Salida Colorado Things to Do: Take a Hike with Me  By now, many of you know that we love to spend time outdoors. Now that spring is seriously in the air, hiking is back on the burner. One of our favorite things to do is to hike with our dogs. I was feeling introspective the other day, wishing I had time for a hike.   As I was dreaming and looking at favorite hiking photos, listening to music, I had an aha moment. Put them together, share the walk and music and then come back to it personally when I don't have time to hike.   All of our favorite trails have water nearby. I love the sound and our dogs stay energized as they stay hydrated throughout the hike. All the trails in this video have water.   Some of the trails that you will find on the hike include:   1.      Green’s Creek Trail ... 04/04/2012

Salida Colorado Real Estate: Market Report for March 2012 (inlcudes Buena Vista and Howard) It gives me pleasure doing this month's market report. Good news is always easier to share even though it is my job to provide the big picture, whatever it is. First, let's just look at Salida Colorado Real Estate.  Over the past year, listing prices have gone down significantly (in blue). When they got down to about $325,000, the sale prices started to increase significantly. This graph provides evidence that we are at or near the bottom of our market "crash" and mayve even on the way back up.   Looking at the past 12 months, the Sold to List ratio is telling. We did not see business pick up until November of 2011 so these numbers could look different when we have 2012 end of the year data.   If... 04/03/2012

  Salida Colorado is a place where horse people tend to congregate. Although it is known for skiing, whitewater and fly fishing, there are an amazing number of first class horse people and trainers. The top 2 trainers, incidentally, are women. Times have changed.    I only rode and had horses for a short while when I was in my early 20’s and never had lessons… just watched others.  I got back into them about 6 years ago and am definitely not in my 20’s!   When we moved back west, the first thing I did was get another horse.  I got a fabulous, well mannered boy and wanted him to be safe, responsive and for us to have fun doing it. I did not know enough to make that happen.   I had a couple of friends who used natural horsemanship techniques with their horses and I started there with mine... 03/29/2012

The Salida Steam Plant has been around since 1887 and was the Salida Edison Electric building. Now, it is a hub for music, plays, art exhibits and more. Here are some of the events for this weekend. A new exhibit, Wild Flowers: An Interpretation by Two Green-Eyed Blonds will open with wine and hors d’oeuvres from 5-7 pm on Saturday, 3/24. Two local artists, Steph Brady and Susan Spohn, both  of Salida, will exhibit their floral paintings.  Also, stop by their websites and their studios in town to meet them and see more of their work. www.susanmspohn.com or www.greencatstephbrady.com.   As Spring kicks in, the music scene here in town picks up. First, Karaoke and a disc jockey will be 9 p.m. at Tenderfoot Tavern, 109 N. F St. Saturday.   Red Tischer The tempo picks up Saturday at 7 p.m. ... 03/24/2012

Salida Colorado: A safe place for ... coffee enthusiasts (AKA addicts) Salida Colorado is coffee friendly. For a 6500 person town, 4 good places to get fresh, excellent coffee is fabulous. And, except for the Starbucks, all offer a wonderful place to site, enjoy the ambience and meet the locals. Sacred Ground Coffee Shop (w/ Mountain Pheonix Roastery). We haunt this coffee shop. We buy their beans (they roast regularly). We stop in for an afternoon pick up. We love the place and the folks who work there.  The barristas there taught us that for flavor, you want to drink coffee that is no more than a week old. That is pretty hard to find. Since we live next to a roastery, they always have coffee that is less than a week old.. just ask what was most recently brewed. Say hello to Ross and A... 03/21/2012

  Have you ever dreamt of a cattle drive in the wild wild west? How about helping out at a horse rescue sanctuary? We have one nearby. Chico Basin Ranch is an 87,000 acre working ranch in the prairie just SE of Colorado Springs, CO. The basin has amazing  prairie landscapes with creeks, springs, wetlands and lakes. 14 miles of Chico creek flows across the ranch. Chico Creek and other small creeks and ponds support a rich population of wildlife, including one of the largest herd of pronghorn antelope in North America.    Chico Basin ranch also has a horse sanctuary for retired or injured ranch horses. Take a peek at the collage below for a feel of the area and ranchlife. The you tube video below that says it all. give them a call. 1.719.683.7960         03/17/2012

