Summer Trip to Colorado Part 2: Telluride

To best adjust to the altitude we started our trip in Boulder and Vail, and after a few days we were off to the main event- Telluride!

It’s a long drive from Denver to Telluride, about 6 hours, and from Vail it’s a solid 4+. The windy roads got to Hailey at one point, which slowed down our trip even more, but fortunately it allowed us to avoid anything more than some slight queasiness. And still, by late afternoon we had arrived!

Telluride Summer Trip Day 1

We stayed in this Country Club Estate and it was incredible. First of all, it was huge, with plenty of space for us all to spread out. It had an epic game room with shuffle board, pool, a poker table, and more. It was clean and well stocked. And everything was walkable, which meant once we parked the trucks, we didn’t need to hop back in them again.

By the time we unloaded, we were all pretty beat and looking for a quick bite to eat. We walked into the mountain village and decided to sit outside at a place called Tomboy Tavern, right at the base of the gondola. The food was great and the weather was even better. Cool and no humidity; what a treat!

While there, a mom and daughter duo came over to say hello who have followed by blog since I was pregnant with Hailey. That’s 13+ years! I can not tell you how cool it is for me to have connections to so many of you because of this space. It makes me feel like I have instant friends all over and even though I tend to totally geek out, it makes me so happy when we get to connect IRL. H and A totally made my entire night by coming over to say hello.

I had the salad with watermelon radishes and fresh trout, a couple bites of David’s shrimp and grits, and a wing or two off the appetizer platter. All delicious! Afterwards, though we were beat, we took a gondola ride (free transportation in Telluride!) and were delighted by an epic sunset. A great way to end our arrival day.

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Telluride Summer Trip Day 2

We woke up the next morning eager to explore. We had grabbed a few groceries the day before at the on mountain market, so we enjoyed bagels and eggs before suiting up and heading out.

We headed into the mountain village to the gondola and took it to the top. We unloaded and headed to Village Trail, a hike just shy of 4 miles and all downhill, back to the mountain village. It was a beautiful day and it felt good to stretch our legs.

Once down, we took the gondola up and over the mountain into the adorable town of Telluride and right to the famous Brown Dog Pizza. We scored a table upstairs and very much enjoyed their deep dish pizza, a few wings, and an ice cold post-hike beer. The two youngest in our crew enjoyed getting to make their own pizzas (they bring the dough and toppings to the table) and have them baked for them.

After lunch we did some shopping in town and admired it’s stunning surrounding scenery. Telluride is a box canyon, meaning it has almost vertical sides and a nearly flat bottom. It’s breathtaking!

We had reservations for the whole family that night at Allred’s, a place with a great reputation at the top of the gondola. The girls were all excited to have an excuse to dress up and be fancy. Taking the gondola to dinner was part of the experience and seeing the view inside the restaurant reveal itself to us upon our entry was incredible. In fact, we were all so impressed with the entire experience. The views, the service, the food- all top notch. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

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Telluride Summer Trip Day 3

The next morning we were up and moving because we had plans to go white water rafting! We all had been looking forward to this. However, when they reached out to us a week before our trip saying the water levels were low and the right could be “more exciting” as a result, I think several of us were feeling a little more nervous about the experience.

Their pre-trip speech didn’t do much to ease our anxious eyebrows, as they told us there would be more surprise bumps than usual and how to avoid getting sucked under a big rock in the rapids. Umm…. They loaded us into rafts and to keep them light enough to navigate the river, we went two to a raft, plus the guide. And then we were off!

Fortunately for us, the raft guides were experienced professionals with fun personalities and they made the trip so much fun. There were some unexpected bumps and jostles, but none of us went swimming and we had a lots of laughs and shrieks along the way. I only got a few pictures in the calm part because otherwise I feared my phone would go over with all the surprise bumps along the way. But I was pleased to get any at all!

Afterwards we stopped in Sawpit at the Sawpit Mercantile for the BBQ that the guides had told us about. It hit the spot and we all returned to our house happily exhausted from our adventure by the midafternoon.

Happy to have an evening with no plans, we spent the afternoon and into the night playing games and eating pizza. OK, yes, we taught the kids to play poker and how to bet and we might have created monsters… It was a great day balanced between adventure and some R&R.

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Telluride Summer Trip Day 4

The next day was an absolute treat. It was overcast, which honestly made it even better. We had massage appointments at The Peaks Resort and Spa, which happened to be right across the street from the house we were staying in. Having appointments meant we had access to all the facilities and the adults all took full advantage of the pool, the workout space, the sauna and steam room, and even just the relaxation room. It was delightful.

