How to Visit a Small Town

My time in Colorado has led to many day trips and brief overnighters to the far reaching small towns this state has to offer. We’ve traversed north to Boulder, Fort Collins, and Nederland, west to Buena Vista and Leadville, and south to Pueblo and Wetmore.  Most recently was my trip to Leadville, in which I took two new travelling buddies and I realized I had compiled a sort of how-to as I explained to them my methods for taking a town by storm.

1)   1) Do a little bit of research if possible- I love roadsideamerica.com for its ability to outline the odd and out of the way places you wouldn’t otherwise know about

2)   2)Read the signs! I cannot tell you how many times I have found out about other events because I look at bulletin boards and the flyers that are hung in coffee shop windows…for example, on a Saturday, there could very likely be flyers for a musical group playing in town.

3)   3)Visit the Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Info Center- Stop in the places that say VISITORS!! It is most helpful to stop in and ask about anything in particular you may be looking for. At the very least you can get a map of the area, and if you’re lucky, the person will pick up on your excitement and tell you about things you couldn’t have found on the internet.

4) 4)  Look for festivals- small towns go all out when they have some reason to celebrate, take for instance, Nederland CO, where a festival is centered around a cryogenically frozen man.

5)   5)Talk to the locals- the owners of the small stores on those main streets love their towns, that’s why they are still there. They are a wealth of stories and information.

6)   6) Smile! And ask questions! People love when people who visit are excited and eager to learn about this new place. In Leadville, we learned the history of the town not from a museum, but from the husband of a shop owner who realized I wanted to know more than just the average ski bum who shoes up in the spring.

So those are my secrets, and truth be told, I hardly ever plan further than getting directions or someone who knows the way, knowing the time and general location of events in town, and finding someone to sidekick for the journey.  I think most of the fun comes from unique discoveries and unexpected conversations.  Even if it’s not at all what I thought it was going to be, I always come back with a fabulous story!