Monday May 22, 2023
After sleeping in a little later than expected, it was time to get up and get ready for our “tour of the towns!” We ate breakfast and headed towards our first stop Telluride, Colorado.
Our hour and half drive was beautiful, the mountain tops were still white with snow and the valleys at the bottoms were luscious and green with small wildflowers. The landscape our route took us through was more forrest like, which allowed for a refreshing change of scenery.
After stopping for some photos, we arrived at Telluride. The gondola was not running, because it was under service. So, with that out of the plan it was time to head towards the downtown area. The town was small, quaint, and very cute. It was interesting how even the Ace Hardware and County Courthouse matched the architecture of the town. The first stop we made was a small souvenir shop where my Mom and I purchased stickers and Anna bought a t-shirt and a cup. Then, it was time for some coffee. After walking several blocks, there was a place called Bruno. This coffee shop was particularly interesting because it was attached to a book store. While waiting on our coffee, the four of us decided to look around the book store. Once we had finished our coffee, we headed to the visitor’s center and went in an outdoors store. This was the end of our adventure in Telluride, Colorado.
Making our way to Ouray, Colorado, Anna and I ate our sandwiches and took a short nap. Once we were rested and ready for the next activity, it was time to hike Box Cañon Falls. At the entrance of the small park there was an area where colorful birds and chipmunks could be seen eating and frolicking through the woods. The trail to access the falls was relatively short, only taking about fifteen minutes. Parts of the hike were a dirt trail however, some were metal grates allowing you to see below you. Getting closer to the water fall you could hear the sound of rushing water and feel the mist coming off of the rushing water. The power that the waterfall put forth, was amazing and somewhat intimidating when you are standing right next to it. The cave like area that housed the waterfall was narrow but deep, cool and dark. Following the short but neat hike we drove through the small town as it began to hail.
The drive to our next stop, Silverton, Colorado was even more gorgeous than the route to Telluride. The road we drove is also known as the Million Dollar Highway, and I can understand why. Driving along one of the curviest highways with no guardrails, you are able to experience some of the most breathtaking and postcard like views that the West has to offer. The mountains were vast and towered over the small towns, some reaching the clouds. At some points, there was an opportunity to look straight down into the canyons and sometimes see a view of the city nested in between the mountains.
In Silverton, a town that had an old west feel we were able to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity. At the end of a well kept gravel road laid the Old Hundred Mine. This mine was claimed in 1872 by the three Neigold brothers from Germany. The brothers spent the next 30 years prospecting and developing the veins on the Galena Mountain. Later in 1898 a large block of claims was assembled and one of them was named “Old Hundreth”, eventually leading to The Old Hundred Mining Company. They now offer tours of the mine, which we decided to do.
While waiting for your tour to begin you can pan mine, shop the gift shop and view the boarding house previously used by the miners on the cliff sitting at 12,000 feet of elevation. Everyone is required to wear a yellow rain jacket and a hard hat, what a look! After we were seated on our real mine cart and prepare to enter the dark, wet and cold mine tunnels, the tour began. The journey into the mine took approximately 4 minutes and took us directly to the area for our tour. Our tour guide was excellent and explained the mining process and the tools used of the different time periods. The evolution of the methods used to drill the holes was cool to see. By the end of the tour we were experienced miners!
Once the tour ended around 5:00 and by then it was time to head towards Durango, Colorado where we ate dinner. On the way there, the was pretty and full of color despite the rain. Before eating dinner we stopped a grocery store called Nature’s Oasis, where you could buy whipped honey and much more. After, the four of us decided to go a location called 11th Street Station, that had several food trucks to choose from. My Mom and Dad had Korean bbq bowls, while Anna and I shared a pizza. We also found a food truck that had gourmet popsicles and got some ice cream.
Following dinner, the four of us decided it was time to head back to the house. Once at home, we packed to head our next location, I worked on the blog and then, we went to bed.
Overall, Monday was a fun day filled with many stops that were all very fun.
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