Ouray, Colorado
Hip, Hip, Ouray!
I’d take credit for this title, but I stole it from a coffee mug. I did end up buying it so consider credit where credit is due officially check marked. And congrats to me on my new punny coffee mug.
If you love mountains and small towns with big personalities, you need to get your butt to Ouray. It’s called the Switzerland of America and while I have not made my way to Switzerland yet, I feel very confident that is as accurate as a tagline can get.
Bold statement, but I’m going on record: Ouray was my most favorite stop on this road trip. It’s an old mining town sporting some of the OG buildings from the 1880’s, all surrounded by pure nature infused bliss. Situated at the start of the Million Dollar Highway, Ouray allows access to whatever method - drive, walk, run, dead sprint - of nature peeping your heart desires.
Accommodations
If you love dogs more than you love humans (hi, it’s me), you’ll feel right at home in The Spotted Dog Studio. It is affordable, the perfect size for 1-2 people, located conveniently in between Ouray and Ridgway and filled with dog pun decor. The hosts were also so kind and I woke up to a family of deer outside my window one morning. Aka magical.
Food
Maggie’s Kitchen: A+ burger and fries. Order at the counter, find a spot on the covered patio overlooking Main Street and people watch the day away.
Mr Grumpy Pants Brewing: Lucky for everyone, this establishment shares a patio with Maggie’s Kitchen. I’m not sure if this is a COVID only requirement, but one must ring a gong to be served. I rang it while looking deep into the owner’s soul and I regret nothing. The beer was tasty too.
Artisan Bakery & Cafe: A good spot for a grab-and-go bacon egg and cheese, specifically on a croissant. You do need to put on your patience pants as it’s all made-to-order so a bit of a wait time but that’s also a sign it’s the good stuff.
Crumb Bakery and Cafe (Ridgway): Made-to-order burrito heaven. One burrito was the equivalent of 2 full meals, but I had no choice but to eat every bite.
Nature
If there was ever an experience I wish I could bottle to revisit at a later date, it was everything in Ouray. My pictures simply don’t do it justice, but the scenes live rent free in my brain. You can find hikes of all levels, but I stuck to some easy to moderate options:
Million Dollar Highway: If you do a single thing in Ouray, make it this drive. It’s not for the faint of heights heart as it requires some non-barrier-hairpin-turn-cliff-driving, but if my sweaty ass nervous palms can do it, I promise you can too.
Crystal Lake (pictured above): As you drive south towards Silverton on the Million Dollar Highway, you’ll happen upon this lovely lake. You can stroll around the perimeter. It does parallel the road though so don’t expect middle of nowhere quiet.
Lower Cascade Falls Trail: Really short 0.2 mile easy rated trail that leads up to a waterfall. I’d say it took my breath away, but that was actually the altitude. I met some adorable women in their 80’s on the walk - if they can do it, you can do it.
Ouray Perimeter Trail: Insane views around every corner. I did 3 miles out and back, but it’s technically a moderate rated 5.6 mile loop. If you hop on the trailhead at the waterfall, you’ll catch some gorgeous views of the town and then end up walking along a bubbling brook deep in the woods. I was fine in sneakers, but there were some slippery parts.
Other Activities
Main Street! Main Street is one of the cutest strolls I’ve ever taken myself on. This is where you’ll find some of the OG buildings from the 1880’s, cute gift shops, breweries, and restaurants - all surrounded by endless mountain peaks.
I want to be The Blue Pear when I grow up. Located right on Main Street, this was what adorable gift shop dreams are made of. I ended up purchasing a water color painting that one of the employees did of Mt. Sneffels and it’s now my favorite possession.
Visit the set of a Western classic, True Grit. There’s several iconic locations from the movie right in Ridgway, but a short drive away you can visit the house that appears in the opening and closing scenes too. The Ross Ranch is on Last Dollar Road, which is off at Route 62 heading to Telluride. Just keep your eyes peeled for Last Dollar Road signage and then get comfy with some dirt road driving. It was also really cool to pass by some enormous fully functioning ranches along the way.
