United States
Ouray

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    • Day 11

      Million Dollar Highway

      June 14, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

      Million Dollar Highway, Colorado

      The section of US Highway 550 between Silverton and Ouray is so named because the highway cost a million dollars per mile to build.

      * * * * *

      Der Teilabschnitt des US-Highway 550 zwischen Silverton und Ouray wird so genannt, da der Bau des Highways pro Meile eine Million Dollar gekostet hat.Read more

    • Day 49

      Ouray

      May 12, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

      Continuant à traverser les San Juan mountains et prenant la Million Dollar Highway de Silverton, nous arrivons à Ouray, charmante petite bourgade qui a gardé un charme de la fin du XIX eme siècle, à la grande époque des mines d’or et d’argent.
      La région comptait plus de 100 mines…
      Le village a tout pour nous plaire : une atmosphère détendue, peu de monde, quelques très beaux chemins de randonnée, des dizaines de cascades dans ses environs immédiats… un pur joyaux. Elle est nichée au creux d’une vallée encerclée de hauts sommets enneigés.
      Nous en avons donc profité pour faire un peu de marche, mais aussi visiter une ancienne mine d’agent, guidés avec casques et lampe torche à plus de 500m dans les entrailles de la montagne par Jeff.
      Nous y goûterons la dure vie de mineur et y apprendrons de nombreuses choses sur le travail dans la mine.
      A la sortie de la mine, nous nous essayerons à l’orpaillage au sein d’un ruisseau, avec quelques paillettes d’argent et de pyrite récoltées ! A la plus grande joie des 2 petits et des 2 grands !
      Pour se détendre de ce dur labeur, une après-midi cool dans les bains d’eau thermale chaude des hot springs a été plus que bienvenue…
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    • Day 11

      Moab

      September 17, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

      Heute ging es etwas geruhsamer zu, es stand "nur" die Fahrt nach Moab an. Nach dem guten Frühstück beim Mexikaner (Scrambbled Egg with Chnorzio) liessen wir Ouray hinter uns. Auf dem Weg 5-6 Cache und wir erreichten unser Ziel bereits um 15 Uhr, wo wir noch das Visitor Center besuchen. Zum z'Nacht ein Quesadilla sowie ein feiner Salat.Read more

    • Day 176

      Little Switzerland

      June 26, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

      So zumindest wird Ouray hier beschreiben. Und es ist tatsächlich ein Traum.

      Eingebettet in eine hoch aufragende Bergwelt, hier und da noch Schnee auf den Gipfeln und einen tollen, knapp unter 10km langen Rundwanderweg um den Ort herum durch die Berge.

      Die Cascade Falls waren dabei fast schon nur ein Schleier, obwohl eigentlich genug Wasser da war, aber der Wind tut seinen Dienst.

      Am High Point hat man einen sagenhaften Blick nach Süden, und tatsächlich, so stell ich mir Alpenwelten vor.

      Die Box Canyon Falls waren nicht so der Hit, hauptsächlich weil man sie im Cayon einfach nicht gesehen hat. Die Schlucht war aber ziemlich cool.
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    • Day 28

      Gunnison Gorge and Ouray, Colorado

      May 9, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌫 20 °C

      We left our motel about 9am and headed to the post office to send some stuff back home. We had bought far too much with us and needed to lighten the load. Met a few locals in the p.o. and they were so nice and helpful. After we started heading towards Gunnison Gorge. The road we took went along side the gorge giving spectacular views. We stopped at the visitor centre and looked at the vertical steep cliff sides. From there we carried on another 50ish miles to a small mountain town called Ouray. Surrounded by mountains it is a beautiful place. The town has some lovely shops and some natural hot spa pools. We spent an hour in the afternoon at the pools then chilled out for the rest of the day.Read more

    • Day 24

      Jesus on a Greyhound

      August 15, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 12 °C

      Vanmorgen vroeg uit de veren. Het uitzicht vanuit m’n bed was weergaloos, maar het slappe matras op houten planken konden mijn rug toch niet zo goed verdragen. Dan maar naar boven in de OpusHut naar de gezamelijke ruimte. Net na mijn binnenkomst komt Renato, de host van OpusHut, binnen. Duidelijk ook wat verfomfaaid loopt hij rechtsreeks de keuken in en begint aan ons ontbijt. De lucht van gebakken bacon en koffie vult de ruimte. Strak om half 8 zet hij het ontbijt op de bar: Quinoa/havermoutpap, bramen, gedroogde bananen, bacon, stroop, cranberries en zaadjes. Zo, als dat niet gezond is. Dan pakken we onze spullen weer in en zetten het in de hoek van de hal van de hut. Wij gaan nog een flinke wandeling de bergen in maken, naar Ruby Lake. Omdat we al hoog zitten hoeven we niet extreem te klimmen, maar het is toch een pittige wandeling.

      Dan terug naar de Opushut, kopje thee en spullen weer naar de auto lopen. Dan mogen we weer de lange gravelweg vol stenen, rotsen en gaten door om terug te komen bij de Million Dollar Highway.

