years.  The history of Alfred E. Packer, who was convicted in 1874 of killing and eating his comrades, is on display at the museum.  On display also are a large mineral collection and a Spanish-Indian room.  It's open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day from Memorial weekend to the third week in September, when Saguache host it's annual Saguache Fall Festival.  Admission to the museum is $5 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under.  The Hazard   House was built in 1913 and is now part of the museum.  It displays the lifestyles of wealthy Saguache families in the 1920's and 1930's.  Call (719) 655-2557 for information about special events around Saguache.

    *  Just south of Villa Grove on Highway 285, you'll find Joyful   Journey   Hot   Springs   Spa.  They feature 3 soaking tubs with spring water and a beautiful view of the Sangre De Cristo mountains.  You can also enjoy herbal wraps and massages.  Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. April - November and 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. December - March.  Closed  Wednesdays.  (719) 256-4328 or www.joyfuljourneyhotsprings.com

    *  About 8 miles east of Joyful Journey you'll find Valley   View   Hot   springs.   There are several natural rock pools to enjoy the scenery from and one larger pool.  A sauna can help your relaxation and some cabins are available.  Members only on weekends.   Clothing optional. Call (719) 256-4315 for more information.

     *  Visit Crestone with its many temples and shrines representing world regligions.  Art studios, camping, RV parks, and Challenger golf course.  719-256-4856.  Sip coffee at Shambala.  www.crestone.org.

    * Just west of Villa Grove is the San Luis Valley Campground. They are a haven for people looking for beautiful mountain views, OHV recreation, hunting, or just spending time with friends.  For rate and availability information, call (719) 655-2444 or (719) 655-2220 or www.slvcampground.com

    *  The Fort   Garland   Museum,  just south of the U.S. 160 and Highway 159 intersection in Fort Garland, is part of the Colorado State Historical Society's museum system.   The Fort is Colorado's oldest military post.  It was established in 1858 under the command of the legendary Kit Carson.  Now, it's a museum where the public can walk the parade grounds and tour the old adobe buildings, which feature a re-created commandant's quarters.   Open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April through October .  Call (719) 379-3512 for details.

    * San   Luis is the oldest town in Colorado and celebrated  it's 150th anniversary in 2001.  Absorb the Spanish colonial culture and history and visit Colorado's oldest running business, the R & R Market.  The San Luis Museum & Cultural Center features colonial and post-colonial artifacts of Hispanic cultural tradition and the history of San Luis and the Hispanic communities of the Culebra River.  On displayed are Santos, a unique Hispanic religious art form, including painting on wood (retablos) and primitive carved figures (bultos).  The morada room is a fascinating replica of the adobe chapel of the Penitentes religious brotherhood, dating from sixteenth century Spain.  Memorial Weekend to Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.  Closed weekends in winter.  719-672-3611

    * One of the "must see" sites in San Luis is the world-famous Stations   of   the   Cross   Shrine.  The Shrine is a pedestrian walkway that has sculptures depicting the last hours of Jesus' life.  See life-size scenes of his judgement, suffering, death, and resurrection.  The Shrine is located on La Mesa de la Piedad y de la Misericordia - The Hill of Piety and Mercy.  Call (719) 672-3355 for more information.
 
 

    * In the winter of 1807, Lieutenant Zebulon Pike built a small stockade near McIntire Springs, warm natural springs that thawed the frozen Conejos River.  Not knowing he was on Spanish soil, Pike was captured and taken to Sante Fe.  Pike's Stockade is a Colorado State Historical Society site and located approximately 7 miles east of La Jara..

    * Conejos Museum, located in Antonito, features the history of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, Silo Park and the Warshauer Mansion.  719-376-2255.

    * In the town of Antonito, you can jump aboard the Cumbres   &   Toltec   Scenic   Railroad.  It's one of America's oldest existing railroads, constructed in 1880 to service the mining industry.  It originally ran from Alamosa through Antonito, Chama, Durango, and Silverton, CO, making it "America's longest and highest narrow-gauge steam railroad."  Today you can ride the train between Antonito and Chama, N.M. and view 64 miles of the beautiful San Juan Mountains, the Mud and Rock Tunnels, Toltec Gorge, Phantom Curve, and many other breathtaking views.  Call 888-286-2737 or visit www.cumbrestoltec.com.

    * Antonito also has The   Rivers   Inn   &   Swiss   Cottage, a sample of European charm and elegance.  This bed and breakfast has recently been remodeled and truly accents the splendor of this magnificent structure.  Call (719) 376-6029 for reservations.

    * The oldest parish in Colorado is named after its patron, Nuestra Senora De Guadalupe.  This beautiful mission church, Our Lady of Guadalupe, is located in the town of Conejos.  The church was dedicated on December 12, 1863, run by Jesuit fathers from 1871 to 1920.  A fire destroyed the church on Ash Wednesday in 1926, and the new church was built and dedicated on December 12, 1926.
 

    * Monte Vista also features the Movie   Manor   Motel, the world's only drive-in movie theatre and motel in one.  Visitors can sit in the comfort of their hotel room and watch the drive-in movie.  This unique establishment is located 2 miles west of Monte Vista on U.S. 160.  Call (719) 852-5921 or visit www.coloradovacation/motel/movie.com to make a reservation.

