Crestone

After spending the night in Salida, day 2 started out with a drive back down the San Luis Valley to find the fabled spiritual center of Crestone, Colorado.  You can read all about this place here.  The town is located half way between Salida and Alamosa, and is nestled up against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  Over 25 years ago while I was still living in Illinois, I had heard of this place, and my curiosity has been piqued ever since then.   

Briefly, the Crestone area consists of the original town that was founded in 1880, and a huge piece of land called the Baca that is south and west of the town.  The Baca consists of a large subdivision that is situated on the flatter areas of the foothills, and numerous shrines, temples and retreat centers that were built on land upslope that was gifted to those groups.  There are Hindu, Zen Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhist, Native American and Catholic centers there.  It is also important to note that the San Luis Valley is a hotbed of UFO activity.  In 1979, when investigative journalist Linda Moulton Howe was working in Denver, she was the first to report on the mysterious cattle mutilations that had occurred there.  I have to say that driving back and forth through this high elevation valley was a bit spooky at times! 

Since this was probably to be my one and only visit there, I wanted to see it all.  I visited several Tibetan Buddhist stupas, the Universal Ashram, and even walked a labyrinth.  I always find that sitting in meditation in front of a stupa to be mind altering.  A very powerful vortex of energy exists there that can be used for anyone’s positive intent. 

Don’t get me wrong, I was not worshiping any sort of religion in these places.  Instead, I was very surprised to find my stream of consciousness drifting back through those lineages to the original people who walked the earth.  In all cases, these were enlightened beings who did not found any kind of religion, but were intimately connected to our Earth Mother as their source of guidance.  It was all very shamanic! 

After experiencing several of these centers, I walked a labyrinth that was on private property but open to the public before going into Crestone to get some lunch. 

While I was eating, there was a really big downpour of rain outside which interrupted an arts and crafts fair that was going on in the city park.  How refreshing to feel all of that moisture!