Colorado Road Trip 1- July 2025

Today we began our drive from Fort Collins. It took about 3 hours to get to our first stop- the St Elmo Ghost Town. A beautiful drive up through a stunning canyon gets you to a cool, historic old mining town high up in the mountains. "Ghost" town is a bit of a stretch, but there is a great story to the place. At one time it was home to about 2000 people and was serviced by a railroad. When the mining prospects declined, the railroad stopped operating in the 1920's and legend has almost all residents rode the last train out of the town before the tracks were pulled up. One brother and sister stayed in the town until they were removed by the state in the 1950's. There is now an organization that is slowly restoring the buildings.

Afterwards, we headed down to the Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort. Large property in a lovely spot with views of the mountains. We had a really nice dinner here and walked through the hot springs. There are several pools (including an adult only section) that are fed by the hot springs. These are all man made pools with full services. There is a place where the hot springs flow into the river for a more natural experience. The property was very nice, but not for those looking for the wild and natural hot springs experience. For that experience, the Valley View Hot Springs is located south of Salida. We did not go to this one- it's on the list for next time!

We left after dinner to get to our accommodations for the next two nights at the Outside Design Company. This is one of the most peaceful and relaxing stays I've ever had. The property is made up of about 10 different tiny house options. We stayed in the Rock Room, which is the last unit. We had lots of privacy and the entrance to the State Forest was 15 yards from our door. Each unit is different, so it is important to read the full description of each unit to make sure you get the one that is best for you. Our unit had a small kitchen area with hot plate, microwave, sink and basic dishes, and queen bed inside. A garage door opened up to a large patio with picnic table and hanging queen sized bed.

This is glamping- there are no bathrooms in the units. ONE unit has a toilet and two or three have sinks, but showers and toilets are in a common bathhouse. The bathhouses are a great design and the building also houses a sauna, two hot tubs and a cold plunge, coffee station and small "store" area. I am honestly not a camping kind of girl, but I could have stayed here for a week easily. The night sky was gorgeous and had more stars than I have ever seen in my life.

The next day, we did a hike through the attached State Forest before going down the street to the O'Haver Lake Recreational site. The lake is at 9200 feet and it a lovely little alpine lake area. Parking is $10 for the day and you can paddle board, kayak, fish and hike around the lake and on a few trails from the area. (Bring your own "toys.") There are bathrooms and lots of camping spots should you choose to camp. There is also great hiking if you drive further up Monarch Pass. There are also several companies that lead 4x4 tours all throughout this park.

We next went into the historic old town of Salida. A fantastic little mountain town. So many restaurants, shops, art galleries, but not a stuffy or entitled feel at all. The town sits right on the river and there is a big bandstand where they have concerts and other events. The river was full of people learning to kayak and surf (a multi million dollar surfing area was added to the river). Tubing, rafting and paddle boarding was available and plenty of places to rent the "toys" needed to do any and all activities.

Lunch was at Amica's Pizza and Microbrew. Great pizza, friendly staff and good, local beer. We had an excellent dinner at Shavano. Wonderful staff and the food was really outstanding. They do only serve beer, wine and two specialty cocktails that change regularly. Drinks that night at Tres Litros Brewery. Beer was just ok but the atmosphere was great and lively and they had live music. Several bars in town had live music in the evenings.

**Also, honorable mention to Bunny and Clydes Corner Cafe for great coffee, smoothies and gluten and dairy free pastries and breads.

It was about a 4 hour drive from Salida to Telluride through some of the most varied and interesting terrain. Nothing can describe what it is like to drive into Telluride, located at the end of a box canyon. Gorgeous red rock formations and lush greenery around every corner. It was truly stunning.

We got stuck on the road while they were trying to put out a brush fire that had broken out and were delayed by about 2.5 hours. Arrived later than expected and checked into the Auberge Resorts Madeline Hotel.

The Madeline is the epitome of modern mountain chic and located in Mountain Village just steps away from the gondola. The lobby and living room is absolutely stunning and there is a pool table and games. This is a true family resort. The bar opens up to a large green space in the summer and the skating rink in the winter. There were probably 30 kids playing a wiffle ball game while we were there. We ate dinner in the bar area. The food was very good, albeit pricey, but pretty standard for a luxury mountain resort.

I stayed in a king room. It was very spacious with a large bathroom with soaking tub and two sinks. There was no balcony, and I would upgrade to a balcony room next time. Some rooms are oxygenated, if you have difficulty with the altitude.

The pool is a nice size, with two hot tubs on either end and several fire pits. Located on the 2nd floor, there is a great view of the sunset. The pool is heated and open year round. There is a bar on the pool deck and heated towels for chilly days.

They property has residences as well; up to 4 bedrooms. Each unit is individually owned, so the decor and aesthetic can be different depending on the unit that booked. Auberge "reminds" owners to update and renovate on a regular schedule. It is the owners choice, but if they do not participate in the update program, they are listed in the "classic" category when you are making bookings.

I also saw the second Auberge property in Telluride; Element 52. This is an all private home property with units with up to 5 bedrooms. All independently owned and decorated, and each may have a unique configuration. It is important to work with your travel agent (call us!) to make sure you get the right unit. Thirty three of the total forty seven units are in the rental program. There are three 6000 sq ft homes and two can even connect.

Element 52 is MUCH more quiet than the Madeline. There are two soaking tubs (really just large 15 person hot tubs) and a ski concierge. No large pools and few common spaces because the homes all have huge living spaces.

You can spend a whole day walking the cute streets and shops of Telluride. From town, you can hop on several hiking and biking trails. We did the Bear Creek Trail up to the falls and it lived up to it's name with two bear sightings! The trail is well maintained but is an 1100 foot elevation gain, so be prepared, especially for those who are just arriving to the altitude.

Breakfast in town at Baked in Telluride. Great bakery with breakfast sandwiches and regular sandwiches and a huge selection of pastries. Lunch was at the New Sheraton Hotel, the oldest hotel in the area. Cool, authentic place with a great patio that looks down the whole of main street and straight into the mountains.