DAY 1: SKI AREA TOUR & APRES SKI

One of Telluride’s most unique aspects is its quaint size and easy ski access. With Lifts 8 and 7 and the gondola all accessed right from town, it’s not hard to get in ample ski time while poking into town for off-the-hill leisure. Stay in Telluride or Mountain Village and walk out your hotel door to the lifts—easy. If you’re in town and need a little lift to the lift, take the Galloping Goose bus, it’s free and Biodiesel powered.

Get your ski gear on and grab a breakfast bite at the Chair 8 Restaurant located, yes, at the base of Chair 8. Ski boots are allowed and the breakfast/brunch/lunch menu is lengthy and tasty, and the location is unbeatable.

Jump on the gondola or Lift 8 and take a mountain tour over to Prospect Bowl—don’t forget a camera. The views from the top of Prospect Lift overlooking Palmyra Peak are postcard perfect. Grab lunch at the High Camp Warming Hut and have a seat in the sunshine (brownies and cookies are not to miss).

Ski boots hurting your feet by noon? Ski to town for lunch and take a stroll in comfy shoes. Telluride is a mostly sunny place and main street (Colorado Avenue) warms up quick even in the heart of winter. And then be pampered at Aromatherapy Day Spa with therapeutic massage, custom wraps, facials and reflexology.

If high altitude is getting you down, make sure to have some down time. Take a nap, a Jacuzzi, a hot tub or a sauna; most of Telluride’s accommodations offer all of these. Try the Bubble Lounge, a swanky oxygen and martini bar. Don’t snooze through après ski though, it’s the best part of the day aside from skiing. No need to change out of ski gear, just mosey on in and warm up at the Chair 8 for hearty nachos and an extensive imported beer list, or the New Sheridan Bar for martinis. If you’re still on the hill late afternoon, stop in at the classic ski lodge Gorrono Ranch.

What’s your flavor? Meet for dinner at Honga’s Lotus Petal for sushi, Rustico Ristorante for traditional pastas, or the Cosmopolitan for seafood and filet mignon accompanied by local organic ingredients. For the town’s size, you can travel the globe by fare—Thai, Italian, Asian, Chinese, Latin, Southwestern Mexican, French and American Bistro themed restaurants are all on the dining-out menu in Telluride.