Durango and Environs!

Howdy Folks!

We are at the end of our week in Durango and getting geared up to head  back to Utah ~ through the Canyon of the Ancients N.M. and Hovenweep N.M.

We have had a fantastic time here and though we were disappointed when we arrived on Oct. 26 only to find out that the 25th was the last day of the Durango-Silverton narrow gauge railway for the year :-(   ~  We have had plenty of fantastic days of touring, bikeriding and overall enjoying this part of Colorado!

 From Mesa Verde to Aztec N.M there are incredible ancient Puebloan ruins to explore and the scenic drives radiating from Durango are breathtaking!

Durango itself has a real open, upbeat feel to it -  a town of about 20,000 very open and friendly people that thrive on all the outdoor activities that surround it.  Winding through the length of the town is the Animus River -  a gold medal trout stream with a 7 mile River Walk along its length through the town.  Along with 6 brew puts, 2 golf course, and enless hiking trails ~  whats not to like!

                   The train yard for the Durango-Silverton Railway -  right next to our condo

              Durango dates back to 1881 and mainstreet has many historic buildings

                                      including the historic Strater Hotel

One day we drove a fantastic scenic route from Durango to Silverton to Ouray - then looped back via Ridgeway and Dolores.  The section from Silverton to Ouray is called the "Million Dollar Highway" either for the view or the cost per mile to build (no one seems to know for sure).  One thing for sure is the beauty of the mountains and  scenery going over passes more than 11,000 feet!!!!

                                              The town of Ouray, Colorado

                                                    Rocky Mountain High 

We were fortunate enough to get a timeshare week at the Wyndham right in town so walking and biking were a breeze and there was room to store Obi-Wander  (our trailer) for the week.

The River Walk is a fantastic bike ride (15 miles round trip) and we felt vindicated when we did the north end of it and it ran several miles along the narrow gauge rails that go to Silverton !

Of course one of the highlights of the area is "Mesa Verde" which is about 45 miles west of Durango and though we had been there in the past we were looking forward to returning and seeing areas not visited before - including the Cliff Palace = which are the largest cliff dwellings in North America.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Palace

Aztec, New Mexico is an old town just south of Durango and is home to 

"Aztec Ruins N.M."  which is an extensive Puebloan ruins site.

The 126 mile Animas River winds its way from Durango to Aztec and joins the San Juan River (another gold medal trout stream).

There are extensive sandstone canyons containing as many as 220 natural arches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_Ruins_National_Monument

Thanks for Watching!!!     Don & Carol