We arrived in Telluride late-afternoon and, after checking into Bear Creek Lodge, we headed out to explore. Telluride and Mountain Village offer a free gondola service between the two towns. The ride takes about 13 minutes and operates from 6:30a-Midnight (except for Friday and Saturday during the summer when it operates until 2:00a). We arrived at the Mountain Village gondola station just before 7:00p and were dropped off at the base shortly after.
We had dinner reservations for our 5 year dating anniversary at 8:30p so we had about an hour to kill before heading to the New Sheridan Chop House. On the recommendation of some friends, we headed to Last Dollar Saloon which was located on the corner of Colorado and One Streets downtown.
Upon entry there was a long bar to the left and a few high top tables on the right. In the rear was a stairway that led up to a rooftop deck. We ordered a couple of drinks from the bar and headed upstairs. We found a table and sat to admire the views of the San Juan Mountains that completely encircled the town. The sun was setting which covered them in an golden glow.
After finishing our drinks, we made the short walk down Colorado Street to the New Sheridan Hotel. The Chop House was located on the first floor and the hostess immediately showed us to our seats.
We were seated in the corner of the restaurant in a comfortable, L shaped booth that had a great view of the dining area. We started with a round of cocktails as we perused the menu, which is below.
Mrs. ATX Jetsetter and I split the filet along with the mac and cheese and whipped Idaho potatoes for sides.
To round out the meal, we had coffee, ice cream, and a couple glasses of celebratory champagne provided by the restaurant.
By the time we finished dinner it was past 10:00p so we headed back up the mountain on the gondola and turned in for the night, the long day of travel finally catching up to us.
Friday morning, I was up bright and early for a couple of work calls. Mrs. ATX woke up around 9:00a and we headed down the mountain to join the wedding party for a 10:00a hike up to a nearby waterfall. The hike left from the edge of downtown, close to the Mountain Village gondola station.
We met up at the bottom of the mountain a few minutes before 10:00a and started the climb up a few minutes later. The climb itself was mild and the weather was perfect as we worked our way out of the valley.
After an hour of hiking we made it up to the falls which had a fantastic view of the valley below. The photos don’t do the view justice, it was amazing.
We spent 30 minutes running around the falls taking pictures and even stuck our heads underneath to help cool off. As much as we tried, no pictures we got came close to capturing our surroundings.
The hike back down was much easier and more relaxing than the hike up, though we did get a few rain showers as we got close to town. Famished from the hike, we grabbed a late lunch in town before heading back to the lodge to relax and prepare for the welcome party.
The welcome party was held at the Last Dollar Saloon and we got the same great views we had the night before, though this time we got to visit with the bride and groom as well as many of our DFW based friends. After the welcome party, a few of us headed to a nearby bar to continue the celebration before calling it a night.
Saturday was wedding day and after getting ready we headed up to the top of the gondola run, halfway between Telluride and Mountain Village for the ceremony. The ceremony was held outside at the San Sophia overlook and had the mountains and town of Telluride as the backdrop, which was absolutely stunning.
After the ceremony, we made the short walk to Allred’s Restaurant for a post-wedding brunch with equally amazing views.
Brunch ended around 2:30p and we had roughly 4 hours before the reception began. Most of us, myself included, headed back to the lodge to relax and hang out with friends. Mrs. ATX Jetsetter even managed to catch a nap.
To round out the weekend, we headed back down to Telluride and over to the Ah Haa School for the Arts which is where the reception was being held. The sun was setting behind the mountains early into the event and we had a fantastic sunset to cap off a great weekend.
We danced the night away and, to round out the weekend, sent the bride and groom off into the night. With the wedding weekend coming to a close, we headed back to the lodge to pack and get a few hours of sleep prior to our flight to Denver the next morning.
Summary
While Mrs. ATX Jetsetter and I are no strangers to Colorado, this was our first trip to Telluride and we were blown away. The towns of Mountain Village And Telluride are located off the beaten path but, once you’re there, the surrounding area is unmatched in Colorado. We look forward to returning, especially during ski season!
In This Trip Report
