Ouray, Colorado – visit and adventure

Welcome to Ouray
Welcome to Ouray

The little town of Ouray, Colorado is nicknamed as the Switzerland of America. The character of the town was built upon as an old mining town in the San Juan mountains.

Ouray
Roadside view

It took a lot of focus driving 25 miles from Silverton, Colorado to get into Ouray, Colorado. The million dollar highway is well maintained but required concentration as the road hugged the mountain side. The other side of the road drops off with minimal guard railing. Since the town of Ouray is popular for outdoor activities, the motor traffic consists mostly of camper trailers and 4 wheel drive vehicles.

Ouray hiking
The town view from the perimeter trail

Hiking is a popular activity. We tried the perimeter trail but it proved too much for us. The experience was totally different from when we did some trail hiking at Austin, Texas. We did several of the shorter hikes and it led us to the attraction sites of the town.

Ouray lower box falls
The Lower Box falls

One hike that we did not miss was a walk through the whole length of main street. Here we looked at the different establishments doing business in town. We found a lot of bars and saloons, a few restaurants, and a lot more of the small stores catering to local products. The scene below is a common early evening sight according to our hostess as we were eating dinner at a top deck of a local restaurant.

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