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Telluride/Crested
Butte, CO December
2006
If
you ever want to know why they call Colorado “God’s
Country,” you only need to take the drive from
Montrose to Telluride or Crested Butte.
We
had flown into Montrose and driven down Hwy 550 to
Telluride the first day, and from the moment we turned
up into the mountains we couldn’t stop commenting
on the beauty of the setting. The landscapes with
snow-capped mountains, the frosted stands of Aspens,
the ice-encrusted rivers flowing beside the road
are awe-inspiring.
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We stayed at the New Sheridan Hotel, furnished with antique
beds and dressers in keeping with the historic setting of
the town, and had eaten a delicious dinner at the Chop House
the night before, so we were ready for the new day.
No matter where you look, the backdrop to the town is the magnificent
scenery of the snow-covered peaks surrounding the valley.
The
shops have kept their quaint style and are colorfully painted,
giving the town a festive look. This is augmented by the
pine branch trimming around the windows of many of the
stores and the icicles hanging from the eaves. |
Just look
at this door to the First National Bank...
| Before we headed
over to the soundcheck we stopped by KOTO-FM, the commercial-free
radio station here in town, and did a quick interview with
Ben Kurr, the station manager. He’s
got the best view on radio out the sound booth window. |
The show was at the Sheridan Theater, an old vaudeville
theater built in 1913 that only seated 230 tops, so you could
reach out and touch everyone there. We put in a few of the
Christmas carols in the second set and left them roaring for
encores.
We
left the next morning for the drive back through Montrose and
took a right turn onto Hwy 50/135 to circle up to Crested Butte.
This took us past the Blue Mesa Reservoir, the largest body
of water in the state and even more exquisite landscapes. |
The valley of Crested Butte is wider than Telluride but the
horizon
is similarly dominated by the mountain of Crested Butte.
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We
stayed at the Elevation Hotel, a very modern and stylish
hotel in the resort setting above the town, which had a magnificent
view of the valley. Skiers could walk right out the rear
doors and onto the slopes.
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The
Center for the Arts was only 200 seats, but it was a sold-out
crowd at $75 a ticket and we had to come out for extra
bows even after the encore. Quite a night. |
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