 Salida Colorado Organic Produce: Ploughboy Local Foods Market If you have not yet been to Ploughboy Local food Market, Salida CO, this is a must visit for those of you who are interested in locally grown food. Ploughboy's concept is fresh, local food from a 100 mile radius. Conveniently, it is located across from Safeway on Third Street. The owners support and buy from small farms in the area. The resell it to consumers and prepare food with it. Our favorite thing to do for lunch is to hit the market and see what has been made. We can either have them heat it up to eat there or take it home or to a park. Seasonally, they have specials. Have a hankering for homemade soup on a cold day? It is fresh made. Take some home. They also keep some in the freezer if they are sold out. Want a rea... 03/15/2012

  I was driving down to Coaldale (20 minutes southeast of Salida CO) when my blood started pumping faster.... Spring! How did I know? There were folks fly fishing along the banks of the Arkansas River. We are near the headwaters of the Arkansas, a rambunctious river known for white water rafting and fly fishing. White water rafting will be explored in a later post when that season starts. The stretch of water where I love to fly fish is rated Gold Medal. There are only 9 stretches of river in Colorado that have that designation. Gold medal means the habitat for the fish is rated the best and that fish reproduction is natural .. they are not stocked. Fly fishing enthusiasts come from around the country and world to fish here... especially around Mother's Day when the Mayflies Hatch. My ... 03/15/2012

I so enjoy regional lingo. Last weekend was a perfect example. We had a dinner party at our house for several out of town/state friends. One woman was from Tokyo, another from the DC area, 2 from the state of Washington and one from Texas.     I told them that I was heading out the next day to cutting practice...... silence. Thoughts went to sewing, culinary school, fencing and so on. When I subsequently mentioned that I would do it with my horse, there were some looks of alarm. Then I got it and explained. Cutting horses can turn and stop quickly to "cut" a cow out of the heard who needs attention. Big ahas and laughter.           We then moved to a conversation about wet flies. I mentioned that I was going through my fly collection, picking out my best wet flies for the weekend.....si... 03/14/2012

Salida Colorado Things To Do: Monarch Mountain March Skiing Our ski season has not been the best this year, similar to many places in Colorado but it is now! Conditions: Powder and Packed Powder. My favorite conditions now (not as young as I was) is packed powder. It is like skiing on air. There are 6 lifts and 59 runs, enough to find your own level of difficulty and pace. Waiting in line is a concept we are not exposed to. Runs: Easiest: 14 Medium: 16 Black Diamond (Difficult): 21 Double Black (Extreme): 8   Upcoming events: Sunday March 11th. Monarch is having their 1st annual Butterfly Roundup.  Teams of two ski or ride around the mountain looking for colored butterfly stickers worth various points. And, it is free....all ages. Come join the fun! Ski buff? New Listing 20 minutes from... 03/08/2012

Collegiate Peaks Forum Series is a non profit organization that has been provided Salida and Buena Vista residents and visitors with national quality speakers on topics related to philosophy and science. The Forum is entering their 10th year and is kicking off with Jock Bartley, singer songwriter Jock Bartley Thursday, March 15, 7 pm:  “Accessing Childlike Creativity: Find Your Natural Spontaneous Muse.”  Buena Vista High School Cafeteria. Friday, March 16: 7 pm: “Songwriting: Writing From the Heart and Your Right Brain.” The Salida Middle School Auditorium. To find out more about Collegiate Peaks Forum, click on the link below www.collegiatepeaksforum.org 03/08/2012

  FINALLY! It feels like spring.... Yahoo! Started the day with a dog walk with Tony Bussing, owner of Gone to the Dogs.   Next, we took a walk with our dogs (had a client who cancelled ... he is a snow plower with CDOT and was called out.. not here thank you!).         When we got home, we opened all the doors, aired out the place and added some very fun touches to our kitchen...           While we were enjoy a perfect Salida Colorado Day, we saw other folks kayaking. The Arkansas River runs right through downtown and this person's antics were viewable from the Boathouse Cantina. Stay tuned for more adventures and things to discover in Salida Colorado! 03/04/2012

      I cannot believe how much I learned at the Keller Williams Family Reunion this year. And, what great connections... met realtors all over the US and Canada that were doing great in a pretty tough year for many realtors. I studied, went to session after session, picked people's brains and ... came up with what I already know but on steroids... And, it directly applies to my clients and Salida Colorado Real Estate. Here is a short video that will give you a sense of the energy at the conference...Enjoy!         02/26/2012

