It turned our car into a classroom as soon as the Spanish Peaks appeared, two snow-capped mountains around which Highway 12 travels (finishing back on I-25 in Trinidad).
The hotel and its 17 rooms have warm, historic touches, like arched hallways, murals by local artists, and stories from the hotel’s creaking-wood past.
In La Veta, look for Art in the Park on July 6-7, Spanish Peaks Music Festival on July 5-6, and monthly Art Walks to the town’s various galleries every fourth Friday in June, July, and August.
La Veta Inn (https://lavetainn.co, 103 W. Ryus Ave., 719-742-5566, from $109/night), Warehouse Suites (http://thewarehousesuite.com, 102 W Ryus Ave, La Veta, 719-742-5278), or the Inn at the Spanish Peaks B&B (http://www.innatthespanishpeaks.com, 310 E Francisco St, La Veta, 719-742-5313).