The Charming Town of Telluride, Colorado

On July 27, 2020July 27, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado5 Comments

The town of Telluride in Colorado has managed to keep that small town feel despite being a popular resort destination in both the summer and winter seasons. In order to allow the town to keep is historic feel, the resorts are purposely located in the Mountain Village with a free gondola providing transportation between the village and the actual town of Telluride. There are some smaller condominiums and homes for rent within the town itself, making a great alternative to the larger resorts that are located on the side of the mountain.

San Miguel River that Runs Through Telluride

Some of the Condominiums Along the River

Walking the streets of Telluride, you will find beautiful Victorian homes, small shops, and a handful of unique restaurants. The town sits in a valley surrounded by rocky peaks and steep hillsides, which serve as ski runs during the winter and hiking trails during the summer. We enjoyed going on a couple of hikes during our stay in Telluride, first on the popular Bear Creek Trail and then taking in the views from the Owl Gulch Trail. For those looking for something more adventurous, renting a mountain bike and zooming down the winding mountain bike paths will certainly get your heart racing.

Butterfly and Flowers on the River Trail

We stayed in a condominium right on the river that winds through the town of Telluride. We enjoyed walking along the trail that follows the river from one end of town to the other. It is a great way to get into nature without having to leave the town. Walking and hiking certainly helped us gain a healthy appetite to try the wonderful food that the restaurants serve as well as have a cold beer to cool off from the warm weather. We live at an elevation of 6,500 feet ( meters), so the 8,750 foot ( meters) elevation of Telluride didn’t impact us too much, but if you live at sea level, you will want to be prepared for the effects of the thinner air.

Waterfall from the Main Street of Telluride (Bridal Veil Falls is Not Visible from Town)

Located about 7 hours from Colorado Springs and about 8 hours from Denver, heading to Telluride is certainly a destination away from the typical resorts located on the I-70 corridor. In many ways, Telluride reminded us of Aspen due to the way the town has kept its historic feel without feeling like a tourist destination. We also find the mountains of the San Miguel Range, where Telluride is located, to be even more dramatic and they have often been compared to the mountains of Switzerland and Austria.

Leadville, Colorado – A Step Back in Time

On June 22, 2020June 22, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado9 Comments

As you head into the mountains of Colorado, you will find that most of the towns have grown quite substantially and are surrounded by condominiums and private homes. There are, however, a few historic towns that still exist and we truly enjoy visiting them. Leadville is a little unique as it sits at over 10,000 feet (over 3,000 meters) high and can be difficult to reach during the winter as the roads that reach the pass are often closed. There are some snowmobile tours that you can take around the area, which are quite interesting and can even take you to an old ghost town in the area.

Even if you visit during the summer, it is important to remember that it can be quite cold in the high country, especially at night. We were there in September, so the scenery around the town was spectacular with all of the colors of autumn. Walking through the town is like stepping back in time where you can see buildings from the 1800’s. Probably the most iconic building on the main street is the Silver Dollar Saloon, which has amazing character and was supposedly frequented by Billy the Kidd back when he was in the area. There is a lot of memorabilia on the walls and the bar is original to the building.

The old railway station is another place that should be on your list to visit if you make your way into the mountains to see Leadville. The train still operates out of Leadville and during the summer months you book a ticket on one of their daily trips. Seeing the mountains from an old train is something that you will never forget. Leadville is located about 2 1/2 hours outside of Denver, which makes it an easy day trip and you will be rewarded with wonderful views of the Rocky Mountains.

Visiting the historic town of Leadville is certainly worth the time if you are visiting Denver or even spending time in the high country of Colorado. Even if you don’t make it to Leadville, it is worth the effort to get away from the large resort areas and seeing one of the historic old western towns that still exist today.

Quito, Ecuador

On May 19, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn South America11 Comments

During our time in Ecuador, we made Quito our home base and then did excursions from there. We had a lot of things planned for our visit to Ecuador, so we sandwiched our excursions with time in Quito before and after our various adventures. It worked out really well because we had a couple of days to get acquainted with Quito before leaving every day and then we had a couple of days on the back-end to relax and enjoy the city after seven straight days of waking up early, most days at 5:00 am. Our hotel was perfectly situated between Quito’s old town and the restaurant district called Mariscal. There was also a park on one side and a market selling local products on the other side.

On our first day in Quito, we had to walk through the park on way to the old town area and on the weekends artists sell their originals all around the park. We strolled along the sidewalks looking at the artwork and various items for sale. We didn’t buy anything that day, but we did see a watercolor painting that we knew that we wanted and we returned the following weekend to get it as our memento of our trip. There were so many wonderful paintings that we wish we could have purchased several of them. The walk to old town takes you by many small shops specializing in a variety of products such as shoes, suits, toys, etc., plus there are many tiny restaurants, many of them selling ice cream to the cars that were passing by as well as the pedestrians on the sidewalk.

As with many cities, there are several churches and cathedrals that are the highlights to see and the most beautiful of these was the Basilica, which also provides the opportunity to climb to the top of the tower with wonderful views of the city. The Basilica del Voto Nacional is the largest neo-gothic basilica in the world and its architecture is truly stunning. In addition to the Basilica, San Francisco and La Compaña are two must see churches. Seeing the gold-plated walls of La Compaña is something that will stay with us for quite some time. Each of these churches was beautiful in their own ways and are definitely worth visiting.

The other location that we spent a fair amount of time at was the Plaza Grande, also known as Independence Square, with monument to the independence heroes in the center of the plaza and two palaces around the square. You can also see the changing of the guards at 11:00 am, but the crowds can be quite large. There is also a shopping area inside of one of the palace buildings with wonderful restaurants and excellent local artisan crafts. It is an excellent place to sit and have a glass of wine and people watch. It was also where we saw the most tourists of any place that we went to during our time in Quito.

Another location that is definitely worth visiting is Calle La Ronda, which is a street with old world architecture. You definitely can feel the history as you walk along the cobblestone streets and in many ways it almost transports you to Spain. The balconies with their colorful flowers, small shops and restaurants, and bustling streets are very fascinating. Although we didn’t take the time to go up to it, you can’t miss seeing the Panecillo statue, the statue of the angel that oversees Quito’s old town. There are several other sites to see while you are in Quito, but these are the ones that we felt were most important.

Quito is like any major metropolis with different neighborhoods of various economic wealth. There are definitely places and times when you need to be aware of the possibility of petty crime and pickpockets. With that said, just like any city, you just need to be smart about where you go and be aware of your environment. We found everyone to be extremely friendly and helpful wherever we went in Quito. Especially in the old town area, Quito’s old world charm was very interesting and enjoyable. It is definitely a city that deserves at least a couple of days in order to fully see everything that it has to offer.