General Information
LODGING
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ACTIVITIES
ATTRACTIONS
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Our stay included a two-story condominium fully furnished with two baths. The building had ski storage lockers was at the base of the new quad chair lift and a 3 minute walk to the free gondola ride into the quaint town of Telluride. The kitchen was complete with all appliances including the small appliances such as a toaster and microwave oven. All cookware and utensils were included. Bath towels were fluffy and plentiful. Hand-stitched sofa and bed pillows created the charm of a historic inn. The view from the master bedroom included the mountains in the day and the Big Dipper at night. Mornings are quiet, cool and spectacular as the sun reflected off the nearby pines and aspen filled mountains.
A 7-hour drive from Denver (including scenic view stops) takes you back in time but not far from your present needs. Culture abounds as people have made Telluride Mountain Resort their second home. In addition to the famous film festival, jazz and bluegrass festival, Telluride sponsors the Joffrey Ballet, the mushroom festival, theater, artisans and art stores. The Sheraton Opera House opened in 1913 and it still holds performances celebrating today its excellent acoustical construction. Although most Hollywood actors come for vacation rather than work, Telluride boasts more than its share of popular guests.
Ashley Boley has met most of the Hollywood stars right on the streets of Telluride. Ashley provides history-walking tours to introduce you to the small town of Telluride and its lively history. Ashley points out the first bank robbed by Butch Cassidy and friends, and the hotel where presidential hopefuls spoke in support of the silver standard for U.S. currency. Ashley shows you one of two remaining "Galloping Goose" on display in the town. The goose ran on rails using a 1927 Buick truck gas engine.
Population in Telluride peaked at over 5200 people from 1900-1904 with the development of the silver mines. Miners worked 12 hour days earning a whopping $2.40 per day. Considering that a single egg cost $2.00 at that time, many people risked dying young in order to strike it rich with silver. The present population of Telluride is about 1600. The ski slopes were developed in the early 1970s and the town has grown into a preserved, year-round western vacation haven.
I was surprised to find a host of restaurants from which to choose. In the Mountain Resort, acclaimed chefs honor the western heritage with authentic cuisine coupled with contemporary styles. Caswella's is open for both lunch and dinner hosting fresh ingredients and 40 different kinds of Tequila. 5280 is feast for the eyes as well as the appetite. They serve rare game meats in a creative continental style. The Inn and Conference Center has a restaurant for all hours of dining which serves healthy meals rich in fruits and grains. It provides an atmosphere of the authentic west with Spanish and Indian decor. (I had an omelet made of fresh vegetables and egg whites - hard to find away from my own kitchen.)
Outdoor activities abound in both summer and winter. For our summer visit, we rode horseback with Rowdy finishing with an outdoor cookout, went jeeping through the historic mines and over Imogene Pass (take the black bear road to Ouray if you dare; it is only open barely 8 weeks each year.) We hiked to a double waterfall right from the center of Telluride, rafted the San Juan River (class 3 all the way), and biked through the roads and down the hills. Golfing in the Telluride Mountain resort provides the most magnificent views possible. It's hard to keep your eye on the ball when you can watch the changing sky, aspen quavering in the breeze and wildlife roam through the fairways.
If you want to get away from it all, to spend time with you family away from telephones and TV, the Skyline Guest Ranch offers summer and winter activities and events. This is 160-acre plus ranch has been in business for over 30 years. There are three fishing ponds stocked for summer fun and frozen in winter for ice-skating. The ranch offers horseback riding, hiking, biking and jeeping. The ranch holds no more than 40 people and displays western antiques worth over $5 million dollars today. Skyline Guest Ranch is a quiet, beautiful and fun ranch for all ages. Weekly rates include everything - lodging, dining and activities. The snow-capped mountain view is free of course.
Telluride is accessible by car, jeep, and airplane where you can land at the
highest airport in North America. Take the time to experience the very best in
western history, modern culture, and outdoor fun in one of the nation’s most
spectacular areas, the San Juan Mountains. See you at the Telluride Mountain
Resort.
