Photo courtesy Capella Telluride Capella Telluride condo suite

Regardless of which hotel you choose, both have restaurants worth boasting of. The Sheridan’s Chop House serves up impeccable cuts of meat and fresh seafood, while its adjoining New Sheridan Bar recently garnered accolades from Forbes Traveler, naming it one of the top-10 ski bars in the world.

Capella’s signature restaurant, Onyx, and its sleek bar, Suede, are driven by award-winning executive chef Kenny Gilbert, a fun-loving Midwestern man with a soft spot for his mom’s Southern cooking. He’s inspired by fresh local produce, wild game and wild-caught fish to create the most mouth-watering, memorable meals in town. Whether it’s the succulent heirloom tomato salad sweetened up with a drizzle of agave syrup, the juicy buffalo tenderloin enchiladas or the savory salmon atop fluffy polenta, Gilbert’s range is impressive and his menu ever-changing.

He’s also more personable than most chefs have the reputation for being – prod him a bit and he just may supply you with the fixings for some gooey S’mores that you can gobble up at the outdoor fire pit.

Stores and Outdoors
Before you get too accustomed to Capella’s pampering, pull yourself away from the refuge of your room and head outdoors – there’s plenty to do and see. Hop aboard the smooth gondola (just a few hundred steps from Capella), soar about 1,000 feet up and over Mountain Village, and land in the heart of Telluride, where there’s bound to be a festival or community event to draw your attention (see the Guidebook for a sampling of upcoming events).

The town held its long-running Telluride Bluegrass Festival in June, when musicians such as David Byrne and Elvis Costello played to nearly 10,000 fans of every age, many of whom camped out for days during the event. September’s Brews & Blues Festival should prove no less successful, pairing international blues and rock acts with microbrew tastings. Even the Mushroom Festival in late August attracts hordes of fungi fanatics, who watch local chefs make masterpiece meals out of the town’s abundant crop.

If you’re averse to large crowds, an independent stroll around town is just as rewarding. A mere 10 blocks long and five blocks wide, Telluride is easy to traverse many times over in a day, although you could spend hours perusing each boutique, art gallery, jewelry store and home accessory shop that lines the main strip of Colorado Avenue. Be sure to pop into Telluride Truffle for some heavenly, creamy, organic homemade chocolate; Telluride Sports for that last-minute fleece; Telluride Music Company for a rare compilation of vinyl and acoustic guitars; Wine-Mine at Pacific Street Liquors, where you can store your own bottles in subterranean cellars; and Schaussi’s Alpen Schatz for unique German-imported gifts.

Photo courtesy Barry Brecheisen Brews & Blues Festival

Labradors, golden retrievers and the occasional slumbering fat feline decorate most storefronts, acting as docile welcome mats. This laidback, friendly atmosphere takes precedent in Telluride, so if you’re not prepared to sloooow down, ease up and relax, this vacation may not be for you.

Of course, if leisure was never part of your Telluride itinerary, there’s plenty to sate the adventurer’s appetite, too. Start simple with a guided Jeep tour with Telluride Outside, whose knowledgeable drivers take you on a roller coaster of a ride up thousands of feet of rocky trails, through tumbling creeks and past dilapidated remnants of Telluride’s mining past.

Even if the bumps bother you (and surely they will), don’t forget to relish the surrounding views of snow-capped mountains and  lucent waterfalls that stream silently down dramatic cliff faces in the distance. And if you’re still frightened by a) the height at which you’re riding or b) the narrowness of the trails you’re violently undulating along, you’ll be snapped out of your panic – and humbled – by the many mountain bikers or hikers who are making the same trek up the mountain. Telluride is an active town, after all.

Countless opportunities abound for fishing, rock climbing, biking and hiking (Bear Creek Trail is moderate and incredibly scenic), so contact the Telluride Visitors Center for more details. Even a simple walk around Capella’s property will lead you over charming wooden bridges, through pine-studded forests and, what d’ya know?, along an actual Yellow Brick Road.

And when you’ve satisfactorily abused your body outdoors, come back inside for a rewarding treatment at the Spa at Capella. Whether it’s the High-Altitude Hydrating facial (80 minutes, $175) or the mind-altering Spirit of the Mountains massage (80 minutes, $190), you’ll shuffle away feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and wondering why you don’t come to Telluride every summer.


GUIDEBOOK

Photo courtesy Capella Telluride Onyx at Capella Telluride

Miles from Phoenix: 475
Miles from Denver: 360

Elevation
8,750 feet (Mountain Village) to 14,000 feet (Mount Wilson)
Temperatures
July: 76/51
August: 74/50
September: 67/44
Accommodations
• Capella Telluride: 568 Mountain Village Blvd.;
970-369-0880, capellatelluride.com
• New Sheridan Hotel: 231 W. Colorado Ave.;
800-200-1891, newsheridan.com
Dining
• Onyx at Capella Telluride: 568 Mountain Village Blvd.; 970-369-0880, capellatelluride.com/onyx-restaurant-colorado.php
• Chop House at New Sheridan Hotel: 231 W. Colorado Ave.; 800-200-1891, newsheridan.com/restaurants/1
Shopping
• Schaussi’s Alpen Schatz: 307 E. Colorado Ave.;
970-728-4433, alpenschatz.com
• Telluride Music Company: 201 E. Colorado Ave.;
970-728-9592, telluridemusic.com
• Telluride Sports: several locations throughout town;
telluridesports.com
• Telluride Truffle: 104 Society Drive; 866-543-0108,
telluridetruffle.com
• Wine-Mine at Pacific Street Liquors: 220 S. Davis St.; 970-728-6333, wine-mine.com
Activities
• Telluride Outside: 800-831-6230, tellurideoutside.com
Events
• Telluride Festival of the Arts: August 14-16
• Telluride Mushroom Festival: August 27-30
• Telluride Film Festival: September 4-7
• Telluride Brews & Blues Festival: September 18-20
• Artists’ Studio Tours: September 25-27
Information
• Telluride Visitors Center: 800-525-3455, visittelluride.com
• Mountain Village Guest Services: 970-728-7575, townofmountainvillage.com