Ridgway State Park
We started this stretch at Chipeta Resort, tucked into the hills, looking out at Owl Creek and the Courthouse from a balcony that felt like it belonged to the sky. I worked from a private hot tub at sunrise – yes, really – watching the first light spill over the peaks as I reviewed an RFP. Evenings brought alpine glow on the ridge, soft and pink, like the mountains were slowly exhaling. Amazing.
Then we traded luxury for the quiet (I’ll use that term generously/loosely for now) of Ridgway State Park – two nights in a pop-up, a little beach time, and stars you only get that far from the noise.
We even caught the Ridgway Concert Series – a Thursday night staple – right there in Hartwell Park. A bluegrass band lit up the stage (wish I remembered their name), and the sky turned red behind them, smoke drifting in from the wildfires near Black Canyon. Beauty and tension, sharing the same air.
The whole trip held that same contrast – stillness and motion, comfort and grit, light and shadow. And somehow, it all felt exactly as it should.
Nine days. A thousand moments.
Somewhere between the peaks and the rivers, the campfires and cafes, I didn’t just see Colorado… I felt it.
