Durango is alive
Travels with Dave and Elaine Violette
Durango CO - 8/25/2009
Author: David A. Violette, David@Violette.com
Keywords: Durango, Colorado, Dave and Elaine Violette, Kerby
Description: Durango has had several incarnations as the tides of commerce and war came and went, but it seems to be thriving today due to what gave it its start - the railroad
We had an unusual welcome to Durango - a deer grazing by the Welcome to Durango sign, totally ignoring all the traffic on US 160 right next to it!
Durango was founded by the Denver and Rio Grande Railway in 1880, and the rails arrived in Durango on August 5, 1881. Durango became the location for a roundhouse and many other railroad functions.The rail system was built to bring silver from the Silverton mining district into Denver, and the spur line from Durango up to Silverton was completed by July 1882. Though the line was built primarily to haul silver and gold from the San Juan Mountains, the scenic route brought passengers as well and the two purposes continued side by side.
Mining is a thing of the past, but Durango thrives today with attractions for all seasons. Durango has become a major drawing point for many activities and is a huge tourist draw in most seasons.
The Strater Hotel on Main Avenue in Old Downtown Durango exemplifies the past.
Old Downtown also boasts some new buildings, such as the Bank of Colorado
The residential area just off Old Downtown has beautiful tree-lined streets with a mix of modest and not-so-modest homes.
We spent some time in Old Downtown Durango today, to get the flavor of the place I had heard so much about over the years. The Animas River runs through the downtown area as does the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and the downtown streets are lined up parallel with the tracks with the old commercial district closest the the residential area about four blocks from the tracks.
Though a large part of our visit was associated with the railroad, we did not take the train trip, leaving it for a future visit. We did visit the railroad museum and ate lunch in a restaurant overlooking the tracks and the station.
It seems to me from the stores we saw and from what we read, Durango is an outdoors-oriented town. The river provides opportunities for rafting, kayaking, and canoeing. The proximity to five major ski areas means lots of winter activity. And, it appears that Durango has a large focus on arts, judging from the number of galleries we saw. I think you would find Durango busy about any time of year.
Durango was named for Durango, Mexico, which was named for Durango, Spain. The three cities have a sister city arrangement.