Coming home to “real” Colorado… Durango
Durango is a gem of a Colorado mountain town, actively mined and polished to perfection, located in a picturesque river valley and rimmed by the rugged San Juan and La Plata mountain ranges.
Those who discover this paradise speak of “coming home.” Indeed, visitors become locals virtually as soon as they step foot in town, commenting on the “vibrancy” and “authenticity” of the community. If they must leave, they yearn to return at their earliest opportunity.
Durango may cast a spell, but the vision and design of generations of enterprising people who’ve never accepted a “can’t be done” philosophy established the solid foundation and spirit of Durango. How else could an historical mountain town of just 15,000 or so (47,000 in surrounding La Plata County) offer most every contemporary amenity found in the “big” cities?
Durango annually lures guests by the thousands to explore its charming downtown, dine in its abundance of fine restaurants and experience adventure in the surrounding San Juan National Forest. Yet “crowded” is a word generally not found in the Durangoan vocabulary.
Heritage
Most mountain towns of Colorado have a mining heritage, and Durango is no exception. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (originally the Denver & Rio Grande Southern) climbed the steep and impossibly beautiful canyons at the turn of the last century to supply the miners in Silverton, then to return with the rich ore to be processed in smelters that once defined much of Durango’s economy.
Today the mines are virtually gone – though their ghosts remain – and Durango’s smelters have been dismantled, yet the town lives on. It celebrates its wild western roots and independence, and cherishes the sense of “small town.” If Durango has any difficulties, it’s over-abundance. The town offers something for most everyone.
More than 2000 years ago the Ancestral Puebloans inhabited the area, with purportedly a population greater than exists today. The cliff dwellings at nearby Mesa Verde National Park are the most famous remnants of the first recorded residents, though Durango’s red rock cliffs and expansive mesas regularly reveal new treasures, and students of archeology and anthropology find a rich resource in Durango and environs.
The Durango that most folks recognize, however, is one literally founded by the railroad. In September 1880 the town was plotted with the train depot in the exact location it remains today. Named “water town” by the early Hispanic residents for the river that runs through it – Rio de las Animas Perdidas – Durango was laid out in logical fashion with the commercial thoroughfare along Main Ave., and the fine, stately homes set along “the Boulevard” of East Third Ave. Today both lend themselves to leisurely strolls. Explore the unique downtown shops and art galleries, or admire the beautiful Victorian homes.
Much of Durango’s history has been recorded by resident historian Dr. Duane Smith, a professor at Fort Lewis College, the highly-regarded four-year liberal arts institution that provides Durango with the fresh faces and energy of youth, as well as some of its cosmopolitan flavor. Dr. Smith’s books are a fun and interesting read and found in ample supply in Maria’s Book Shop on Main Ave. – one of a fading breed: the independent bookseller.
The Animas History Museum, housed in an original stone school house, takes those who wish to further explore Durango’s heritage back in time, and the sophisticated Center for Southwest Studies, on the college campus, has garnered an international reputation as a repository for southwest and Native American history.
Durango’s most visible nod to the past, however, remains the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The coal-fired engines, passenger cars and gondolas are the real deal – maintained in one of the only railroad shops of its kind in the world. True railroad craftsmen often forge their own parts to keep the authentic engines – some of which are more than 120 years old – in top running condition. Out of commission engines and railroad memorabilia are found in the Railroad Museum, set adjacent to the depot in one of the railroad’s two roundhouses.
Activities
As it is set in the Rocky Mountains, Durango is not without its options for snow activities. From “cat” skiing on fresh, untouched power, to traditional downhill on Purgatory Mountain at Durango Mountain Resort, to cross-country on any of the groomed tracks in the region - much is available for those who revel in strapping boards to their feet.
But outdoor activity in the winter is more than skiing and snowboarding. It may be winter, but with an average 300 days of sunshine per year, getting outdoors can be as much of a priority in February as it is in August. Adventuring into the backcountry on foot (with snowshoes, of course), is to experience nature’s unrivaled majesty and silence. Snowmobiles make a bit more noise, but cover a greater distance, tracking across miles of forest terrain. Horse-drawn sleigh rides also offer a fun, and cozy, way to enjoy a snowy winter afternoon or evening in the mountains.
As soon as the snow begins to melt, hearty locals are seen pursuing their other outdoor passions – trail running, road and mountain biking, bird watching or fly fishing. Even in winter, birders needn’t stray too far from town, as many a golden hawk and bald eagle can be spotted circling the Animas, hunting the next meal. Residents of 1111 Camino will merely need to step out their front doors to experience any and all of these activities.
Not all water flowing in the region is the result of snow run-off. Geothermal activity produces fine hot springs. During the Victorian era, Durango was known for its healing waters. Today, Trimble Hot Springs, set on the site of one of the region’s first such therapeutic retreats, is open year-round, offering massage and spa services, in addition to the naturally warmed pools.
Even in Durango, winter can sometimes stretch on too long, but instead of dwelling on it, Durangoans throw a party – the annual Snowdown, the completely irreverent, multi-day winter festival. 1111 Camino will participate in the festivities on February 2 with a fun-filled “Enchanted Trail Bike Race”.
But virtually every Durango weekend features some sort of festival or activity, and a widely popular one the first of March is the Durango Independent Film Festival. Throughout the five-day competitive festival dozens of features, documentaries, children’s programs and more are screened at the Gaslight and Abbey theaters, in the heart of downtown.
Downtown
Old Durango may have been known for its saloons – the essence still captured in spots like the El Rancho or the Diamond Belle – but Durango has recently been labeled the Napa Valley of Beer. Four award-winning craft breweries – Carver Brewing, Durango Brewing, Ska Brewing and Steamworks Brewing Cos. – all call Durango home, and it’s been said that the town has the highest per capita beer production in the state, if not the country.
But there’s plenty of food to go along with that beer. World class restaurants have taken root in town – a lot of them. Visitors, who merely pass through town on the way to somewhere else, miss one of the more wonderful Durango experiences – dining out. The locals have sophisticated palates and classically-trained chefs seeking quality of life have landed in town. The combination has resulted in dozens of restaurants of every ethnicity and price range – and most are within a short walking distance of 1111 Camino.
“Get Real” is the marketing slogan adopted by Durango’s tourism organization. Though the proverbial Old West is preserved in the architecture and availability of boots, cowboy hats and turquoise jewelry, Durango is a functioning town with regular folk doing business daily. Tourists are not relegated to one particular area, and the energy in the streets of downtown is generated by the friendly, passionate people who maintain Durango as the place to which so many want to “come home.”
© Indiana Reed, All Rights Reserved
Additional Information
Durango boasts some 300 days of sunshine annually, with temperatures ranging from average January nightly lows of 15 degrees to dry, warm average July days of 83 degrees. In general, temperatures are seasonally moderate year-round.
The Durango-La Plata County Airport is located approximately 15 miles southeast of downtown, with direct, year-round service from Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Denver. During the winter months, Southwest Airlines is offering a charter twice weekly from Dallas. Learn more at www.flydurango.com.
Durango Area Tourism Organization offers information for the multitude of activities in the region at Visitors Center, 111. S. Camino del Rio, plus travel planners are available by calling, 970.247.3500 or 800.525.8855, or visit the web site, www.durango.org.
Historic Downtown Durango has a vibrancy all its own. Visit www.downtowndurango.org to keep current on activities right next door to 1111 Camino, or call 970.375.5067.
For the bigger picture, the Durango Chamber of Commerce offers background on business activities and relocation, 970.247.0312, www.durangobusiness.org, as well as economic development information, www.laplatacountycolorado.org.
