Flight to Colorado with The Travel Lady Tours, Lawrenceburg, TN 9 DAYS FROM Saturday, August 2 to Sunday, August 10, 2025
Day 1: Saturday, Aug 2, 2025
The bus will arrive at 7:45 A.M. at Walmart in Florence—park in rows 3 and 4 close to the store. The bus will leave at 8:00 A.M. and arrive at 8:45 A.M. at First Baptist Church, located at 2100 Springer Road, Lawrenceburg.
Depart for Colorado! 1048 Flight Southwest NASHVILLE (BNA) to (DEN)Denver Aug 2 at 1:20 P.M. 2hr 50 min arrive 3:10 P.M. flight WN1048.
We ate lunch at the Shake Shack in the Nashville Airport.
Hubby and I split a Shake Hamburger with fries, Coke, and a bottle of water, and spent $23.56
We were greeted by our tour guide, Bryan, and driver Mitch.
We rode to the hotel on a Mercedes Arrow Stage Cruise Lines #2527 driven by Mitch.
The bus took us to the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver Airport. We checked into room 409, followed by a Welcome Dinner.
Dinner salad, meatballs, veggies, garlic bread, and Eclairs with pastry cream.
352-368 Nashville Airport @1:51 P.M.
369-397 Flight WN1040 to Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and Missouri 2:09-3:10 P.M.
398-410 Embassy Suite Denver, CO @4:42-6:29 P.M. (dinner)
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| Embassy Suites Denver, CO |
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| Dinner |
Day 2: Sunday, Aug 3, 2025
At 7:00 A.M., place your luggage outside your door. The breakfast room is open in the lobby.
Breakfast: French toast, vanilla, and Greek yogurt
Bus doors open to start loading carry-on luggage and to claim seats.
At 8:00 A.M., Depart Embassy Suites. We are off! The bus departs for Georgetown, Colorado.
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| Georgetown Loop |
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| Georgetown Loop train ride |
We rode to Georgetown to ride the train winding up the mountain
In an open-air car.
We stopped so the engine could turn around.
We were in the last car, now we were in the front, going down the mountain.
We saw piles of rocks along the mountain where mines were once mined.
We visited the old mining Georgetown.
We bought three different cheeses at a local store for lunch.
We visited a hydroelectric museum and bought three different cheeses at a local store.
Hubby bought a strawberry waffle ice cream.
We loaded back onto the bus heading to Palisade, passing through the Rocky Mountains.
We had a rest break in Glenwood Springs Canyon. We walked along the Colorado River, and some even put their feet in the water.
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| Glennwood Springs Canyon |
We continue our journey to Palisade, arriving at the Wine Country Inn, Room 112
We freshened up before dinner.
We enjoyed a wine tasting with our meal.
We tried a red and white wine before the meal.
We tried three different wines with our meal.
Our first course was a salad with pear slices.
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| Salad with apple slices |
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| Baked Chicken with rice and corn on the cob |
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| Cheesecake with peach slices |
We were served baked Chicken, rice, and corn on the cob in a savory sauce.
After dinner, we had a church service outside near the vineyard.
Our speaker talked about Paul's preaching about trusting the Lord and living by faith.
Hubby went back to the room, and I went back outside to walk around the hotel.
I met a couple of men staying at the inn.
They asked us where our group was from, and I said Florence, Alabama, and Tennessee.
One of the gentlemen said his parents were from Tuscumbia.
We talked about traveling.
They both were retired and were traveling throughout the US.
I told them that in 3 weeks, we were going to the Grand Canyon and would be in Las Vegas.
They were telling me of places to visit.
They stayed at the Venetian Hotel in Vegas and mentioned a burlesque show.
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| Wine Country Inn |
I said goodbye and continued walking around the hotel when I met a local police officer driving around the hotel.
He asked me where I was from and where we were going.
He said Are you doing the wine tours I said No, we're doing the train tours.
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| Viburnum European Cranberry Bush |
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| Wine grapes |
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| Lavender Sage |
I took several pictures outside.
Returning to my room, I wrote in my journal and went to bed.
414-416- Loading on the Bus, Denver, CO at 7:29 A.M.
417-421- Traveling Idaho Springs, Evergreen, CO. 8:51 A.M.
422-514 Georgetown & Train Ride 9:39-12:56 P.M.
515-530 Travel Eewards, Gleenwood Springs 2:19-3:31 P.M.
531-550 Wine Country Inn Room 112 Palisade, CO 4:40-8:19 P.M.
Big camera
1599-1617 Travel through Denver
1620-1680 Riding Georgetown Loop & Georgetown
1681-1736 Georgetown
1737-1889 travel to Palisade
Day 3: Monday, Aug 4, 2025, Colorado National Monument
At 6:30 A.M., Wine Country Inn. The lobby breakfast room opens.
Breakfast bread pudding, egg custard pudding, and blueberry yogurt
At 9 A.M., we rode to Suncrest Orchard Alpaca Fiber Works, Palisades, CO, where we learned the history of making alpaca wool into thread and products.
At their market, we bought a bottle of Goatmilk lotion, Lavender scent, and a tube of lip balm, spending $15.80.
We stopped at Anita's Pastry and Produce, where we bought cherries and nectarines, and were given a ripe peach. Hubby bought some peaches and cherries.
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| Boxed lunch from Anita's |
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| Suncreek Orchard Alpacas and Fiber Works |
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| Alpacas |
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| Ripe Peaches |
We picked up our boxed lunch at Antia's, which consisted of a turkey sandwich, cherries, a pickle, apricots, and an Apple Crisp.
Returned to the hotel, ate lunch, and rested.
