Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Restaurant
( 866-882-3026;
www.rgshotel.com
;
101 S 5th St; mains $9-15; 7am-8pm Wed-Sat; )
Downstairs from
the historic hotel, this welcoming dining room functions as a German restaurant with gen-
erous portions of bratwurst and Wiener schnitzel. Repeat customers swear it's the best
German food in the region. You can also let off some steam on Karaoke Sundays (2pm to
8pm).
GERMAN
$$
Dolores River Brewery
( 970-882-4677;
www.doloresriverbrewery.com
; 100 S 4th St; pizzas $9-13; 4pm-late Tue-Sun)
Welcome to
Dolores nightlife, with live bluegrass bands and cask-conditioned ale. Hickory wood-fired
pizzas are the specialty here, with toppings like goat's cheese, chipotle peppers and grilled
eggplants spicing it up. Drawing patrons from Cortez, it's easily the best pizza in the Four
Corners region, and worth the torturous wait (entertain yourself with a pint or two).
BREWERY
Getting There & Away
Dolores is 11 miles north of Cortez on Hwy 145, also known as Railroad Ave.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Rico
POP 264 / ELEV 8825FT
At the base of a steep climb to Telluride, it's probably no surprise that Rico (meaning
'rich') was founded when prospectors sought silver in the hills, and local wags will claim
that it is Colorado's last boom town. Stiff Ute resistance thwarted the first efforts at min-
ing here, but the Utes signed the Brunot Agreement to effectively surrender the entirety of
the San Juan Mountains in 1878, meaning the miners came rushing back. A boom from
the Enterprise Lode brought some 5000 residents at the town's peak in 1892, but the tim-
ing was too late. Things went bust with the Silver Panic of 1893, and the town all but fol-
ded up. There's little history left, aside from a few historic buildings and the Van Winkle
Headframe and Hoist Structure, a towering piece of mining equipment alongside the road,
which makes a quick photo op. Today the town feels a little depressed.
Sights & Activities