      Deze weg is aangelegd in de late 1880’s. The Million Dollar Higway is een onderdeel van de San Juan Skyway en één van de meest spectaculaire wegen van de Verenigde Staten. Je rijdt enige tijd letterlijk op het randje van de afgrond. Er zijn geen veiligheidsmaatregelen, zoals vangrails en bermen, diepe ravijnen, wegversmallingen, grillige haarspeldbochten, dus uitwijken van de weg wordt afgeraden! Op veel plekken kan (en mag) je ook niet veel harder van 35 kilometer per uur.

      Vanaf Silverton tot Ouray, zien we adembenemende vergezichten, indrukwekkende rotswanden en kleuren in rotsen die we nog nooit hebben gezien. Het is soms zo adembenemend mooi en indrukwekkend krachtig wat de ”natuur” hier laat zien, dat je bijna vergeet dat het zeer nauwkeurige stuurmanskunst vraagt en alle aandacht vergt om de bochten goed te nemen.

      Het is een van de mooiste “scenic drives” in de Verenigde Staten, zeker niet de langste, maar wel 1 van de indrukwekkendste.

      We maken een korte tussenstop in Ouray. Volgens hun eigen reclameborden het "Zwitserland van Amerika". Dat zie ik niet helemaal (ben ook niet zo gek op Zwitserland), maar dat het met zijn oude Mainstreet vol Cowboygevels en een achtergrond van de San Juan Mountains een fotogeniek stadje is, is zeker waar.

      Dan in 1 ruk door naar ons volgende adres, Montrose. Daar slapen we bij Karen in haar “Love-house”. Ze heeft in haar huis 2 kamertjes beschikbaar en een full hot breakfast. Al 2 dagen geleden mailde ze ons wat we graag bij het ontbijt wilde....

      Vlak voor we arriveren mailt ze ons dat ze niet thuis zal zijn. Zij moet een wake houden voor de slachtoffers in Charlottesville. We mogen zelf naar binnen lopen, de sleutel ligt onder de mat. We zijn het huisje in een buitenwijkje van Montrose net binnen als een een luid JOEHOE! horen roepen. Daar komt Karen aan met een enorm stuk opgerold karton onder de arm. Ze begroet ons snel en zegt dat ze gelijk weer weg moet voor de wake. Ze was het kartonnen bord vergeten. Ze vertelt dat ze een “not so serious”-pastor in de kerk is. "I'm Dutch en you are the first Dutch-visitors in my Love-house", “Please make yourselves at home”.En weg is ze weer.

      Als we ’s avonds na het eten door het centrum van Montrose rijden zien we op de hoek van Mainstreet een groepje van 12 mensen met stukken karton langs de weg bij de verkeerslichten staan. Een beeld dat je wel vaker tegenkomt in Amerikaanse series of documentaires. Tussen de “protesters” zien we inderdaad Karen met haar enorme stuk karton met daarop in grote letters “let’s honor de victims of Charlottesville”. Om haar nek hangt een sjerp zoals je die kent van katholieke priesters, maar nu in een fel bonte gekleurde variant. Waarschijnlijk vanuit een goed hart wilde ze wat doen voor de mensen in Charlottesville. Ze konden niet bedenken wat, dan maar met een stuk karton naast een stoplicht gaan staan. Doe je in ieder geval wat, moeten ze gedacht hebben.

      A “not so serious” pastor met een goed hart, lijkt het.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad8Jglb0GoQ
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    • Day 16

      Colorado: Week 1 Hodgepodge

      June 17, 2022 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 64 °F

      After a busy week, it's Friday night and we are happily tucked away into our camper for a chill evening. There are no complaints with the light rain that's been going on and off for a couple of hours. I cooked up a kitchen sink style chili that EVERYONE liked and happily ate (this rarely happens, so I had no make a note of it to remember that at least once it did happen). We rigged up the projectorand are watching a movie (LEGO Batman), so I'm using the time to catch up a bit more.

      Tuesday after visiting Box Canyon with Dad, we went climbing at a great spot. This was my first time belaying and I didn't drop anyone, so that's a big win. Thursday we got up the hot springs and music night at the park. Today we headed to Baby Bathtubs section of the Perimeter Trail in Ouray and the views were just gorgeous.

      Tomorrow we head to Black Canyon of the Gunnison, our first National Park on this adventure. Sunday we'll be hiking & tooling around spots off of Highway 550, also called The Million Dollar Highway, which is supposed to be a beautiful and also nerve-racking to drive. I already told Nate I won't be leaving the passenger seat on that drive.
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    • Day 22

      Colorado: Last Few Days

      June 23, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

      Our last few days in SW Colorado came quicker than we wanted and even though we had 12 nights here, there is still so much we didn't get to explore. Guess we'll just have to plan another trip in a few years!

