Telluride Colorado

• Telluride claims it had the first electric streetlights in the world. Back in 1890, the need to process all the goldminers’ ore led to harnessing the hydropower of the San Miguel River at the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant.
• Mount Wilson (26 miles from Telluride) was the inspiration for the Coors mountains on the brewery’s logo.
• Butch Cassidy's first bank robbery was in Telluride. Butch got nearly $25,000 from the robbery. The movie Butch Cassidy & the SunDance Kid were filmed in & around Telluride.
• Telluride is the home of Telluride Regional Airport, the highest commercial airport in the continent at just over 9,000 feet above sea level.
• Bridal Veil Falls is found in Telluride and it’s the tallest free-falling waterfall in the entire state of Colorado at more than 360 feet.
• Telluride has the distinction of being the first town in the world to have AC power.
• The Telluride Gondola is the first, and so far only, gondola offering free public transportation in the United States. It’s been in service since December 20, 1996. The gondolar links the two lodging centers (town of Telluride and Mountain Village). The gondola system is run by "wind power". It is a 13 minute ride from the Telluride base station to Mountain Village.
• Telluride won the America’s Best Ski Resort in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards from 2012 – 2014.
• Telluride’s town shuttle, called the Galloping Goose, is free for humans and their canine companions.
• The longest ski run at Telluride Resort is the "Galloping Goose" at 4.6 miles.
• The town of Telluride is eight blocks wide and 12 blocks long, and the entire box canyon it sits in, is surrounded by 13 and 14 thousand foot peaks. The elevation of the main street in Telluride is 8,750 feet.
• Telluride was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1964.
• Telluride Webcams can be found here.

• What is Telluride’s Altitude: The elevation of the town is 8,750 feet above sea level. The town is situated at the local minimum elevation, so there is virtually nowhere to go but up from there. The surrounding mountains reach heights of 12,000 to 14,000 feet.
• Will I Experience Altitude Sickness: You may notice the effects of the altitude immediately and it may take several of days to get acclimated. You may experience shortness of breath, quickened pulse, and light-headedness. It usually gets better in a few days with rest and plenty of hydration.
• What does the Gondola to Mountain Village cost: The gondola is free to pedestrians and skiers who want to travel between Telluride and Mountain Village. Mountain bikers and hikers can also ride the gondola to access the ski area trails. There are handicap accessible cars as well as cabins designated for pets.
• What is Telluride Weather like: This location provides some of the nicest weather in North America. Telluride boasts over 300 days of sunshine a year, and if it not snowing or sprinkling, Telluride is pure sunshine. Winters are mild in comparison to other resorts to the north. Summers are comfortable days and cool nights. The air is dry here with low humidity, which may impact people used to higher humidity.
• Is Parking in Telluride Difficult: No, free parking is available in several locations around the Village, including; the Gondola parking garage, Meadows Run parking, Heritage parking garage, Town Hall Plaza parking, South Village parking center and North Village parking center. Some of the side streets allow free two-hour parking, and a few back streets have unlimited parking, however, because Telluride is very walkable, once you are parked it is simple to move about the downtown area. Here is a link to a Telluride Parking location map.
• Accomodations in Telluride: There are approximately 110 hotels in Telluride, even more if you consider that there a number to be found in the Mountain Village area above Telluride. We selected the Ice House Condos & Suites (via Search Expedia) because it had parking and is located close to the gondola and places to eat. Here is a link to a Google Search Result for hotels in Telluride.
• Where are places to eat in Telluride: There is a range of eateries, so you have a choice of locations & cuisine. Here is a link to a Google Search Results list for places to eat in Telluride.

Telluride & Durango had been in our plans since day zero, we knew we wanted to explore both areas. The drive north from Durango was exciting as it passes through some amazing mountains & passes. The route we used (route 550) is 120 miles in length.

The Million Dollar Highway is part of the San Juan Skyway and is one of the most spectacular drives in Colorado. The road climbs up to 3 very high mountain passes; Coal Bank Pass (10,640 feet), Molas Pass (10,970 feet) and Red Mountain Pass (11,018 feet). The stretch between Silverton and Ouray, the part everyone talks about, is only 25 miles in length but takes about 42 minutes to traverse.

• Just Traveling Thru Travel Planning Tips
• Telluride, CO Website
• Things to do in Telluride on the "Planetware" Site.
• Google Search Results list for "restaurants in the Telluride area"
• Google Search Results list for "accommodations in the Telluride area"
• Best Hikes in the Telluride area on the "All Trails" site
• The Essential Guide to Telluride Ski Resort on the "Trip Savvy" site
• Skiing & Snowboarding at the Telluride Ski Resort on the "Telluride" site
• Amazon Search Results for "Telluride, CO"
• Visit our Youtube Channel

As you can see by the this map, our trip covered 3 different states, approximately 1,600 road miles and allowed us to see some spectacular geography. You might think that a trip of this distance would be something that would result in a "tired of driving" mood - but our stops were so diverse with such incredible geography and fun things to do, that we found that we looked forward to each morning to where we could continue our adventures!

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