The idea for my most recent long weekend in Ouray was born over a casual breakfast with two girlfriends. When asked where in Colorado I’d love to go, my answer was immediate and heartfelt: Ouray. It’s a town I’ve long admired from afar, but its distance from home has always made it feel just out of reach for a quick weekend escape. One of the friends wanted to go to Telluride, so we looked at our calendars, and found a weekend that worked in August. What followed was a lesson in how quickly the costs of a “short” trip can add up, even without any overt extravagance.
To maximize our time, we decided to fly. This decision, however, came with a surprising price tag. I hadn’t realized just how expensive that 38-minute flight to Durango would be, and flights into Montrose weren’t much better. Lodging, though centrally located in downtown Ouray, also cost more than I had hoped. The rental car for our three days added another hefty chunk to the budget. I knew going in that we’d be eating out for every meal. Add in a couple of activities, and the grand total for the weekend quickly climbed to $1,720.
I’ll admit, my first reaction was to cringe. Spending that kind of money on a short trip felt like a major splurge, even though I didn’t feel like we’d indulged in anything particularly lavish beyond a nice dinner or two. The travel part—the flights, the rental car, the lodging—was simply more than I expected. The 13 hour loop if we drove seemed like a lot, but getting to the airport, waiting, flight & taxi time, and car ride back home — the flight may have only saved 3 or 4 hours. But as I’ve been reflecting on the trip, I’ve come to a more nuanced conclusion: it is what it is. This was the first time I’ve been able to get out of town with this girlfriend in about six years. So, I may need to buckle down on the four remaining trips I have planned for this year, and say no to other future trips.
Itinerary, Packing List, and Costs
Below, I’ve broken down my full itinerary, packing list, and the real costs of our splurge-but-not-a-splurge getaway.
| Day | Itinerary | Costs | What to Wear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Flight Pick Up Rental Car Grab tea for ride Drive to Silverton for Lunch at Golden Block Brewery Drive to Ouray Check into Lodging Check out downtown Drinks / Dinner at Ouray Brewing | Breakfast at airport: $20.28 Flight: $360 Rental Car: $200 (my half) Tea: $6.96 Lunch: $20.51 Chocolate: $13.91 Lodging: $624 (my half) Dinner/Drinks: $51.05 | All Day: Sneakers Black Jeans Red-ish Short Sleeve Tee Shirt Black thin sweater jacket Sunglasses |
| Friday | Breakfast at Smokehouse BBQ Drive 1 hour to Telluride Gondola Check out downtown Possible waterfall hike Lunch in Telluride at Crazy Elk Pizza Orvis Hot Springs in Ridgeway Dinner in Ouray at Outlaw Ice Cream at Moose’s Chocolate | Breakfast: $22.52 Parking in Telluride: $12 Lunch: $20.06 (me & friend) Hot Springs: $28+3 (friend paid) Dinner: (friend paid) Tip Piano Player at Dinner: $10 Ice Cream & Chocolate: 23.03 (for both me and friend) | Day: Sneakers Black Capri’s Maroon Long Sleeve Tee Shirt Rain Jacket Bathing Suit Flip Flops Evening/Dinner: Blue 3/4 Sleeve shirt Black Jeans |
| Saturday | To-go Breakfast at Yankee Girl 4×4 Tour (4 hours) Drink at Mr. Grumpy Pants Brewery Lunch at Timberline Deli Box Springs Canyon (~1hr) Rest Dinner at Outlaw | Breakfast: $8.39 Tour: $72 + $10 tip Drink: $17 (incld. friends) Lunch: $20.98 Box Springs Canyon: $7 Shopping: $50 Bottle of Wine: $19.69 Dinner: $103.59 | Day Black Capris White & Black Long Sleeve Shirt Black Vest Sunglasses Evening/Dinner: Black Jeans Green long sleeve blouse Flipflops |
| Sunday | Bathtub Hike (1 mile) Breakfast at Yankee Girl Check out of lodging Drive to Silverton One Hundred Mine Tour (1hr+) Drive to Durango Lunch at Carver Brewing Return to airport | Hike: $0 Breakfast: $18.77 Silverton Shopping: $66 (gift) Mine Tour: $30*2 = $60 + $10 tip Lunch: $18.27 Friend got gas $15-20 | All Day: Black Jeans Black Short Sleeve Tee Shirt Sneakers |
| 2 Full Days, 2 Half Days | Weather outlook (for packing): mid 60s. Possible showers. Weather actual: mostly nice mid-60s, a few periods of heavy rain on 2 days and some hail on 1 day. Clothing. I wore everything. I probably should have brought a pair of shorts or another short sleeve shirt, or a cuter shoe. | Travel: $1,166.07 Food/Drink: $366.24 Activity: $188 Shopping: $116.04 (includes a gift) TOTAL: $1,836.35 TOTAL w/o gifts: $1,720.31 | Shoes: Sneakers, Flip Flops Pants: Black Jeans, Black Capri Shirts: Red-ish SS Tee, Black SS tee, Maroon LS tee, B/W LS tee, 3/4 teal shirt, green blouse Outerwear: Black thin sweater jacket, rain jacket, vest Underwear: 1 bra, 5 panties, 5 socks, 1 PJ set Accessories: Sunglasses, Hat, Day Bag/Purse, Phone Toiletries |