Dave G Houser & Jan Butchofsky-Houser

Southern Colorado's Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic Byway produced a surprising variety of photo opps as Dave and Jan explored the 125-mile route that traverses the northernmost reaches of colonial Spanish rule in the U.S. -- the mountain-ringed San Luis Valley.

Byway coverage begins with scenes of a century-old steam locomotive of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad puffing out of the Antonito, CO, depot on its daily 64-mile run to Chama, NM. Then it's on to Conejos, home to Colorado's oldest parish church, the 1858 Our Lady of Guadalupe, followed by a stop in Manassa, birthplace to the great heavyweight champion boxer, Jack Dempsey. Next comes a visit to the 1851 Hispano settlement of San Luis, Colorado's oldest continuously occupied town, with its remarkable Stations of the Cross Shrine and hilltop capilla. There's more history at the old adobe Fort Garland, an Army outpost once manned by Indian-fighter Kit Carson. The Byway abounds with scenic and natural attractions as well, including Great San Dunes National Park, which boasts the highest sand dunes in North America, the Nature Conservancy's sprawling Zapata Ranch, and a number of wildlife refuges such as Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge, where Rio Grande River wetlands attract a host of migratory waterfowl and songbirds. The journey concludes with a climb up and over Wolf Creek Pass to Pagosa Springs and a day spent soaking in hot mineral water pools at The Springs Resort.