When I Went: August 25-September 26, 2011
Was That the Best Time of Year to Go? August was the best time to escape the Texas summer heat for a more refreshing climate in a remote 1892 silver boom town.
Who Went With Me? Family members
We Stayed Here: A friend’s house just south of the town of Creede.
You Won’t Want to Miss: Drive the Bachelor Loop, which takes you past the remaining Commodore Mine buildings. Visit the Underground Mining Museum and all the art galleries. The Creede Repertory Theatre is in its 46th season and is considered one of the top live theaters in the nation.
[mapimage url=”http%3A%2F%2Fmaps.google.com%2Fmaps%2Fapi%2Fstaticmap%3Fsize%3D200x200%26sensor%3Dfalse%26markers%3DCreede%2CCO%26zoom%3D7″]Eat Here: Jicky Jacks and the Creede Hotel on Main Street. However, Al Biernat (whose Al Biernat’s eatery on Oak Lawn Avenue is a staple for the Dallas A-list) and his son Jess are opening a diner (called Far Dog) on Creede’s Main Street in the spring of 2012, so check it out for sure.
Play Here: Creede is located in Mineral County, which is 96 percent public lands. So there are plenty of places to enjoy the Rio Grande river for rafting or fly fishing, mountain views for hiking or 4×4 off-road, or any other outdoor activity.
If I Went Again: Stay longer than a month!
How Did You Get There From Dallas? Drove my 4-by-4 truck. Creede is about 775 miles from Dallas.
Other Tips For Fellow Travelers: Creede was once the home to many famous outlaws and Wild West characters, such as Calamity Jane, “Bat” Masterson, “Soapy” Smith, Poker Alice, and Bob Ford (the killer of Jesse James who himself was killed at his saloon in Creede). There are great roads for motorcycles, with awesome scenic passes. Creede is only about 30 miles from Wolf Creek ski resort for wintertime skiing.
