Ouray, Colorado

Cascade Falls can be seen from downtown. Trailhead is 3 blocks from main street.

Bridal Veil Falls is seen from the River Walk in the spring.

Great Hotel!!! Thanks to tripadvisor.com for the recommendation.

View from the deck of our hotel room.

Downtown Ouray is in the valley ahead

Every once in a while you find a place so magical that you want to stay longer. On this trip we found such a place and had the luxury of staying a little longer. The magical town is Ouray, Colorado and the hotel that made it even better was the Hot Springs Inn (www.hotspringsinn.com).

Ouray is nestled in the valley between some pretty high peaks. This is the reason it is known as the Switzerland of America. Ouray has three waterfalls, one of which is viewable from downtown, the second from the main road into town, and the third a half mile from town. It is also known for its hot springs. The town itself is still small and has not yet been overrun by fast food joints and superstores. The closest WalMart is 30 miles away. With the exception of the main street that runs through town, most streets are not even paved. We found out that the town's grocery store is on main street in downtown and stays open until 6:00 pm on Friday night.

We always check out tripadvisor before making reservations at a hotel. This was the first hotel I have ever seen that cost less the $75 (mid week in May) and had 65 reviews of which the majority were fives and the remainder were fours. When we checked in, I understood why it was so popular. The beds were so fantastic I didn't want to get up. Fortunately we slept with the window open so we could hear the river and smell the fresh mountain air so this motivated us to get out of bed (late) and walk along the trail.

Ouray is not easy to get to but it is well worth the drive. How can you not love a town with waterfall views?