louistraveler5

Hi DebitNM,

I need your southwestern Colorado expertise! This September, my husband and I, along with my parents, are planning to visit southwest Colorado. My husband and I travel to Estes Park twice a year but have never been to the southwest area so we thought we would mix it up.

Here is a rough draft itinerary/initial thoughts:
Thursday- Fly to ABQ (from Austin); drive 3 1/2 hours to Durango; settle into hotel
Friday- Mesa Verde National Park
Saturday- Train from Durango to Silverton
Sunday- San Juan Skyway
Monday- repeat San Juan Skyway
Tuesday- Fly home

We plan to be up early and out until dark to make the most of our days. The help I am needing is regarding the San Juan Skyway.
1) Is it possible to make the loop in one day which includes spending time in Ouray and Telluride with Durango being our base?
2) Will we feel like doing the loop again?
3) Your suggestion for tackling the loop? Suggestions regarding our other days.

Thanks so much!

spirobulldog

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. That is a lot of San Juan HWY-even if fall colors are super.
Can you not just take the train one-way and come back on a bus or something? We did the www.soaringcolorado.com This is train/zipline and we just saw half of the train ride and that was more than enough(we did enjoy it very much, tho).

You really need 2 days in Mesa Verde. The more house you can see the better off. We spent the night there and never made it to Wetherill section of the park. It is a long long way from Durango to the heart of the park. It could be done as a day-trip, but I would never do it like that. You are going to spend half the day driving. It takes much more time to get there than you would think.

spirobulldog

Oh, Stay at Far View House in Mesa Verde. Accm. are just ok. The food at Far View food is actually pretty good.
We ate there for dinner, then had an Indian Taco, which is at a little cafe location in the park. A picnic lunch would be great too. Sign up as early as you can for the House Tours. Again, Do as many as you can. They are all different and good.

They did charge like 5% extra which isn't explained or on the menu, the year we were there. Something about the park service was allowing them to do this for water or something of that nature(just a heads up).

emalloy

If you are the kind who has an aversion to moving from one hotel to another, then you will be fie basing in Durango, if you get up early and hit the park when things open. I really do prefer to stay in the park, and maybe you could change your order so Mesa Verde is at the beginning or end of the trip. Wetherill Mesa will probably be closed unless there is a special event when you happen to be there. That means you could probably at least do Spruce Tree House and Mesa top loop on your own, Cliff Palace with a ranger and maybe Balcony house and get down the Mesa before dark. Check to see if you can sign up for the tours on line before you go. The VC is at the bottom of the mesa now, not up by Far View.

If your parents don't have a senior NP pass have them get one, it gets you all into the park and gets them a small discount on the cost of the tours.

tomfuller

Have you looked at this website? http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/s...an-juan-skyway
I depends on how much time you spend at the features listed.
Driving nonstop takes 6 hours.

Tomsd

Certainly would be fun what you are planning - and we also loved the cute ski town - Telluride. http://www.telluride-co.gov/

We also loved the hot springs at Ouray. http://www.ouraycolorado.com/discove...rings-pool.php

DebitNM

You can drive and do a bit of looking around in a very long day ( million Dollar Highway). I would not do it 2 days.

I would do 2 days in Mesa Verde and would stay overnight in the park at Far View. I would ask for a room with a sunset view.

I would take the narrow gauge Duango one way only and take the bus in the other direction. Doesn't matter which direction you do which mode of transit. If you go Durango to Silverton on train, sit on right side of train and sit on left side of bus coming back. If you do bus first, sit on right side of bus to silvertona and on left side of train on the way back.

I would drive Million Dollar Highway up through Ouray, maybe stop at hot springs but for sure do Box canyon Falls. Then on to Telluride. See the village, take the tram up to Mountain Village, look around and come back down. I would go back the same way.

Fly into ABQ and drive as it is the closet major airport with reasonable rates.

I can help with restaurants etc in Durango, Telluride, Ouray.

If you don't stay in MVNP, Cortez is closer than Durango.

louistraveler5

Thanks for all the replies! Sorry it took so long for me to get back...

I don't like the reviews for the Far View Lodge at Mesa Verde. I am thinking when we fly into ABQ we will drive to Cortez and stay at the Holiday Inn Express.

Friday: All day at Mesa Verde
Saturday: Train from Durango to Silverton

I had originally said that I wanted to do the San Juan Skyway on Sunday and Monday. Someone said that the SJS for three days was a lot (counting Saturday on the train). I was not counting the train as SJS. I figured it would be a different experience.

My main concern about the SJS is having enough time see everything. Aside from driving, we stop in each town, walk the town, explore shops, perhaps a short hike. One full day does not seem enough for all of that. For example, we go to Estes Park every year. We could travel Trail Ridge Road more than once.

Updated itinerary:
Thurs: Fly to ABQ; drive to Cortez
Fri: Up early; Mesa Verde all day
Sat: Train from Durango to Silverton
Sun: Leave Durango; San Juan Skyway; overnight...? Telluride?
Mon: Anything we didn't get to do on SJS or Telluride?
Tues: Fly home from ABQ

I need more detail about the San Juan Skyway, please! Should we overnight in Telluride?