    *  The Monte   Vista   Crane   Festival provides bird watchers a close look at the amazing cranes that pass through the valley every spring and fall.  Guided tours, seminars, educational booths, and workshops feature every aspect of these and other magnificent birds.  Call (719) 852-3552.

    * Another excellent place to see wildlife is the Natural   Arch  near Del Norte.  The area has many rolling hills covered with pinon, juniper, and tall monolithic rock formations favored by technical rock climbers. Here you can see bighorn sheep, deer, antelope, golden eagles, raptors and songbirds all summer.  To find the Natural Arch, drive north of Del Norte on Highway 112 and turn left on the first road past the Rio Grande bridge.  Then take Forest Road 660 to Old Woman's Creek.  Finally turn left onto Forest Road 569  and drive 1.5 miles to the Natural Arch.

    * The Rio   Grande   County   Museum in Del Norte is one of the best in the valley with plenty of artifacts and information about early San Luis Valley life.  Learn about water and agricultural history as well as cultural.  Call (719) 657-2847 for information about special programs.  Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

    *  The town of South Fork is known as the gateway to the Silver   Thread   Scenic   Byway which takes you through the towns of Creede and Lake City and along the Lake Fork of the Gunnison and Rio Grande Rivers and the Continental Divide.  The name of the Byway refers to the areas' history of silver mining which peaked in the late 1880's.  Although it was once a toll road and stage route for miners, Colorado Highway 149 is fully paved and takes you over 75 miles of the most beautiful  scenery in Colorado.  The Byway's visitor center is located at the junction of Highways 149 & 160 and it's telephone number is 800-571-0881.

    * Logger's   Day   Festival is held July 21-22 in South Fork and festures several archery, logging, and axe throwing competitions as well as arts, crafts, and food booths.

    * The Transportation of the West Museum, located at 916 First Avenue in Monte Vista, features items from horse & buggy days, turn of the century railroads, farming, sports and many photographs.  Open year-round.  719-852-8864.
 
     * Rio Grande County boasts two golf courses:  Monte Vista Country Club at 101 Country Club Drive in Monte Vista and Rio Grande Club in South Fork.  Monte Vista Country Club is a 75 year old 9-hole course nestled in the heart of town.  719-852-4906 - mvgolfclub@amigo.net.  Rio Grande Club, although primarily a private course, is open to the public subject to availability.  719-873-1997 - www.rio-grandeclub.com

    *  Wheeler   Geologic   Area is a spectacular and highly photographic formation.    Turn off  SH 149 onto Pool Table Road.  From Hansen's Mill, hike a well-maintained 7-mile trail or take a 14-mile true 4x4, high-clearance, rock-climber road.  Either way takes 3-4 hours.  Motorized vehicles are prohibited inside the Wheeler boundaries.

    *  The nationally acclaimed Creede   Repertory   Theatre (CRT)presents evening and matinee performances from June through September. The theatre's broad repertoire of  musicals, comedies, contemporary and classic dramas makes  it possible to see several plays in a few days.  In addition to plays, there is a special concert series presented each season in the theatre.  Reservations are recommended as sell-out performances are common.  Call (719) 658-2540 for reservations or a season schedule.

    * Another of Creede's popular attractions is the Underground   Mining   Museum   and   Mining   Tour.  When the Homestake Mine closed in 1985, a handful of out-of-work miners set to the task of blasting a series of tunnels into Bulldog Mountain.  A U-shaped tunnel with front and back entrances houses displays with historic re-creations of an operating hardrock mine and all the equipment needed to recover silver-bearing ore.  Tours are educational and the museum houses a large collection of mineral specimens.  Additional underground caverns house a firehouse, community center, and recreation area.    The museum is located on the north end of Creede  and is open all year.  Call (719) 658-0811 for more information.

     * The 17-mile  Bachelor Historic Loop leads up West Willow Creek Canyon past remnants of silver mines, old mining camps, the historic Creede cemetery and Bob Ford's gravesite.  In dry months, the two-way road is passable by passenger car.  A guidebook coincides with numbered pullout areas with ample space to park or turn around.  The downhill segment provides an outstanding panoramic view of the upper Rio Grande Valley and Creede's volcanic origins.  A short spur heads above timberline to the Equity Mine and a trailhead for the Continental Divide Trail.  Volksmarch hiking trails and 4x4 roads take off the Bachelor Loop Road into Rio Grande National Forest.

    *  The Creede Fossil Formation, which borders the Silver Thread Scenic Byway (SH 149) at Creede, is remnant sedimentary material deposited within the moat that once filled the Creede caldera.  Rio Grande National Forest provides a free brochure about the formation which yields plants and insects captured in ancient sands and silt.

    *  The Creede Historical Society Museum is located in the historic Denver and Rio Grande train depot built in 1891 during Creede's tumultuous heyday.  The history museum contains numerous artifacts, displays, and photographs documenting life in Colorado's last silver boomtown.  Open daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.  The Creede Historical Society also maintains a Research Library, open year-round, 10 a.m. to noon, Tuesday and Wednesday.

    *  Wolf  Creek Ski Area has the most snow in Colorado with average snowfalls of 400 inches per year creating a base of 12 feet or more.  Wolf Creek has 750 acres of well-maintained slopes with 20% beginner, 35% intermediate, 25% advanced, and 20% expert.  Base altitude starts at 10,350 feet.  Modern lifts carry skiers to the Continental Divide at 11,775 feet.  800-SKI-WOLF, www.wolfcreekski.com