Monte Vista, CO

united states

Monte Vista is a farming town in Colorado's San Luis Valley, surrounded by mountains at 7,600 feet elevation. It's the commercial hub for the valley's potato farms, connected by US Highway 160 running east-west and State Highway 15 north-south. Most visitors arrive via Alamosa, 20 miles east, where the regional airport and train station are located. The town hosts the Ski-Hi Stampede, a professional rodeo that's been running since 1937.