Durango Colorado

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Where’s Durango Colorado?

Durango’s on my places to visit in Colorado but where is it? 

Durango is a small city in southwestern Colorado, near the New Mexico border.

In Durango you can hop a ride on the 19th-century Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad steam train that passes mountains and canyons.  Nothing like a ride on a federally designated National Historic Landmark! The train from Durango to Silverton has run continuously since 1881, although it is now a tourist and heritage line hauling passengers, it is one of the few places in the US which has seen continuous use of steam locomotives.

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Already I’m liking this. I love taking rides on vintage trains. Sandy and I had a great time taking an 1880’s train ride through the Black Mountains of South Dakota. 

Mesa Verde National Park

If taking a scenic and historic train ride doesn’t get you excited maybe exploring ancient ruins in Mesa Verde National Park will catch your interest. The entrance to Mesa Verde National Park is located about 35 miles west of Durango. Once you enter the park, the first view of a cliff dwelling is 21 miles along a steep, narrow, and winding road.  Ranger led tours  are recommended for some of the ruins. You can purchase tickets in person  at the Durango Welcome Center as well as in the park.  Today the park protects nearly 5,000 known archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings.

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Rafting on the Animas

Maybe a rafting trip down the Animus river would be more to our liking. I went white water rafting in Canada on the Rive Rouge (Red River) when I was much younger. It was great fun but these days I’d be afraid of getting my camera wet. Even if we didn’t flip a raft the water splashing in the rapids would make it hard to keep equipment dry. Still maybe the rafting company provides souvenir photos? 

The Animus River offers class 3 rapids so they aren’t too bad. Maybe I’ll give this some more thought.

 

Wild West?

I also ran across a tour that might be interesting. Horsefly History Tours tells the tales of the Wild West and the characters and events that have shaped this town since it was founded in 1880. You’ll hear stories of gunfights, ghosts, “soiled doves” and madams, outlaws, and the town’s one and only legal hanging. That sounds like fun. After all, why go to the west if you don’t learn about the history?

Vail Colorado

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Funny but True

I planned to write about Vail, Colorado last week because that was next up on my Colorado list but the weekend got away from me. However I did hear a strange story that I just have to share before we “Dig in”. If you have ever been to Yellowstone you know those hot springs are very dangerous. Well I heard that a man was banned from Yellowstone for cooking chickens in the hot springs. Can you imagine? I’m not sure I’d want to eat anything cooked in one of those springs nor would I want to get that close! What do you think?

On to the Subject of the day

 

Vail, Colorado

Everyone has heard of Vail, Colorado. I bet the first thing that comes to mind is skiing and the second thing is the rich and famous. Vail is just a small town at the base of Vail Mountain  but the Ski Resort is massive.  Vail Ski Resort was founded in 1962 and the town came after in 1966. The area is known for its hotels,  dining, and for the numerous events the city hosts annually, such as the Vail Film Festival, Burton US Open, Vail Resorts Snow Days, and Bravo! Vail.

Ski Vail

Most visitors that come to Vail do so for the skiing . The Vail Ski Resort boasts 5,289 skiable acres, making it one of the largest single-mountain resorts in the country. Other nearby ski areas are up and coming due to their close proximity to Vail Resort. Vail skiing is said to be some of the best. Lots of pristine powder coupled with amazing views make Vail a ski capital of the world. But I don’t ski. I do like photography so if I were going to brave the cold it would be to see if I can capture an iconic ski photo.

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What about Summer Visitors

Well summer activities also abound. This one caught my eye- hiking with a Llama. You can go hiking with a llama in Vail with Paragon Guides. According to their website, “Llamas have a curious, gentle and intelligent nature making them an ideal addition for your backcountry adventure.” Plus, they’ll carry your gear! Sounds like my kind of hike!

 

You’ve also got mountain streams to amuse you.

White water rafting tours abound in Vail in summer. Numbers Extreme Whitewater Rafting promises a white-knuckle ride for experienced rafters or fearless beginners. For something less intense, choose Browns Canyon Half Day Whitewater Rafting, suitable for most rafters including kids. For a truly relaxing ride, book the Lower Browns Canyon Midwater Float Trip, for which Viator says you can, “Pick up a paddle if you like, or simply relax and enjoy this fun and mellow river ride.”

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I never knew there was so much to do in Vail in the summer!

 

Breckenridge, Colorado

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Breckenridge, Colorado

I’m going to take a quick look at each of the resorts/locations on my timeshare list for Colorado. I want to see if anything jumps out at me. So starting at the top of the list we have Breckenridge.

According to google Breckenridge, Colorado is a town at the base of the Rocky Mountains’ Tenmile Range. It’s known for its ski resort, year-round alpine activities and Gold Rush history. The Victorian core of this former mining town is preserved as the Breckenridge National Historic District, running primarily along Main Street, with colorfully painted buildings from the 1880s and ’90s housing shops, galleries and restaurants.

Breckenridge is 80 miles from Denver so close enough for a day trip. 

What to do in Breckenridge

I googled the top 15 things to do in Breckenridge to see if I should keep this on my possible list or eliminate it. It looks like there are a lot of hiking and mountain trails. You ca go rafting down the Colorado River and there are some small museums including a Sawmill and Narrow Gauge Train Museum. You can take a few driving tours to see the sights but I think I’d rather drive myself. I imagine mountain roads can get kind of twisty and that could cause motion sickness.  Obviously this is a beautiful area and in winter it’s a ski resort. I’m just not sure it’s what I’m looking for. 

