Durango, Colorado.
Today, we headed back up to Colorado, and things have worked well not taking the Durango and Silverton rail as we originally planned, as it was closer and easier to get to Taos from Colorado City, but also because in heading from Santa Fe to Moab, Utah, where we’ll be in a couple of days, we came back through Durango, as the half way point. We’ll stay in Durango for two nights, and tomorrow are booked on the Durango and Silverton rail. That worked out well.
The drive today was around 220 miles, through, again, beautiful and magnificent landscapes driving north and northwest from Santa Fe to Durango. I had definite fun driving the through some great windy and hilly roads, with the car steering tightly and responsively and with plenty of pep. Some fun driving.
We arrived in Durango, a small city of a little over 19,000 people, with an average age of 36 or 37, mid-afternoon, and checked into our very nice hotel, where we’ll be staying for 2 nights, the Adobe Inn. What a really nice city… really nice. As Kaye said, in both New Mexico and here in Durango, and these parts of Colorado we’ve visited, nature and life seems intertwined. Clean and well maintained, nice cityscapes, surrounded by and embedded in gorgeous and often magnificent environments. Durango is one of those places. We loved it immediately.
Before eating dinner in town on a beautiful evening, we walked the wonderful Durango river walking and biking trail that runs along the Animas River and the narrow gauge railroad, picking it up just behind our hotel. What a trail it is. Hard to imagine a more beautiful and serene trail (I’ve use those words a lot, but they’re so apt). It runs along the river, softball field, a lovely library and small botanical gardens, and neat stores and eateries, and has wonderful views all along, with walking bridges across the river, connecting to more walking trails, with easy access to the city streets.
After walking into town on the river trail, listening to some summer outside concerts along the way, we had a very nice dinner sitting outside on this lovely evening, and walked back to the hotel along the trail as the dusk began to fall. I’d consider living in Durango for a while, I think. We both found it to be very welcoming and comfortable. A good day.
