Amazing Colorado Road Trip

My girlfriend and I just got back from doing an amazing road trip around Colorado. In 4 days we were able to visit several areas of Colorado: Durango, Ouray, Ridgeway, Telluride, and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, on our mini-vacation.

On our first day, we arrived in Durango late afternoon. We first checked into the Homewood Suites, then explored the town. Our first stop was at Ska Brewing, conveniently located right next to our hotel. My girlfriend adored the Steel Toe Stout, which is brewed with milk sugar and has won numerous awards. I was a fan of the Mexican Logger, which is (of course) a lager and has also won several awards. Then we walked around downtown and had dinner and drinks in the famous Strater Hotel, which is historic, visually stunning and definitely worth checking out.

Our second day began with a train ride. The city of the Durango is known for the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNG). Seeing that I love trains, and I am working on visiting and riding every train in Colorado, this was a special trip for me (I was a little kid the last time I rode the D&SNG). During the summer the train goes from Durango up to Silverton, a tiny but beautiful former mining town. But since it is currently winter/spring, the train only goes about halfway, through the San Juan National Forest to Cascade Canyon, a scenic wooded canyon through which the Animas River flows due to avalanche danger beyond Cascade Canyon. That didn’t matter -- the awesome views of the mountains are worth the trip.

After the train returned to Durango, we hopped in the car and started the drive toward Ouray. Along the way, we stopped to visit Honeyville, a store that specializes in (what else?) honey products, located about ten miles north of Durango. We sampled honey whiskey, various wines, and also some delicious wildflower honey.

The road from Durango to Ouray is stunning, but can be somewhat scary. We drove through several mountain passes but the most intimidating part was from Silverton to Ouray (known as the Million Dollar Highway). As you head north and get closer to Ouray, the road becomes narrow and guard rails are virtually nonexistent. The scenery is breathtaking, as is the fact that you’re driving next to steep mountains and sheer cliffs. Driving northbound isn’t as scary as driving southbound, but it can still induce some anxiety.

Once we arrived safely in Ouray, we instantly fell in love with the town, which is sometimes known as the “Switzerland of America.” It is nestled right up into the mountains and has gorgeous scenery. One thing I was not aware of, however, is that Ouray is actually very slow in spring and many businesses are closed. Most campgrounds do not open until May so your only options for lodging are hotels. But we enjoyed touring the town in the off season – we could beat the crowds and explore the area at our leisure.

Ouray is well known for its hot springs pool which is located in the northern part of town. The pool is separated into several different sections where the temperatures range from 89 to 106 degrees. Other activities within Ouray include the short hike to Cascade Falls, Box Canyon Falls, walking around town and exploring the shops. We also enjoyed sipping a beer at the Ouray Brewing Company, or enjoying a steak at The Outlaw while being serenaded by the very talented piano player (and also where you can see one of John Wayne's hats). Speaking of John Wayne, just down the road a few miles north is the town of Ridgeway is where parts of the movie True Grit were filmed.

Ouray is also a great starting point for various Jeep trails and Jeep tours. Some of these like Engineer Pass and Ophir Pass are well known. If you are brave you can try Black Bear pass. This might be the scariest Jeep Trail in the whole state.

The next thing we did is make a road trip up to Telluride. Telluride also has a slow season in the spring where many businesses are closed. This may be an inconvenience for most but it was nice for us. We got to avoid the crowds and explore the town, read various plaques and catch up on the history of Telluride, including the old red light district, and Telluride Depot. We ate lunch at Baked in Telluride -- a great bakery and pizza place.

Later we had a beer at the Smugglers Brewery. Unfortunately most of the town is closed in the spring, including most restaurants and the gondola up to Mountain Village. Telluride is very busy in the winter and busy during the summer time (after May). This is when most businesses re-open.

We also got to see Bridal Veil Falls which is just a short drive outside of town and actually can be seen from certain locations within town if you look up into the mountains. From this vantage point you can also see the very scary pass known as Black Bear pass which is a treacherous jeep trail for those that are brave enough to try it. You can only go one way, and it's all downhill.

