Sigh, Colorado.

After a recent post, a reader asked me to ask "what makes you travel?". (ha! a reader! Like I am a celebrated author). What is it for you? Family, friends, adventure, to see new things, to have an experience, to eat different food?  I think for me it can be all of those things but also that a state like Colorado exists. I am not sure what the nickname for Colorado is and while I could look it up, I like to think it is Colorado: The-wait-ten-minutes-and-it-gets-even-prettier-state. I am not being hyperbolic when I say that the scenery constantly changes and gets more breath-taking around every corner.

When you land in Denver, the airport and its mass of humanity are not beautiful, but when you step outside, there are mountains in the distance!  Beautiful!  As you drive and mountains get closer and you can see the different levels in them and snow on the top that helps you think maybe the earth isn't just a hot pit of hell in a Texas summer, and you can't help but sigh.  It is non-stop beauty from left to right and top to bottom. White-barked Aspens along the road with dancing leaves. Pines and cottonwoods (ah-choo) soaring upwards.  Grasses swaying.  Wildflowers abounding.  Sigh. This is just around the Denver area too.

Seriously. This is just the view from the trail by my cousin's house

On this trip with my cousin Jim and his wife Amy, we took their RV and drove to Ouray.  It was a five hour drive and seriously, every ten minutes, it only got better. Oh, there are mountains ahead.  Oh, we are in the foothills of the mountains. Oh, we are over that mountain and there are more.  Oh, there is an idyllic river bubbling and racing along the roadside.  It was so green and vibrant and alive! Pulling into Ouray is like stepping into one of those postcard-pictures of a small town surrounded by mountains.  Ouray is in a box canyon (this is a name I learned, not a soup bowl like I was calling it) with trees and cliffs and mountains all around.  The town itself is small and nestled among the mountains and it just quaint and you can walk all around town to get to wherever you want to go. I imagine the first people to settle there took one look at the mountains ahead of them, ran out of brave, and said "This will do."  And boy does it! I loved Ouray!  I loved our RV park with the bubbling, busy river behind it.  I loved the short walk into town and the variety of restaurants and shops in town.  You can see two different sets of waterfalls from town. I would say that the only thing I did not love about Ouray was our very rude waitress, Heidi, who informed my cousin and I after three beers that we couldn't just sit there and drink all day. Heidi was very wrong as our stop to three other bars proved and really when I think Heidi, I think Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and "Big mistake.  Huge."

Ouray Perimeter Trail

We hiked the Ouray Perimeter Trail and we all said it was one of the best trails we have ever hiked.  My Fitbit claimed 9.5 miles, my cousin's 6; I choose to believe mine was correct.  And I know it has to be closer to 9 because Amy likes to go past every sign that says "Keep Out" or "Closed" so there was some serious meandering happening.  Like the drive to Ouray, the trail changed every ten minutes or so.  Switchbacks, up and down and technical, here we are at a waterfall, the edge of this cliff, an open meadow, a bridge, I can see forever, I can see only these trees ahead of me.  It was technical and a challenge and amazing. I stood very close to a waterfall but not behind because it was cold and slippery and pretended to have my Last of the Mohicans moment.  I crossed a suspension bridge that led into a cave before it popped out on the other side of the trail.  I was not excited about that cave but it wasn't bad.  I felt exhilarated and exhausted. I love that feeling.  If you get a chance to hike this trail, hike this trail!

Just one of a million amazing views.

Picture me almost, but not really close, to the waterfall.

I would have to say that the only other thing about Ouray that was not amazing was the hot springs and that was more on me than the actual hot springs.  When I looked on the internet and the pictures of the hot springs showed me what looked like a community pool, my brain refused to believe and thought "Oh, that is the community pool and the hot springs must be behind that building with the sign that says "Lettuce".  Let it be know that those were indeed the hot springs and the sign said "Entrance" and I should always wear my glasses.  I guess I pictured that hot springs would just bubble up in a quiet pool away from people and it would be me in my own pool and other amazingly good-looking people in their own pools.  It was more like me and all the people you pass by in the airport enjoying the warmth of the hot springs as one.  The water still felt amazing and I really appreciated that they had two pools where no kids were allowed.  

After Ouray, we went on to Telluride.  There we hiked the Bridal Falls Trail which was crowded and my knees were sore.  There is just no good way for a flatlander to condition their knees or lungs for real hiking.  My cousin, jerk that he is, commented to two people who had stepped aside for me that "Wasn't it nice to see senior women on the trail?"  Be it known this man is nine years older than me and I cursed him out appropriately just as four of the blondest, most angelic, cherubic children popped out of nowhere and heard all of the bad words I called him.  I hope they prayed for me at dinner that night.  This trail was also gorgeous and the weather at the top of the trail by the falls was like winter! Telluride itself was crowded but we ate an excellent cheesesteak from a food truck and took the gondola up and over the mountains.  That was a great view!  We watched people preparing for some race up the mountain and all I could wonder if why they hated themselves?

not bad at all.

Next we drove a highway that is either called Last Dance Highway, Million Dollar Highway, Million Dollar Baby, something like that. (I don't pay very good attention when I am not driving) Winding, winding, winding until you come out on the top and wonder if you are indeed at the top of the world. It sure felt like it!  There wasn't room to stay for the night so we just pulled over and had a snack of leftover ribeye and feta; roughing it, I believe this is called.  Every person stopped to say hello and ask where we were from and talk about how frigging gorgeous it was up here.  They were not wrong.

Even in pictures it's breathtaking.

After Telluride, we went to Silverton and then Palisades.  I like the little town of Silverton because it was small and not crowded and really got my fear of bears.

IYKYK

In Palisades, we stopped at a winery and enjoyed a different view. It is a high desert but has enough water to be famous for its grapes and peaches.  It felt much dryer and browner and the terrain seemed more full of mesas than mountains but it was still beautiful.  After, um, three glasses of very nice wine, I ate the best peach of my life.  Was it the best peach of my life or was it the best peach after three glasses of wine?  I can't say, but the cherries were good too.  You'll just have to go and try some yourself to be sure.

This trip was amazing because of the the things I was able to see and experience.  It was amazing because it was time spent with family I love even when they are incredibly rude to me on a mountainside or make me go into places that say "Danger".  The weather was perfect and neither too hot nor too cold.  Also, I think I am not exaggerating when I say that every single person in Colorado owns the happiest and healthiest dog I have ever seen.  These silky-haired dogs were everywhere we went and smiling and living their very best dog life.  I imagine that if you move to Colorado, you are stopped at the state line to go in and pick out your own gorgeous dog.  (even shelter dogs are gorgeous in Colorado).  

So, if you are wondering why it is that you travel, go see Colorado. You won't wonder another minute; you will just know.