Colorado

OURAY
To View Other Travel Logs And Photos
Ouray, Colorado

	As we headed north to Black Canyon, the cold rain falling in Durango turned into at first a light snow and then a full fledged snowstorm once we hit Coal Bank, Molas, and Red Mountain Passes, all of which range from 10,000 to 11,000 feet in elevation.  Although a little nerve racking (since we did not have our chains with us and we were not expecting snow), it was very beautiful and kind of fun.  Since we went on average about 15 miles an hour, it took nearly 3 hours to get across these passes, and by the time we hit the town of Ouray, just on the other side of Red Mountain Pass, we were done driving.  So, we decided to stay the night. Turns out we made a great choice.

	Ouray is a tiny town named after a Ute Indian Chief.  It is located smack dab between Durango and Grand Junction, and less than an hour east of Telluride, Colorado, one of Ruthie’s favorite towns (and ski resorts).  It is also the home of many gorgeous, natural hot springs, and Box Canyon Falls.  Our hotel, the Weisbagen, like most of the hotels in Ouray (including even the Best Western) has natural hot springs and a spa on the premises.  The Weisbagen also has a natural underground, cave-like steam room or sauna and a soaking pool with a temperature of 106-108 degrees.  Outside, under the stars and falling snow, there is a larger, naturally heated swimming pool, with the temperature ranging from 99-103 degrees.  As you can imagine, we spent quite a bit of time steaming, soaking, and cooling off in these various caves and pools.  It was fabulous!  However, we would not necessarily recommend staying here, since it was a bit overpriced considering the accommodations and since you can use the hot spring facilities for a mere $10 per person.  Instead, we would recommend Box Canyon Hotel, which boasts natural redwood hot spring tubs and a spa or the Victorian Inn across the street.  Either way, you can still use the Weisbagen’s hot springs, which are very much worth it!
TRAVEL LOG FOR US
COLORADO
To view photos of
Ouray: Colorado
To Continue To Read The US Travel Logs & View Photos