We have booked a home in Telluride this summer for a week with out “kid” and 2 sub 5yr old grandsons. My wife and I both love road trips so we’ll likely rent a SUV, overnight in Lincoln NE and drive on the next day to Telluride. Possibly tack an overnight stop in Denver or CO Springs coming and going to see those cities. Both cities seem to be around 6 hours from Telluride.
We found an amazing house 10 minutes outside of telluride wear we’ll do a lot of relaxing and cooking but we may eat one or 2 nights in town since we’re there for a week so restaurant suggestions are helpful. Plan to do some major hiking and possibly try trout fishing which is on my bucket list for retirement in a few years.
First off Telluride is awesome. Secondly it is a long drive from Denver, most of which is on 2 lane roads. Thirdly, take the time to walk into the wilderness surrounding town. It is fabulous.
Reco’s try this http://therehospitalitygroup.com
If you want Denver suggestions, let me know.
Steve, I PM’d the property. Hopefully explains why we chose 10 minutes out. Curious about hiking and possibly low level guided technical mountaineering. Definitely want to do some self guided rigorous hikes like Ajax. I’ve never trout fished so would like to try it if handy with a guide. The house has a fantastic kitchen and dining areas in and out so Nita will cooks most nights. Maybe one or 2 restaurant ideas? Other cool side trips no more than a couple hours away. Other suggestions? Place that has mellow acoustic live music ala Jackson Browne singer songwriter stuff?
Best to approach from Denver or CO Springs? Pretty sure we drive but haven’t completely ruled out flying to one of those?
Curious about Co Springs VS. Denver with limited time. Which is more worth a visit? Kind of curious about Co Springs as possible place to retire to? Have a hunch, and purely a hunch, I may like Co Springs more.
I hike everyday and there are many great hikes right out of town. Ajax is a nice hike but hardly rigorous, I can certainly recommend better hikes than that. One of my best friends in town is a fishing guide and I can hook you up with him. 2 restaurant ideas are the Sheridan Chop House and The Cosmopolitan(cosmo’s). The night life is great during the summer so you’ll have no trouble finding live music. Anything else I can help you with just ask.
I lived in the Springs when I first moved to Colorado. It is an odd mix of elements: military, religious right, Olympic athletes, old touristy stuff, young homeless, old homeless, but some nice city parks like Garden of the Gods. To me it has an odd feel. The city fathers let parts of it go over the years and so some parts feel scruffy and unkept. There is a small dining district downtown with a few places that are OK, but otherwise the food options in Denver are way ahead of the Springs. We go there now really only to hike and there are some awesome trails west and north of town, but we rarely go into downtown anymore.
As far as Denver goes, there is a lot of new stuff going on. Many, many interesting dining options, but it is a big city so it has its parts that are a little rough around the edges. What are you wanting to do on your day in a city? Search the threads with Denver dining questions. There are some good recommendations in those. Our favorites are The Merchantile, The Populist and Fruition. There is a new Bobby Stuckey place we’ve been wanting to try called Tavernatta.
The Union Station area is sort of ground zero for starting to explore the city, but Denver, like Chicago, is a city of neighborhoods. Wash Park, the Highlands, LOHI, RINO, City Park, so there are cute wooded neighborhoods with their own selection of fun dining options. It really depends on what you want. Lots and lots of craft brew places if like beer. Boulder, about 30 minutes NW is also a fun/interesting option and almost exactly opposite Colorado Springs in many aspects.
We live south of the metro area and generally like it, but we are here mainly because we have businesses here. Our favorite parts of the state are Telluride, Crested Butte, Palisade/Grand Junction, Gateway/Dolores Canyon area and Grand Mesa. We have tagged the Western Slope (Fruita/Palisade/Grand Junction) as our potential retirement area. It fits our outdoor lifestyle while still offering some city elements. It is also Colorado’s wine country with 40+ wineries.
Let me know what other questions I can answer. Enjoy the state, it is beautiful.
Great tips thanks. Very much interested in other hikes. Think Ajax because I’d have a shot at getting adult son up it. Joes 6-4 19olbs but he has fragile X syndrome causing a somewhat lower IQ and fears of heights. I got him to the top an 8000 ft hike Mt in the Black Hills and thought maybe Ajax in Telluride. Have you done Mt Wilson?
