The temperature here in the San Luis Valley is warming. There’s no danger of running into bad weather going through the mountain passes, which means it's time to take mini-breaks from writing and explore.<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/on-the-way-to-salida.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-4558" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/on-the-way-to-salida.jpg?w=300" alt="???????????????????????????????" width="300" height="162" /></a>

Last weekend, we loaded the four-legged boys into the Pilot and headed over Poncha Pass to Salida, a small town on the edge of the Arkansas River.

<dl id="attachment_4552" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width:310px;"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/salida.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-4552" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/salida.png?w=300" alt="SOURCE: http://activerain.trulia.com/blogsview/3366308/salida-colorado-real-estate--six-unique-neighborhoods-areas-to-live.html" width="300" height="228" /></a></dt><dd class="wp-caption-dd">SOURCE: http://activerain.trulia.com/blogsview/3366308/salida-colorado-real-estate--six-unique-neighborhoods-areas-to-live.html</dd></dl>If you’re into rafting, Salida is the place to go. Rafting tours range from mild to wild class 5 rapids. There’s kayaking and, of course, trout fishing and bicycling.

<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/arkansas-river.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-4555" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/arkansas-river.jpg?w=150" alt="???????????????????????????????" width="150" height="112" /></a>It’s still a little cold for water sports so we walked around the city streets visiting shops and stopped for lunch at a coffee shop.<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/brown-dog-coffee-shop.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-4560" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/brown-dog-coffee-shop.jpg?w=150" alt="???????????????????????????????" width="150" height="112" /></a>

Afterward we went down to the City Park and walked our four-legged boys along the river paths. <a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/walking-along-the-salida-river.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-4556" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/walking-along-the-salida-river.jpg?w=150" alt="???????????????????????????????" width="150" height="112" /></a>

You can see the rapid chute in the background. We can’t wait to come back to take a rafting tour.

The best part of the visit was finding a little free library as we wandered around the streets looking at the wonderful old houses.

<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/little-free-library.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-4557" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/little-free-library.jpg?w=209" alt="little free library" width="209" height="300" /></a>Read all about the 5,276th Little Free Library at the corner of Airport Road and Silver Spruce <a href="http://www.themountainmail.com/community/article_2f6049c6-b733-11e2-9aee-001a4bcf6878.html" target="_blank">here</a>.

I was so excited, then so sad I hadn’t thought to bring along any of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Judythe-Morgan/e/B00802MJPY/" target="_blank">my books</a> to add to the library.

This wasn’t the first little free library I’d seen. There’s one two houses down from my cousin’s house in Austin.

If you’re not familiar with the concept, you can read all about the movement to erect little libraries in communities <a href="http://littlefreelibrary.org/" target="_blank">here</a>.

I love the idea of “take a book, return a book.” Unfortunately, there’s no little library here in my small town. If my house weren’t so far off in the woods, I’d build one and share my stash of books.

We do have the<a href="//www.facebook.com/pages/Feelin-Good-Coffeehouse-Cafe/127608440026" target="_blank"> Feelin’ Good Coffeehouse &amp; Café</a>. Inside, there’s a large bookcase with books spilling over on the floor where you can take a book from the shelf and leave one.The bonus is you get great coffee and food!