@balakay , you going at the end of July? I'll be there at that time too. I'm leaving for Colorado Saturday the 22nd and coming back on Sunday the 30th. We will be in Ouray pretty much the whole time. We will likely hit somewhere else on the drive up there so we will probably arrive in Ouray on Monday the 24th. If you're there the same time we should meet up. The antlers motel actually just got a makeover so if you're looking for a place to stay I'm told it just got better. Not sure what it looks like now but they finished the renovation in February I think.
The town just finished up a remodel of the hot springs. They are VERY nice now. I'm sure your lady friend will enjoy that. There's a brand new distillery that just opened up across from the baseball field but the Ouray Brewery is THE spot in town for great beer. They have a roof top patio and it's killer. If you're wanting to do some hiking there's a trail that goes around the entire town. It starts just across from the hot springs and climbs up pretty quick initially. After you get up there it sort of stays mostly the same elevation and circles the entire town. There's a huge waterfall that feeds the flume on the east side of town near the beginning of the trail (probably a half mile in?). The "baby bathtubs" spot is also a pretty cool stream feature too. It's a long trail so plan for most of the day and bring water and lunch with you. The nice thing is you can bail out at a bunch of spots if you don't want to do the whole thing.
One thing to also consider is Telluride since it's only about a 45 min drive. You can also take Imogene pass from Ouray into Telluride. It's more of a ski resort type town so it's a bit more upscale than Ouray. There's a free Gondola that runs up the mountain to Mountain Village that gives you a great view. The first stop on the Gondola is a very very nice restaurant called Allreds. Certainly a bit pricey but if you're wanting to sell the girlfriend on the trip it's certainly a great option to have dinner on top of the mountain at a killer restaurant.