SALIDA, Colo. -- He's got a car, a road map, and a tankful of gas. This week, Bill Clarke's one-tank trip is to Colorado's whitewater capital -- Salida.

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If it's been a long time since you've been to Salida, things have changed. Sure, the fourteeners are still there. Many of those magnificent mountaintops you can see from any one spot in the state. And the Arkansas River is still running and running well.

"The fishing has become better and better over a 40-year period," said fly fishing legend Don Puterbaugh.

Puterbaugh has been fishing these waters since the early 1960s.

"If I had one stream to fish the rest of my life, it would be the Arkansas River," Puterbaugh said.

He couldn't say enough nice things about Salida and the river, so he handed Bill Clarke a copy of the Colorado Fishing Guide, which states that the Arkansas is the longest river in Colorado, and Salida is the center of the state's whitewater activity.

Rafting's a big deal in this area and the river's very good for that this summer.

"The water in Salida is awesome," said world class champion kayaker Eric Jackson.

Seeing kids in kayaks is as common here as seeing kids at a pickup basketball game in the big city.

From year to year the water falls and rises, and like the water level, the town itself has changed. Over the last 10 or 15 years, Salida has become sort of the centerpiece of a growing arts community.

Because most of the gallery owners are artists as well, it's easy to know who's behind the work.

At the Brodeur Art Gallery, for example, everything shows owner Paulette Brodeur's distinctive style. She said she'll paint on anything -- even a denim jacket if you bring it in.

When the railroads dominated Salida, "F" Street led you to the dangerous part of town, where a red light meant something more than stop.

Now it's more civilized and home to a number of good restaurants and bistros like Dakota's. Dakota's is just a short walk from the river.

Most every restaurant and motel in town is family friendly, but the Woodland Motel is a rarity for travelers.

"We love dogs and we know that some of our guests do too," said Steve Borbous, the motel's owner.

The motel has dog-friendly lodging and Steve and Viva Borbous leave nothing to chance. They have doggy treats, water and food bowls, and even doggy beds. There's also an optional dog walking service.

Throw in all those fourteeners, and Salida really is an undiscovered gem.

Bill's Travel Notes:

Boy, was Salida a surprise! After many years' absence, I found a community with a lot of people who rock! They've put together an aggressive summer activities program for those who need to be entertained. Or you can just take off and do things on your own. Last year, Outside Magazine named Salida as one of its Best Towns of the Year. For details, read the article.

There are too many rafting companies in the surrounding countryside to list by name. Chances are, though, if you're going rafting you've already heard from a half-dozen friends who have one outfitter or another to recommend or to avoid.

Finding a kayaking outfitter may be only a little bit tougher. But Ray Kitson at American Adventure Expeditions (AmericanAdventure.com, (719) 539-4680) did a superb job of outfitting photojournalist Jason Foster and helping secure our kayak-cam to the front of the "boat." If you're a first-time kayaker, I can't imagine anyone could do a better job of putting you at ease while getting you decked out for a maiden voyage.

Fly fisherman/legend Don Puterbaugh has been quoted many times in Charlie Meyers' columns in the Denver Post. If you have questions about fly fishing, you can get the information from ArkAnglers at ArkAnglers.com or (719) 539-4223. Don's wisdom about the sport and about the ways of the river in general are invaluable. He's a treat to talk to if he's available. But if you want information about Don's favorite stretches for fishing the Arkansas River, he may be a lot less willing to share.

Art galleries that we found included Culture Clash (CultureClash@hotmail.com), Gallery 150 (Gallery150Salida.com), which has a good selection of my favorite glass art from nationally known artists, and goldsmith Jerry Scavezze (ScavezzeGoldsmith.com).

Paulette Brodeur, who did all the work in her gallery and who will gladly paint clothes, is at BrodeurArt.com. The colors and concepts in her gallery were stunning.

Sadly, we missed what may be the wildest gallery in town. It's called the Bungled Jungle (BungledJungle.com) and is packed with the owners' creations of animals you've never seen before. The days we were in Salida, the people responsible for this amazing artwork were down in Telluride showing their work. But I'll be back to get a closer look sometime later this summer.

We had dinner at Dakota's Bistro, a couple of blocks from the Arkansas River. Highly recommended. Dakota and his family moved to Salida from Santa Fe, N.M., a few years ago because Salida seemed to be a great place to raise their kids. Ask about the history of the building Dakota's occupies.

In fact, ask just about anybody in town just about anything. We found total strangers were totally friendly even before they saw the 7NEWS camera.

Or you can get more generalized information from SalidaChamber.org, FourteenerNet.com, or ColoradoHeadwaters.com. The local newspaper, The Mountain Mail, is also helpful. You can get updates at TheMountainMail.com.

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