      Monday the boys and I hung pretty close to the campground. I did some painting and the boys did a lot of playing. After Nate finished working, we headed down to Ouray for him and the boys to get some climbing in. It was a small, shaded spot that was a good place for E to practice lead climbing. One of Nate's favorite moments of this leg of the trip was watching E lead his first climb, something that E has been eager to do for a while.

      On Tuesday, the boys and I enjoyed the Perimeter Trail in Ouray, a really gorgeous & occasionally challenging hike and a favorite moment of mine. It is really phenomenal to be at an age where they are so much more capable, independent & confident. This hike was their idea and they were enthusiastic and did not complain once -- except maybe when E griped that Holden & I were too slow.

      And on a personal side, this 4.5 miler was one of the first longer hikes I've taken in a loooong time and it was so satisfying to do it with my boys. After months of PT last year and increasing pain, a year later we finally discovered that I have a torn meniscus in my knee. At some point I'll need surgery, but for now they gave me a great big ol' shot of cortisone that has really allowed me to get back into the things I love. I am so grateful for that. We rewarded ourselves with a good long soak in the Hot Springs Pool. It was a very good day.

      Wednesday we continued packing in the adventure when Nate and Everett took on the Ouray Via Ferrata, a pathway made of metal cables and iron rings drilled into the rock wall along the river gorge.The path starts out walking across the river about 20' up on about a 1" wire cable. From there they climbed a pathway of metal rungs along the river gorge and up higher in places. Even though they were clipped-in the entire time, I was pretty nervous for E when he got started. But it didn't take long to see that both my guys were comfortable on the wall and got the hang of the clips quickly. Unfortunately rain rolled in as they got to the halfway point and they decided to bail out at the midway point. They had to climb to the top of the gorge and hike back in the rain. Even wet & cold they were all smiles.

      E said the scariest part was walking across the river. After that it was just fun and definitely one of his favorite events of the trip. We finished the evening with delicious Thai food in Ridgway and headed to the campsite afterwards.

      Thursday was less eventful as we prepped to pack up the camper on Friday and dodged scattered rainstorms throughout the day. A highlight of the day was getting to have lunch with my Aunt Robin & Uncle Tim when they made a surprise visit to see TJ the last half of the week.

      Less enjoyable was the chore of having to groom and shave Coltrane at the campsite that day. He'd gotten pretty filthy camping for 12 straight days and we couldn't in good conscience leave him in such dingy condition with TJ in Ridgway while we head to Moab.

      We wound up our last full day at the campsite by reheating Thai leftovers and going on a short family bike ride, which Holden had requested many times. He says that was his favorite part of the trip, but I'll also add that the slides at the Hot Springs were also a favorite of his.

      Sad to be leaving this area and the incredible weather and scenery. Looking forward to the next time we make it out this way!

      Next Stop: Mesa Verde National Park
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    • Day 15

      Colorado: Papa Comes to Town!

      June 16, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

      On Monday my Dad made it to town and stayed until Friday. It was really good to have him out here with us. He stayed at the only hotel in Ridgway, luckily not far from our campground. Monday night we ate at a restaurant in Ridgway called True Grit and that gave him lots of nostalgic feels for the John Wayne classic.

      On Tuesday we dropped Nate off at TJ's to work and headed to Ouray. We had a picnic lunch at the park then headed up to Box Canyon Falls. The falls are different than most -- it comes through a slot between the canyon walls and is kind of hidden but makes a thunderous amount of noise in the process. The noise was too much for Holden and he decided to stay out of that part. My favorite part, however, was hiking to the top and crossing the bridge that spans the canyon. The views of the town were spectacular. That night Dad stayed with the boys and they got pizza while Nate & I got a night out on the (very small) town with TJ.

      Wednesday the boys were pretty wiped out, so we stayed close to the campground while Dad ventured out to find a golf course. That night he came out and joined us for dinner, a sunset walk on the trail and s'mores by the fire.

      Thursday the boys and I took Dad out for an early Father's Day breakfast then back to the campsite for lunch and knocking out boring domestic work. Once that was all done, we headed back down to Ouray and the boys finally got to check out the Ouray Hot Springs Pool. It was a great time and incredibly beautiful. There are 3 hot springs pools, 2 active pools for lap swimming and one for rock climbing/obstacles and 2 super tall slides. The steepest slide really gets you moving! It didn't take too much effort for the boys to talk Dad into launching himself down the big slide. When he got to the bottom he echoed Holden's first impression, "THAT WAS HORRIFYING!" But that didn't stop us. We all went down many more times! We all had a great time and the scenery was so beautiful.

      We finished the day next door at a Mountain Air Concert in the Park event with TJ and his boys. Food trucks, beer garden, lawn chairs and live music with the rugged mountains surrounding Ouray as the backdrop. It was the perfect way to cap off Dad's stay here with us.

      We met Dad for breakfast Friday morning before he left to meander his way back to Wichita. It was so very good to have him out here with us.
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Ouray, أوراي, Юрей, اورای، کلرادو, Оурэй, औरे, 81427, Јереј, 乌雷

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