AP Features, April 16th, 2007
Head for the mountains this year for a dose of clean air, Wild West atmosphere, early American history and a full range of activities from a spectacular train ride to high energy hiking, biking, rock climbing and more.
Weather permitting, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad _ http://www.durangotrain.com/ _ should be opening for another season on its 45 miles of track on May 5. Check out "About" for a bit of history (the line was completed in 1882) including a Scenic History Tour video, fares and tips on using the train to access the Weminuche Wilderness. If you want to wait until later in the season, go to "Special Events" and look for the Fall Photographer's Special in late September.
The railroad's "Links of Interest" will connect you to the local shopping, places to eat and lodging, including the imposing Strater Hotel, founded shortly after the railroad and once the home away from home for Western novelist Louis L'Amour.
Or, you can go directly to the Durango Area Tourism Office _ http://durango.reachlocal.net/ _ to explore its lodging and restaurant directories and see if any offers in the lengthy "Deals & Packages" section grab your interest. Once you've ridden the train, is anything left? Sit down with the "Things to Do" chapter and look over everything from hiking and biking to glider and balloon rides, rock climbing, hunting and kayaking. Look for the link to the San Juan National Forest for more hiking and camping opportunities. Let the kids do their own thing with activities including summer camps, horseback rides, mountain biking and nature studies. Or you could just stay in town and stroll through historic downtown Durango _ http://www.downtowndurango.org/ _ where you'll find shops and galleries.
Later in the summer, Music in the Mountains _ http://www.musicinthemountains.com/ _ offers three weeks of classical music, and in October the Durango Cowboy Gathering _ http://www.durangocowboygathering.org/ _ has cowboy poetry, music and art.
Along with the railroad, the region's big attraction is Mesa Verde National Park _ http://www.nps.gov/meve/ _ which preserves hundreds of cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Pueblo people. It's less than a two-hour drive west of Durango, but if you don't want to drive there or west to Cortez for the night, consult "Frequently Asked Questions" for links to reservations at the park's campground and lodge.
If you're seriously interested in the region's history, consider heading to Cortez and the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center _ http://www.crowcanyon.org/ _ where you can see archaeology on a personal level. Click on "About Crow Canyon" and look for "Plan Your Visit" for details, and "Archaeology Adventures" for day visitors' information.
While you're there, the Cortez area _ http://www.mesaverdecountry.com/tourism/tourism.html _ has places to stay and eat, and more things to see and do. For fishing and boating, link to the town of Dolores, home of McPhee Lake, Colorado's second largest. See the state Division of Wildlife _ http://wildlife.state.co.us/ _ for license information. Dolores also is the home of the Anasazi Heritage Museum, the headquarters for the new Canyons of the Ancients National Monument _ http://www.co.blm.gov/canm/ _ preserving still more ancient ruins.
Turn your visit into a road trip through the mountains. Durango and Cortez form the southern leg of the San Juan Skyway _ http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2101/ _ part of the National Scenic Byways program. It loops north to Placerville and Ridgway, then south again through Telluride to Durango. You could drive the 233-mile loop in one day, but check out the Web site's suggestion for a three-day tour that allows time to enjoy the sights and the towns.
There's more. The Southwest Colorado Travel Region _ http://www.swcolotravel.org/ _ has links to all of the area's seven counties, boasting seven scenic byways, five hot springs, and an assortment of state and federal parks, forests and wilderness areas.
