Last weekend the hubby and some friends and I went camping outside of Salida, CO. There were some pros and cons to the trip:

Pros:

• Gorgeous aspen groves at our campsite
• A perfectly clear alpine lake to swim in
• Salida was adorable
• Kayak competitions in town on the Arkansas river
• Beautiful views of the mountains

Cons:

• No campfires allowed! UGH!
• Some rain
• The hubby and I forgot a ton of cooking stuff, oops
• The campsite was pretty crowded
• The general dull noise of generators

The highpoint I think was definitely the town itself. The feeling reminded me a little bit of where I grew up - a mix of an old, smallish town with the revved up culture of water sports and the people they attract. I am from an area of California where lakes (some very near by and Tahoe about an hour away) and rivers abound (Bear River, American River, Yuba River, etc.)



Despite being in the middle of nowhere, Salida had what looked like great restaurants, hippy-ish coffee shops, and tons of art galleries and boutiques that were fun to browse.

If you are from Colorado, definitely make the trip to Salida. You can hike, river raft, etc - and then enjoy a nice dinner in town.