Falling for Colorado

One of the lingering questions we had going into our nationwide road trip was: Is there anywhere we’d like to live more than Bend, Oregon?

Not that we’re looking to set up a permanent address anywhere else—Bend checks so many boxes for us. It’s where our family lives. It’s where we’ve built our routines. It’s full of mountain biking, skiing, river and lakes, local concerts.... So no, we’re not planning to leave Bend. But we were curious: Did we already peak? Is Bend the best spot in the U.S. for us? Or is there some unexpected place that might challenge it?

Neither of us had really spent time in Colorado before—aside from the very quick trip to pick up our EarthRoamer a few months ago. So we didn’t know what to expect. But driving between Durango and Denver completely blew us away.

We followed the million-dollar highway through mountain passes and tiny towns like Silverton, Ouray, Buena Vista, and Leadville. The landscapes were familiar in a way—forested, rocky, rugged—but the composition was completely new. Towering peaks, sheer drop-offs, wild textures. Colorado feels like someone reimagined the Pacific Northwest in a completely different font.

The other thing we weren’t expecting: altitude sickness. We rolled into our first campsite in Durango and Jacob immediately felt off—nauseous, lightheaded. After a good night of sleep he felt much better, but the next day once we were climbing toward 10,000 and 11,000 feet, I started getting the classic altitude headache. Nothing dramatic, just another reminder that this is a different kind of wild.

The towns themselves were another surprise. They’re tiny—some barely a few blocks wide—but beautifully kept. Most had paved main streets, with dirt roads spidering off. They felt like Gold Rush towns updated for the 21st century, but not so much that they’d lost their original charm. Stepping into them felt like walking onto a movie set. But what really stood out was how clean they were—well-loved, well-cared-for. No rundown buildings, no trash. Just pride.

We’ve driven through plenty of small towns in Oregon, and not all of them carry that same energy. Maybe it’s the tourism, or maybe it’s the deep roots people have here. Either way, it made an impression.

We didn’t stop in most of the towns on this leg—just drove through, some in daylight, some at dusk. But we’re already planning to come back and explore more deeply. Our early favorite? Ouray. Known as the “Switzerland of the U.S.,” it’s a slot canyon town that looks straight out of a postcard. Small, but not too small. Surrounded by rugged cliffs. A hot springs. Endless trails. It checked a lot of boxes for a future return trip.

That said, we also learned something this weekend: the EarthRoamer isn’t exactly nimble for in-town exploration. If we want to spend time in places like Ouray, we either have to commit to staying in a nearby campground and biking into town (which isn’t always realistic), or risk driving into a small mountain town with very limited parking, and then possibly having to turn back out to look for somewhere else to sleep.

Originally, we thought we’d just bike into town when needed. But we’re discovering that riding 5+ miles uphill at 10,000 feet won’t be fun—or feasible. Especially for me, who doesn’t enjoy the “sufferfest” style of riding quite as much as Jacob does.

So the seed has been planted: maybe we get a small motorcycle. Something light. It could ride up front on the EarthRoamer, and give us a way to leave camp set up and still pop into town for a meal or a few hours of exploring. We’re not rushing out to buy one tomorrow, but it’s officially on our ever-growing upgrade list.

So, back to the question: is Colorado better than Bend?

It scores higher on pure mountain vibe, that’s for sure. And arguably on beauty (although we could debate that). But when it comes to living full-time—Bend still feels like home. These towns are magical, but they’re small.

That said, we’ve officially added this stretch of the Rockies to our “somewhere worth dreaming about” list. If we ever find ourselves splitting our time, or looking for a part-time base, this part of Colorado would be a serious contender.

Watch our weekend adventures here!