On Monday would you head towards New Mexico since we are leaving from ABQ? Anything we could fit in that you would recommend?

Thanks so much!

louistraveler5

What if we did Mesa Verde at the end of the trip?
I checked google maps and it is 1 hour 45 minutes from Telluride to Mesa Verde.

DebitNM

That 1 3/4 hours doesn't take into consideration the almost 30 minutes to get into the park from the entrance.

If you want to stay in Cortez Thursday night, that will work. A couple of good places to eat in town.

I would stay Friday night in Durango.

You will be able to see Silverton on your train trip; it isn't that big and not much to see per se.

The only other town along the route is Ouray. Box Canyon Falls is nice and the hot springs are nice too. They aren't primitive, more like a town pool setting.

You could certainly stay in Telluride.

On the way back to ABQ, you could do a few different things on the way down on Monday. Tent Rocks, Bandelier to name just 2. You could even do a fast visit to Chaco Canyon.

What time is your flight out of ABQ? I most likely would stay Monday night in ABQ.

louistraveler5

DebitNM,

Thanks for helping...I have more questions...!

Do you like the idea of Mesa Verde at the end of the trip?

Do you think the train day is wasting a day? I've always wanted to do the train. It's okay if there is not too much to do in Silverton. When we return to Durango, from the train, is there plenty to see and do in Durango?

When we head out to the San Juan Skyway, we will make the trip from Durango to Ouray, bypassing Silverton since we did that on the train day?

I really like the New Sheridan Hotel in Telluride and I think we would like to settle in for the night in a mountain town instead of driving back to Durango.

We would definitely take the latest afternoon flight from ABQ back to Austin on Southwest. It our flight is in the 2 o'clock hour we could possibly get on the road at 8am putting us at the ABQ airport at noonish. Too risky?

Thanks!

DebitNM

I would keep MV at the beginning of the trip. Just in case it rains [haha] and you want to change it to the end for nicer weather. That to me is THE most important part of the trip.

It's hard to say about the train if you should or shouldn't. I will say that I would absolutely only do it one way; take the bus the other way. Doesn't matter which way is which.

Durango is a neat town. Not sure what all you are wanting to see/do but there are lots of shops, and some great restaurants. There should be some music at a bar or two, including a piano bar at the Strater Hotel.

I would not drive back on SJS to head to ABQ. I would head out of Telluride on SR 145. No need to see the same thing you saw on the way up. Head towards Delores and take SR184 over to SR 160. Then you can head down SR 160 to SR 550 to get to ABQ.

The New Sheridan is a nice hotel. Lots of great restaurants in Telluride too. Maybe take the gondola up to Mountain Village for a scenic ride.

You "should" be okay leaving that morning for ABQ, but I get nervous on driving 4+ hours, dropping off rental car and leaving just 2 hours to do those things. That's me...

I am not sure what you plan to do on Monday? I would head to ABQ on Monday, personally, with a stop or 2 along the way and stay overnight in ABQ area. Hyatt Tamaya is lovely and is an easy drive to airport and you would have a bit of time perhaps to see something Tuesday am in ABQ.

fmpden

I would support DebitNM suggestions. The return train rain can get a little boring because you do the same run backwards. It is beautiful but tucked into the woods so, in some ways, the scenery does not change a lot.

Again I would encourage an overnight in MVerde. The park covers a huge area and the drive in is terrible on a small, windy road at about 15/20 mph for close to an hour drive. Once on site you still have distances between major sites and then you need to hike to these sites. Takes time. And September can still be very hot at those sites. Check for walking tours at the ranger station near Far View.

teachandtravel

Carver's Brewing Company in Durango is a great place to catch breakfast or other meals. Cute western town if you like those kinds of shops. Go out to the lake where the fire was years ago and now there are several carved wooden totem type poles. A nice break from town when you need it.

spirobulldog

Far View Lodge is a bit sketchy, I will admit. But, I didn't think it was that bad. I will say the Dining Room there is one of the best in the national parks. Very good!!! I think it's called Metate Dining Room. I would have an evening meal there and then and Indian Taco(which is a a little cafe/store in a different location in the park-if I'm remembering correctly). It is a long drive from the main area of Mesa Verde back and forth to Durango or Cortez. If you do decide to give the Far View a try, then expect about a 2.5 star experience. Personally, we love to stay in the parks. Pricey and you don't get what you are paying for(this is unlike me at all). We've now stayed at nearly every lodge in the park system(even the super weird ones).

DebitNM

Far View is basic accommodations with million dollar sunrises and sunsets!

Metate Room does have great food.

The drive in and out of MV is a bear especially if you don't like narrow, twisty roads with some big drop offs. Once you exit the park, it is either 10 minutes to Cortez or 35 minutes to Durango.

sylvia3

Far View Lodge: hope for a night time thunderstorm. You will never forget the show.