The spiritual road

Nada Hermitage is one of the first spiritual centers you’ll see a sign for (on the right) as you head southeast on Camino Baca Grande. The hermitage is a place of retreat in the Carmelite contemplative tradition of the Catholic church. The chapel (to the right as you pull up) is open to the public; in the morning, light filters through the east-facing stained glass, illuminating the small, quiet space inside. Mass is at 9 a.m. on Sundays. 719-2564778, 1 Carmeliteway, spirituallifeinstitute.org/nada.html

Twomiles down the road, take a left up steep gravel to the Haidakhandi Universal Ashram, a spiritual community inspired by the Hindumystic Haidakhan Babaji. Pop inside the Lakshmi Temple (remove your shoes, please) to see the flower garlands and offerings set before Babaji, and the Maha Lakshmi Shop, which is in the partly underground Earthship near the parking area. The shop has prayer beads, incense, photos of Babaji and other goods. The efficient Earthship also houses the kitchen, whichwas emitting amazing aromas of curry on a recent visit. Communitymembers here eat super local— they grow organic veggies in the greenhouse. Visit in the morning on the day of the full moon to participate in the havan, or fire ceremony; there are ritualistic requirements onwhat you eat that morning, so check the ashram’swebsite

The road gets a bit rougher as it climbs an old railroad grade out to its end at the Karma Thegsum Tashi Gomang Stupa, ORKTTG Stupa, or simply the big stupa. (Crestone’s little stupa, the Yeshe Rangsal Stupa, is close tonada Hermitage.) On the outside, the white and gold stupa is draped in Tibetan prayer flags; on the inside (no public access) are 100,000 miniature versions of the stupa, each containing a roll of prayers and mantras, each blessed by a Tibetan Buddhist lama. It’s an offering at a meta level, and one you canwalk