Today, you’re on a pure sightseeing adventure. You’ve just arrived at a grassy plateau, with rocky outcroppings offering perfect perches to stand on and take in the gorgeous mountain views. You breathe in the crisp mountain air, untouched by the city pollution that you’ve been used to your entire life. Across the expanse before you are endless rolling fields of mountains. You can see Mounts Harvard and Columbia, two of the peaks that reach over 14,000 feet in the air. Some are snow-capped, and you wonder how cold it is up there. You feel like you’re as high up as the sun, looking down and surveying the entire world. You tower over trees that were old centuries before you were born. You take one more deep breath, one more look, and turn to begin your descent back down.
You’ve never been whitewater rafting before. Heck, you’ve barely been in a boat before. You can’t even remember the last time you went swimming in a pool. Yet here you are. You’ve donned a life vest, and you’re white-knuckling the paddle. You’re shaking a bit, but it’s not out of fear. You’re excited. You begin paddling with your group, and soon you’ve left the starting point behind. On your sightseeing adventure, you spot a herd of goats climbing the sides of the canyon, feasting on the bits of grass growing between the rocks. Before this, the most exotic animal you saw was a pigeon. You grin and begin to laugh.
Now you’re relaxing in one of the natural odorless hot springs. You brought a book with you, but you don’t need it. The sun has begun to set, and it’s a sight you’ll never forget. The sky has been painted the most beautiful hues and shades. The clouds seem to glow with a light all their own, and the entire landscape seems almost as if it’s been painted by a master’s brush. You can see the mountain you climbed, you can almost make out the point you stood at. While you can’t see it, you can almost hear the Arkansas River where you went whitewater rafting. After the sun sets, you get up and dry off, then head back to your bed and breakfast. What will be the next stop on your sightseeing adventure?
Buena Vista really lives up to its name. It truly is a Beautiful View.
