Telluride Colorado.

Don't forget to click the pics, they really enjoy it.

It took me a while to find a place to park in Telluride. The little Bronco camper hangs over the back of the truck about 3 feet so parallel parking is not its strong suit. So I had to  keep driving around until I found two spaces together that were empty.

I left Ridgway pretty early in the morning, figuring on going to Telluride Colorado and maybe spending the night, but that didn't work out as well as I'd hoped.

There was a lot of traffic on the road going to Telluride even though it was only about 8 o'clock in the morning. And when I drove into town, the place was a mess. Lines of traffic were trying to find a parking space on Main Street, and there were none as far as I could see. The smoke from the forest fires was terrible, I could barely see the mountains in the background and the whole town had changed since I was last there a couple of decades ago.

Telluride used to be a town of miners, hunters, fly fishermen, skiers, and yes, even tourists. But it looks like now everybody has left except the tourist. And the whole demeanor of the town's changed and not for the better as far as I'm concerned. I guess when Hollywood people moved in, they brought Hollywood with them, and now Telluride looks like a cartoon town built on the backlot at Universal Studios. I stopped visiting Aspen because it turned into something like this, and it seems like Telluride is now on my shortlist of places not to go again. Which is a shame because it used to be a real mountain town with character and now it looks fake.

It took a while to find a parking place for my truck; I spent more time parking my truck than I did walking around town. The burger joints and pizza places have been replaced, at least on Main Street, by expensive shi-shi restaurants that only a Hollywood star could afford to eat at. I looked at a few menus in the windows of places that looked like somewhere I could afford to eat and found a place with hamburgers... For $18. That did include fries, but not a drink. Like we say in Colorado.... the prices are based on the altitude.

I walked up and down Main Street once, took a few snapshots, and I kept a close watch on the people hoping to spot Oprah or Tom Cruise but no such luck. They must've heard I was coming and jetted off to St. Tropez.

Leaving town was a lot easier since I was the only one going, so in no time at all, I was on the road to Mesa Verde National Park. I wanted to spend more time in Telluride but I just wasn't feeling it. It didn't feel like Colorado anymore.

My National Park geezer card sure has been getting a workout. With free entrance into the National Parks and half-price camping, that is without a doubt the best $10 I ever spent.

Arriving at Mesa Verde National Park was a different experience compared to what's been happening on my mini-vacation.... There was hardly anyone in the campground. It was good to get away from the crowds for a change, and I'm assuming it's not crowded because all of the Ranger tours that take you down into the ruins have been canceled because of the Bat flu. And since that's the reason most folks come here people seem to be staying away. But I don't mind I've seen it all before, I'm just hoping for some nice pictures.
                              
                               theboondork

I think one of the reasons parking is so difficult in Telluride is the old Victorian houses that normally had one family living in them have been turned into Bed and Breakfasts, apartment buildings, and hotels for tourists. So now you've got 10 people in the building and 10 cars looking for a place to park.

Main Street Telluride, Colorado. It's early in the morning so very little is open yet. You can see the smoke in the background.

You can probably find a place in Telluride that serves pizza but its probably a Caviar and Truffles pizza for $49.50 a slice. I'll bet Oprah has two for breakfast.

Part car, part bus, part narrow gauge train, what else could it be but the Galloping Goose. The history of the Goosies can be found right here.

Refurbished old building in Telluride.