The little town of Ouray, Colorado was nicknamed as the Switzerland of America. The character of the town was built upon as an old mining town in the San Juan mountains.

It took a lot of focus driving 25 miles from Silverton, Colorado to get into Ouray, Colorado. The million dollar highway was well maintained but required concentration as the road hugged the mountain side. The other side of the road dropped off to a ravine with minimal guard railing. Motor traffic along the highway was mostly 4-wheel drives and campers because of its outdoor activity popularity.

Hiking was also a popular activity. We tried the perimeter trail but it proved too much for us. The experience was totally different from when we did some trail hiking at Austin, Texas. We ended up doing the shorter and easier hike trails.

One hike that we did not miss was a walk through the whole length of main street. Here we looked at the different establishments doing business in town. We found a lot of bars and saloons, a few restaurants, and a lot more of the small stores catering to local products. Oh, one more thing – a deer or a herd of deer walking down Main Street was usual for Ouray. We saw it while having dinner at the top deck of one of the local restaurants.