Tarantula Fest and Paint Mines

Leslie and I went on a tarantula spotting tour during the Tarantula Fest in La Junta, Colorado. It seemed like a fun and educational thing to do; and it was!

We planned to stay two nights in La Junta (I’ve never been). The first evening was the scheduled bus tour, and we were open on the second evening. We scheduled our departure from home early enough so we could visit the Paint Mines Interpretive Park on the way to La Junta.

Paint Mines

We haven’t previously heard of the Paint Mines and were surprised by how interesting and beautiful they were. This is an area in south eastern Colorado where humans visited as far back as 9,000 years ago. One theory suggests some went there to gather colorful clay for art and other artifacts.

A panoramic view of a colorful rock formation with layers of pink, yellow, and white, surrounded by greenery and a sandy path.
A scenic view of a rugged landscape featuring colorful rock formations, sandy pathways, and sparse vegetation under a cloudy sky.
A hiker stands on a rocky trail surrounded by colorful sandstone formations and shrubs under a cloudy sky.
A colorful landscape featuring layered rock formations in shades of white, yellow, and pink, with a dirt path and sparse vegetation under a cloudy sky.
Close-up view of textured rock formations featuring layers of beige, yellow, and pink hues with visible cracks and patterns.

Tarantula Fest

After arriving in La Junta and checking in to our hotel we headed to downtown to get the scoop on our bus tour and other happenings for the festival.

The Spotting Tour

The bus tour took us about 20 minutes out of town to a couple areas where graduate students were stationed to educate us tarantulas. At each stop we got off the bus and hunted around for 45 minutes or so. While we found a few tarantulas at each location, typical years the count was more like ten to twenty. The weather was good that evening but there was rain the previous couple days which was one theory why tarantula turnout was low on the tour that evening. Since we were free the next evening we took a drive in the same direction to hunt for more. We only saw a few that evening as well.

A tarantula walking on dry, cracked soil with sparse vegetation in the background.
A close-up view of a spider on a gravel surface, surrounded by small rocks and pebbles.
A large spider on a gravel and dirt surface, surrounded by small green plants and stones.
A large brown spider with distinctive markings, situated among grass and soil.
A large brown spider walking on a gravel path surrounded by sparse grass and small yellow flowers.

La Junta

Aside from spotting tarantulas there were many fun activities for the Fest. There was a parade.

A decorated red vintage truck with spider webs and artificial spiders, featuring people dressed in red shirts, set against a clear blue sky.
A parade float for the Tarantula Fest in La Junta, featuring a decorated truck with a large spider prop and participants waving from the back, set against a clear blue sky.
A decorated car with inflatable red spider legs, parked on a street during a festival, with people and tents in the background.
A large black pickup truck decorated to look like a giant spider, complete with fuzzy legs extending from the sides, driving down a street during a festive event.
A festive parade float for the La Junta Tarantula Fest featuring a large decorative tarantula atop a hay-filled trailer, surrounded by sunflowers and a sign reading 'Tarantula Trek'.
A large spider decoration on a trailer being pulled by a vehicle, set on a street with a historic building and festive tents in the background.

There was a mural contest.

Graffiti mural featuring colorful 3D letters and a cartoonish character resembling a sloth wearing red sunglasses, set against a textured wall.
Artists painting a large mural on a wall in an alley, with ladders and spray paint cans visible.
A mural of a rabbit with human hands is being painted on a wall by two artists on ladders, with one artist wearing an orange shirt and the other a tank top. The background features vibrant colors and graffiti.
A person painting a colorful geometric mural on a wall, with a ladder and various painting supplies in the foreground. The background features vibrant blue, orange, and yellow shapes, while a second mural is visible to the right.
A colorful street mural featuring a large spider, graffiti lettering, and a cactus design, with an artist working beside a ladder.
A mural featuring a futuristic, robotic face with elongated features, set against a black background. The design includes intricate details resembling circuitry and a spider-like creature in the foreground.

And there was break dancing!

A breakdancer performing a handstand on a wooden surface during a festival, with a crowd watching in the background.

And there were all types of people.

A brightly colored person with long, rainbow-dyed hair featuring yellow, pink, and purple hues, and a long snake draped over their shoulder.

We also visited the Koshare Museum and Dances which was an awesome experience.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koshare_Indian_Museum_and_Dancers

An Unexpected Takeaway: Back Roads

The issue of me not liking to drive on major highways has been festering for a while. On this trip we needed to navigate to the Paint Mines and then from there to La Junta and we accomplished that predominantly via the back roads of the easter plains of Colorado. That was awesome! So much so that it inspired my next song which I plan to publish shortly.

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