| We got a taste of the Rocky Mountain spirit when we | | | | transportation we discovered was the plastic |
| first arrived at the tiny Montrose Junction Airport, about | | | | toboggan. We learned the hard way that holding a |
| an hour and a half's drive from our destination of | | | | 30-pound kid on your hip or even in a backpack carrier |
| Telluride. As my spouse and I loaded into the shuttle, I | | | | across icy walkways can be hazardous to everyone |
| reminded our driver that we had requested a child car | | | | involved, so we got a tip from a local the best way to |
| seat. | | | | get around town with a toddler in tow was to literally |
| "Here's what we've got," he said, handing me a | | | | tow him. We picked up a small sled and some twine to |
| tattered booster seat. | | | | make an extra long pull cord at the local ACE |
| "This is actually a booster," I told the driver, trying not to | | | | Hardware. I was the best $16 we ever spent. |
| sound too much like an LA diva. "My son is only two. | | | | Dragging our little one behind us, we set off to explore |
| He needs a car seat with a harness to keep him in." | | | | the many adorable shops, galleries and restaurants. |
| "No worries. This is Colorado. He can join us for a drink | | | | The town itself defines quaint. The the snow-covered |
| later if he wants," the driver said with a laugh as he | | | | streets are lined with story-book cute chalets and |
| heaved our bags into the back of the van. | | | | small independent boutiques. A couple local |
| OK, it was time to let loose. I strapped my son into the | | | | snowboarder girls who we shared a gondola cab with |
| booster with the lap belt and held him in with an arm | | | | informed us that Telluride does not permit chain stores, |
| across his chest. "Here we go. We're in the Wild West | | | | so you will never see a Starbucks or Pottery Barn or |
| now," I told him as his eyes lit up looking at the | | | | any of the stores that populate Every Mall USA |
| magnificent mountain peaks surrounding us. | | | | littering the landscape of this purist town. How |
| Onward and upward we went up the icy windy roads | | | | refreshing. |
| to Telluride, an old mining town that has become a | | | | We stopped for lunch at the charming TPK Bistro |
| winter wonderland for skiers and a year-round | | | | where we had a delicious and surprisingly reasonably |
| playground for hikers, rock climbers, mountain bikers | | | | priced lunch of Panini di Italian prosciutto ham and |
| and lovers of the great outdoors. | | | | fontina cheese and Stromboli di pollo, served by a |
| We had dreaded the trip to Telluride because we had | | | | friendly and gracious wait staff, who seemed genuinely |
| booked late and couldn't get a direct flight from Los | | | | happy to serve us. Perhaps one reason the servers |
| Angeles, so we had a plane change in Salt Lake City, | | | | were so attentive was the fact that we were the |
| and a road trip through the mountains. All with a cranky | | | | restaurant's only guests, at 12 pm. |
| two-year-old toddler. But our layover was short, made | | | | Despite excellent food, great service and an ideal |
| more bearable by a children's play area at the SLC | | | | location on Colorado Avenue, a central thoroughfare, |
| airport, and our driver regaled us all the way to town | | | | the eatery was empty, as was much of the town. |
| with local gossip, so before we knew it, we were | | | | This was partially due to the flagging economy which |
| there -- and was it ever worth the trip. | | | | brought fewer visitors this year, and also partially |
| Right away we felt welcome in the lobby of the | | | | because the ski season was nearly over, but |
| Peak's Resort. In front of us was the hotel's Great | | | | according to locals, even during peak season the town |
| Room, a splendid oversize living room of rustic leather | | | | is never over-run or crowded, as say Park City, Utah, |
| and cowhide sofas, lounge chairs and ottomans. | | | | during Sundance, which can be a bear. |
| Guests in zipped-down ski gear were unwinding after | | | | Likewise, the Telluride gets two thumbs up for |
| a day on the slopes, warming themselves in front of a | | | | eschewing commercialism, which has nearly ruined |
| huge, crackling fireplace and enjoying beverages from | | | | Park City, which must have resembled Telluride before |
| the bar and casual dining from a menu of burgers, | | | | the film festival overtook it. Hopefully Telluride will not |
| grilled cheese and hot dogs. It felt like home, only with a | | | | head that way, despite the fact that it also hosts the |
| dozen suntanned, outdoorsy looking strangers lounging | | | | Telluride Film Festival each fall which continues to grow |
| about. | | | | in popularity and rivals Sundance in the quality of films it |
| Just through the grand foyer was the Peak's spa, a | | | | features, such as Sling Blade, Brokeback Mountain and |
| world-class facility a full fitness center with state-of-the | | | | Slumdog Millionaire, which all had premiere screenings |
