Riding the Gondola in Telluride, Colorado

On July 14, 2020July 14, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado4 Comments

Whether staying in downtown Telluride or staying in the Mountain Village, you will want to take advantage of the free gondola that can shuttle you between the two. Depending on the time of day, there can be long lines to get on the gondola, but it moves pretty quickly. There is also a stop at the summit that is 10,540 feet high (3,212 meters) with hiking trails and a really nice restaurant called Allred’s with incredible views.

The gondola operates 290 days per year, with scheduled downtime during the non-peak seasons, and runs between 6:30 am and midnight daily (and until 2:00 am on Friday/Saturday). The ride between Telluride and the Mountain Village takes a little less than 13 minutes as the gondola travels at 11 miles per hour during the journey. Most of the cabins are fitted with bike racks in order to carry mountain bikes up to the top of the mountain.

Heading Down Towards the Mountain Village

Although the gondola serves as transportation between the Mountain Village and the town of Telluride, it is really about the incredible views of the mountains that make it worthwhile even if you don’t have a reason to travel from one location to the other. It was hot during our stay in Telluride, so it was also nice to get a little higher in altitude where the temperatures were slightly cooler.

The Short Runway of the Telluride Airport

Amazing Views as We Headed Back Towards Telluride

Bear Creek Trail Near Telluride, Colorado

On July 13, 2020August 17, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Hiking5 Comments

One of the more popular hiking trails near Telluride in Colorado is the Bear Creek Trail. It is popular for a variety of reasons, its proximity to town, the moderate incline, wildflowers, and the stream that runs next to the trail. Like any hiking in the Colorado high country, it is important to drink plenty of water as well as to be aware of the altitude and pace yourself. The trail is nice and wide, which also means that there is plenty of sunshine that can make it a hot hike on a summer day.

The trail winds its way amongst the groves of Aspen trees as it climbs its way for an elevation gain of a little over a thousand feet (300 meters). Although there aren’t many views of Telluride from the trail, the mountain peaks are visible from many locations on the trail making for some dramatic scenery. Because of its popularity, there will be many other hikers on the trail with you making the chances of seeing wildlife slim and perhaps not as much of an escape into nature as some other trails.

Pond with a Beaver Dam Just Outside of Telluride

This was one of our first hikes of the season due to the fact that we haven’t been able to get out as much, so it felt really good to get out on a trail and hike for a few hours. With so many trails to choose from in the area, it is hard not to find one that meets your hiking skill and endurance level. The trail is considered to be moderate, but when hiking in the mountains, there are always going to be strenuous sections with some steep inclines. Hiking Bear Creek Trail was certainly a great way to start our stay in Telluride.

Summit in the Distance at the Start of the Hike

Titop Island on Halong Bay, Vietnam

On January 16, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Vietnam8 Comments

There are many interesting locations to see when taking a tour of Halong Bay in Vietnam and Titop Island is certainly one of them. There is a sandy beach where visitors can go for a swim to get out of the heat, but the highlight is climbing to the observation deck with the incredible views of the bay. Titop Island is one of the most popular islands in Halong Bay, so be prepared for plenty of crowds coming and going during your time there.

Titop Island was one of the first locations that we visited during our two day tour of Halong Bay. The island itself is named after Gherman Stepanovich Titov who was a famous Russian cosmonaut and there is a statue dedicated to him on the island. We were told that the island was named Titop instead of Titov due to the translation to Vietnamese. After passing the statue of Titov, there is a place to purchase refreshments and access to the beach with a few chairs for those that want to relax on the beach.

The main reason for visiting Titop Island is to climb the approximately 400 steps to get to the top of Titop Mountain and see the amazing views from the observation deck. It is a steep climb, but well worth the effort as you can see Halong Bay from every direction stretching out away from the island. It also gives you an opportunity to see how many different cruise ships are also touring this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We enjoyed all of the excursions that we took from our cruise ship during our tour, but Titop Island was probably our favorite location. We didn’t walk on the beach or go for a swim, but we definitely made our way to the observation deck to see the views and take what are probably some of our favorite photographs from Halong Bay. We spent about two hours on the island, but we were pretty much finished in less time than that.