YOGA + Life® Magazines
  • Partner With Us
  • Subscribe
  • Events Directory
  • SHOP — What We Love
  • “The Practice”
  • HOME
  • FEATURED
    • Community + Culture
    • Wellness + Nutrition
    • Products
    • Profiles
    • Yoga + Fitness
    • Events
  • ALL CONTENT
    • Community + Culture
      • Art
      • Books
      • Community
      • Culture
      • Family
      • Fashion
      • Food + Drink
      • Nourish Me
      • Motivation
      • Music
      • Outdoors
      • Travel
    • Wellness + Nutrition
      • Self-Care
      • Nutrition
      • Psychology
      • Recipes
      • Therapy
      • Weight Loss
    • Products
      • Product Spotlights
      • Roundups
      • Try It On – Reviews
      • Try It Out – Reviews
    • Profiles
      • Business
      • Partner Profiles
      • People
      • Spotlight Cities
      • Students
      • Studios
      • Teachers
      • Seva Story
      • Sustainability Story
      • Storytelling
    • Yoga + Fitness
      • Asana
      • In the Practice
      • Meditation
      • Philosophy
      • Physiology
      • Sports
      • Workouts
    • Events
      • Festivals
      • Retreats
      • Training Spotlights
    • Inspiration From Y+L Partners
  • Y + L COMMUNITIES
    • COLORADO
    • MINNESOTA
    • NEW YORK
  • CONNECT
    • Order A Magazine
    • Partner With Us
    • Contribute
    • Contact Us
  • LIVE CLASSES
Featured Posts
  • Person admiring vision board
    How to Use a Vision Board to Achieve Your Wellness Goals | By Cora Gold
    • 4 views
  • Allumen yoga
    Partner Profile : Allumen Yoga
    • 8 views
  • Alternate nostril breathing
    Breathing for Bravery : Pranayama Practices to Promote Courage + Confidence | By Julia Clarke
    • 10 views
  • Partner With Us
  • Subscribe
  • Events Directory
  • SHOP — What We Love
  • “The Practice”
0 Followers
0 Likes
Partners
YOGA + Life® Magazines
Subscribe
  • HOME
  • FEATURED
    • Community + Culture
    • Wellness + Nutrition
    • Products
    • Profiles
    • Yoga + Fitness
    • Events
  • ALL CONTENT
    • Community + Culture
      • Art
      • Books
      • Community
      • Culture
      • Family
      • Fashion
      • Food + Drink
      • Nourish Me
      • Motivation
      • Music
      • Outdoors
      • Travel
    • Wellness + Nutrition
      • Self-Care
      • Nutrition
      • Psychology
      • Recipes
      • Therapy
      • Weight Loss
    • Products
      • Product Spotlights
      • Roundups
      • Try It On – Reviews
      • Try It Out – Reviews
    • Profiles
      • Business
      • Partner Profiles
      • People
      • Spotlight Cities
      • Students
      • Studios
      • Teachers
      • Seva Story
      • Sustainability Story
      • Storytelling
    • Yoga + Fitness
      • Asana
      • In the Practice
      • Meditation
      • Philosophy
      • Physiology
      • Sports
      • Workouts
    • Events
      • Festivals
      • Retreats
      • Training Spotlights
    • Inspiration From Y+L Partners
  • Y + L COMMUNITIES
    • COLORADO
    • MINNESOTA
    • NEW YORK
  • CONNECT
    • Order A Magazine
    • Partner With Us
    • Contribute
    • Contact Us
  • LIVE CLASSES
  • CO YOGA + Life
  • Community + Culture
  • Spotlight Cities
  • Travel

Telluride : Heaven on Earth | By Julia Clarke

  • juliaclarke
  • 454 views
  • 3 minute read
Total
3
Shares
3
0
0

“If Telluride ain’t Heaven, then Heaven can wait.” These words by American jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie are often proudly repeated by the locals around this quintessential Southwest Colorado town; and somehow, they’re not an overstatement.

Telluride feels like the reason we all moved to Colorado: steep tree-lined canyon walls peppered with abandoned silver mines, the tumbling 365’ Bridal Veil Falls crowned by the stately peaks of the San Juans, and picturesque Main Street lined with modern eateries and landmark buildings housed within quaint Victorian architecture. It’s equal parts tranquil and dazzling, wild west and chic, where you can get lost on mountain trails and rub elbows with A Listers over an elegant meal.

The best part? It’s well off the beaten track. Despite record ski and festival crowds, at a six-hour drive from Denver, and without a major highway in sight, Telluride offers a true retreat for Coloradans who want to get away but, well, don’t really want to leave Colorado. Take a road trip in shoulder season or during the week and find paradise.

9 A.M. Salute the San Juans

Shake off the long drive with a yoga class at Telluride Yoga Center. This sunny space in the heart of town opened its doors in 1999 and with morning classes ranging from creative Prana Vinyasa Flow to classical Ashtanga and Slow Flow, there’s something for everyone.

10:30 A.M. Fuel Up at The Butcher & Baker Cafe

Opened unsurprisingly by a butcher and a baker, this hot spot is such a favorite they’ve moved to a bigger location to accommodate the throngs of hungry mountain folk seeking hearty fare. Their expertise lies in sourcing local, handcrafted and sustainable ingredients to create plates that are classic but inspired. Don’t miss the chilaquiles!

