Durango and Million Dollar Views

 

A million dollar view from the Million Dollar Highway.

“It’s not the destination, it's the journey.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson. I think he must have been driving an RV. 😊 Sometimes that quote holds true because the scenery is jaw-dropping gorgeous, other times it’s because the adventure lies in getting where you’re going (alive). Lol. We’ve had both on this trip. Our next destination was Durango, CO. We left Moab, UT around 11am so the roads had plenty of time to warm up and for any snow/ice to melt. We also pulled over at Monticello and again in Cortez to check road conditions. We lucked out again, a few stretches of wintry mix but the roads stayed clear.

Where is our 70's and sunshine? Lol.
Not ideal, but doable.

We pulled into Alpen Rose RV Park just outside of Durango a little before 4pm on Sunday, 3/17 and got settled in. The first part of our stay was attending to errands and chores. The campground had nice laundry facilities, so I tackled that job. Four loads – two for us and two for the dogs. No, they don’t wear clothes! But they do go through a lot of towels and blankets. Lol.  We washed the pup-wagon, got groceries, and had a great lunch and flights of the local beer at Ska brewery. They serve an excellent line-up of craft brews and a better than average bar food menu. We both had the Green Chile Brisket Melt – Yum! House-smoked brisket, green chiles, sauteed peppers and onions, green chile aioli, and melted pepperjack. Rog opted for the homemade chips on the side, while I had a cup of the Cheddar Ale soup. Are you hungry yet?

No picture of the brisket, it disappeard too fast. Lol.

The campground had a HUGE fenced in dog park – at least a half-acre which the kids enjoyed many times during our stay. The only downside was the mud! Ugh. Between frequent rains and melting snow – the ground was a goopy mess. Oh well, more laundry. Lol.

Loved the HUGE fenced doggy play area.
The mud, not so much. 

On Tuesday we had a decision to make. One of the top tourist attractions in the area is the Durango to Silverton narrow-gauge steam engine train. The scenery in the brochure looked amazing. The other option was loading up the pups and driving the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray, which we’ve wanted to do for quite a while. Hmmmmm. Decisions… decisions. We opted for the drive and it did not disappoint!

The Million Dollar Highway (a section of Hwy 550) is one of the most scenic roads in America with breathtaking views of mountains, valleys, and gorges carved by the Uncompahgre River and Red Mountain Creek.  Technically, the Million Dollar Highway is the 25 mile stretch of road originally built to transport ore between Silverton and Ouray, but the entire 65 miles from Durango to Ouray offered stunning views.

We stopped at the visitor’s center in Silverton to let Riley and Raney play in the snow. They both had a blast, doing zoomies and Riley made snow angels again. Snow sure brings out the silly in him. Lol.

Riley is gettin' his snow mojo on!

What???
You never saw a snow dance?

Raney loved the snow too.

How the Million Dollar Highway got its name is up for debate. Theories include that it cost a million dollars a mile to build, that the roadbed contains a million dollars’ worth of gold and silver tailings from nearby mines, while another claims the nickname originates from an exhausted traveler who proclaimed: “I would not travel that road again for a million dollars!” Whichever is true, the highway was completed in 1883 and the name quickly stuck. I’m going with the theory that the views are worth a million dollars!

Yep. A million dollars and worth every penny.

In addition to being incredibly scenic, the high elevation (11,000 ft!), hairpin turns with no guardrails, steep drop offs, avalanche danger, and falling rocks also make it one of the most dangerous highways in the country.  Even though there have been over 400 deaths since 1992, the phenomenal mountain views and abandoned mining artifacts make it a very popular, if sometimes white-knuckled, drive. Definitely not a stretch we’d drive in the motorhome! Lol.

Hairpins are posted at 20, 15 and 10 mph.
And they are not kidding!

Frozen waterfalls along the drive.

Happy to see these guys on the job!

For several years Rog followed the Box Canyon Blog written by Mark, an Ouray resident. He hasn’t posted recently, but Rog recalled he often mentioned Mouse’s Chocolates and Coffee and the Ouray Brewery.  We’re smart enough to take the advice of a local and stopped at both. We had some delicious Mexican Hot Chocolate and scrap cookies (think the most decadent chocolate chip cookie ever, made with leftover gourmet chocolates) at Mouse’s and picked up some treats for later. Rog did a quick run into the brewery for a growler to go. We’d have loved to hang out at the brewery for a bit, but it wasn’t pup-friendly. Not to mention, the Million Dollar Highway is NOT one to tackle after a few beers. Lol.

Ouray, CO - the Switzerland of America.

Don't miss Mouse's or the Brewery if you're in town.

Another notable attraction along Hwy 550 was the Pinkerton Hot Springs, named after an early settler. I was all excited thinking we might be able to have a soak, but the pool is tiny and it was more of a photo op. There are several hot springs in the area, including a huge municipal mineral hot springs pool in Ouray. Something else to put on the list for another visit!

Pinkerton Hotsprings.

The water was warm, but I need a bigger pool to soak in. Lol.

Next stop - Albuquerque, stay tuned!