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The Jewel Within the Jewelry Box
(Telluride, CO) - Spend one day in the ruggedly
beautiful state of Colorado and you’ll understand why
Katharine Lee Bates wrote America the Beautiful during a
trip in 1893, and John Denver wrote Rocky Mountain High
eighty years later. Colorado is one of the most
celebrated states in the country for its natural
grandeur and healthy, easy-going lifestyle that revolves
around the outdoors. As a part of the American West, it
shares the rich heritage that took place in the
histories of its native peoples, as well as the
country’s development in the 1800s as a young nation on
the move with big dreams.
Spend one day in historic Telluride, and you’ll
understand why so many residents and visitors consider
it the jewel within the jewelry box that is Colorado.
Tucked away in the southwest corner of Colorado – the
only place in America where the corners of four states
meet - the Wild West’s colorful history rests
comfortably within the shadow of the rugged and
magnificent 14,000-foot San Juan Mountains. This
impressive range stands stalwart, sheltering acres of
woodlands, meadows, running rivers and trails around
historic Telluride.
The town is a four seasons Mecca for outdoor activities
and cultural attractions. As the locals tell it: they
came for the skiing, but stayed for the summers. Like
any gem, it may take a bit longer to find, but what a
treasure to discover! Actually, Telluride’s salvation is
its location - few other places provide such a sense of
escape and tranquility.
Telluride was incorporated in 1878 under the name
Columbia, and was later renamed for the ore tellurium -
but locals prefer the more colorful explanation that
winks at today’s unpretentious lifestyle and a proud
kinship to its earlier days: To Hell You Ride!
Roughly fifty square blocks of restored Victorian
buildings, world-class art galleries, restaurants and
boutiques, this old mining town has evolved into the
Festival Capitol of the South West. During summer,
there’s an event nearly every weekend, with the Blues
and Jazz concerts headlined by the world’s best
performers. Heck, we even have a Nothing Festival, where
nothing is celebrated that weekend! In addition, there
are theatre groups, dance troupes, art programs,
lectures and museums.
Telluride has seen its share of gun fights, fires,
avalanches, gold rush booms and busts since the heydays
of 1905 to 1911, when it cashed in on more than $16
million in gold and silver. The town was in decline
since the 1930s, until a few visionaries demonstrated a
kindred spirit to the early settlers and opened a ski
resort in the 1970s. Telluride once again came into its
own.
Funny thing though, with all that Telluride has to offer
year-round, there is a thing or two it doesn’t have –
the nearest stoplight is 45 miles away!
It’s always ‘peak season’ in the American West
While the terrain surrounding the Mountain Lodge at
Telluride can be rugged and challenging any time of
year, the accommodations and amenities of the resort are
upscale, comfortable and downright spoiling. From the
new, casual Black Horse Bar & Char located in the
exquisite lobby Great Room, with its soaring ceiling,
log walls and flagstone floors, and the myriad of
lodging choices with granite countertops and plush
furnishings, to the pool, fitness room, concierge
services and daily housekeeping – those stupendous views
– find yourself or lose yourself at the Mountain Lodge
at Telluride.
Mountain Lodge at Telluride
457 Mountain Village Boulevard 401-732-2582
Telluride, CO 81435
www.mountainlodgetelluride.com
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