We had planned to stay at Ridgway State Park for 3 nights, and use it as a base camp for some time in Ouray and Telluride, but after the mudslide, we were limited to one night there. We were able to park our camper in the Ouray Hot Springs parking lot, which was a perfect setup for us since we could eat a hot lunch right out of the camper. The hot springs, water slide, and obstacle course were great, and we thought of it as a big reward for our tough hike the day before!
Later that evening, we pulled into our campsite at Ridgway. We have loved staying here in the past, especially the great kid activities they have at the visitor center. A few years ago, the kids favorite summertime activity was dissecting owl pellets at the visitor center… you just never know what is going to leave a permanent impression on these trips!
The next morning, we ditched our camper by the Ridgway visitor center and snuck off to Telluride for a few hours. It was too quick, but so nice to return to this magical place! We have a great shot from this rock several ago… please stop growing up kids!
One of our favorite activities in Telluride is taking the gondola up to Mountain Village. The kids love climbing on the boulder up top, checking out the nature center, and walking around the shops. Next time, we will definitely allow a full day here to spend more time in town and do the waterfall hike we have done in the past (this year, unfortunately and fortunately, it was pretty dried up, so we didn’t miss much this time)! (travel dates 7/10-7/11/18)