At 1:30, we leave for the Colorado monument
At 2:00 P.M., Arrive at Colorado National Monument
Bonnie is our local expert, who will guide us through the monument, featuring stunning red rock formations, canyons, and cliffs. The landscape is a unique blend of rock formations, wildlife, and vegetation found in a few other places in the world. Following our tour, we will enjoy an outdoor dinner, weather permitting.
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| Cheesecake with Blueberries |
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| Brisket, veggies, fruit, salad, and roll |
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| Independence Monument at Colorado National Monument |
Dinner consisted of brisket, veggies, roll, salad, creamed potatoes, and cheesecake topped with blueberries.
At 7:00 P.M., we depart Colorado National Monument and return to the hotel.
551-587 Walking along canal, Sincerest Orchard, Alpace fibers works, Antia's Pantry & Lunch 7:59-12:02 P.M., including lunch
588-640 Colorado National Monument, Saddleham Visitor Center with guide Bonnie 6:03-6:28 P.M.
Big Camera
1890-1912 Palisdae Co
1915-2042 Colorado National Monument
Day 4, Tuesday, August 5, 2025. Durango & Silverton Railroad
At 6:12 A.M., I went walking around the hotel and along the canal near the peach trees and vineyards as the sun was coming up over the mountains.
At 6:30 A.M., the Wine Country Inn lobby breakfast room opened.
For breakfast, I ate blueberry yogurt and a muffin.
7:00 A.M. Wine Country Inn luggage placed outside your door.
8:00 A.M. Depart Wine Country INN: Depart for the San Juan Mountains!
We were headed across the Million Dollar highway, but had to turn around along the way. The Million Dollar Highway is a winding road along the mountain cliffs. Our driver walked up the road to find a place to turn that big bus around. I told him later that if it looked like the back of the bus was going to hang off the mountain, I was going to get out and watch him turn it around.
He did a great job. The reason we had to turn around was that a couple ran off the road, plunging 350 feet into the river below. Both were killed, but a girl sitting in the back survived.
The highway was closed for the rest of the day so rescuers could evacuate the people from the canyon. We missed our train ride from Silverton to Durango. Instead, we visited the towns of Ouray and Telluride. We ate lunch @ the Golden Belt, where Hubby and I shared a chicken-finger meal with fries. Spent $21.07
We stopped at a local grocery store where we bought a bowl of Cherry Garcia ice cream.
We spent the next two nights at the Strater Hotel in Durango.
6:15 P.M. Arrive at Strater Hotel. Upon arriving in Durango, your luggage will be in your room at the Strater Hotel, and Mark will hand out the room keys and point out places for your dinner on your own.
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| Strater Hotel Durango, CO |
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| Lun: ch Chicken Fingers and Fries |
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| Ouray, CO |
For dinner, we snacked on the cheese and crackers we bought in Ouray.
641-650 Sunrise Palisade @6:12 -6:33 A.M.
651-682 Town of Ouray 8:06-1:32 P.M., including lunch
683-706 Town of Telluride 2:13-3:58 P.M.
708-711 Town of Dolores @ 5:27 P.M.
712-744 Starter Hotel Durango, Co @6:26-7:55 P.M. Room 110
Big Camera
2041-2058 Town of Murals Delta
2059-2139 Travel to Silverton Million Dollar Highway
2144-2200 Town of Uray & Telluride
2201-2245 Town of Telluride
2246-2356 travel to Durango
Day 5: Wednesday, August 6, 2025, Mesa Verde
7 A.M. The breakfast room opens. Breakfast is served in the restaurant, which is just five steps past the elevator.
For breakfast, I ate kish and drank water.
8:00 A.M. Depart for a day of Touring
The bus will either be located in front of or alongside the hotel.
We stopped at the visitor center to pick up our guide, Sarah.
9:30 A.M. Arrive at Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde is home to some of the most well-preserved cliff dwellings in North America, including the famous Cliff Palace and Balcony House. Built by the Ancestral Puebloans over 700 years ago, the Cliff dwellings provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives and culture of these ancient people.
At the visitor center museum, my husband and I ordered a classic burger, soda, and a parfait for $21.07.
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| Lunch: Hamburger, fries, Parfait |
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| Mesa Verde National Park, |
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| Mesa Verde National Park Dig Site |
Around 3:00 P.M., we returned to Durango. We walked around town visiting some of the shops, and then we visited the Roundhouse and the train museum. We watched the train, but we didn't get to ride the backup.
At the Chocolate Factory, we bought three chocolate pretzels and
spent $10.28.
Bought postcards, spent $6.19.
Returned to the hotel and rested.
We loaded onto the bus at 5:30 P.M. and departed for Bar D Ranch.
Bar D Chuck Wagon is a dinner show set in an Old West-style town, featuring live western music, cowboy poetry, and comedy acts, all while guests enjoy a hearty chuckwagon-style meal.
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| Chuckwagon Dinner |
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| Chuckwagon Show |
Warther's Tours party of 47 ordered the combo meal.
The meal consisted of baked beans, BBQ, baked potato, apple sauce, spice cake, and water.
Returned to the hotel, took a hot bath, and went to bed.
Another night at the Strater Hotel, room 110
8:30 P.M. Return to Hotel
747-771 Breakfast at Strater Hotel @7:01-7:35 A.M.
772-778 Travel Manco & Cortez, Co. @8:22-8:46 A.M.
779-832- Mesa Verde NP @ 9:10-2:24 P.M. guide Sarah
833-906 Durango Train Museum & Durango 3:07-4:20 P.M.
907-923 Dinner at the Bar D Ranch@6:07:01-7:35 A.M.
924-926 Strater Hotel @9:14 P.M.
big Camera
2357-2368 Town of Durango
2369-2409 Mesa Verda NP Manco,CO
2410-2537 Town of Durango
