At the end of August we took a road trip with our nearly-one-year-old to Western Colorado. We stayed in an old miner cabin in the mountains and it was D R E A M Y….well for us. If you are of the kind that needs a shower and a running toilet, this little airbnb isn’t for you. We used a bucket to rinse off and made some early morning runs to the outhouse. It was magical. You pay for the view and boy is it worth millions. While we were there we ventured out to all the little mountain towns to see what all they had to offer. We loved every little area that we visited.
RIDGWAY
You can see Ralph Lauren’s “Double RL” Ranch between our cabin and Ridgway. I believe there is about 8 miles of highway frontage and a few entry ways that you can see along the way.
Our first night in Colorado, we made sure to hit up the True Grit café. Wren loved the mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. Gus and I ordered meatloaf. (I was trying to think outside the box but wished I had done otherwise…not my fav) I’ll talk more about food in other neighboring mountain towns that I’d suggest. Though we didn’t much care for the flavor, it’s definitely the aesthetic you’re paying for. I’d say – grab a drink at the bar area and call it good for the evening.
TELLURIDE
What a cute mountain town. My friend, Rachel McGinn, had been on this trip and recommended several areas to us so we basically stuck to what she suggested. She had mentioned a free gondola ride and it was definitely a hit for us. We jumped on at Telluride and road up the mountain (about a 14 minute ride) to Mountain Village where there were plenty of shops and eateries.
We LOVED the food in Telluride. There were tons of options and what we went with was top notch. We had breakfast at “the baker and the butcher” and it was to die for. I think I had the best mocha of my life. For dinner we had pizza at The Brown Dog. It was Detroit style which I’ve never had. So yum.
There were several cute shops that we walked through but I’d save the shopping for Ouray.
OURAY
My new fav little town. I’ve been all over the world and this is a top 5 place for me. We started our day at Box Canyon for a tiny hike to see a cool waterfall inside the canyon. It was neat to see and didn’t take long to view.
After the canyon, we shopped the cute little stores up and down the road. My favs were Rockin P Ranch and Chief Ouray Trading Post. Rockin P Ranch is my new fav store filled with all kinds of western home goods and fashion. I also purchased some white buffalo pieces from Chief Ouray. Ouray was a lot more relaxed of a town than Telluride. More of our kinda people.
SILVERTON
We initially didn’t think we’d have time but we made time to drive the “million dollar highway” between Ouray and Silverton. The highway speaks for itself because the views were ah-mazing. If you are afraid of heights or steep drop-offs without guardrails, this drive isn’t for you. Once we arrived in Silverton we decided to grab a late lunch at Handlebars. We loved it. It had an old west feel and the service was fantastic. I ordered ribs like a boss and they were delish. Gus ordered gazpacho and said it was the best he’d ever had. We grabbed some ice cream at a local parlor and called it a day. We drove the million dollar highway back to Placerville (cabin location) and pulled off at some of the turn offs on the way and we were so glad we did. The views are even more magnificent outside the truck.
If you go on this trip, you have to let Rachel (@racheljoi) and I know. We’d love to hear about your time in Western Colorado. If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out. I’d love to chat!
XOX
Suz