I'm a Colorado native, well essentially. By default, I was born in New Mexico while my parents were traveling back to Colorado. My parents thought I was just gas pains as they traveled toward the southern border town of Trinidad. Well, it turns out I was more than just gas!

My mother and biological father met in Trinidad, both children of long-time area ranchers and businessmen.

Trinidad was a charming community where neighbors knew each other, and local diners allowed guests to run their tabs until the next week. If you'd lost your way downtown, you'd know you were on Main Street or Commercial Street by gazing at red bricks beneath your feet stamped Trinidad.

Trinidad Catholic Church bells rang daily throughout downtown. Traffic stopped for jaywalkers. Smiles and waves were plentiful. Neighbors were neighborly, kind, and considerate. Everyone kept to themselves and minded their own business.

As a child, I recall the magic of watching the Fourth of July fireworks explode over Trinidad Lake State Park as I sat on a blanket with my grandparents in the back of their truck.

Before I could finish elementary school in Trinidad, my family moved to Aspen, Durango, then finally Greeley, Colorado, taking me on many adventures across our beautiful state. Our great state will always hold my heart captive.

After high school, I returned to Trinidad to attend the criminal justice program, which had developed a great reputation throughout Colorado. TSJC was home to one of the top JUCO baseball programs in the country and perhaps the best program in the state of Colorado for somewhere near 5 years running. Trinidad Junior College also had a gunsmithing program. While I attended college in the early 90s, the school was blooming and booming.

In 2018, just 4 years after the recreational legalization of marijuana, High Times magazine called Trinidad “Weed Town USA” with 23 licensed retail marijuana dispensaries serving fewer than 10,000 residents. The area's tourist industry was abruptly replaced by litter, homeless camps, filth, and crime. Trinidad's charm had quickly diminished with the legalization of marijuana—a shameful end to a beautiful, historic town.

That being recognized, let's not forget the adventures, history, and culture awaiting tourists in other parts of Southern Colorado. It’s full of mystical gems often lost to the call of the Rocky Mountains and more traveled terrain.

Southern Colorado is home to some of the oldest and richest history in our beautiful state. Filled with Native American and Hispanic influence, many of the Southern Colorado towns’ names derived from ethnic influence. With the influx of new Colorado residents in the last decade, many residents may not know what Southern Colorado has to offer.

While prices of airfare and traveling continue to soar, many are taking to the road for local excursions to cure their insatiable craving for adventure. Road trip destinations mean staying closer to home, perhaps due to the recent and dramatic increases in the cost of gas, food, and lodging.