Fisher's Peak historic landmark near Trinidad

Fisher's Peak
Originally uploaded by Jerry W. Lewis

Although I've driven by Trinidad on I-25 before, I've never really spent much time in the area. I suspect that is true of many travelers heading down to Santa Fe or coming up from New Mexico to the Denver area. 

This past weekend, a friend and I went to Trinidad to play the new Cougar Canyon golf course there, designed by Jack Nicklaus.

From the course, you get some great views, including this look at Fisher's Peak, which was a landmark for travelers along the Santa Fe Trail. The peak overlooks the entrance to Raton Pass between Trinidad and Raton, N. M.

Lately, I've been reading more history on both the Boulder area and Colorado, and the story of the Santa Fe Trail, of course, is an important part of how trade developed in the West, and involved economies of New York and even London.

The golf course, while challenging with shots across canyons onto tricky greens, is certainly worth visiting. Right now, the course is offering a "stay and play" package for $99 each day (does not include cart fee.)

We played two days, and that gave us some time to explore around both the city of Trinidad and surrounding areas a bit. There's a good variety of museum, shops, etc. in the historic downtown area.