About 25 miles north of Salida is the little town of Buena Vista. First of all, let’s get the name straight. Most times, such as where Disney World in Florida is located, people pronounce it as if the U were a W. Bwena Vista. Well, they like to be a little different here in Colorado so they actually pronounce the U as a U, as if you were saying Beauty, or perhaps “Bueller…. Bueller… Bueller…”. So it’s b-U-na Vista, thank you very much. A person working in a shop in town told me she believes it is even in the city charter that the founders specifically wanted it to be pronounced that way.
The main street in Buena Vista is really quite charming, with many of the original buildings restored and beautifully painted.
I really like the triangular building above. A guy came out of it to get something out of his vehicle (it is now home to Blue Tail Technology, a computer repair company) and I commented that I liked it. He invited me inside to see a picture which had been in the local paper showing what it looked like back in the day. Note that there was a spiral staircase in front, though it is actually a drawing, not a photograph.
And the photo below may well be the last photograph ever taken of the Green Parrot Bar sign (the building on the left). Workers were taking it down as I was driving out of town about a half hour after I took this picture.
And I thought this was a neat idea. Where a building used to be there is now the “People’s Stage”. Want to vent about Trump or gun violence in America? Want to try out your comedy monologue? Want to play your harmonica for the masses? Here’s your chance to grab the spotlight…
And the owner of this vehicle clearly knows where and how to have fun. I actually found him inside the building this truck was parked in front of. His name is Brian and he hosts a website which talks about camping, hiking, and other fun things known as “Overlanding”. You can find it at coloradobackcountryadventures.com.
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