Great overview thank you. I have to think about it more but mostly just wanting to get a flavor of either Denver or CO Springs. I’m a conservative and political outcast in MN:). Not a social conservative though. Didn’t vote for Trump but still happy its not Hillary. I like that you included your retirement ideas and I’ll check that out. I think we need big city amenities like restaurants and good stores where we retire. Right now we’ve lived 20 years on 2-1/2 acres 25 miles south of downtown Minneapolis now. We drive for restaurants now . Co Springs sounds like mixed bag. I was hoping it might be really pristine, less liberal than Denver & Minneapolis but still have some good food & wine venues.
Have done Mt. Wilson half a dozen times or more, Wilson Peak usually once a year but not last year and Mt. Sneffels about the same but not last year. Sneffel’s is the easiest 14er to do and Mt. Wilson/El Diente the hardest. Last year I concentrated on the 13er’s which are more technical and more fun.
Outside of the cities, I think you’ll find Colorado is more conservative. South of Denver where we live in Douglas county is very conservative. My wife and I really don’t really fit a mold. We are socially liberal, voted for pot, gay marriage etc, but we are also fiscal conservatives mostly because we get taxed into oblivion. That seems to be changing. I think you’ll find Colorado accommodates everybody.
Politically, we sound like we share a decent amount in common. I envy the bug free outdoors and mountains you guys have in your backyard! Looking forward to a week plus there this summer.
[/quote]
Outside of the cities, I think you’ll find Colorado is more conservative. South of Denver where we live in Douglas county is very conservative. My wife and I really don’t really fit a mold. We are socially liberal, voted for pot, gay marriage etc, but we are also fiscal conservatives mostly because we get taxed into oblivion. That seems to be changing. I think you’ll find Colorado accommodates everybody.[/quote]
Cortez and Mesa Verde would be a long day-trip from Telluride but you could certainly do it. The road south from Telluride over Lizard Head Pass and down toward Cortez is spectacular. Another day-trip possibility is Black Canyon of the Gunnison, near Montrose and not too far north of Telluride - amazing narrow and deep canyon.
Other suggestions for great drives would be to loop south to Dolores and Durango and back up through Silverton and Ouray, then back over Dallas Divide to the Telluride side of the mountains. That whole area is extremely scenic. Another beautiful loop drive would be to head north toward Grand Junction and then west through Unaweep Canyon and back south along the Dolores River Canyon (check out the Hanging Flume) and back to Telluride.
Check 4WD trips out of Telluride and Ouray too - you might be able to tackle some of the easier roads on your own in a rented SUV but a number of them (like Imogene Pass or Black Bear Pass) are better done on with an experienced 4WD driver in a vehicle that’s better-suited to those roads than a stock SUV. Not sure your rental agreement would allow you to do those roads in any case.
I don’t have much experience with dining in Telluride - never stayed there and only been there for lunch. Been to Smuggler’s Brewpub a couple of times and it’s a good lunch option. There’s a pretty good wine shop just down the street from there too in case you need to stock up on more wine.
Yeah, some of those 4WD roads in the mountains between Telluride and Ouray / Silverton are pretty hairy. I’m sure there are 4WD tours from Telluride that would go over Imogene Pass (or one of the other passes) and back over Black Bear Pass. Depends partly on how much snow there is this coming winter and when the roads will be clear - some are only accessible for a few months out of the year. I went on a couple of 4WD tours that were based out of Ouray when I stayed there for a couple of days some years ago. If you do take a tour that goes over Black Bear Pass, I can guarantee that you’ll never forget coming down the switchbacks into Telluride!
You can see the Black Bear switchbacks in the photo below, taken late May this year from just west of Telluride.
Can any of you advise me where I should locate for a hotel in Denver while on my way to Telluride and the same thing while on my way back from Telluride but, staying in CO Springs instead? For both cities seeking a location that makes some sense for food, points of interest and also for route efficiency to and from Telluride? Also, I’d assume staying in Boulder on one of my 2 legs takes me off the beaten path a bit too much? BTW, we’re likely doing a road trip from Minneapolis to Telluride with stops both ways in Lincoln NE and then stops in one night in Denver arriving in CO & one night in Co Spring leaving CO.
. Co Springs sounds like mixed bag. I was hoping it might be really pristine, less liberal than Denver & Minneapolis but still have some good food & wine venues.
![https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/18738823_10208253327885482_5696180129261253873_o.jpg?oh=3e64a7a166d46a687929a35aad491e80&oe=5AF11385[/resizeableimage]](https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/18738823_10208253327885482_5696180129261253873_o.jpg?oh=3e64a7a166d46a687929a35aad491e80&oe=5AF11385%5B/resizeableimage%5D){kind=link}