We had a long weekend and wanted to go somewhere different so we chose Durango – what a fabulous choice! 🙂 We had a wonderful time exploring the area, wandering the town with it’s great shopping and dining and all my family could say when we left is “when can we go again”?
Durango is in the South Western corner of the state and is near the fabulous Mesa Verde National park, on top of that the town was organized in September 1881 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad to serve the San Juan mining district. The train is a huge tourist draw and there are fabulous deals like “kids ride free” and “senior deals” – if you have train enthusiasts, don’t miss this!
We didn’t take the train, but we really enjoyed the Railroad Museum and spent a long time looking at the exhibits and watching the videos. It has a HUGE model train set that grown ups had as much fun watching and running as the kids!
We stayed at the fantastic Leland House and Rochester Hotel and really really enjoyed it. Located in the heart of downtown, there’s guest parking (which is a huge bonus) and a fabulous farm to table breakfast every morning. Locally owned, this Hotel oozes preservation and love of the town it’s in – we highly recommend it! OH and they have bikes you can borrow to run around town in!
We had a fabulous day at Mesa Verde which is not to be missed! Easier with slightly older kids, the cliff dwellings are a fabulous lesson in history and the guided tours reduce the crowds and make the trip very educational! Be sure to stop into the Visitor Center to purchase tickets to many of the cliff dwellings, only one is available as a self-tour, so it’s best if you start early in the morning and decide what your family or group can manage. This is an invaluable page to plan which trips to take with whatever time you have. It’s a 45 minute drive into the park, so plan for extra time, this is not a quick trip National Park, but it’s worth every minute!
We also managed to stop into several of the local restaurants and really enjoyed the selection and cuisine – it’s a foodie town with the emphasis on local ingredients and local flair, so it’s fabulous if you love food!
Instead of taking the train, we drove up to Silverton which is a really cute small mountain town. Full of cute little shops and fun historic sites, it’s a great afternoon trip. We had lunch at Grumpy’s Saloon and enjoyed the music of Lacey Black played on an old piano, it was like walking back in time!
So if you’re looking for a fabulous weekend trip, look to Durango! Upcoming events in the area are:
Upcoming Events:
Every Monday: Mondays on Main
Every Wednesday: Bird Walk
Every Thursday: Burgers and a Band
Every Friday: Garden Tours, Friday Nights at Fox Fire Farms
Every Saturday: Durango Farmers Market
Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Live Gunfight at the Diamond Belle Saloon
Every Day: Guitar Strings, a Cowboy and a Lost Peacock
July 22: Summer Sounds at Three Springs Plaza
July 22-26: Fiesta Days
For more information:
Thanks to #ToyotaUSA for the awesome Avalon – read more about it here!