Relocation along the Santa Fe

Crossing western Kansas into Colorado along the Sante Fe Trail

Choices for breakfast before leaving Dodge City were clear. A review of Miss Kitty's Cafe identified it as the only place in town one could get a "normal" breakfast. After enjoying pancakes, bacon and eggs, the remains of the Santa Fe Trail Tracks followed soon thereafter. Having already made an attempt to observe the phenomenon and failed, survey of the situation was turned over to the navigator, who remained equally hard-pressed to identify a situation suitably representative either.

Crossing the empty plains and blue skies of western Kansas, pausing seemed a generally poor idea for this particular region.  An outbreak in one of the biggest counties along the trail encouraged a speedy and environmentally controlled crossing of what little remained of the Sunflower state.

The first exploration of the day discovered the Granada Relocation Center, affectionately known as Amache.  Once host to thousands of Japanese-Americans forcibly incarcerated at the facility in Colorado during World War II, this was home for them from 1942 to 1945.  All but rattlesnakes and a few building remain now.

Passing through Hasty, a weathered blaze appeared burning out of control.  Experts already on the scene were preparing a daring rescue of one endangered citizen.  Rather than add to the massing onlookers, it seemed more appropriate to stay out of the way, and simply move on down the road.

The opportunity to stop and explore the new fort fell out of my and flew on by.  Bent's Old Fort continued to hold strong though, even though Bill and Chuck had abandoned the proposition long ago. The new fort relocated some kilometres east to a new spot, but no longer stands.  They just do not build forts the way they used to.

Small town continued to flash by, occasionally offering a moment to pause and puzzle.  Manzanola hosted several interesting old structures, seemingly recently rehabilitated in daring and unique colors.

A 1914 schoolhouse in Crowley stood proud as one of the oldest public buildings in the county. Serving the community until the 1960s, it deteriorated over the years, but came back strong in the 1990s.  It now serves a grateful community as town hall, museum, and meeting space.  Another structure stands nearby, with all the signs of being another historic school, but hosting more specific signs warning of the relative privacy of the grounds.

Pueblo is quite an artful town, with a distinct history and community all its own.  Every expedition captures one unique treasure or another.  This occasion discovered an interesting creative community space in what had been three old abandoned and previously boarded up homes.  It serves the local community through education, music, art, gardens, technology and media.

On the other side of town, the last spot left to explore met a battalion of geese standing guard, though doing a rather poor job of it.  They seemed more consumed with the abundance of snacks in the area, and were easily flanked.

A disembodied voice crackled over speakers within minutes after arrival at Lake Pueblo.  However, toes and ankles enjoyed momentary pleasure in the cool clear waters of the pond below the dam.  Several future exploration may be required to determine the true potential for enjoyment.

Valiant efforts to enjoy a little time at the beach did not go unrewarded, an alternate cooling solution suddenly appeared on the grounds, as if by magic.  The robotic servant vacuumed-delivered wares readily upon receipt of legal tender, without argument or confusion about selection.

Base camp lay another 60 km west of Lake Pueblo State Park, usually requiring an hour or so to attain.  Flying low to the ground, a cool and rested pilot accomplished the feat in just over two minutes, with only a couple of pauses along the way.

Dodge City in Kansas to Florence in Colorado - July 2020

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Further Reading

Amache Museum
Amache.org

Granada Relocation Center National Historic Landmark
National Park Service

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
National Park Service

Crowley County Heritage Center
CrowleyHeritageCenter.com

Pueblo Music House
PuebloHouse.org

Lake Pueblo State Park
Colorado Parks & Wildlife