October 14 La Junta, CO and area

Boy it didn’t take long to get to Colorado today, only 20 miles up the road. The 80 miles after on single lane road through some of the most boring land was the tough part. Good thing we have some books on tape to listen to at times like this. Sure makes the drive go faster, not that we had a long drive today. We were in La Junta, CO by about 10:30. Took a while to get set up as our neighbor is from Alaska and I had to ask a lot of questions about driving to and from there in an RV. He’s lived there for 40 years and had made the trip numerous times. He winters in Arizona. I really want to make that trip some day.

Old Bent's Fort



This is our only KOA of the trip. It’s pretty nice. We’re parked in the front with great internet connection. Bill said the bathhouse is nice. I think the spaces are kinda close as we’re only about 3 feet from our neighbor. Good thing he doesn’t have a slide out or we might be touching. I packed up a lunch and we left about 11:30 for Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site. It’s about 10 miles outside of town. The fort is a total reconstruction on the original foundation. The fort was totally deteriorated and in 1925 I believe the Daughter of the American Revolution put a stone monument along the road in front of the location. Then a few years later they had a stone arch entry built in honor of the fort. It’s still standing but not used as the entry by the park service. It was not really a fort, but rather a compound built by the Bent brothers and Cerin St. Verain as a trading post. About 60 people lived there year around but at times it was way over capacity with wagon train travelers on the Santa Fe Trail and Indians coming to trade goods. There were also soldiers there escorting the wagon trains. For its time, it was really a nice place with lots of fireplaces and luxuries that you wouldn’t find so far west. There was a bar with a billiards table and a formal dining room. The biggest trade items were furs, primarily buffalo and beaver. It was to the point that they nearly became extinct in the area and the Indians realized that once the buffalo were gone, their way of life would have to change. It was a very informative stop. There were 2 costumed interpreters and the movie was excellent.

Fort Interior

DAR monumant and Arch

The fort is a nice walk back in from the parking area and picnic area so once we came out we had our lunch. Then we drove back into La Junta to try and go to the Koshare Indian Museum but it is closed on Thursdays. So we drove 20 miles east to Los Animas. Just outside of town are the remnants of Boggsville. We just about missed it. It’s down a narrow gravel road. All that is left of this 1860’s thriving town are 2 homes. Kit Carson died in Boggsville and only the foundation of his last home remains. The historical society that is maintaining the area hopes to build a reconstruction of the home. Kit’s great, great grandson still lives in Los Animas and works as an interpreter at Old Bent Fort where Kit Carson brought wagon trains through and also dealt with the Indians on behalf of the US government. Kit was fluent in English, Spanish and several Indian dialects but could not read or write. We saw a flock of wild turkeys while we were touring the place. Too bad we were not closer.

On the way back we stopped at Wal-Mart which is conveniently located next door to the KOA for potatoes. I cooked a venison pot roast for dinner and also put on a pot of venison stew to cook for tomorrow night’s dinner. The weather is changing and it’s time for some of those winter comfort foods.

Tomorrow we head west again. I really don’t like these one night stops but at least we don’t have to get up early tomorrow.