| art cardio room, Cybex machines, a yoga studio and | | | | at Telluride. |
| even a rock-climbing wall. The spa also offered | | | | While there are plenty of cultural scenes in town, |
| massage, mani-pedis, tanning, sauna, Roman tubs and | | | | including theaters and music venues, the main |
| a eucalyptus inhalation room. None of that mattered to | | | | attraction of Telluride remains the great outdoors, |
| our toddler, but he could hardly contain his excitement | | | | where visitors can enjoy all sorts of activities year |
| to see not one but two heated pools and an indoor | | | | round, from fly-fishing and horseback riding to |
| water slide. No wonder the resort was selected by | | | | paragliding and hot air balloon rides. |
| Parent's magazine as a top 10 family winter resort. | | | | Of course, the snow skiing is legendary, and after a |
| We checked into our room, and just as the hotel's | | | | few runs down the slopes it is clear why. Owing to the |
| Web site had promised, our room indeed had a | | | | location of the resort nestled in a box canyon, the |
| fabulous view, as does every room at the hotel. From | | | | weather is ideal for snow and snow making. The |
| our balcony we saw endless snow covered trees up | | | | snow was perfect. No ice, groomed, packed powder, |
| to the mountain peaks. To our left we could see the | | | | and I had the trails almost to myself. It was absolutely |
| ski slopes, with the chair lifts floating up to the mountain | | | | the best skiing I had ever experienced. |
| top. We couldn't wait to get out in the snow. | | | | While downhill skiing is why most winter tourists come |
| It was our toddler first time in the white stuff. We | | | | to Telluride, the resort offers a host of other |
| bundled him up in his snow suit and headed out to | | | | snow-capades, including cross-country and Nordic |
| explore the town. We hardly got past the hotel lobby | | | | skiing, heli skiing, dog sledding, sleigh rides and |
| doors when he bounded into the snow outside the | | | | snowmobiling. The latter was the adventure of choice |
| doors where he made his first snow ball, snow man | | | | for us, and on our final day we headed out for a |
| and snow angel. He was in snow heaven. | | | | snowmobiling tour with Telluride Snowmobiling |
| A three-minute walk from the Peaks we found | | | | Adventures, thanks to a few hours timeout arranged |
| ourselves in the Mountain Village plaza, a cute | | | | by the Peaks Resort with a local nanny service. |
| collection of boutiques and restaurants with an ice | | | | Our friendly guide, Sam Haury, suited us up with warm |
| skating rink and bonfire pit. We followed the brick | | | | boots and goggles, and we hopped on our machines |
| walkway of the plaza and directional signs | | | | and sped off in the freshly fallen snow high into the |
| everywhere to the base of the slopes. Truly a ski-in | | | | mountains. Sam stopped along the way to give us an |
| ski-out resort, snow bunnies bounded all around us, skis | | | | educational tour of the historic spots, such as the Alta |
| propped on their shoulders, walking directly out of their | | | | Ghost Town where miners and their families once |
| hotels and onto the snow to step into their skis and | | | | lived. |
| hop on the lifts. | | | | We also learned that Telluride was the first in the |
| At the base of the mountain, known as "the beach," | | | | world to have electric street lights (a week before |
| we caught the free gondola for a ride into the town of | | | | Paris) thanks to the world's first hydro-electric power |
| Telluride. A true delight for a toddler -- and adults -- the | | | | plant built in 1904 to power the Smuggler-Union Mine. |
| gondola whisked us up into the air and high over the | | | | By the end of our two-hour tour, we not only truly |
| trails where we watched skiers and snowboarders | | | | appreciated the beauty and history of Telluride, we |
| whoosh by underneath us. We learned that the | | | | were expert snowmobilers, flying over whoop-de-dos |
| gondola is the only free transit of its type in the US. It | | | | and winding our way around curves through |
| takes visitors and locals back and forth over the | | | | snow-covered forests with ease. |
| mountain at 11 miles an hour, all day from 7 am until | | | | Our adventures in Telluride were a blast, though our |
| midnight, from the town of Telluride to the Mountain | | | | four-day visit was much too short to do all that we |
| Village Plaza, with an optional stop midway at St. | | | | wanted to do during our stay. But just because the |
| Sophia Station, where Allred's, the town's premier fine | | | | snow will be melting soon, that won't stop us from |
| dining establishment, is perched at 10,000 above sea | | | | returning in the near future, because as the locals kept |
| level for the best food and best views in town. | | | | telling us, "You can always come back, and the |
| Other than the gondola, another indispensable mode of | | | | summer season is even better! |