• Salida, A place to begin – get moving! – by Jynene Hartman on November 5, 2009 from the Salida Citizen.
• Like Real Life – But Better: Salida, Colorado – 10 Undiscovered Towns Worth the Trip -  November 2008  from Diversions Magazine.
• The Outdoors Life, With No Attitude – by Rachel Odell Walker on December 4, 2008 – from the New York Times.
• The Best Small Towns -  Our 10 favorite adventure burgs  in the August 2009 issue of Outside Magazine.
• Snow Trax; Cat Scratch Fever at Monarch on February 2009 – by Daniel Gibson for Entrepreneur Magazine.
• And of course the endlessly repeated – 2004, Outside Magazine article that  named Salida  the “sweetly unpretentious town” as one of the 20 “Dream Towns + Adventure Hideouts (& Sweet Land Deals).

Here is a selection of online resources to get you started :

Chaffee County, Colorado : The home page has a good collection of contact information, area information and other local government resources.

Chaffee County, Colorado Land Use Code : Chaffee County first adopted subdivision regulations in 1972, and a zoning resolution in 1974.  All the fussy details are compiled here.

Chaffee County Assessors database : This excellent database is searchable by Owner Name, Parcel Number, Property Address and Business Name. It is a great resource for researching past sale prices and for determining approximate property taxes.  Please note that there are several disclaimers pertaining to the accuracy of the information, but this is a good starting point.

Central Colorado Homebuilders  Association – An affiliate of the Colorado Association of Builders and the National Association of Home Builders, the CCHA is a group of builders, plumbers, electricians, drywallers, and other construction related tradespeople. The CCHA supports local Green Building through the Energy Star program and works locally to promote responsible and environmentally sound growth and development.

Chaffee County Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2009 – The Arkansas River valley is a wonderful place to live, with great Pinon Pine and Ponderosa forests. These trees are great to wander around in, but they do come with a price, wildfire risk. Wildfire is an important part of the local ecology, and needs to be considered carefully before building and house on your new lot. This report will help you evaluate the wildfire risk for locations throughout Chaffee County Colorado.

Charming vintage brick and stone architecture of the Chaffee County Courthouse.

City of Salida, Colorado : An excellent website with detailed information about the area, Salida city government, and city business offices. You will find lots of down-loadable resources and forms that are required for home building and zoning, plus much more. There is also a long list of local clubs and organizations to help you make friends and join in the fun in your new town.

Town of Poncha Springs, Colorado : A comprehensive site with everything about local government that you might want to know.  This includes minutes from meetings, land use codes, city budgets, and even watering restrictions – all in one well-organized location.

Buena Vista, Colorado city government : The site has lots of interesting information about the community and local recreation, as well as useful down-loadable forms and pertinent information for both newcomers and long-time residents.

It makes a lot of sense to come to a local bank for your mortgage : they know the market, the history of the area, and are happy to start a lifelong personal relationship with you. This is a good way to establish yourself  in a new town.

Financial, Lending, and Mortgage institutions in Salida, Colorado.

Bank of the West
146 G Street
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone : 719-539-3501

Collegiate Peaks Bank
540 Highway 50
PO Box 1226
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-1308

Community Banks of Colorado
7480 W. Hwy 50
PO Box 912
Salida, CO 81201
Phone: (719) 539-9799

… More banks below …

Salida Ranch dream location : apply for your mortgage now while the rates are low!

High Country Bank
7360 W. Hwy 50
PO Box 309
Salida, CO 81201
Phone: 719-539-2516

Mountain River Credit Union
205 E 3rd Street
Salida, CO 81201
Phone: 719-539-2968

Pueblo Bank & Trust
200 F Street
Salida, CO 81201
Phone: 719-539-6696
Toll Free: 800-285-5626

Acculine Construction
12560 Country Meadow Lane
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: (719) 539-3013
Toll Free: (866) 453-5102
AcculineConstruction.com

Butala Construction
9000 County Rd. 152
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: (719) 539-2521
GlacierWhite.com

Creekside Builders offers complete, ground-up, home construction services.

