Ridgway, Colorado--Gateway to the San Juan's

 Ridgway, Colorado, is called "The Gateway to the San Juan's, " for a good reason, as this is the view of the mountain range one sees as you drive towards the town. (All photos will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on)

Steep, forested mountains, mesas, and cliffs surround Ridgway on the south, east, and northeast, and the house we rented in November was located on the top of Log Hill Mesa.

The drive up and down Log Hill Mesa, and the house we rented, gave us spectacular views of the Cimmaron and San Juan Mountains. It was a wonderful base to use to visit the towns of Ouray, which is 10 miles north, and 37 miles east to the ski town of Telluride--about 30 and 40 minutes away in different directions. You can read blog posts I wrote about each town if you click on the highlighted links.

The picturesque rural town of Ridgway, nestled in the Uncompaghre Valley at 6,985 feet, looked as if time had stood still.  It is named for the Denver and Rio Grande railroad superintendent Robert M. Ridgway, who established the town in 1891 to service the silver and gold miners, ranchers, and farmers in the area.  It now has a population of approximately 924 people and concentrates on creativity and culture and a connection to the outdoors.

The railway is gone, but its memories remain at the acclaimed Ridgway Railroad Museum.

The views of the mountain ranges from the town certainly added to its Old West charm.

More than 100 films and documentaries have been filmed in the scenic SW area of Colorado. One of the most famous films in Ridgway is the Academy Award-winning John Wayne 1969 movie classic "True Grit."  The True Grit Cafe in Ridgway has movie memorabilia on its walls. There is even a True Grit Walking Tour conducted through the Ridgway Visitors Center every Friday, May through October.

 

This fun "Then and Now" YouTube video shows scenes from the "True Grit" movie, and what the same scene would look like now.  The quality of the music at the beginning of the video is somewhat fuzzy, so you might want to turn down your speakers.

We were excited to do a drive along a portion of Last Dollar Road.  This bumpy dirt road was once used as a mining supply route in the 1800s leading from Ridgway to Telluride but now is surrounded by large aspen groves and ranches.

The view of the Dallas Divide through the arches of Last Dollar Ranch was certainly scenic!  The designer Ralph Lauren also owns ranch land in this area.  We did not go much further along the road as it was muddy and we knew it would be difficult to travel, so we turned around.  We definitely would like to return to this area one day to see these views again and hopefully be able to do the entire 18-mile drive.

Another interesting fact about Ridgway is that it contains the only traffic light in the entire Ouray County! Here is, at the intersection of highways 550 and 62.

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It is easy to see why the San Juan Mountain area of SW Colorado is called the "Switzerland of America," and why we enjoyed this vacation so much! From Alpenglow to winds blowing the snow on the mountaintops, we saw gorgeous sights from the deck of our rental home.

On the home front, we celebrated a few happy occasions recently!

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The Denver Broncos football team won Superbowl 50! My husband and I went to the celebratory parade for the Broncos in Denver and enjoyed seeing quarterback Peyton Manning and the Vince Lombardi trophy and the rest of the Bronco team and cheerleaders and mascots in the parade!  Over a million people were in attendance--most dressed in the Denver Broncos colors of orange and blue!

The best events, however, were the birthdays of our son and our granddaughter "J" in February.  She is growing up to be the happiest and most imaginative little girl.  She really lights up our lives!  

 I hope you all had a very Happy Valentine's Day. Only 34 days 'till Spring!