TELLURIDE, Colo.—This is a town of tinkerers and inventors, where free spirit meets practical ingenuity: Thanks to Nikola Tesla, local lore has it that Telluride’s street lights were the first ones in the world to be illuminated by alternate current. Miners, who dwelled up in high country above the town, saw their cabins illuminated by light bulbs. It was also here that Butch Cassidy took an innovative turn in his thinking, departing from his usual horse stealing to rob his first bank.
Telluride is tiny: population 2,444, 8 blocks by 12 blocks, the length of which is easily traversed on foot in 20 minutes. Walking down its main street, with its Victorian façades and clapboard storefronts, it’s amazing that even with the floods of visitors, it feels like such a small town. An uninterrupted walk may take 20 minutes, but locals know it takes much longer: every few minutes you’re stopping and catching up with someone.