Creekside Builders
315 Cottonwood Circle
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-207-1533
CreeksideBuilders.net

Natural Habitats, Inc.
138 N. F
Salida, CO 81201
Phone: (719) 539-4481
NaturalHabitats.biz

Oak Construction
8970 CR 126
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: (719) 539-6716
OakConstruction.biz

Magnificent Timberframe post and beam by Acculine Construction.

A & M Contracting, Inc.
229 Hunt Street
Salida, CO 81201
Phone: (719) 539-2384 (719) 221-1585

ADK, Twig CO., LLC
438 W. 1st St.
Salida, CO 81201
Phone: (970) 406-8438
Bussing Construction, Inc.
5483 Long Branch Road
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-5373

Clifford Construction, LLC
1115 E. Rainbow Blvd. #210
Salida, CO 81201
Phone: 719-530-1532

Cut No Slak Construction
348 G Street
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: (719) 539-2620

Diesslin Structures, Inc.
627 Oak
Salida, CO 81201
Phone: (719) 539-0855

Great Western Homes
10016 Hwy 50
Poncha Springs, Colorado 81242
Phone: (719) 539-2664
Toll Free: (800) 488-2664

Fine home construction by Oak Construction of Salida.

K.W. Construction & Restoration
1001 Poplar
Leadville, Colorado 80461
Phone: (719) 486-1615

Knight & Sons Construction CO. Inc.
301 Nichols Ave.
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: (719) 539-6524
Toll Free: (866) 887-1183

Maysville Builders
129 1/2 W. 3rd St.
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-9597

Moltz Construction
8807 County Road 175
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: (719) 539-7319

Pinon Development Corp.
115 E. 2nd St..
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-6699

SCE Construction
320 Charles St.
Buena Vista, Colorado 81211
Phone: (719) 395-6510

Schultz & Associates
536 E. 1st Street
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-6900

The most prominent and experienced real estate firms and agents in Salida and Buena Vista.

Antero Realty
1604 H Street
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-7076
cell: 719-539-5596

Century 21 Wes Hill & Associates
129 E. Highway 50
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-6616
Toll Free: 800-987-5049

Looking for a new home?

First Colorado Land Office
7385 W Hwy 50
PO Box 749
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-6682
Toll Free: 800-727-0507

Heart of the Rockies Real Estate
PO Box 177
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-3340
Toll Free: 888-700-8031

Land Properties, Inc.
9999 Poncha Springs Lane
Poncha Springs, Colorado 81242
Phone: 719-221-6060
Toll Free: 888-539-2196

Monarch Brokers Real Estate & Consultation
203 F St.
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-2260
Toll Free: 866-634-1522

Pinon Real Estate Group, LLC – pronounced – Pinion (Pinyon) Real Estate Group!
201 F St.
PO Box 1316
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719.539.0200
Toll Free: 877.539.0200

RE/MAX Mountain Vista Properties
115 Unit A , F Street
PO Box 1117
Buena Vista, Colorado 81211
Phone: 719-539-6060
Toll Free: 866-539-6060

Salida Realty Company
205 West First
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-1031
Cell: 719 539 8879

United Country Premier Brokers
245 E Highway 50
Salida, Colorado 81201
Phone: 719-539-2512
Toll Free: 866.897.4149

1. Jobs – Salida is a small town and the available jobs, especially “real” jobs, are few.  If you need a real income, you might try to bring it with you (as in tele-commuting).  Or, be prepared to be creative in the job arena – most of us here are.  Remember, smart folks are not defined by their job.

2. Restaurants – there are a couple dozen reasonable-to-great restaurants in and around Salida, but if you live for dining out, that may not be enough.  Bring cookbooks, throw lots of dinner parties.

3. Weather – A bit dull.  If you love shoveling snow, this is not the place for you.  Likewise, you are unlikely to be able to enjoy hurricanes, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, tornadoes, and avalanches in town.  You will have to settle for stiff winds and summer thunderstorms for your weather excitement, though we are still hoping for a rousing earthquake.

4. Malls – Salida has great shopping, but no mall for hangin’ with your homies.  Unless you count Walmart as a mall.

5. Tourists – Salida is a tourist town and values its visitors.  Most of the time they are spread thin, but the crowds can be thick during Salida’s many festivals – all those annoying people having fun.  In winter, the flood of skiers sliding in from a day at Monarch can make many local restaurants untenable for locals for supper during ski season.  Do lunch instead.

