Get Away to Ouray
Tucked deep in the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado, Ouray is an idyllic winter escape for both outdoor adventurers and soak-in-the-scenery lollygaggers alike.
Take a detour from the overcrowded ski lifts and over-commercialized mountain towns this year and explore a town that’s stoically stuck in time.
With all the North-Face-jacket-clad tourists meandering down sloping streets lined with Victorian-era homes and storefronts, it’s fascinating to picture a time when mules and horses outnumbered people in Ouray, Colo.—just one of the many charming historical tidbits that contribute to the town’s mystique.
Known fondly as the “Switzerland of America,” here’s what not to miss when spending the day in Ouray.
Go now:
Each January, the world’s best ice climbers descend on Ouray to scale up dozens of man-made frozen waterfalls—anywhere from 80 to 200 feet in height—lining the town’s Uncompahgre Gorge. Watch in awe as icepick-wielding climbers carve their way from the base of the falls to the top.
A weeklong outdoor extravaganza celebrating the niche sport of ice climbing, the Ouray Ice Festival (Jan. 14 through 17) is made possible thanks to a water irrigation system lining the walls of the gorge. This year, the event is highlighting women—aka “the crushing divas”—brave enough to strategically pick their way to the top of the falls. Festival nights bring a lively mix of music, food, dance parties and live auctions to this typically tranquil town.
ourayicepark.com/ouray-ice-festival
Go do:
- On an average 35-degree day in January, a swimming pool might sound like the last thing you want to get into. But a slow wade into the steaming Ouray Hot Springs Pool feels more like easing into a hot tub. The natural spring water sourced from underground thermals reaches from 102 to 106 degrees in the hot section.
ourayhotsprings.com - Take in a movie or live-music performance at The Wright Opera House, a 127-year-old historical institution in downtown Ouray. According to the opera house’s website, Ed Wright and his wife, Letitia, built the entertainment venue in 1888 as a way to “provide the Ouray populace with cultural opportunities to offset the influence of the dance halls, saloons, gambling dens and houses of ill repute.”
thewrightoperahouse.org
Go eat:
- Start your morning off on the right foot with a steaming cup of coffee and a fresh-baked pastry at Roast & Toast. Founded in June 2015, this locally owned and operated coffee shop on Main Street lures visitors in with its natural-light-filled space and worn-in leather brown couches.
roastandtoastouray.com - Satiate your mid-afternoon sweet tooth with some dark-chocolate salted caramels or an assortment of Belgian chocolate truffles at the small-mountain-town mainstay, Mouse’s Chocolates & Coffee.
mouseschocolates.com - Cap off your evening with dinner at The Outlaw Restaurant. While the menu hovers somewhere between down-home cooking (Steak is a mainstay here.) and upscale elegance (baked artichoke hearts in a white wine and Parmesan cheese sauce), the atmosphere borders on the rustic side. One glance at the drink menu, though, and you might just find yourself swapping dinner for colorful stories at the bar.
outlawrestaurant.com
Go experience:
- Soar high above the surrounding countryside in style during this hour-long hot-air-balloon ride. For more than two decades, San Juan Balloon Adventures has lifted people’s sights to new mountain heights. See what wildlife you can spot meandering through the brush below, and celebrate a late-morning flight with brunch and Champagne.
sanjuanballoon.com - Wind your way through shimmering snow-capped peaks the old-fashioned way: via a vintage steam locomotive. Grab your camera (or cellphone, if that’s more your style), hop aboard and try not to hold your breath as the railcars round the rugged edges of 13,000-foot-high forested peaks. Originally used to transport gold and silver from area mines, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has been in operation since 1882.
durangotrain.com
Go stay:
Step back in time without having to sacrifice on modern creature comforts at The Beaumont Hotel & Spa. Notable past guests to this antique-filled boutique hotel include U.S. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover, King Leopold of Belgium, Oprah Winfrey and singer-songwriter Jewel. Book a shea butter skin-hydrating wrap at the spa before retreating to your room’s claw-foot tub for an evening soak. All rooms have a mountain view or waterfall-facing view. Built during the height of Ouray’s gold boom in 1886, the two-story brownstone hotel has received much media recognition in recent years and was ranked one of the Top 10 Hotels in the West by Condé Nast Traveler magazine in 2013.
Beaumont Hotel photo courtesy of the Beaumont Hotel. Ouray Hot Springs photo courtesy of the City of Ouray. Train photo courtesy of Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Chocolate photo courtesy of Mouse’s Chocolates & Coffee.
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