Posted 7:12 am Sunday, July 19, 2009
Scenic Colorado Getaway An Adventure In History
By TOM MITSOFF
Web Editor
A summertime retreat with temperatures about 15 to 20 degrees cooler than East Texas is situated within a day's drive of Tyler, in Durango, Colo.
Web Editor
A summertime retreat with temperatures about 15 to 20 degrees cooler than East Texas is situated within a day's drive of Tyler, in Durango, Colo.
|
This resort town is located in extreme southwest Colorado, within the "Four Corners" area where Colorado, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico meet. You can get there by air, directly via Frontier Airlines from Dallas.
Or, you can do what we did, fly from Tyler to Houston to Albuquerque, N.M., rent a car, and make the four-hour drive north to Durango.
But in this summer of economic uncertainty, this is an ideal destination about 16 hours away by car. If you have the time and the inclination to drive, you'll almost certainly save over the cost of airfare, particularly for families.
The town of Durango itself is not all that big -- at about 16,000 population, it's about the size of Jacksonville.
What makes it a joy to visit is the combination of the location and attractions, and the primary attraction is the natural beauty.
A bird’s-eye view of downtown Durango, Colo.
The town sits in a valley within the San Juan range of the Rocky Mountains, so you begin to see the high-rising hills even before you get into town. The drive north from Albuquerque is an eye-opener from two standpoints -- the incredible beauty of the Native American reservations' landscapes, and the stark conditions they present for their residents.
Dry river beds cutting through steep arid slopes are not good conditions for starting a campsite, not to mention a community or society.
One of the many eye-catching rock formations in Mesa Verde National Park.
About 45 minutes west of Durango is the Mesa Verde National Park, selected by National Geographic Traveler as one of The Best Places of a Lifetime to Visit, as well as named the No. 1 monument in the world by Conde Nast Traveler.
While those accolades create expectations that might be hard to meet, you will be amazed at the remnants left behind by those who lived there between 600 and 1300 A.D. In particular, make sure you seek out the elevated cliff dwellings, carved and built literally into the sides of mountains.
Park entrance costs $10 to $15 per vehicle, and a beautiful winding uphill drive takes you to the visitor center, where you can plan your exploration of up to 4,000 archaeological sites.
Part of the joy of travel is the discovery of new places and things, and Mesa Verde (which translates to "green table") will be a true eye-opener about a part of this country's natural history that we don't hear much about.
The Animas River valley in which Durango sits overflows with opportunities for fun, adventure, recreation and relaxation. At its peak volume in late June, when runoff from the nearby San Juan range swells the basin and accelerates its rapids, the river flows right through the city. We thoroughly enjoyed our seven-mile river rafting trip designed for beginners.
We were jostled and splashed, but none of the passengers fell out of our nine-person raft. It was very tame and certainly could not be classified as "whitewater" rafting. Higher intensity rapids trips are available.
We did not fish, but the section of river that runs through town is also lauded for trout fishing. Lures and flies only are allowed on this stretch of water.
Like most resort towns, there is no shortage of places to stay. We took a walking tour of the downtown area which included stops at the historic General Palmer and Strater hotels, which both have roots in the late 1800s.
Both maintain decor and furnishings with Victorian era flair. If you want to take a step into the past as part of your journey, you should take a look at these two hotels.
Note that you will pay more per night than at contemporary lodging.
The downtown historic district is very clean and pedestrian friendly. It has the look and feel of a historic town, with a combination of locally owned and more modern franchise-type businesses and restaurants. Like most towns, the banks are the largest buildings.
Durango originated along the line of the Denver to Rio Grande Railroad, and a passenger railroad still operates daily from the center of town to the mountain town of Silverton, and back.
A ride on the Durango & Silverton Railroad is a must while you are in Southwest Colorado.