6. Real Estate prices and Cost of Living – a bit on the high side.

7. Privacy – in town, sometimes non-existent.  You are living in your neighbor’s pocket, a la Maybury.  This is generally a good thing, but can drive some folks crazy.  If you wish to be anonymous, stay away.

8. The Locals – they are cool, hip and friendly, but might be a bit overpowering for newbies.  You will be expected to greet every third person on the sidewalk, to bicycle to work, to recycle, to help friends and acquaintances with every little thing, to go mountain biking (boating, hiking, skiing) often, and to meet friends for a brew on the spur of the moment – unbearable, really.

9. Traffic lights – Sad as it is, Salida now has three (OMG – 3 !!) stoplights – one downtown and two out on Highway 50.  Long-time locals are still complaining about the last two.

10. Big Chain Businesses – Starbucks, Walmart, McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Dominoes, Hampton Inn.  At least most of them are safely away from the town center out on Highway 50 where we can forget about them.

11.  Roads – You’ll love the way everyone looks at your fancy little sports car  … as it makes these horrendous scraping sounds when you drive through the downtown intersections.  If you want to be a local, sell it before moving here!  Salida’s roads have some surprisingly huge dips to direct water flow and many of the county roads are gravel or even 4WD.  Plan to bicycle or drive a gas efficient SUV.  Between rough roads and winding roads, it can seem to take nearly forever to get from point A to B out here.  Keep repeating : Life is a journey, not a destination.

12.  Night life - Well, you can watch your neighbors sit on their front porch and rock.  Seriously, Salida has a surprisingly wide and varied selection of evening activities, music, shows, clubs and such -but nothing at all like the variety and polish of big city entertainment.  You’ll have to see those pesky neighbors at the same event, too.

If you don't think this is hilarious, you might not like Salida. (Bicycle handlebars and saddle as a pseudo-Texas longhorn hood ornament).

1. Lifestyle – You know how they say “location, location, location” for real estate purchases?  Well, the top reason for living in the Salida area is “Lifestyle, lifestyle, lifestyle.” No more tense high-powered job, 60 hour work weeks, days made shorter by a lengthy commute, or spending a fortune on fancy clothes for work and nights out.  Here you can dress casual, wear comfortable shoes, walk to work, visit your dog during your break, see your family at lunch … and that’s just the working lifestyle!  Even more important is the play lifestyle that permeates life here  – you may soon be arranging your work week to allow play time in the middle of the work day.   And … you won’t be the only one out on the trails.

2. Town size - 7,000 residents, which is just plain perfect.  Big enough to have a real economy and a hospital, small enough that you encounter friends all the time.

3. Weather – They call this the Banana Belt for a reason! 300+ days of sunshine make it easy to plan your day.  Summer rainstorms are short and always a good thing in this dry area.  Winter snowstorms drop little snow in town and it usually melts within a day.  It is easy to get to real snow all around town for skiing, we just don’t have to live in it.  Cool enough that most folks don’t have an air-conditioner, warm enough that you can survive without trauma if the furnace goes out.

4. Social Scene - Salida’s charming historic downtown area has a number of favorite places for locals to meet.  Bongo Billy’s Cafe has super coffee and baked goods for the early birds, and a steady stream of great musicians and evening beverages to go with them – you’ll love their balmy deck on the shore of the river.  The Boathouse Catina offers a uniquely European experience in summer – open windows overhanging the river that encourage avian visitors while you dine.  Benson’s Pub is a warm favorite in winter, and a place to hang out in the side garden in summer.  The historic Steam Plant has an impressive and continuous offering of music, shows and presentations.  We’ll let you discover the other fun locales and activities on your own.  And – until you’ve experienced the joys of walking or biking to and from your evening social events, you haven’t lived.  Who needs a stinking car?!

5. F Street Bridge – This bridge across the river in the middle of downtown Salida symbolizes much that is great about life here.  Running club meets there for runs – - people lean over the gracious old walls to watch the play-boaters in the river below – - dogs walking their owners know that the other side of the bridge spells freedom – - the view of fall colors up-river is stupendous – - mountain bikers know that it is barely a spin of the pedals from the bridge to the excellent trails beyond – - following the path under the bridge can be fun and exciting during spring high water.  It is within walking or bicycling distance for almost all of the town residents.  Most of the festivals happen in Riverside park next to the bridge and some events take place ON or UNDER the bridge.   Watching one of the humor-crafts in FIBARK’s hooligan race pile into the bridge support is something you won’t soon forget!

