What an incredible week! Patrick and I got engaged in August 2020 and were hoping to have a big wedding with friends and family in 2021. We unfortunately had zero luck trying to find a venue that we loved during this crazy time, so with the support of our families, Patrick and I decided to get married just the two of us (and Lola!). I never imagined in a million years that I would be getting married to my best friend in the beautiful mountains of Telluride. WOW, it truly was breathtaking! We spent the next five days exploring the mountain town and we never wanted to leave!

Telluride has so much to offer during all four seasons. Whether you enjoy skiing/snowboarding in the winter, festivals or hiking in the spring/summer, or catching the beautiful colors in the fall, there is something for everyone. Telluride is tucked away in a box canyon that creates a small town charm, with amazing mountain views all around. I kept telling Patrick I felt like I was in a postcard!

What I love so much about Telluride is how dog friendly it is. We were able to take Lola everywhere we went, which we loved (and so did she!). So many people and pups stopped to say hi to her. The town even has two dog stores that we checked out to get her treats. She was in heaven!

Telluride is a BIG foodie town. There are so many awesome local restaurants and drinking holes to hangout at. I highly recommend hopping around and trying all the different places. We made an itinerary prior to our trip of all of the places we wanted to check out. I highly recommend getting dinner reservations in advance as well.

One thing that we found SUPER helpful and convenient is the free gondola. Not only is it FREE, but it’s also pet friendly, which is awesome. Whether you’re staying in the town of Telluride or up in Telluride Mountain Village, you can take the gondola to and from each area.

Where To Stay

pet friendly and both located in the mountain village.

Mountain Lodge Telluride - Our first stop on the trip was the Mountain Lodge Telluride. If you want a rustic mountain lodge feel, I highly recommend this hotel. We had such a pretty view of the mountains from our suite and everything was very clean. The pool/hot tub was our absolute favorite part with the views and attached to it was The View Bar & Grill.

We are so excited to make this beautiful town our anniversary trip each year. We will definitely be sharing more from our next trip! :)

Lumiere With Inspirato - Our second stop on the trip was staying at the Lumiere! If you are going for an intimate & luxury vibe, you must stay at Lumiere. Located in the heart of mountain village, Lumiere is without a doubt the nicest place I’ve ever stayed. I loved the attention to detail at the hotel. We walked into our stunning one bedroom, 2 bath condo that overlooked the mountains and just felt so welcomed. We had a Mr. & Mrs. Wall card waiting for us with Champagne. I opened up the fridge to start loading some food in and a big basket of breakfast items were already inside, some were even Colorado based items like the granola, meat, jam, coffee & bread. It was so dog friendly and they even had a dog bed, two bowls & treats waiting for Lola. From the slippers/robes and bathroom supplies to sunscreen to waters and products to help guests acclimate to the higher altitudes, not a single detail was missed. They also had the nicest valet man named Jose that helped us unload & load the car. We talked to him every morning or day when we saw him! Their intimate pool/hot-tub was also beautiful.

What To Do

Summer/Spring/Fall

Telluride Farmers Market

Hikes around the town - Highly recommend Blue Lakes (about a 1 hour and 15 min drive outside of Telluride) if you want a difficult one.

Bike Rides

Live Music in the village & concerts all year round at the venues

Dog Stores - Pet Telluride & Side by Side

Gondola Rides

White Water Rafting

Fly Fishing

Camping

Paddle Boarding

Hikes on the ski resort (no need to drive just take the Gondola) We did the See Forever Trail

Kayaking

Festivals

Winter

Skiing/Snowboarding

Sleigh Rides

Ice Skating

Dog Sledding

Cross Country Skiing

Tubbing/Sledding

Where To Eat / Drink

In The Mountain Village

The Pick - This is a burrito/build you own bowl place. This was the lunch we had between our sunrise and sunset photoshoot the first day we were there and it was SO yummy.

Telluride Distillery - We were here at least once a day on our trip. They had such a big variety of cocktails and really reasonable when it came to price. The slushies were so yummy during the day when it was hot and hanging out in the sun

Siam Talay - Really yummy Tai food! We were not really hungry one of the nights so we split dumplings and drunken noodles and it was the perfect amount. We sat right by the window, so we were able to watch the sunset

Altezza At The Peaks- AMAZING VIEWS. Highly recommend making a reservation and asking to sit outside during sunset. The views overlooking the golf course and mountains are breathtaking.

Telluride Coffee Company - Good coffee for grab and go in the village!

Black Iron Kitchen and Bar - Really nice patio area for drinks and dinner

Allred’s — We did not get a chance to go get a drink or dinner due to not enough time but when we come back it will be first on the list! It was highly recommended. Try to get a reservation around sunset so you can see it if you want to do dinner.

Downtown Telluride

Smugglers Union Brewery - This was hands down our favorite drink & lunch spot. We had such amazing service outside with Lola and their jumbo wings & crispy mahi mahi tacos were incredible!

Brown Dog Pizza - They are known for their “Detroit Style” deep dish pizza! We ordered one of the pineapple and ham with jalapeños pizzas to go and it was really good. We did the thin crust and had it during our elopement up in the mountains for dinner while we were taking pictures.

La Cocina de Luz - We grabbed a mid day margarita and nachos and sat on the patio with Lola. It was the perfect amount to tie us over until dinner.

Coffee Cowboy - This coffee shop is ran out of a really cool airstream. You can walk right up and order a coffee from the window. I ordered a skinny vanilla latte - Yummmm!

The Butcher & The Baker - Highly recommend for breakfast. The inside is REALLY cute and their breakfast/baked goods are so good! We got a breakfast burrito and a Cindabun that was SO yummy! I could have ordered one of everything on the menu.

Floradora Saloon - This was a laid-back dinner spot for locally sourced, seasonal American eats with a global spin