After leaving Telluride we explored Ridgeway where we had lunch at the True Grit Cafe and learned more about True Grit the movie and some local filming locations. Besides the True Grit Cafe it is a must to have a few tacos at Taco Del Gnar (located a short walk from the cafe). The short rib taco was our favorite.

Once back in Ouray we spent some time in the hot springs. We were staying at The Beaumont Hotel (we were considering camping but most campgrounds do not open till May) which is awesome and historic. Built in 1886 and restored in 2003. Even if you camp it is suggested that you see this amazing hotel.

The next day we woke up we were able to check out the Box Canyon Falls just a short hike from town. You can drive closer to the falls or make the hike from town. In the winter at Box Canyon Falls you can even try ice climbing, which is free or you can hire a guide. Ouray is also known as the Switzerland of America and I can definitely see why this name fits.

On our last day we attempted to drive up to Owl Creek Pass to visit two film locations from True Grit. Unfortunately when we got to the summit of Owl Creek Pass we saw some very deep snow and weren’t prepared (or comfortable) to continue on the road. We will have to visit these occasions another time. As we headed home, we were surprised that we were ahead of schedule because we didn’t get to see the True Grit locations.

This gave us time to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park which is a stunning and even a little scary when you walk close to the giant cliffs. After leaving Gunnison National Park we then made her way home headed east and passed the Curecanti National Recreation Area. Within the recreation area you will find the Blue Mesa Reservoir that is 26 miles across with over 96 miles of shoreline and it is the largest body of water in Colorado.

There are many places to camp, fish, and enjoy other outdoor activities along this large reservoir in the area of Cimarron. There was even an old train trestle but the train was not on it as it is currently being restored.

As we continued on our journey home, we went through Monarch Pass which is another treacherous pass. We saw the remnants of a fire that was being put out in Kenosha Pass then continued on our way to Bailey then Morrison and finally back into Denver. This was an awesome road trip. It was amazing how much we are able to fit into just four days. I didn't want to go home, or back to work, but I’ll always have the memories.

Durango:

http://www.durangotrain.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g33397-Activities-Durango_Colorado.html

http://www.durango.org/discover-durango/

http://strater.com/

http://skabrewing.com/

Ouray:

http://www.ouraycolorado.com/ouray-activities/Guided-Tours.php

http://www.ouraycolorado.com/ouray-activities/

http://www.ouraycolorado.com/ouray-activities/Box-Canon-Falls-Park.php

http://www.ouraycolorado.com/discover-ouray/hot-springs-pool.php

http://ourayicepark.com/

http://www.ouraycolorado.com/listing/cascade

http://ouraybrewery.com/

http://outlawrestaurant.com/

http://www.beaumonthotel.com/

Telluride:

http://www.telluride.com/things-do/summer-activities

http://www.visittelluride.com/festivals-events

http://www.visittelluride.com/things-to-do

Ridgeway:

http://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/ridgway

http://www.coloradovibes.com/2010/02/true-grit-then-and-now/

http://gnarlytacos.com/

http://www.truegritcafe.com/

Black Canyon of the Gunnison:

http://www.nps.gov/blca/index.htm

Curecanti National Recreation Area:

http://www.nps.gov/cure/index.htm

http://www.colorado.com/blue-mesa-reservoir-largest-body-water-colorado

Off Road Trails of Colorado:

http://coloradoguy.com/black-bear-pass/colorado.htm

http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f36/black-bear-pass-85065/

http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=300

http://www.everytrail.com/guide/off-road-trail-maps-ophir-pass-colorado

http://www.colorado.com/articles/7-popular-colorado-atv-jeep-trails

http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=80

http://www.coloradovibes.com/offroad-trails/

Other Activities:

http://soajeep.com/

http://imogenerun.com/

http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php (not all trails in Colorado)

http://www.filmincolorado.com/filmography5.html

Enjoy additional photos on our Facebook page.