6. Art Galleries – Salida is known throughout the west as a great art town.   It is fortunate to have attracted unique and skilled artists, many nationally acclaimed, who create artworks in many forms, including hand-thrown pottery, art glass, mixed media sculpture, paintings from miniatures to mural size and in a variety of mediums, wood art, textile art, jewelry and more.  We especially love the Monster Shop (Bungled Jungle)!  The Monsters are best met in person, as are the charming shop owners, but until you can get here to do so … visit them long distance at www.bungledjungle.com.

7. Arkansas River – This is the centerpiece of our little town, and is the site of much activity.  It has excellent whitewater rafting, a boating play area set up right downtown, and is a superb trout stream.  Every year it is the site of the FIBArk festival (First in Boating on the Arkansas) which draws top-level competitors from around the country.  Slower sections are fun for family boating, wading, swimming, and all the local water dogs.

8. Salida Mountain Trail system – For the locals, this is the real GEM of Salida.  This extensive trail system is located right across the river, an easy jog or bike from most homes.  The trail system consists of many miles of great single track dirt trails (easy to hard) to mountain bike, run, hike, or walk your dog.  The best part of this trail system is that it is the result of many hours of volunteer labor put in by the very townfolk using it, a local-built trail.  Once you’ve rolled rocks, swung a pick, and wielded a rake with a group of your friends, the trail becomes a source of pride.

9.  Bikes – Salida is small enough that you can ride a bike from your home to virtually anywhere in town in 10 minutes.  Our group of friends makes it a practice to bike to work, on errands, and to almost every social event.  The sidewalks downtown always have an impressive parked-array of humorously customized town bikes.  Can you imagine using your car ONLY on weekends?! Salida also has a vibrant recreational bicycling community of which Shawn Gillis and his shop, Absolute Bikes, are the keystones.  From Salida, there is easy access to hundreds of miles of mountain biking routes, some good road bicycling, and lots of races and fun events such as the Cruiser Criterium.

10.  Mountains -  Salida is virtually surrounded by mountains.  The view is great in all directions!  Our local Sawatch Mountain range has 15 peaks over 14,000′ (out of Colorado’s 52 14ers), and there are more 14ers not much farther away.  Town is at 7,000′ and the mountains to the west reach well above 14,000′ – this tremendous difference in elevation makes for gorgeous alpenglow in the winter, and feeds the local habit of checking the mountains for fresh snow – all 12 months of the year.  The continental divide is an easy 20 minute drive away.  In the hills and mountains around Salida there are nearly endless opportunities for climbing, hiking, fishing, mountain biking, skiing and more.  The mountains also host such diverse activities as the Leadville 100 running race, the Vapor Trail mountain bike race, Burro races, Ski-joring and many other oddities.

11.  Professional Opportunity – A small town may not seem to be a hotbed of professional opportunity, but Salida sure has been just that for a number of enterprising folks.  The need to be creative to have an income here means many have started their own business.  This wonderful happenstance gives Salida locals a marvelous array of shops and services, most of them run by someone who has devoted their heart and creative energies to the enterprise.  For example, the Mixing Bowl is a just plain superb cookware store and also serves as an employment opportunity for the developmentally-challenged persons in the community.

12.  History – Downtown Salida is a designated Historic District.  This means that the downtown buildings are full of charm, character, and historic detailing.  We all love the multi-colored Victorian paint jobs!  Lots of the homes throughout town are also lovely old structures, even the cute little “shotgun shacks” in what used to be the wrong side of town.  All around town, near and far, are signs of the ranching and mining heritage that still shapes the area today.  The Salida Smokestack towers 365 feet over the western edge of town and is now a protected landmark.  The “ghost” town of Turret is just above Salida to the north.  Many other ghost towns, mining camps, old cemeteries, mines, and other locales crowd the mountains and hills around town.

If you think this is hilarious, you will fit right in.