Kick off your Colorado adventure in Lamar, a country town surrounded by wide-open plains near the Kansas border. Visit the restored 1907 train depot turned welcome center for a dose of local history. Or check out this birding haven for rare Inca doves and red-bellied woodpeckers. Ready to rest? There’s no better place to pause your road trip than the Historic Cow Palace Inn.
Opened in 1972, the Historic Cow Palace Inn means a lot to the Lamar community. Its recent renovations offer guests updated, relaxation-ready rooms, some perfect for solo travelers or individuals prioritizing accessibility. Families will love lounging and reminiscing about the day on plush couches and chairs topped with thick pillows. Dark-wood desks and crimson office chairs provide a space to fine tune your trip itinerary or check emails. Before bed, indulge in luxurious clawfoot tubs, showers with built-in benches and even spacious walk-in tubs.
In the morning, fill your belly with the hotel’s hearty, complimentary breakfast. Enjoy delicious yogurt, cereal and scrambled eggs, plus some Cow Palace specialties, like creamy gravy and biscuits and creme brulee French toast — yum!
We’re going with Tavern 1301, the Cow Palace’s in-house restaurant that loves using locally sourced ingredients. Chill at the bar with a glass of wine and a round of appetizers, like the bacon-wrapped cheese bites or spicy tuna tartar. Savor a meal under the soft lights of the pergola, located in the attached greenhouse. Or dine on a citrus stir-fry with a fresh veggies and a tamari glaze, half-pound burgers and tasty butternut squash enchiladas.
Can’t get enough of all those tasty bites? Plan a detour to The Dish Room, a Burlington restaurant created by the same culinary team as the tavern.
The beauty of Mother Nature lives indoors with the Cow Palace’s warm atrium filled with tropical foliage, like palms and monsteras. A wide walking path runs through its center, framed with deep-green fronds and glowing lanterns. A tunnel of intertwined verdant vines and supple branches leads to a welcoming inground pool.
Choose a Patio Suite for access to the tiled balcony overlooking the atrium year-round. You’ll love sipping freshly brewed coffee there in the morning or, when the sun sets, admiring the intimate glow of the garden lights from above.
“Loved our time at this hotel. We found ourselves in an unplanned situation and the staff went out of their way to make our stay really great. The room was amazing and I highly recommend staying there when you're in Lamar. The food is not just good for a small town — it's truly a world-class menu.” — Kevin T., Google
At the John Martin Reservoir State Park, visitors can swim, boat, fish, hike and bike. In February, Lamar becomes a birder’s paradise as the town celebrates the seasonal migration of giant, white snow geese at the High Plains Snow Goose Festival. Snag a SWA pass to find more feathered beauties at Two Buttes State Wildlife Area or visit Indian Reservoirs and Willow Creek Park — home to breeding Mississippi kites in summer. At Willow Creek, check out playgrounds, a skate park, a disc-golf course, water-side walkways and the occasional special event, like a classic-car show.
Photos courtesy of the Historic Cow Palace Inn