Day 148 (Sunday 12/16/12)- Trinidad, CO

We explored Fort Union in the morning. The military base and supply depot was established in 1851 by Lieutenant Colonel Edwin V. Sumner who decided to move it from Santa Fe, or as he lovingly referred to it, "that sink of vice and extravagance" to it's current location closer to the mountains and pertinent points along the Santa Fe trail. After two versions of Fort Union were hastily thrown together, it was re-built a third time in 1863. The third construction job was better, but still didn't stand, leaving, in present day, mostly chimneys, a small jail and some of the former hospital, which in its peak was the largest between California and Illinois. Thus touring the remnants was a little boring. Better was the Visitor Center movie.

Hopping across the border into Colorado we were surprisingly warmer (Colorado warmer than New Mexico, what?!) and watched the movie "Rampart." Woody Harrelson gives a compelling performance as a dirty cop, however the stand out in my mind was Ben Foster as a disabled, homeless, alcoholic. Especially considering that he got his start on the Disney show "Even Stevens." (For many of his Disney alum homelessness and alcoholism isn't regarded as acting).