South Park to Buena Vista and the Collegiate Peaks

Yes boys and girls, this is the REAL South Park. South Park, Colorado, is a vast high meadowland, with occasional hills and small forests. The meadows are green and well watered, with a small lake appearing to the south. Crossing under the highway is a branch of the Platte River, a modest stream near its headwaters, but destined to become a major river when it passes through Denver and beyond. Always in view are mountains, some quite majestic. En route through this country I paused for road construction in Alma, then passed through the mining community of Fairplay. Both now cater to tourists. For off-road enthusiasts, there's the primitive side road to Weston Pass... sure to get one's heart racing.

After leaving the broad meadow expanses of South Park, I drove over some ridges and got glimpses of the Collegiate Peaks (several fourteeners, peaks exceeding 14,000 elevation) as I approached Buena Vista. (Never mind that some Coloradans think the place is called Byoo-nah-vis-tah. Byoo-hoo.)

You never know what wondrous sight will greet you as you round the next curve or crest the next hill.

Chaffee County's greeting signs exult,
"Welcome to the Real Colorado!"
With views like these....