Colorado Road Trip Weekend Itinerary
Colorado Road Trip: Weekend Itinerary Road Trips
Virginia: Louisiana: AARP Travel Center Call: 1.800.675.4318 Search Flights Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: search Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: search Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: Flight 2 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 3 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 4 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 5 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Add Another Flight search Search Hotels Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date Room 1 Room 2 Room 3 Room 4 Room 5 Room 6 Room 7 Room 8 search Search Packages Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date You didn't specify child's age Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: Room 1 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 2 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 3 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 4 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 5 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age You have more than 6 people total Please select a trip duration less than 28 days search Search Cars Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date search Search Cruises Select a valid location Select a month search Search Things to Do Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date search × Let's Go Reset Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Car Rentals offers > See more Travel offers > See more Hotels & Resorts offers > See more Gas & Auto Services offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
Mix Mountains and History in Colorado
If you can handle the white-knuckle curves you' ll find some of the country' s most gorgeous scenery
Brian Welker / Alamy Stock Photo The San Juan Skyway loop in Southwest Colorado offers some fantastic views, though the driving's not for the faint-hearted.Day 1 Durango to Silverton 47 miles
You’ll see jagged mountains, Native American cliff dwellings and deserted gold-mining towns in Durango, known for its mining and railway roots. Fortify yourself for the climbs ahead with hash browns, eggs and pork with green chili peppers at the family-owned , where a model railroad circles the room. Then ascend through the San Juan Mountains, gaping at stunning 14,000-foot peaks. Keep your eyes peeled for bighorn sheep, mountain goats — even black bear. Outside the former Wild West mining town of Silverton, take the , where you can pan for gold and keep what treasures you find. Where to stay: , an antique-filled former miners’ boardinghouse in Silverton. S Swenson / Alamy Stock Photo The New Sheridan Hotel is a historic gem in Telluride.Day 2 Silverton to Telluride 72 5 miles
The 23-mile stretch of two-lane road between Silverton and Ouray is known as the “Million-Dollar Highway” because of its cost, the value of the ore underneath — or perhaps the many travelers who've said they wouldn’t traverse it again for a million bucks. It can be a hair-raising drive, but worth it if you don't mind taking on several S curves with no guardrails and perilous mountainside drops. At the end, though, you can unwind with a dip in one of Ouray’s hot springs or a world-class blue-cheese burger with onion rings at Maggie’s Kitchen. Spend the night in Telluride (a curved one-hour drive from Ouray), which has a well-preserved downtown and opera house, and in the winter is a top ski destination for the rich and famous. Where to stay: Telluride's , which boasts the town's oldest bar, more or less unchanged since 1895. Stephen Saks Photography / Alamy Stock Photo Mesa Verde National Park's cliff dwellings are a must-see near Cortez.Day 3 Telluride to Cortez 76 miles
Stop in Dolores, with its artifact-filled . , near Cortez, is another must-see for its archeological center and about 600 cliff dwellings inhabited by the Pueblo Native Americans many hundreds of years ago. In Cortez, stop for a sandwich or hearty salad at the . Where to stay: The whimsical '50s- and '60s-themed, brightly colored in Cortez. Amar and Isabelle Guillen - Guillen Photo LLC / Alamy Stock Photo Take a retro ride along the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.Day 4 Cortez to Durango 46 miles
Mountains give way to cattle and llama farms as you near Durango, where you can ride the with a vintage steam locomotive. The vistas are even better than those seen by car. You can also stretch your legs on the Colorado Trail, browse shops and galleries in downtown Durango and take a peek at the Old West exhibits in the 131-year-old 's lobby. Wet your whistle in the hotel’s Diamond Belle Saloon, where drinks and eats are served by “Belle Girls” in period costumes, or grab a cold craft beer at .Plan Your Trip
Oregon:Virginia: Louisiana: AARP Travel Center Call: 1.800.675.4318 Search Flights Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: search Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: search Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: Flight 2 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 3 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 4 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 5 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Add Another Flight search Search Hotels Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date Room 1 Room 2 Room 3 Room 4 Room 5 Room 6 Room 7 Room 8 search Search Packages Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date You didn't specify child's age Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: Room 1 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 2 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 3 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 4 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 5 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age You have more than 6 people total Please select a trip duration less than 28 days search Search Cars Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date search Search Cruises Select a valid location Select a month search Search Things to Do Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date search × Let's Go Reset Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Car Rentals offers > See more Travel offers > See more Hotels & Resorts offers > See more Gas & Auto Services offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures