Colorado Trip: Days 6 & 7 Placerville/Telluride/Ouray

February 25, 2026

Colorado Trip: Days 6 & 7 Placerville/Telluride/Ouray

From Grand Junction we headed to our next stop which would bring us to Placerville/Telluride and Ouray.

Ouray was a stopping point and not a place we stayed the night. We spent a few hours there before heading out mostly because a few people had suggested it. It was a drizzly day.

In Ouray:

Box Canyon: This was worth going to. Though also spelled Box Cañon falls. The cost of entry was $7 a person. There is a neat gift shop and information center. There are two trails. One is a mostly level trail into the canyon. There are some steps to climb if you want to go down to the water. The second trail is the high bridge trail that takes you above the falls and also connects with the perimeter trail.

Perimeter Trail: This trail would be great to take if you had a lot of time. We walked in just to a waterfall and headed back. The trail is a 5.6 mile hike that, as the name suggests, goes around the perimeter of the town. We ran into a few people who did it. There is about an 1800 foot elevation gain (and remember you are already at a high elevation).

I am regretting not doing these posts sooner, or at least outlining them after each stop. My memory is getting foggier. I don't think we ate anything here. I'm literally googling things to see if something triggers a memory. I think this was just a quick stop and it was a rainy morning so we didn't stay long.

In Placerville/Telluride: I really enjoyed Telluride. Placerville was basically a little "blip" you drive through but is where our lodging was located.

Where we stayed:

Bivvi hostel: I have never stayed in a hostel, but this one caught my eye. It had private rooms and was reasonably priced and in this part of Colorado, reasonably priced is hard to find. It had recently gone through a remodel. It was very nice and very comfortable. It was also very quiet. We stayed here two nights. They offer a continental breakfast and there is a fridge for use.

This was the lobby. Very nicely done and would be a great place to hang out.

Where we ate/coffee shops:

Brown dog pizza: This was a great pizza place. It was a bit crowded and loud, but the pizza was worth it. We tried a few different options. We had their Parma Italiano and then a peperoni mushroom, olive and pineapple. I believe we tried some wings too.

The New Sheridan: Our anniversary was approaching so we decided to celebrate by eating at the New Sheridan Hotel. This was a splurge for us...they did throw in dessert since we were celebrating our anniversary. It is well worth it though. Everything was amazing. We tried their french Onion Soup (I'm not an onion soup fan, but this was incredible), and their bread. We also tried the Romaine Caesar and that was great. Their menu is seasonal, I had lamb and my hubby had elk. For dessert we shared the trio of ice cream.

The Coffee Cowboy: Great coffee and two locations. A brick and mortar and a coffee truck near the Gondolas. I hit up the brick and mortar.

Between the Covers Bookstore and Bruno Cafe: If there's a combo bookstore AND coffee shop, I'm there. This was so cute. The coffees were very simple..nothing fancy, but very good.

I felt silly when I couldn't find the menu..Love how they did this. They also had tea available and limited syrups.

Baked In Telluride: On one of the mornings, my hubby had to jump on call for work and stopped here, sitting outside for his call. He enjoyed a few pastries and a steamer.

What we did:

Ride free Gondolas: We did this several times. Ride the Gondola and stop at various points where you can get out, shop, walk around, etc.

Shops: We enjoyed browsing all the shops. I went in them several times.

Telluride Corvettes and Colors: This typically takes place the last weekend in September. We didn't know this was taking place but it was really neat. If you love cars and are planning a trip to Colorado, make time for this. They clear the street and the cars park right down the middle. We got there in the morning and parked in the parking garage.