A Summer Road Trip to Telluride, Colorado!

Telluride is a very small town surrounded by box canyons and is one of the best Ski resorts in the USA. It doesn’t matter if it is winter or not, Telluride is beautiful year round and a summer road trip here was an exclusive considering it is an off season. Driving through the Cornfields, Red Rocky Mountains, Canyons, Green fields of Montrose, Bluewater of the Gunnison county, dry land of Cortez, it covered every variety of Landscape and colors one could imagine. Everything is just more convenient in summer, the drive, the accessibility to the usually snow covered areas, the hike on some inaccessible trails. Located in San Juan mountains you are privy to stunning views in this town. All of this just ignited the wanderlust in me and I began planning a summer road trip to Telluride, Colorado with my friends Ashly and Mayur.

We decided to drive from Denver > Telluride> Pagosa Springs > Denver.

Day 1: Flight to Denver

I took an evening flight to Denver for $160. Being centrally located, flight tickets to Colorado are almost always cheap from anywhere in the USA. We decided to get some drinks, food and catch up. The Thin Man in midtown Denver was our pick. Their infused vodkas and trippy lighting is what tempted me into trying this place. We tried their strawberry infused tequila and cucumber infused vodka shots. The drinks are relatively cheaper than the other bars in Denver.

Day 2: The Drive to Telluride

Our plan was to cover a bunch of spots on our road trip to Telluride. So we left in the morning, got ourselves some delicious empanadas at Maria Empanadas. Their Veggie, mushrooms and cheese, Argentina Steak, Banatella were my favorites. They also serve mimosa from freshly squeezed OJ. After some good food, we were en route.

– 1st Stop: Glenwood Springs

We drove through Glenwood Springs and were shocked by the landscapes that we came across on our way. The extensive fields and mountains in the backdrop compensated for the otherwise gloomy weather. We couldn’t help but take small stops every now and then. With a view like that, sitting inside the car felt highly unfair and unappreciative of nature around us :-p

– 2nd stop: Palisade

Palisade is known for its winery. “Life tastes good here” is their motto which was pretty interesting so we decided to stop by. They are also known for their peaches and landscapes. We drove by Mount Garfield and Fruit & Wine Byway. The Fruit and wine byway was our favorite to experience the lavender gardens, vineyards and fresh farm fruits. You can also explore the historic downtown of Palisade and a gorgeous view of the Grand Valley here.

– 3rd stop: Blue Mesa Reservoir

This was one of my favorite stops. It is a bit off track from the straight road that goes to Telluride. But we decided to go either way. On our way, we came across beautiful Red Rocky Mountains, green rolling landscapes of Montrose. As you keep driving on highway 50 towards Curecanti National Recreational area you see the high mountain desert that opens up into the broad landscape of blue sparkling water and talus-sloped hills. Here you will see Blue Mesa reservoir, where the water of Gunnison river gathers before carving into the walls of Black Canyon. A beautiful spot to relax and stretch your legs.

 

– 4th stop: Telluride

After 8 hours of a wonderful drive, we were finally in Telluride. It was past midnight and all the hotels, stores were closed by the time we arrived. We were hungry but nothing was open. May being an offseason period, everything closes by 9:00PM. We munched on some snacks and took our tired asses to bed.

Day 3: Exploring Telluride

We were staying at Mountainside inn near the busy street of Colorado Ave in the heart of the small city. We woke up with growling stomachs screaming for some food. As we were searching for a place to eat, we saw the city in the daylight and were stunned to be surrounded by Snow-clad peaks, cute wooden houses, quirky stores and the panoramic views. We were indeed in the Swiss Alps! We were actually happy that we made a summer road trip instead of winter.

Things to do in Telluride

1) Trout lake a couple of miles ahead of Mountain Village and around 15 miles away from downtown Telluride on highway 145 is a nice, quaint place for a picnic, to read a book, kayak or swimming. The lake is surrounded by beautiful houses, condos that you could also rent for the weekend.

2) Cornet falls on Aspen Dr, takes around 20 minutes of a walk to get here.  You park on the side of the drive and walk uphill till the road ends and you see dirt surface. That’s where the trail starts. These falls are surrounded by Red rocks which makes it stand out from the other falls around the area.

3) Drive to the Mountain Village or take a free gondola ride up here. A European style village, it is located at almost 10,000 feet of elevation from the sea level. It looked even more beautiful in the summer, with the spruce covered mountains and colorful trees encompassing swanky houses everywhere. Summer is perfect for biking or hiking up here. You will find a lot of restaurants, bars, boutiques and souvenir shops as well.

 

4) Bear Creek falls is around 2 miles roundtrip of a hike. Located in the narrow bear creek canyon amidst the cliffs, these falls are beautiful and visible from across the meadows.

5) Get some drinks at the only bar that is open until 2:00 AM, O’bannons Irish Pub. We found out about this place from one of the locals. Located on Colorado ave which is the main street where all the restaurants and bars are at, this place is located right next to Telluride Bistro. Take the stairs going down and you’ll see this is where all the people have been hiding at night.

Places to eat/drink in Telluride

1. La Cocina De Luz a Mexican restaurant also serves an amazing and filling breakfast with margaritas.
2. We were late after driving around the town all day and were struggling to find a place that was open. We first decided to eat at “there” first, half an hour until the closing time left and we still couldn’t get in. On their recommendation, we went to Steamies Burger. They were closing too but they were ready give us a to go. We were happy that we at least got some delicious burgers to eat.
3. The baker and butcher cafe is one of the favorites among locals. It is a very neat European style cafe with elegant decor. Their tomato basil, pesto egg sandwiches are perfect for a good breakfast. They also serve mimosa, apple, tomato juice, and coffee.
4. O’bannons Irish Pub, for some cheap beer and games like snooker, darts, video games etc.

Day 4: Leave for Pagosa Springs

We got ourselves some breakfast at the Baker and the Butcher Cafe and left for Pagosa Springs. If you are in Telluride, you wouldn’t want to miss the Pagosa Springs which is around 3 hours drive away from Telluride.

– 1st stop: Mesa Verde National Park

Located in Cortez on your way to Pagosa Springs, this national park is famous for preserving the Ancestral Puebloan who made this place their home 700 years ago. You will see the huge cliff palace, rock carvings and top loop road that overlooks the beautiful view of canyons. Driving in this National Park felt peaceful and pleasant.

 

– 2nd stop: Carver Brewing company for lunch

After spending a couple of hours in the park, we left for Durango to get ourselves some food. We chose Carver Brewing company on Main street in the historic downtown of Durango. They have an outdoor patio which is perfect during the summer to sip on some drinks and great food.

– 3rd stop: Anima’s chocolate company for some coffee.

Located right next to the restaurant, this coffee shop serves the best latte I have ever had. I was instantly a fan. They also sell hot chocolate mix, fudge, chocolate truffle bars, chocolate shot glasses etc.

– 4th stop: Pagosa hot springs to soak into the natural the hot springs.

After driving for a couple of hours, we were looking forward to taking a dip in the hot springs. The springs resort is an awesome place to soak in the hot springs. Apart from being a luxury resort it is also a full fledged spa. They have 23 pools with different temperatures and is the world’s deepest Geothermal hot spring. It was a perfect way to end the day!

Day 5: Back to Denver

You could also stop by Great Sand dunes National park. It reminded me of the White sands in New Mexico. We left early morning for Denver, a 6 hour drive back through more amazing views on our way back.

A summer road trip in Telluride is a distinctive experience and something you wouldn’t want to miss!