We left Moab, not really having a clue as to where we would end up.  All we knew was that we were headed to the cool mountains of Colorado.  We needed a few groceries so we made a stop in Norwood, Colorado.  Jim stopped at the National Forest Office and asked where a nice boondocking spot might be.  The ranger told him about a Priest Lake, high in the mountains outside of Telluride. So up, up, up, we went, up to 9500 feet. What a beauty Priest Lake is. It sits in a little bowl and as far as we could tell it is loved by local fishermen and local hikers. 

We met Joseph, a 25 year old hippie from Indiana, son of a pastor, writing a book about his travels. His character though is someone who lives way in the future and the travels are seen from that point of view-cool.  Joseph looked like he had just stepped off the corner of Haight Ashbury, San Francisco. His blonde hair shoulder length, his beard braided, and when he smiled he lit up the area. He was incredibly respectful of his parents, especially his dad, whom he said he was closest to. He was getting ready to head back to Indiana for a family wedding, not happy about giving up life on the road, but happy to be going back to see his parents.

Then we met another fellow camper,Jim. He is the front of house manager for the restaurant-Tommy Boy at Mountain Village, Telluride. He had come from 17 years of restaurant work in Vail and has been at his current job for three years. He was at Priest Lake just to refresh his soul before heading back to work.  What a great concept, something we should do frequently ! He shared his dreams of remodeling an old house or cabin and making it luxurious and elegant and renting it out. I hope both his and Joseph’s dreams come true.

Priest Lake was certainly a beautiful peaceful welcome to Colorado for us. After two days in the mountains we headed into the sweet town of Telluride.  If you are lucky enough to live there, well like they say, you are lucky enough!

We found a great little bakery, Baked in Telluride, that’s been around for quite some time. We filled up our coffee cups, bought a couple of bagels with the most delicious fresh veggie cream cheese I have ever tasted. Actual chunks of fresh veggies! 

Back on the road again, this time we knew where we were headed- Anvil Mountain.

Safe travels, happy trails and wishing all of your dreams come true.