Telluride

*This is the third post about the trip.  If you want to start at the beginning, go back.

It really is great to get off the Interstate and see what's in between our superhighways.  The drive from Cortez to Telluride has to be one of the most scenic in the country.  We happened to hit a cattle drive.  Just like in Yellowstone this summer, we were the first car and got to drive along with the herd.  Some of the cowboys were just kids, yelling at the cattle and driving them along.  It was a family affair.  Man, our kids are weak.  My dad's grandparents would probably be dismayed that their descendants don't know how to herd sheep or even kill a chicken.  We're city slickers compared to these kids on their horses in Colorado.

The aspens seemed to glow from the inside.  Just like Golda!

When we got to Telluride, it was as picturesque as promised, and then some.  A woman passing by suggested the free tram to us, and we went.  I'm so glad we found out about it!  

At 12,000 feet, we could see range after range of peaks in the distance.

Isn't Scot adorable?  He changed my lock screen from the Eiffel Tower in spring to this picture of him.  It sure is cute, Scott!  Change is good.  That's what I tell myself when someone messes with my settings without permission.  ;)

Once at the summit, we thought it would be fun to walk down to Telluride.  Just kidding.  We took the tram down and saved two hours and approximately 8 knees, give or take an injury.

Main Street window shopping.  I love this piece.

Lunch was at a Middle Eastern food truck on Main Street.  We lapped up every bite of our shish-kabobs, baba ganoush, lentil soup, falafel, spanikopita and baklava for dessert.  It was the freshest, best baklava I've ever tasted.

Main Street has a lot to offer for those looking for ambiance in an alpine setting.  We cozied up at this little place with some hot apple cider, the perfect thing for the cool temps.

I love my Telluride Trio.  They are all so unique and beautiful.

Telluride has an air of privilege about it.  I overheard one local describe it best:  "Every 28-year-old with an inheritance thinks it would be fun to be a ski bum and open a restaurant here."  Yes, it's a place where every ski bum, like the kid in the background here, probably has a second home on Martha's Vineyard and a working ranch to boot.  On a side street, we discovered the "Telluride Free Boxes," a place where people can leave or take free clothes and household items.  Tizzy discovered a Barbie doll and car, Ptolemy got a hideous Nascar hat that some local kid probably got from Dale Earnhardt Jr. himself, and I picked up a scarf from Paris.  Golda was horrified by our finds, but it was the coolest thing ever for the kids.

Waiting for our falafels

Coco sent me this picture to reassure me that Don Carlos was happy.

We joked about sending this out as our Christmas card and adding, "Oh ya, and there are 6 other kids, too."

Reluctantly, we left Telluride, bound for another breathtaking drive through some great places.  Our favorite was a little town called Ouray, a veritable Swiss village.  We'll have to go back when we haven't just glutted ourselves on charm.  There's only so much adorableness you can take!  We stayed our last night at a Springhill Suites in Grand Junction, where Scott took "his" three kids to dinner on the river walk and I took "my" 2 kids to the pool and hot tub and had snacks form the cooler for dinner.  Even with just 5 kids, it's fun to divide up.  I was bummed that the trip was coming to an end, until we came up with an alternate route home that would take us to yet another national park, down roads we've never traveled, through terrain we've never explored.  Recipe for contentment, just like these deep fried brussels sprouts!