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Crestone, a haven for All Faiths
by Judith Fein
(click on image below for enlargement (211k))

An enlightened couple, Hanne and Maurice Strong, bought 150 thousand acres of the Baca land grant in 1978, and opened their hearts to Crestone. The two are world leaders in both environmental and religious reform. Maurice helped to set up the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 and last year’s United Nations Summit of World Religions. Hanne spends more of her time with the same issues here in Crestone. Their Manitou Foundation offered free land to religious, educational, and environmentally conscious groups to build centers to maintain their diverse traditions.

The offer was too good to refuse. Today, visitors and residents have a spiritual cornucopia to choose from. They can drop in on some of the holy spots, or call ahead and be welcomed at others. They can sign up for longer retreats, and be regenerated in the bosom of the Sangre de Cristos. The land has been developed with an eye toward conservation, consistent with the Manitou Foundation’s commitment to ecological and environmental sustainability.

Crestone has two sections: “downtown” and the Baca Grande(called “the Baca”). The former was the site of an old gold-mining town, and is dotted with abandoned log cabins. There is no visible affluence, and people I spoke to seem to exist on the economic edge. The cottonwood trees were in their red-gold autumnal finery, and locals hung out at the only grocery, near the only gas station and the sole hardware store. In front of the crystal and rock emporium were huge recycling bins containing free clothes for adults and kids.

The Baca is situated on an old land grant, and weaves up into the foothills and down through the valley. There is one restaurant called Desert Sage, where the food is tasty and the staff friendly, and another lodge and restaurant (where I had brunch to live harp music) at White Eagle Village. There are about four B&Bs, and I stayed at the welcoming, comfortable Rainbow, $50 a night for me and my husband.

What is extraordinary about Crestone is, for want of a term that doesn’t make me wince, the vibe. Every bulletin board is covered with flyers about healers, mystics, psychics, readers, ceremonies. There is no movie theater, no live theater, nothing to do at night but get together and talk. Everyone is aware of community, of helping others, and of living on the land in a way that sustains it. Houses are made of adobe, recycled materials, straw bale. Our hosts at the B&B, Judie Rose and Dennis Neuhaus, spend their time offering reiki, serving on volunteer committees, and being part-time foster parents to a local infant whose mother is unable to raise him.