  If you are considering purchasing Salida Colorado Real Estate and are wondering about the area, enjoy this video! It is the first of a multipart series on Salida, Howard, Buena Vista, Crestone, Coaldale Poncha Springs and Nathrop. Stay tuned.   02/25/2012

  Salida Colorado Restaurants: Amica's Pizza and Micro Brewery Come vist us in Salida. And, while you are here, try our premier pizza joint and only micro brewery, Amica's Pizza and Microbrewery. We just ate here tonight...parked out dogs out front and ordered the Biela pizza and Amica's Single Speed Red Ale. OMG .. fabulous. I am hoping I get sick of it so I can try something else.. but not yet. Amica's has the only micro brewery in town at the moment and their selection is incredible. As a former brew-mistess, I am a fan.     The atmosphere is cozy, the wait staff are good and the food is amazing. Their salads are great, their pizza and canoli are yummy, their wine selection is wonderful and their micro brews...... sigh... phenomenol. Show up between 5 and 6 and you will most likely ... 02/07/2012

      Shopping in Salida CO: Free the Monkey. Have you ever been to a consignment shop with class? We have 4 in town and this one is not only classy but fun. Their attire is upscale and the atmosphere is eclectic and fun. My winter wardrobe of flannel shirts that I wear hiking is from them. My husband Micheal has fun looking for those pearl button cowboy shirts.... the boy from Chicago does love this small town.       They have racks of clothing, shoes, fabulous new and used jewelry and furniture. Since we are a resort town, the selection is great. I dare you to walk out without buying something! Stop by when you are in town. their facebook site their website   02/06/2012

  If you have not heard, we have a winery right here in Salida. VINO SALIDA, Salida CO.They make many fabulous wines, many of which are organic.   The best thing about this winery, except for their fabulous wine, is their monthly parties. They range from catered food and wine searved by the Arkansas River to a grape mashing bash to .... CARNAVAL!       Quoting Steve, the winemaker, "Carnaval symbolizes my appreciation of life, family, love, food, love, and music here on Planet Salida". I resonate with his comment. On Feb 10, Vino Salida is hosting their own version of Carnival. Since 50,000 Greeks live in Brazil, the theme for food will be Greek. the music, Brazilian guitar.. played by  Justin Allison out of Vil Colorado. The cost is $45.00 for all the food and wine you can eat.     Vi... 02/04/2012

Chaffee County Home Sales 2011 First, our average home prices has dropped 27% this year. Because of that, folks who have been waiting are spending more money, getting the homes they have been watching. These homes have been on the market for awhile longer than some of the less expensive homes, hence the Days on Market increase. In addition, we have 28 pendings this month and 375 active residential listings. Inventory is also decreasing slightly. CHAFFEE COUNTY COLORADO RESIDENTIAL HOME SALES, END OF JAN, 2012 Looking at the Salida Colorado market trend another way, the consistency of the average sale price is about 200,000-ish less than the listing price. No, it does not mean that folks are negotiating that much but they still ARE NOT buying the high end homes.  I have my first buyer in... 01/29/2012

  It is nice when the place where you work is the place where you are happy living..especially for a realtor. We are seeing a different breed of buyers moving to our area, ones who can work from home (internet based jobs) and who want the quality of life that matches theirs. Lately, we have seen an influx of self-employed folks who can work from anywhere aiming the microscope at our area. For example. about 3 months ago, I noticed that a man, Patrick, signed into my website for the first time. When I called him, he was thrilled to get a live person. After extensive research, Patrick decided that his firm (home based networking and software design) was moving to Salida Colorado from Maryland. He had never been here but knew about it and his company could work anywhere since it is all in... 01/27/2012

  To my horse Rio, Horses, and Salida Colorado..I am grateful I have always dreamt about horses. When I was young, we would go to the county fair in Wyoming and I would play the games that would allow me to win the horse races to take home a small bronze statue of a horse. I had dozens. for a girl raised in town with no hope of having her own horse, I still loved them. I carried my horse passion forward through high school into college.. smelling them when I could and being around them whenever it was possible. I got a scholarship to college at the University of Wyoming and what did I do with my scholarship money? Yep.. bought my first horse....Callie. I got her cheap because Callie bucked off all her other owners. No training, no idea how to keep a horse, I was in. 1 semester worth of... 01/12/2012