Dolores, CO to Telluride, CO
We woke up not knowing if we were going to stay here and use Dolores as our base camp for Colorado or if we’d continue up to Telluride. Jason had met some cool people the night before and we liked the vibe of this campground. It was very well maintained, the new best showers of the trip, and had a small cafe on site. Jason brought the dogs for a walk and I got laundry started.
We didn’t have a lot of time to decide if we were staying or going. Ultimately we decided to try to move closer to the action and packed up to go. Jason and I both have high compliments to the owners on the way out. Very groovy campground for sure!
There were quite a few dispersed camping sites on the way we were considering, but our top choice was Sunshine Campground. It is about 15 minutes outside of Telluride and it had great reviews- but it’s hard to get into. Since we left so late this morning, I wasn’t sure we would get a spot even though we only had to go an hour and a half away. Dispersed sites usually get taken early in the day since they are free or cheap.
We stopped to get gas and there was some construction going on in the road, but that’s not what was remarkable. Highway gas price yet- $4.09/gallon. Arg! We skimmed the bottom of the jacks on the way out of the gas station but no problem. There was construction and the way out wasn’t the way we would’ve chosen to go.
We passed Lizard Head camping and Alta Lakes to our #1 desired location- Sunshine Campground. This is a small campground with 15 spots that are hard to come by. It’s 10 minutes from Mountain View and 15 minutes to Telluride.
On our approach we see the sign glowing at us “Sites Available”. After a quick squeal we drove in and found that almost half the site was empty even at 12:30pm. The hosts came over to talk to us and they had quite a life story! They must’ve been in their early 70s. They had been long haul truckers for years together, driving from San Diego to NY and back in 5 days for years. Holy crap! They have been everywhere, but they had never been to Maine, so we gave them our information and let them know we had a cottage they could rent from us. She was so excited! Our house by the lake is pretty incredible. Can’t wait to return!
We found our site – #8 of course. There was someone in a tent next to us but no big deal. The hosts had warned us about the storms, but we weren’t too worried after the dust storm the day before. Then they mentioned where we could see the hail that had fallen two days earlier and we were slightly less excited haha.
The thunder was BOOMING about 30 minutes later. Never have heard thunder this loud and this close. The sound was crackling around us. We gave Patch some CBD treats and headed for an almost restful nap.
We woke up around 6:30 with the rain at bay but my tummy saying we needed to find food. I have never researched Telluride so I had no idea what to expect. I thought maybe it would look like Providence? Everyone talks about this place so I thought it was huge.
Ummm I wasn’t even close. This quaint little town packs a punch but it was nothing like I had imagined. Very touristy- I’ll definitely say that- but overall I loved the vibe of this town. I actually want to fly back with my sister because I think she could like this place.
We stopped at the first place that had open outdoor seating and WiFi and I figured I’d find something edible for me. Steamie’s fit the bill but by the skin of its teeth. They had a chili I could have and I added on items to bulk it up. I was a little shocked about the items I COULDN’T have on the menu. But I trusted them that I couldn’t and had the chili. It was very good. Hot. But good.
The most important thing happened while we were at SteamieS. Usually when we are out west, we spend the bulk of our time with our great friends, Kevin and Chris. They’ve been out in Colorado for 25 years and have done a lot of exploring, so they’ve been helping us along whenever needed. They didn’t have the time they’ve had before this summer so an adventure with Kev and Chris and their adorable pups was off the table. But we just wanted dinner and drinks so we bit the bullet and asked…. And patiently (okay okay I wasn’t at all patient) waited. They responded with a YES!! Woohoo!!!
We were PUMPED!! All the stars are aligning on this trip. We are just too excited now! Even hours with Kev and Chris will fill us up and we know it. And I get to meet their newest pack member- Abiquiu!
I’m sure the rest of the night was great. We got back after posting a few days on the blog on SteamieS free WiFi and I ate some chips and hatch green chili salsa because I needed a little more than a baby cup of chili. We researched the hike for the next day and went to bed peacefully knowing in mere days our friends would be with us. The best feeling in the world is being with people who you love and who love you. I was truly at peace.
Vegan On the Rhode 