“I AM NOT ON THIS EARTH BY CHANCE. I AM HERE FOR A PURPOSE AND THAT PURPOSE IS TO GROW INTO A MOUNTAIN, NOT TO SHRINK TO A GRAIN OF SAND.”
TELLURIDE, COLORADO
favorite part about Telluride winters: It’s funny because I get two totally different feelings when I’m in the snow. I feel like being around a fresh coat of snow is so pure, tranquil and spiritual. But it also brings out the kid in me who wants to run, jump and play. Luckily, I got to experience both!
Telluride is one of the most picturesque mountain towns you will ever see. I call it the quintessential ski town. Everywhere you look seems to be cinematically perfect, but it’s even better – – because it’s Mother Nature at its finest! It’s absolutely magical and majestic. The town itself is made up of one main street, can you guess the name?? Yup, Main St. It’s lined with pubs, cozy restaurants, art galleries, and local shops and boutiques.
WHAT TO DO
SKIING/SNOWBOARDING
Telluride has been my favorite place in the U.S. to ski/board because they get totally dumped with snow very regularly so you are always on fresh powder. Plus, you can’t beat the Telluride views from the slopes.
SNOWMOBILING
We went snowmobiling during Winter Storm Helena and it was a total blast! There are multiple different companies you can use, as well as many different locations. You usually also have the choice of half-day or full day. I recommend doing a half-day. I promise you will still get PLENTY of excitement! It still takes up the entire day basically and you don’t want to be out there longer or you will freeze! Which brings me to my next very important point, make sure you wear waterproof clothes and gloves. Wearing your ski gear would just be easiest. (Or you could be like us and forget to bring your gear and beg them to let you borrow theirs)!
Dog Sledding
My sister and I did this one year and it was an unforgettable experience. It was straight out of the movie Snow Dogs! How it works is one of you lays down in the sled and the other one stands with the musher on the back of the sled. We got to switch spots half way through the mushing so we could experience both positions. There is no cooler feeling than going through Telluride terrain being pulled my beautiful and powerful huskies.
SNOWSHOEING
If you aren’t into the crazy excursions, this is for you. Yes, this is that sport where they put what looks like tennis shoes on the bottom of your feet and you trek. I will tell you, it is harder than it looks and it absolutely will give you a workout. You can take it to the extreme and go up slopes and into the back bowls on guided tours, or you can go on flat surface area. In Telluride, we just wanted to get a taste for this, so we went to a gorgeous park just past Main St. where lots of people go and train for snowshoeing.
SHOPPING
Main Street could not be a cuter strip to peek your head in and out of art galleries and adorable local boutiques. (Or shops because you forgot your proper winter gear…)
GONDOLA
Once you get to town, you don’t need access to a car. The gondola is free to ride and takes you to and from Telluride (where most of the shops and restaurants are) and Mountain Village (where most of the hotels are, as well as more shops and restaurants). The gondola starts running super early and goes until very late, so no worries with not being on the right side of the mountain by a certain time. Plus, it’s really fun to ride and gives you STUNNING views. So if you aren’t into skiing but want to see what everyone else is seeing, you can ride the gondola for free all day long. And huge bonus, you don’t have to worry about drinking and driving! Did I mention it’s dog friendly?!
Waking up to these views is pretty amazing…
HOW TO GET THERE
Telluride is tucked in the San Juan Mountains and is pretty difficult to get to compared to other towns – – which makes it pretty exclusive. If you’re flying, you fly into the tiny Montrose airport and take about an hour and a half drive to Telluride (that is the amount of time it takes without blizzard conditions).
FOUR CORNERS
If you drive to Telluride, like we are lucky enough to from Phoenix, you get a beautiful drive through Northern Arizona, passing Monument Valley. You also drive past Four Corners so you can say you stood in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah at the same time (it’s possible — you’ll just look like you’re playing Twister.) I’ve traveled there both ways and as long as Telluride is my destination I’m happy!
telluride video
I hope you enjoy scrolling through some of my favorite pics from our getaway! Weather the storm (literally), experience some of our adventures, and see how gorgeous this town looks without a cloud in the sky by joining our #roadtrip and watching our Telluride video!
Where we stayed:
We go to Telluride frequently and have stayed both at a private home a few times and a hotel. The hotel we stay at is The Madeline Hotel & Residences Telluride. You walk out the front door and you are at the gondola. We have also stayed at The Peaks Resort & Spa Telluride.
Where to eat:
I’m legit obsessed with all of these places and go to each of them every time we visit! Allred’s (fine dining at almost 11k feet up. It’s at the top of the gondola), Rustico Ristorante, Brown Dog Pizza, The Butcher & Baker Cafe (They have lunch & dinner also, but breakfast here is a MUST!), Last Dollar Saloon (bar), Chop House Resturant, 221 South Oak Telluride
Where to go:
Mountain Village, Telluride, Main Street, the slopes, the activities I listed above
Where to fly into:
MTJ (Montrose) unless you fly private into Telluride. (That also is usually unlikely due to winter weather conditions.)
