Buena Vista, CO

Buena Vista is central to kayaking, rafting and mountain climbing in Colorado. It is a small town and some of the streets are still unpaved...in fact Main Street has only been paved for 50 years or so. Now it is unpaved again...looking a bit like the old west...as we prepare for pedestrian bumpouts, benches, landscaping and new lighting along our main drag. BV as we call it...is a popular area for retirement and second homes. Recently younger families are moving here to live where they play and enjoy small town mountain living. It feels as though fresh thinking has reached critical mass here. Green is in, although the valley is still wearing winter brown backed by white peaks. We will never be Aspen or Vail...we are OK with that. Come join us...or at least drop by.

I just returned from snowshoeing in the Sawatch range between 10 and 11,000 feet. What a day! Typical Colorado blue sky and lots of dry crunchy snow. The views are wonderful, the forest silent, yet alive. One couple had just summited Mt Yale (14,200 ft) and others were asking if it is always like this in Buena Vista. Well, pretty much. Last year, 337 days with sunshine. Plenty of snow in the mountains, none on the valley floor at 8,000 ft. After 30 years as a meteorologist...I picked right. Now I sell homes to others who have discovered the secret.

It has finally happened. With snow on and off for the last few days, Buena Vista is looking quite wintry. There are about 6 inches of new Colorado powder on the ground with more promised. The real treat will be when the sky clears and the very white, soft peaks of the surrounding 14,000 foot mountains stand out against a cobalt blue sky. If you have not experienced the Colorado sun and blue sky while playing in deep powder, I invite you to try it.! Better yet, come and stay.

Every summer Buena Vista fills up and the traffic takes some getting used to. Many are here for rafting and kayaking. The Arkansas river is so full, I can hear it all night from my house. The bikers are coming here on the Ride the Rockies tour. The back-country skiers are still working the high-country remains of winter and the peak-baggers are climbing despite the snow.

Then there are the folks just walking the town streets and or course...the folks pulled off by the side of the road to take pictures of the peaks standing more than one mile above the valley floor. Sometimes we locals forget that we live where other come to play. How great is that! Especially since I am a Realtor.

Sunday morning at the Evergreen. That is where you can usually find me, having breakfast with friends. As of last week, there were many others there as well...creating the line that let's me know "the season" has begun. The rafters are here, the bikers and fisherfolk are here. The campers are here for the holiday weekend and this hustle and bustle will last until Labor Day. Selling properties here in paradise...where everyone wants to be is...well, great!