A COVID Roadtrip
Even though we’re enjoying our quarantined time together, once businesses began to re-open, we were itching for a weekend getaway.
We’ve lived in Colorado for five years and there is still so much we want to see and do. For this trip, we settled on a drive to Telluride and planned to visit Ouray with a few other quick stops as well. These places, especially Ouray, frequently come up as some of the most scenic spots in Colorado. Our plan was to sight see, hike and just hang out without planning anything too specific (we have a tendency to over-plan causing unnecessary stress). We’d leave early Friday morning, stay two nights and return home Sunday.
Agendaless Excursion
The drive to Telluride was absolutely gorgeous. We drove south to Canon City and took Highway 50 west along the Arkansas River. The boys and I have taken this highway as far as Monarch Pass on the Continental Divide for some skiing and snow tubing at Monarch Mountain. My sister and nephew were with us on that trip, but not Dennis. I remembered a spot on the drive when we came around a curve and got our first clear panoramic view of a huge stretch of the Rockies. Each drive west towards the Divide has a spot that practically knocks the wind out of you when you get that first look at how big and majestic the mountains are. Ben calls it the “delicious and nutritious” spot and I couldn’t wait for Dennis to experience this one for the first time.
Unfortunately, for people like me who tend to suffer from motion sickness, there’s a downside to these gorgeous drives. I started feeling it soon after our pit stop in Canon City so we picked up some Dramamine. It kept my nausea at bay, but also put me in a deep sleep from which I didn’t wake until we reached the Continental Divide at Monarch Crest.
I may have missed the delicious spot, but at least Dennis and the boys were able to enjoy it while I slept off my Dramamine coma.
Curecanti National Recreation Area
Once we made it over the Divide, there were a couple of stops on our list. The first was Curecanti National Recreation Area. We stopped here to stretch our legs and to eat a quick lunch of road trip sandwiches. But what we also got was beautiful views of the Blue Mesa Reservoir, huge mesas and steep canyons. Getting pictures of the views proved difficult as we were met with 40 mph wind gusts blasting us in the face with sand. We took turns quickly jumping out of the car to snap pics while someone else held onto the car door. But just look at our photos!
Black Canyon of Gunnison River
Our next stop was a scenic pull-off at Black Canyon of the Gunnison River. We hopped out in our flip-flops for a quick look. After spotting steps that led down to the river, we decided to get a closer look. We flip-flopped down and were met with an awesome view of the river with high, jagged canyon walls all around. The boys tested the water, we briefly soaked up the views then headed back to the car. Eager to see more, we made the decision to leave early enough on Sunday to visit Gunnison National Park.
Telluride
The next stop was our final destination, Telluride. Our condo was at the deserted ski resort in Mountain Village and we were so exhausted that we went straight there, not even really seeing the surroundings. The restaurants were still COVID-closed, and we missed the re-opening of the gondola that takes passengers into Telluride by a couple of weeks. But we didn’t mind. We were there for some family time away from home where we knew we’d get to see more of the beautiful nature that Colorado has to offer.
The condo was perfect for us: The kitchen was full of cooking supplies. Each bedroom included its own bathroom. There was a big living room with comfy furniture. And the private deck included a gas grill and a hot tub! The boys weren’t crazy about the twin sized beds in their room since their feet hung off the edge, but they only complained about a dozen times.
Unpredictable Mountain Weather
Saturday morning, we woke up excited to explore Telluride and Ouray. The weather had different plans though, and brought in a rainstorm with wind gusts so strong that they blew our gas grill off the porch! We patiently waited for the weather to calm down and then set off into Telluride.
Telluride is an adorable mountain town nestled in a box canyon of the rocky San Juan mountains. As you drive from one end of the main street, you’re surrounded by people walking and riding bikes like you’d see in some rom-com movie. Charming shops and restaurants lined both sides of the road while waterfalls cascaded down the mountain directly ahead.
We decided to make the falls our first activity in Telluride, and before we knew it, we’d spent the whole day there.
Parking was available at town level but we decided to try driving up further. Thank goodness we have a 4-wheel-drive SUV because that drive was treacherous! We parked right next to water gushing down from Bridal Veil Falls; Colorado’s tallest free-falling waterfalls. They were magnificent! We didn’t even mind that we were drenched and freezing. But we still wanted to go higher, so we set off on foot. The trail took us to a similarly amazing waterfall, Ingram Falls. Once there, we were able to see spectacular views of Telluride. We even walked across a small wooden bridge to an old gold, silver and lead mine, Pandora Mill.
After taking a million photos and videos, we hiked back to our car. And we were starving! We drove into town and picked up Brown Dog Pizza, a local restaurant with mostly 5-star reviews. Back at the condo, we inhaled delicious pizza, salad and wings while we discussed extending our stay. We still wanted to spend a day in Ouray, but also visit Gunnison National Park on the way home. It would be impossible to do both in one day. If the condo was available for an additional night, we decided we’d stay until Monday.
Hooray for Ouray
Ouray is also home to waterfalls and we decided to check out Cascade Falls, not really knowing much about them. Once we parked at the trailhead, a sign pointed arrows to lower falls and upper falls. Both directions showed a distance of .4 miles, so we chose the upper falls trail thinking it would have the better views. Remember, we hadn’t done any research on these trails other than how to get to the parking lot.
After a steep, presumably .4 mile hike, we reached the next sign. That’s when we realized it wasn’t .4 miles to the “upper falls” but .4 miles to the next sign. A family on their way down convinced us to keep going, telling us, “It’s a challenging hike, but it’s worth it!” So we decided to keep forging ahead.
We brought some water, no snacks, no trekking poles and no phone signal to see how long this trail actually was. This hike ended up being the most difficult hike we’ve ever done! It was steep & uneven, rocky, and very narrow in some spots where looking down is not recommended. We wanted to turn back several times but kept going because of the distance we’d already come. Plus the views are unmatched.
Except for the waterfall…
As suspected, once we reached the top of the falls, it didn’t compare to Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride, but we made it and we survived! And enjoyed some great family bonding time with, surprisingly, very few complaints! But that wouldn’t last long, because after that four-hour hike, we needed food, stat! Back in town, we ate at Goldbelt Bar & Grill with a dog-friendly patio.
Monday was our bonus day! Dennis took an extra vacation day. Since I couldn’t cancel my ESL (English as a Second Language) classes that were already scheduled, I taught from the condo. A big benefit of working for PalFish is that you can teach from anywhere that has good wifi. This was my first time taking advantage of it. It worked out well, and the students loved the change of scenery.
Gunnison National Park
On the drive home, we stopped at Gunnison National Park. We didn’t have time to hike because I had to get home to teach more classes that afternoon. So instead, we drove through and stopped at a few overlooks to take in what we could. The Black Canyon is overwhelmingly breathtaking. We were sad that we couldn’t spend more time there and vowed to return. A campout may be required so we can view the exceptionally dark night skies with thousands of stars unobstructed by light pollution.
First COVID Trip in the Books
Our first trip since COVID is in the books! On the drive home, we brainstormed even more places we want to visit while living here. It’s pretty long, though, so we’d better get started.
But first, we’re planning our annual trip to Missouri and Norfork Lake, AR! So much to see, so little time…
more photos & videos from our Getaway
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awesome!Always enjoy the amazing pictures and stories about your Road trips and hiking adventures.