Feeling rejuvenated, the adults got gussied up while the kids got comfy in pajamas. They were set up with a movie (The Pink Panther) and pizza while we took off into town for dinner at the historic New Sheridan Chophouse.

You would think we’d be tired of eating by this point, but my goodness this place is worth working up an appetite for. The ambiance is superb. We were seated by big windows and an oval shaped table, perfect for our party of 5. I had an Aviator, a gin based drink, that was delicious, and everyone else raved about their beverages, too.

And then there was the food. We shared a lot of it, bites of elk ribeye and filet mignon, paired with sides of shishito peppers, trumpet mushrooms, mussels, onion rings, and hands down the best truffle fries I’ve ever eaten. The conversation flowed as the sunset and overall it was a wonderful time.

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Telluride Summer Trip Day 5

True to form, we were up the next morning to balance out our indulgences with some exercise. On the agenda: The Jud Wiebe Trail. It’s described as a moderate hike, being 3.1 miles long, but considering you have a hike up the side of the canyon through town before even getting to the trail head and then go on to gain over 1,200 ft in elevation in the first mile, it’s more of a challenge than you might expect.

We snapped a trail head picture to commit ourselves to the adventure and off we went. We were slow but steady and no one minded much because at the top there are some pretty incredible views to take in, overlooking the town.

We stopped at the viewpoint for a bit to catch our breath and snap some photos. David and I recreated a photo we took in the exact spot almost a decade ago. We chatted with some fellow hikers then started making our way down with the promise of a late lunch as motivation.

We grabbed some delicious quick service tacos from Uno, Dos, Tres and headed back to the house. You would have thought a hike would wear the kids out, but you would be wrong. They still had plenty of energy so we decided to take them to the pool. My new friend that I met the first night generously gifted us some guest passes to The Peaks’ pool and it just so happens to have a super fast waterslide that the kids (and adults alike) thoroughly enjoyed!

We swam for a couple hours before showering off and making our way back to Tomboy Tavern in the village, which is a great spot to grab and easy and good dinner. Everyone slept well that night!

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Telluride Summer Trip Day 6

We decided to take on another hike this morning and prepped for it the best way we knew how, with matcha and cappuccinos from the Coffee Cowboy airstream located at the base of the gondola.

From there we went in search of pancakes (kids’ request) and to our surprise, apparently only one place in town serves pancakes, La Cocina de Luz, yes, a Mexican restaurant. You didn’t have to twist my arm because I quickly found out they also offer complimentary chips and salsa and breakfast time! The food and the service were all excellent and I highly recommend this spot.

Our hike for the day was Bridal Veil Falls, a trailhead you get to just beyond the edge of town so we had to drive our trucks to get there. It was overcast and cool, a perfect day for a hike.

And what a hike it was! It was less steep than Jud Wiebe but slightly more technical with some rocks to climb over, which made it a grand adventure for the kids. With several waterfall spots to enjoy before the main event (a grand waterfall over 365 ft high), it is an engaging and very enjoyable hike, totaling about 3 miles with the offshoots.

Thoroughly pleased by our morning adventure, we grabbed a pick me up at The Butcher and the Baker, which was buzzing with people, probably the most crowded spot we experienced in a town that otherwise felt very relaxed and uncrowded. Then we spent a bit shopping, picking out souvenirs to remind of us of this special trip.

For dinner that night we decided to hit up a spot that came highly recommended for families, Smugglers in the town. We were pleased to get a spot outside and we pleasantly surprised by the caliber of food at a place that was highlighted as being family friendly. I had the lamb sausage gyro and truffle fries (delicious), and everyone else was very pleased with their meals, too. Hailey’s elk Bolognese might have stolen the show.

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At dinner we all talked about what an incredible vacation we had. It feels really special to get to see and do (and eat!) such amazing things as three generations, together. These trips are special memories I know the girls appreciate now, but will treasure even more the older they get.

The next morning we packed up, made a quick stop in Ouray for breakfast, then drove to Denver. We had a great last dinner on restaurant porch and gave big hugs before bed, as we were off on our separate flights super early the next morning.

Colorado, you sure showed us a good time, and Telluride, you’re 60 degree summer weather with no humidity has Nana considering a permanent move. I’m kidding (I think), but wow, what a gorgeous place to get to visit in the summer as a reprieve from the southern heat and humidity. What. A. Trip. <3