Looking for a great honeymoon spot! (Denver, Durango: where to stay, hotel, suite)

[rebeccajaneee]

Hello! My fiance & I are looking into visiting Colorado for our honeymoon on October 5th. We would like to stay at least 7 nights, and plan to fly in from Florida. We've never been to Colorado, or really anywhere West of Georgia. I looked through a couple other threads, and one place that stuck out to me was the Madeline Hotel in Telluride. We aren't the most active people, but would love to explore and have opportunities for adventure!

Our previous honeymoon plans fell apart, which is why we are now looking into this so late - so please, if anyone has any good advice, I'm all ears! Where to stay, what to do, what we should pack, how we should prepare for the climate, etc. Thanks in advance!

Edit: Also, it will just be the two of us, no kids. We would like either a suite or a very spacious room, and balconies are always nice - our budget is about $2500 for just the hotel.

[SkyDog77]

Telluride is my favorite place. It will be a bit more quiet next week than normal as we are past peak leaf season and starting to get in to true shoulder season. I love that town though and there is plenty to explore.

One bit of caution is that many people experience altitude related issues going straight from sea level up to elevation without a day at a mid level elevation to acclimate.

[SkyDog77]

One other thing to note is that highs will be in the 50s and lows in the 30s.

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

One other thing to note is that highs will be in the 50s and lows in the 30s.

This would be a plus for many people but probably not for Floridians. The temps have been high but a big drop in the Four Corners is indeed forecast. Today, I see mares’ tails indicating a change is coming. Telluride is higher and colder than here.

NM should be added to the candidate list, because it might be warmer.

[wamer27]

Look at flying into Montrose or Durango, it’ll save you 5+hrs each way in driving from Denver. In Durango, take the train ride, we missed out on it, but will sometime in future. Another thing to think about is mountain driving, it’s super scenic, but much different then flatland areas. If heights scare you, some parts everywhere will cause a little panic. Hotel Madeline is a nice place with a perfect location in mountain village. For how nice it is, it’s also more reasonable then you would think.

[maciesmom]

Telluride

Eat at Allreds.

Spend a day in Ouray.

[Mike from back east]

Our advice to the OP and anyone else coming from near sea-level to these altitudes is to beware of altitude sickness which is very real. Start drinking a lot of water as soon as you arrive and keep at it. This is a dry climate and it sucks moisture right out of your body. Easy on the alcohol as it worsens such problems. There's less oxygen in the air at altitude so your red blood cells will work overtime to supply oxygen. Take it easy the first day, see how you feel, especially if hiking. The air is thinner here and the sunlight is more powerful which can wreak havoc on skin and nasal passages so you probably want to bring sunscreen, lip balm, saline nasal spray (to prevent bloody noses), sunglasses and a hat. We're not kidding, these are real issues for visitors from the low country. You're gonna love Colorado but need to be prepared.

[StealthRabbit]

yup, nose bleeds... lube up.

Take the 'lake hikes' (flat / perimeter)

Rather than elevation hikes (in general, start small)

Bring a LOT of water.

Honeymoon... don't ruin it / make it miserable due to illness.... You will have many more great adventures together, but only one honeymoon (presumably).

[jwiley]

I would prefer Glenwood Springs, very picturesque and plenty to do for a week.

[GAngus]

Durango, CO. Ride the train, visit Mesa Verde National Park, go to Pagosa Springs, visit Four Corners, make a day trip to Telluride. You could even drop south and see Chaco Canyon.