Day 1 – The drive
We left the house about 8 am. Plenty of time to get up and drink coffee, load the car and take our time.
We stopped at Starbucks in Woodland Park. Too bad they don’t have a Dunkin (they are so much better). We ordered coffee and sandwiches. The restaurant was dirty, no napkins… This is on a Thursday and they were not busy. The staff was standing around talking. I realized once we took off, the coffee we purchased was burnt.
Stopped in Gunnison at the park. We had a picnic lunch… we love it there. The park is wonderful and very well kept. The bathrooms are clean as are the benches. They have a lot of pride in their city.
Checking into The New Sheridan Hotel in Telluride. This place is absolutely AMAZING! It had an old victorian vibe. We’ve noticed, the mountain hotels above 8k feet typically don’t have A/C. Just let the cold breeze take you. The staff offered to help us bring in our luggage. They told us where to park and logged our license plate so we are not ticketed or towed. We made reservations for Saturday night dinner. They were all booked up, we snatched the last spot! Go us!
We walked to High Pie Pizza and Taproom. SO DANG GOOD!!!
Day 2
Started the day off with a walk. The trail goes through town and you can go either way for miles and miles.
The main event! After making our way to the VIP section we located seats with a group of friends traveling from SantaFe, NM. We were offered seats at their table once we answered the secret question. “Are you guys cool?” “He’ll yeah, we’re cool”. It worked; we were in! Then the music and drinking began.
The way it works: 1. With the VIP tickets, drinks all weekend are provide, lawn games (corn hole, giant connect four, ping pong, and ladder ball), tables (covered and uncovered), a massage crew (tips encouraged), restroom trailer (very clean and nice), and seating at the stage. 2. With Patron tickets, you get the VIP package, to include lunch and dinner (all weekend), and entry to the Patron only after jam parties at night. 3. General admission gets you entrance to the open where you can set up folding chairs and/or overhead cover (easy ups for my civilian folk). Everyone gets access to about 15 port-a-poty’s, food trucks (chicken sandwiches, nachos, burritos, and such), shopping (clothing and festival gear), and mixed drinks vendors.
On a budget? Don’t worry, you can sit in the adjacent park free of charge and jam to the same music as everyone else. You can even tent camp close to the park for added cost savings.
The rest of day 2 is a tequila infused blur. Good thing we had a great recommendation from #Hopespirits in Colorado Springs. No hangover for tomorrow (unlike today). They suggested these magic drinks that kill hangovers. Totally worked! #MorningRecovery by More.
Day 3 – Day 2 of the Festival
Started the day off with an 8-mile beautiful run. Which included 3 bucks and just stunning scenery. Pictures just don’t do it justice.
We met another very cool family! They were from Illinois. They invited us to join their table, which was under the tent. We were so glad they asked us to join them as they turned out to be very enjoyable to hang out with.
The opera house is in the building next to the hotel. Since they don’t do A/C, and there are no bugs, everyone leaves the windows open. So, we listened to the jam sessions all night long. It was wonderful!
Day 4 – Last day of the Festival
Started out with a nice 2-hour hike. Again, like the last 2 days, the views were just amazing.
We walked out of our hotel, which was on main street, to the parade! HOW COOL! They were jamming while walking down the street. The energy was palatable. They threw beads and we caught the BABY!!! The King Cake Baby!! Guess we have to make the cake for next year. Lol
We made our way to the festival for the final day. The weather was spectacular. No rain in the forecast, finally. The band that was in the parade finished in the park outside the gates.
We met our new friends from Il again. They were really enjoyable to talk to! We also played some yard games that the festival put out. Of course, this was after a few drinks as this was the last day and the tequila was flowing. We tried to keep up with our water too, but tequila is delicious.
Day 5 – The drive home
As much as we love it in Telluride, we needed to head home. Our dog, Sig was at Lucky Dog and we wanted to get back in time to pick him up.
Thank goodness there is a Dunkin Donuts in Montrose. They took care of us. Maybe because we looked like we needed a lot of coffee.
The drive is just so pretty! We turned on the massage seats and enjoyed the scenery. Well… Lil T slept a lot while Big Will drove.
We stopped at Wilkerson pass and made sandwiches and lettuce wraps for lunch. The views are just stunning from up there! They have hiking trails around and you can see forever.
This trip was amazing! Truly! If you have ever thought about going to Telluride, GO!! Even if you don’t do the Jazz festival. It is an amazing mountain town! So welcoming to everyone. We have never felt uncomfortable or unsafe. They are so open to everyone.
Make memories, not excuses. See you on the trails!
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