1 P.M. Paddle on Priest Lake

This adventure starts with an epic 8-mile gondola ride featuring stunning views all the way to Mountain Village where the team at BootDoctors will take you Stand Up Paddle boarding on a pristine alpine lake, only 20 minutes from town but refreshingly free of cell service.

5 P.M. Après with the Locals 

Conveniently awaiting you at the bottom of the gondola is Cosmopolitan where you can saddle up to the bar for happy hour. The regulars will prod you to try a local favorite, “The Flatliner,” a tasty blend of vodka, espresso, Baileys and Kahlua that has likely been the unfortunate demise of many an unsuspecting tourist.

6 P.M. Dine at the Ranch

Telluride Sleighs & Wagons will pick you up for an enchanting horse driven wagon ride up to Aldasoro Ranch where you’ll watch the sun set behind the San Juans with a glass of wine, learn the rich history of the area, and dine family-style in a tent on charcuterie, sirloin and roasted local vegetables. The ranch has been in the Aldasoro family since the 1920s when they immigrated from Spain’s Basque Country and found the San Juans to be just like home.

Stay Overnight

Bookend your trip with a night or two at the Hotel Telluride, a shaded sanctuary right off Main Street where you can soak off your day in the outdoor jacuzzi, sip a cocktail or coffee by the open fire, and sleep in the most comfortable bed in town.

Telluride guests can also stay in Mountain Village (above Telluride the town, accessed via a fun and free gondola), and for those looking for a more luxurious trip should book the Madeline Hotel. This “treat yourself” choice has top-tier amenities, a rooftop pool and refined on-site dining.

Photos by Julia Clarke and the Madeline Hotel & Residences.

Originally published in the Summer + Fall 2018 issue. 

Total
3
Shares
Share 3
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
juliaclarke

Julia Clarke is a writer, Ayurvedic Practitioner and yoga teacher from Scotland, currently living in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. She is the author of the book Restorative Yoga for Beginners and the co-founder of Mountain Soul Yoga in Edwards, Colorado. When she's not writing or teaching, she's definitely hiking and traveling.

Previous Article
  • CO YOGA + Life
  • Sports
  • Wellness + Nutrition
  • Yoga + Fitness

Why Athletes Need Yoga | By Justin Kaliszewski

  • CO YOGA + Life®
View Post
Next Article
  • CO YOGA + Life
  • People
  • Profiles
  • Sports

An Evolution of Extraordinary : Rockstar Snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler Takes a Stand Beyond The Podium | By Shenna Jean

  • CO YOGA + Life®
View Post
More from Y+L
  • Sedona Yoga Festival

    Sedona Yoga Festival Celebrates 10 Years | By Kristen Grace

    • YOGA + Life® Magazines
    View Post
  • Cranial Touch

    Sacred Sister Collective Retreats | By Kaitlin Emig

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • Loveology Retreat

    Dr. Ava Cadell Opens New “Loveology Retreat” in Maricopa, California

    • YOGA + Life® Magazines
    View Post
  • Beyul Retreat Yoga

    Beyul Retreat Center Near Aspen Aligns Humans with Nature | By Kaitlin Emig

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • Yogi in front of sunset

    Why Taking Retreat is Essential to Renewal of Spirit | By Kali Basman

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • The Vail Wine Classic Returns This August

    • Lexi Reich | Managing Editor
    View Post
  • An Evening with Elizabeth Gilbert : A Revolutionary Woman Is A Relaxed Woman | By Rachel Glowacki

    • YOGA + Life® Magazines
    View Post
  • Telluride Yoga Festival

    Telluride Yoga Festival Makes A Move To Mountain Village | By Kristen Grace

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • Elizabeth Gilbert is Coming to Denver on May 4 | By Kim Fuller

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • Oars

    On The River + In The Flow : Balancing Yoga, Meditation and a Thirst for Whitewater at a Women’s Wellbeing Retreat | By Lisa Blake

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
Archived Posts!
  • Try It On : Machines For Freedom x Dioscvri Mystic Felines Collection | By Lauren Farrauto
    • 262
  • “Yoga With Goose” : Trauma-Informed Yoga For Veterans | By Lexi Reich
    • 332
  • Discoveries on the Divide | By Christine Kassar
    • 214
  • Partner Profile : Local Revival
    • 438
  • Chocolate
    The Mindful Peace of Chocolate | By Karen Fienberg
    • 259
Instagram

Join the YOGA + Life® Newsletter!

Events, Product Reviews, Promotions and More!

about
YOGA + Life® - an online community and magazine.
Recent Articles
  • Person admiring vision board
    How to Use a Vision Board to Achieve Your Wellness Goals | By Cora Gold
    • YOGA + Life® Magazines
  • Allumen yoga
    Partner Profile : Allumen Yoga
    • YOGA + Life® Magazines
  • Alternate nostril breathing
    Breathing for Bravery : Pranayama Practices to Promote Courage + Confidence | By Julia Clarke
    • CO YOGA + Life®
  • Girl reading book in grass
    Transforming Doubt Into Daring : What We Can Learn from the Bhagavad Gita | By Julia Clark
    • CO YOGA + Life®
  • About Us + Policies, Terms
  • Online Columnists
  • Contribute
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
YOGA + Life® - All Rights Reserved

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

 

Loading Comments...