The Ultimate Van Trip

I have to admit: I own a camper van, but I haven't done a lot of traveling in it ALONE. I've always had a copilot (human or cat) or at least someone to caravan with. So I decided to rectify that last month by going on a solo trip. And it was one of the best trips I've ever embarked on. It was also semi-spontaneous. Yes, I had an idea of where I wanted to go, but I didn't have it all planned out like I'm so prone to do. Now I'm sharing that itinerary with YOU.

What made this trip so amazing? Almost the entire drive was jaw-dropping beautiful. The variety of landscapes and the stunning natural beauty made me truly in awe of this place we call home. Not to mention that aside from spending money on gas, the trip itself was very low cost. Yay for choosing hiking/walking as my main form of entertainment! Overall, I saw the most beautiful places and never felt like a stranger. It was truly an incredible trip.

Timing: This trip took me 3 days, 2 nights. However, I highly encourage you to expand this into more days if you have the time. I also completed this trip the weekend before 4th of July, so things were a bit . . . crowded.

Don't have a camper van or A car you can sleep in? You can rent one on Outdoorsy! I rent my van there and have also rented from there too. Itinerary can also be modified to allow for tent camping or even hotel stays.

First Stop: Creede, Colorado (2.5 hrs from Durango, CO)

I'd never been to Creede before; I honestly didn't know much about it other than that it was an old mining town. So off I went traveling East towards Pagosa Springs over Wolf Creek and then headed North into the small town of Creede. The first thing I did was park downtown and then hydrate i.e. visit Spare Keg. Then I changed outfits and hiked/ran the Up and Over Trail (3 miles, 1,000 ft of gain), which provides a nice view of the town and the surrounding geology and also takes you to one of the large mines located outside of town. I was originally going to stay the night in Creede but decided instead to press on to Lake City. My curiosity was getting the best of me.

Second Stop: Lake City, Colorado (1 hr from Creede, CO)

The drive from Creede to Lake City was really enjoyable. I had to pull over before dropping down into town in order to take it all in. The town itself is also quite unique; if you enjoy historic downtowns, you're in for a treat: boardwalk lined streets and old buildings abound.

Upon arriving, I (once again) went to the local brewery. This is a habit I picked up from previous van travel. I'm not even much of a beer drinker, but I will say that breweries give you a good pulse on a town: they're friendly, they're informative, and generally a good place to start when orienting yourself to a new place, especially when traveling alone. After eating dinner, I drove to the lake, a suggestion from the couple I talked to at the brewery, in order to see if I could find a good camping spot. With no luck, I decided to check out the Alpine Loop (another suggestion from the nice couple), and I'm so glad I did. The road not only follows a gorgeous "creek" flowing through a canyon, providing insane views but I also found the perfect spot to camp for the night: Safe, in-town, but out of the way, with views and sounds of rushing water.

Search for the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway Lake City Entrance or Lake City Ice Park or follow the signs for Alpine Loop. My camping spot was on the left as you're heading out of town. Many RV's and van campers were camped along this road, on the right and left-side of the road.

Third Stop: Crested Butte, Colorado (1.5 hrs from Lake City, CO)

After walking to town to grab coffee and breakfast in Lake City, I was brimming with excitement for my drive to Crested Butte. I've only heard amazing things about CB, and I was so excited to finally experience it. The drive into town brought me to tears. All I have to say is: holy wow, what a beautiful place. And the town itself is like if Telluride and Austin, TX had a baby i.e. if Telluride had a larger residential population and a more lived-in feel i.e. culture, community, character. (No offense to Telluride; I'm a big fan. But it just feels a little resort-y to me sometimes. Where's the grime? Where's the weirdos? Who actually lives here!? So many questions.)

As soon as I found a good parking spot and changed shoes, I hit the Upper and Lower Loop trail for a 7.5 mile run, starting and finishing downtown. Famished, I crushed a pepperoni pizza and cider I bought at the delightful farmer's market that was occurring that day (Sunday.) Then I headed back to the van for a little catnap. I decided a shower was what I needed to make myself feel whole again, so I went to the Elevation Spa. $35 seems like alot for a shower, but it was kind've life-changing: think giant rainforest shower head with the hottest water and pressure imaginable. I changed into non-workout clothes (for the first time on the trip), blow dried my hair, applied some mascara and felt like a new person. I then drove back into town, parked across the street from an in-town trailhead (and also where I stayed for the night) and walked down into town.

Every restaurant and bar seemed to be packed to the brim, so I decided to go off Main and to my delight, found The Dogwood Bar, which had an excellent cocktail menu and a choose-your-own charcuterie board. YUM! From another patron's suggestion, I then headed to this nice rum bar on Main for quite possibly the best-tasting rum drink I've ever had. I then ended the night at CB's oldest bar: Kochevar's. There I met a woman who professed that CB is the best town on Earth. I couldn't argue with her, especially after the day I had. I then walked "home" and slept like a rock.

Fourth Stop: Black Canyon of the Gunnison (2 hrs from CB)

I slept in a little late Monday morning which was fine because there was only one "major" stop I wanted to make: the infamous Black Canyon. I tried to procure coffee at a local coffee shop but the line was insane, so I decided to press on to Gunnison where I found Tributary Coffee. The barista asked me what my plans were for the day, and I responded that I was driving home to Durango. He quickly replied: "Not a bad place to go home to!" And I couldn't agree more. Did I mention that there were several hot air balloons levitating over Gunnison that day? A good omen, I thought. From there, I drove to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. All in all, this was about 40 mins "out of the way," but it was worth it, if only to break up the drive. I just wished I had more time and energy to actually do a hike here. Alas, I just walked around the first observation point a bit and then got back in the van, eager to finish my drive home.

Last Stop: Durango, CO (3 hrs from Gunnison)

Unfortunately the last day was a good bit of driving. If you have the time, you should absolutely make stops, especially in the Ridgway, Ouray and Silverton areas. I especially love walking around the towns of Ouray and Silverton and of course, there's plenty of hiking and places to camp in these areas as well.

Need help planning your next adventure? Contact me, Sheri at godurango.co@gmail.com.