CAZWELLAS - Foods From This Side of the Planet, Located in the Mountain Village.
Telluride Horseback Adventures Roudy Rouderbush proprietor. Box 2091, Telluride, CO 81435, (970) 327-4813.*-TravelBank.Com-*
Telluride Historical Museum
317 North Fir Street, 970-728-3344
Hours: Wed-Mon 10am-4pm, On The Web
*-TravelBank.Com-*
TELLURIDE OFFERS SUMMER ADVENTURE IN THE SAN JUANS Adults and children explore history, geology, flora and fauna in the mountains June 14-Sept. 7 TELLURIDE, Colo. (June 21, 1999)-For the third year in a row the Telluride Ski & Golf Company's (Telski's) summer Mountain Adventure programs are opening up the far reaches of the San Juan Mountains. With local guides, adults and children venture into Telluride's backyard to explore the region's history, geology, flora and fauna. Telluride's Mountain Activities are offered now through September 7 and include walking, hiking and biking tours and children's outdoor education.
"Adults can take strikingly scenic hikes and bike rides while children boulder, climb, fish, hike, tumble, swim, explore, discover and create arts and crafts," said Peter Walker, manager of Mountain Activities for Telski. "The San Juans and our Mountain Activities are the perfect marriage, offering guests a safely guided setting for exploration and insight." The Children's Summer Adventure Camp integrates Telluride's unparalleled natural environment with its cultural history to provide youngsters ages 3-12 with an outdoor education program full of fun, exercise and learning. The mountain education program has rotating daily themes. Monday's "The Desert Meets the Mountains" leads children through the exploration of local plant life and the discovery of how altitude effects flora; Tuesday's "Volcanoes and Rocks" shows children how the incredible mountains surrounding Telluride took shape and are still taking shape; Wednesday's "Wild Mountain Creatures" teaches the children how deer, elk, coyotes and bears adapt to the cold Telluride winters and warm summers; Thursday's "Dams, Mines and Cliffs" brings the children to Idarado, Ingram/Ajax mines, Bridal Veil and Ames Falls and the Ames fishing hole to show the various topographical attributes that drew settlers to the region and Friday's "Search and Rescue" teaches children how not to get lost, what to do if you get lost, how to find people and basic first aid and safety. The curriculum is designed so that kids have a blast without realizing that they're learning. Additionally, the kids may take a trip to Telski's handcrafted Teepee Village or try out the climbing wall designed just for kids ages 6-12. All programs provide children with a closely supervised natural environment in which to explore. All adventures are based out of the Mountain Village Activity Center and run 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. daily with lunch included. The cost is $45/child/day.
Adult programs are guided by a group of local characters who escort participants through the landscape of the San Juan Mountains while providing their own colorful tidbits of history and folklore. The summer schedule includes bike tours from The Peaks Resort & Spa to Ilium and the San Miguel River featuring the scenery of open fields, mountains, pine woods, red rock canyons and river front (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., snack included); hiking tours on the Telluride Mountain, through Alta Lakes and the historic town of Alta (Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., lunch included) and the historic 4x4 tour to the Graysill mine, Silverton and the high peaks of Ophir (Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.). Van transport is provided as necessary and bike rental is available. Plan to rent your bike through Telluride Sports' locations at the Plaza, Franz Klammer Lodge or The Peaks Resort & Spa a half-hour before the daily tour begins. Adult summer biking tours are $38 without bike rental and $55 with bike rental. Adult hiking tours are $45 and include a guide, transporta tion and lunch. Adult historic tours are $60 and include a guide and transportation.
The summer programs run from June 14 - September 7. For additional information and reservations call (970) 728-7538 or (970) 728-4477. For lodging reservations call Telluride Central Reservations at (800) 854-3062. For additional information visit Telski's website at Telluride Ski and Golf