A year ago our former Costa Rica neighbor, who now lives in Loveland Colorado, USA, suggested we take a trip late summer 2024 to Pagosa Springs, Durango, Telluride and Gunnison. My husband and I flew into Denver and our friend picked us up to begin our trip full of beautiful hikes and other adventures. We started in Pagosa Springs where we did some beautiful hikes and soaked in the therapeutic hot springs. We then headed to Durango for our non sim exchange and stayed in a brand new, modern home. We got to visit our friend’s nephew and family. After four days in Durango we were off to Telluride. We were so excited to have landed an exchange to be able to coincide with the Telluride Brews & Blues Festival…so amazing and a great, friendly crowd. We got to see Taj Farrant, a child blues prodigy from Australia. The views and hikes around Telluride are beyond description. We then went to Cimarron and explored the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The trip was full of great sites and we made such wonderful memories with our 80 year old friend. His wife was one of my dearest friends and passed away 3 years ago from cancer. He has struggled with the loss so being able to meet up again with him and doing all these amazing stays has really been healing for all of us. The only mishap was when we were leaving Telluride (we stayed at a home in Sawpit on the San Miguel River) was our hiking shoes got thrown in the trash can by accident. We were on our way out and tossed my husband’s and my dirty hiking shoes in a white, plastic trash bag. My husband placed in the back of the car, but our friend saw the bag and mistook it for trash. Next stop no hiking shoes! Fortunately, the shoes were old so new ones ordered on Amazon for next adventures, thanks to Home Exchange, in Zion and Bryce National Parks in Utah next month.
2 Likes
Oh this was so lovely to read!
I’m glad that this trip will be a memorable one for you, your husband and your friend 
I hope you’ll get to meet each other again for more adventures soon!