Summer

Lets start with the 4th of July. WOW!!! Great weather, with the days comfortably warm, the nights and early mornings are still cool enough you may want a light jacket or even a blanket out on the decks. Leave those stuffy humid days behind, and come breathe the freshest air on earth.

Enjoy the morning Freedom Day Parade down main street, including a fly-by of Navy or Airforce jets (your spine will tingle with patriotic pride). In the early afternoon, the fire department blocks off Main Street, and organizes team water fight competitions, while the crowds surround the square. These fire hyrandt hoses, held by 2 man/woman teams are powerful enough to even knock off the protective clothing, coats, and helmets the participants wear. As dusk comes upon the town, a Jeep / 4-wheel drive vehicle parade comes off the windy road from Red Mountain pass into Ouray and down Main Street. All headlights are off, but don't worry, the vehicles have flares tied to the front bumper...almost like a Christmas light parade, but on the 4th of July.

As darkness arrives, the fireworks come off the mountain at the base of Mt. Hayden, directly in front of the Black Bear. Our large decks, and the 3rd floor observatory cannot be beat for viewing the explosions of celebration of our Country's Independence. No one should miss this.

All summer is indeed prime time to visit Ouray's "Little Switzerland" playgrounds. With so much to do, even a week's stay will seem too short.

While some come just to relax in the Ouray Hot Springs Pool (www.ourayhotspringspool.com), or to sit on our decks (all rooms have outside decks and an exterior entrance here at the Black Bear) and enjoy the surrounding Alpine Mountain peaks, your heart seems to slow greatly from the normal pace of your life back home. Get ready, and don't fight it... fresh air, sounds of the river rushing by, and Lucie's incredible breakfast from the Mineshaft Kitchen will help make your stay at the Black Bear quite memorable.

If you are an active one... rent a Jeep (www.soajeep.com or www.coloradowesttours.com), or a take a jeep tour while an experienced driver takes you across high mountain passes with unsurpassed beauty. Time it right (normally in July or early August), and the wild flowers are so vibrant, they seem to create new definitions for all colors. Black Bear Pass and Imogene Pass will take you the way the crow flies to visit Telluride, and its Magnificent Gondola ride to Mountain Village. For others, the highway is less nerve-wracking and only about a 50 minute drive.

Shopping is exciting in Ouray with many local Artisans shoppes, where souvenirs abound for the unfortunate ones who could not come along on this trip.

May we also suggest you take the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Train (www.durangotrain.com) ride for the day. It will take you along high cliffs and above deep canyons, all to challenge your own previous images of natural beauty.

If you wish to hike through to the scenic area, the Black Bear Manor is located perfectly. From 1 1/2 blocks off main street, you can walk 15-20 minutes to the Box Canyon Falls, where the summer temperatures drop 20 degrees amidst the fall's canyon mist. Go the other direction in town, and find the "Cascade Falls" dropping from the side of the mountain to far below only blocks off Main Street, with several spots to climb along and behind the falls.

Are you fascinated with Gold and Silver mine history? Well check it out here, by riding a small train down into the historic "Bachelor-Syracuse Mine" (www.bachelorsyacuse.com) , while a guide explains the processes used to remove ore from deep in the earth. The milllions and millions of dollars of gold and silver taken form these mines leave behind a rich western history to be told. The Ouray Museum puts it all into perspective for you.

Many enjoy a Hot Air Balloon ride above the Valley, giving you a diferent perspective of the San Juan Mountain range. (One of the 2 most photographed ranges in the USA).

Oh yes... for the fishermen, trout fishing, with artificial flies is as good as anywhere you may go. Try the Alpine lakes and streams, or the deep blue Ridgway Reservoir 10 miles north of Ouray. The reservoir has a long paved trail for walking or biking along the water.

River Rafting trips can also be arranged nearby.

The summer range of activities are vast, so whatever your preference, make the Black Bear Manor your home base, and Lucie and I will make sure it's the trip of a lifetime!

Can't come in the summer? Try the Fall season, like September or October for viewing of the deep gold colored Aspen trees. It's fall foliage at it's best.

Once here, you may make Ouray, a "Same time next year" trip!!

PHONE: 1-800-845-7512 Email: reserve@blackbearmanor.com