The 10 Mile Range

The 10 mile range of the Rocky Mountains that tower over Breckenridge is part of the Mosquito Range. The Mosquito and 10 miles range are split by the Continental Divide. 

By David Herrera from Albuquerque, NM, Bernalillo – Mount Democrat, Mount Bross & Quandary PeakUploaded by PDTillman, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11540246

Interesting note, Pacific Tarn is the highest named lake in the United States and it can be found in the 10 Mile Range.

Wish I were 20 years younger

Oh I wish I were younger! I used to love hiking and exploring but my legs and knees just don’t hold up any more. I have to find vacation locations that are a little less strenuous. 

Taking a rafting trip is a possibility although I worry about my camera taking a dunking. It barely survived a good dousing in Hawaii! 

So is Breckenridge a keeper?

For all you ski folks and active “youngsters” this might be a good trip. I think it may be a bit much for my old bones.

One thing that I do like is that it’s only a day trip to Denver if I wanted to explore there. I think I’ll put Breckenridge on the back burner and continue exploring my list.

Telluride Colorado

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What’s in Telluride, Colorado?

What’s in Telluride Colorado you ask. Well if you need to ask that then you are probably going to have a great vacation. The last time someone asked  “What’s in________” we were talking about South Dakota and all I knew when the adventure started was that was where Mount Rushmore was located. Turned out to be one of the best vacations I’ve taken yet and we experienced a lot more than just Mount Rushmore. But that’s a tale for another time.

Gondola car, Telluride, CO 003-18-2018 016

Telluride , Colorado

Telluride has been on my short list of places to visit in Colorado since I saw an episode of “Destination Unknown” about Butch Cassidy. Josh starts the episode riding on the Gondola. I love riding Gondolas. The views are always worth it and even though I don’t have a fear of heights there’s always a little tingle in my belly as you glide up or down a mountain. So with a gondola calling me and the outlaw history to add spice, Telluride quickly moved to the top of my “very interesting possibility ” list. To increase my interest one of you, my readers, highly recommended a visit. Hearing from you folks always increases my interest. Thank you for your suggestions!

What to do in Telluride?

So what can I tell you about Telluride when I haven’t been there? Well digging around on the internet gives me lots of ideas. Of course if Telluride becomes my vacation choice I will then need to reconfirm everything. COVID has made a lot of the attractions obsolete. So what I’ve found out should not be taken as gospel at this point. We are in the very early exploratory stages.

I found a list of 21 Best things to do in Telluride

A Few Comments on the List

I can eliminate some of the things on the list like the Ski resort. I’d be going in warm weather and I don’t ski and don’t plan to start. But I could see doing an Off Road Adventure. I’m not in much shape for strenuous or long hikes. Bad knees and overweight makes me a poor candidate, especially at elevations of 8000 ft +. I’d love to do some horseback rides. I haven’t been riding since before my hip replacement but the surgeon told me that I was fully healed so that should be free to try it out. 

I’d like to find a way to get to Bridal Veil Falls so I could photograph it. Bridal Veil Falls is a 365-foot waterfall at the end of the box canyon overlooking Telluride.

About 84 miles southwest  is Mesa Verde National Park known for its well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, notably the huge Cliff Palace. I’d love to see those so that could be a nice day trip.

This is sounding better to me all the time! Please share your thoughts, recommendations and ideas for my Colorado Adventure. We have lots of time for planning!

 

Lazy Saturday Morning

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Lazy Saturday Morning

It’s just a lazy  Saturday morning for Banner, Balboa and me. The start of a 3 day weekend. I hope the weather will cooperate for the weekend. Right now it doesn’t look too good. It’s dark and rainy.  I’m taking advantage of the calm before Balboa starts his morning crazy cat antics. We’re enjoying a bit of Cat TV together.

We have to negotiate what to watch. Banner likes mice and squirrels, Balboa is excited by the birds and I like the fish. Something for everyone!

Where to Go When COVID has Past?

A laid back lazy Saturday seems like a good time to think about a trip once COVID is under control. “They” are saying it will be safe to travel in the fall. All I can say is we’ll see. But I still don’t know where I want to go. I’m leaning toward trying to pick back up on my canceled trip to Colorado. I had that booked for last August but by the time August rolled around COVID had everything in lock down. So here are my options for Colorado:

  • Breckenridge , Colorado
  • Vail , Colorado
  • Durango , Colorado
  • Steamboat Springs , Colorado
  • Avon , Colorado
  • Telluride , Colorado
  • Winter Park , Colorado
  • Mesa , Colorado
  • Fraser , Colorado
  • Keystone , Colorado
  • Estes Park , Colorado
  • Granby , Colorado
  • Aspen , Colorado
  • Beaver Creek , Colorado
  • Dillon , Colorado
  • Frisco , Colorado
  • Copper Mountain , Colorado
  • Silver Creek , Colorado
  • Pagosa Springs , Colorado

This is quite a list. I’m not sure how I will ever choose. Missing from the list is Colorado Springs and Denver.  They were on the list before COVID and more places have been added!

My Thoughts, Your Thoughts

My original trip was booked in Steamboat Springs. I thought I’d like the hot springs there and maybe see some wildlife. But I’d also like to go to Telluride and take the Gondola. The ride on the “G” provides expansive vistas of the San Juan Mountains, Aspen-cloaked mesas and sun-struck waterfalls.

 

 

Anyone from Colorado or who has visited Colorado want to chime in with a suggestion? Advice welcome.