Durango, CO and Mesa Verde NP

I’ve always read what a neat town Durango, CO was. I was excited to see it and it didn’t disappoint.  Although Pagosa Springs was prettier being closer to the mountains, Durango was bigger with more things to do and see.  The Durango area was drier with more Gambel Oak than evergreens until you got higher in elevation.  The area grew on me the longer I was there.  The Animas River runs through town and similar to Pagosa Springs there was a paved walking path next to the river.  However, this one in Durango went on for miles.  I walked a portion of the River Walk and enjoyed seeing the river surging with snowmelt.  Downtown historic Durango was a very fun lively area.  It had an upscale cowboy atmosphere, again with shops & restaurants.  Many restaurants had outdoor or rooftop seating.  Durango also had very nice parks all over town.  I had the best gluten free pumpkin muffin and coffee at the Durango Coffee Co.  So good that I bought a bag of coffee to enjoy at home!  And what a neat eclectic coffee shop.  Large with all different types of seating and tables.  Many younger folks were here working on their laptops. 

My first few days in the area were spent visiting Durango, Mesa Verde Nat’l Park, and taking a drive up into the mountains above where I was camped.  Unfortunately, I somehow managed to lose all the pictures I took.  Most disappointing were the ones from Mesa Verde.  I did go back again and took more pictures, but the weather wasn’t the same and I didn’t have the time to walk the same trails.  Mesa Verde is an incredible place with a large number of Cliff Dwellings, Pit Houses, Pueblos, etc.  The famous Cliff Palace was magnificent but at this time could only be seen from distant overlooks.  The road going to the Cliff Palace was closed for reconstruction.  This was one time I was super happy to have a zoom lens camera. Probably my favorite area was Spruce Tree House. This is normally a cliff dwelling that you can tour on your own (without a guide), but it was closed when I was there due to falling rocks.  Again, I could see it from the viewpoint.  I walked a trail that led to the opposite side of the canyon from Spruce Tree House and the views were so incredible.  Without taking the trail I would never have known how beautiful it was just on the other side (sometimes the grass is ‘greener’!).  Unfortunately, these were all part of the pics that I lost and I didn’t have time to walk the trail again.  But alas, I have those wonderful memories.

Many people have heard of the famous Durango-Silverton Steam Train visitors can take through the mountains.  Since I was by myself, I didn’t feel I would have fun sitting on a train for 5 hours. Instead, I chose to drive the highway and I’m so glad I did.  The scenery was stunning with mountains all around and many alpine meadows and lakes.  The mountain town of Silverton is another wonderful destination.  It is nestled in a squareish valley surrounded by mountains.  You could tell they get a lot of snow because there was very little vegetation around the houses and town.  There were several creeks and rivers flowing at the edge of town.  Silverton is kept alive by the tourist industry (skiing and travelers).  There were quite a few shops and restaurants here.  I would definitely recommend this drive for anyone who’s in the area. 

One day I drove out to Lake Nighthorse, a large reservoir outside of Durango.  Although it was a little low, it had much more water than other lakes I’ve seen and was a pretty turquoise blue color.  There was a very large swimming beach area and a separate boat launch. The beach looked so inviting but the water was only 52 degrees. This might be a July kind of lake! I was really wishing I’d brought my kayak with me. There was a trail (road) that went partway around the lake above the shoreline.  It was a fun walk with pretty vistas on a perfect sunny day… not too hot, not too cold!