Getting Away to South Park

Tom and I decided to get away to celebrate our 22nd Annivery on June 21. I do believe this is actually the first time we left town without kids and dogs in toll and it was wonderful! We had wanted to go up to the hot springs in Buena Vista but they were booked up so we decided to go some place we have never been before so we set our sights for South Park and Fairplay, Colorado.l
Yes my dears there really is a South Park! Although Kenny, Stan, Cartman, Kyle don't leave there it is indeed worth taking the time if you are in Colorado to pay a visit.

South Park is an area of Colorado about 1 hour west of Colorado Springs. This was the area of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush of 1859. Communities such as Como, Jefferson, Hamilton, Buckskin Jo, Alma and Fairplay came to life. Although many of those communities are now ghost towns, Fairplay Colorado as retained its charmed of that by gone era. The population of Fairplay proper is about 700 people and one stop light in the entire town. Coming from a population of over 3/4 of a million people, the quietness was so refreshing and makes one want to go back and possibly even find a way to make a living there. Not to mention we ran into some of the friendliest people we have ever met.
We stayed in the Fairplay Hotel, known to be haunted by the ghost of Julia. Although we did not have any ghostly encounters it was a treat to spend time in this great old hotel. They definitely don't build buildings with as much character today.




However, the highlight of the trip was visiting South Park City. This is actually a city composed of many of the original buildings from the area's ghost towns. The artifacts and antiques within the many different building is amazing and for only $7.50 it is well worth the trip. We easily spend 2 1/2 hours there and could have stayed longer.
My favorite building was the J.A. Merriam Drug Store.Both sides of the store were filled from floor to ceiling with artifacts!
Click here to visit South Park





We also visited the cemeteries of Buckskin Jo and Fairplay. I am passionate about cemeteries and as Director of a non profit Cemetery group I could not go up there without out hunting out the cemeteries. Finding them was an adventure and they were quite hidden and not at all marked which made looking for them and finally finding them a great adventure.