Durango offers Western getaway with big sky, big river and big fun

DURANGO — My feet are on the platform. My hands are clutching the safety line. I am not looking at the ground, which is about 100-feet away.

“When you’re ready,” says the guide, “step off.”

And then, I’m flying. I don’t look at the cable buzzing with my descent. Or the ground. I look at the next platform and wonder how I’ll stop in time. 

I do, though, and I feel a rush of adrenaline, triumph and relief, which is probably the heart of this zipline canopy tour north of Durango.  Situated on 180 acres off the Durango-Silverton railroad line, Soaring Tree Top Adventures is the largest, highest and the safest tour in the United States, they say. Last year tripadvisor.com voted it the No. 1 attraction in the United States. 

And yes, it’s just north of Durango.

About six beautiful hours from Colorado Springs, Durango has a lot to offer: Western friendliness, a reverence for history and fantastic vistas.  Give it three days and you’ll walk away wishing you had a whole lot more.

THE ROOM 

Not surprisingly, there are a lot of places to stay in Durango, which caters to the wealthy and the many outdoor enthusiasts. Unfortunately, even familiar names seem to start at about $100. You might consider staying in nearby towns, like Cortez. Colo., or Farmington, N.M., the latter dropping the basic room rate at the Travelodge Hotel from $99 to $40.

We settled on the General Palmer Hotel for its Main Street location. I’m not crazy about Victorian lodgings, which often feel dusty even when they’re not. The lobby here is lovely, though, and I was tickled by the old fashioned elevator with its accordion inner door. While the room had its share of oak furniture, Teddy bears and hyperactive wallpaper, it was comfortable. And it boasted many modern necessities, including a large, flat screen television, a generous closet and a night stand clock with CD players. The hotel is smoke free. 

If you’re a light sleeper, I’d take an exterior room away from the sometimes noisy Main or College Avenue. We liked 207, which had a queen-sized bed ($185). Rooms run from $120 for a full-sized Murphy bed in an interior room to the Presidential King Suite at $295. 

FOOD AND DRINK

You will never go hungry in Durango.

Sushitarian and Serious Texas BBQ were both recommended to us by locals. So was the beautiful Cypress Cafe on East Second Avenue. We ended up at Seasons, a bright, modern spot with a small bar, an open kitchen, a nice wine list and dishes like the butternut squash cannelloni ($9), the Foxfire Farm lamb burger ($14) and a mushroom soup special ($7.50) that was a savory loam of the mushroom, herbs and a rich, earthy truffle oil. 

For me, though, the biggest surprise of Durango was that there are four microbreweries in this town of about 16,000. And except for Ska Brewing, all are within walking distance from downtown.

On Saturday, we sat down at Carver Brewing Co. for lunch. We got a turkey Reuben with a kicky chipotle mayo ($8) and a bowl of chicken-green chile soup ($4). Both were good enough to skip the beer. But we didn’t. The nine-beer sampler ($12) was tasty, especially the Jack Rabbit Pale Ale (bright with dry hops), the Iron Horse Oatmeal Stout (creamy with roasted coffee and molasses) and the Garden Brau Hefeweizen (light with almost floral notes). 

You should also check out Lady Falconburgh’s Barley Exchange, a basement bar with almost 40 beers on tap and — surprise! — a four-beer sampler ($4). While they offer the run-of-mill off-beat beers — like Breckenridge, Harp and Stella Artois — Lady Fal’s is noted for its more exotic stuff. On this day, there were two Alaskan offerings, the Abita Turbo Dog from New Orleans, the Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale from Hawaii and many others. Our picks: Blind Pig, a hoppy IPA from California; Delirium Tremens, a Belgium tripel; and Deschutes Black Butte, a porter from Oregon. 

The best news: That list changes every couple of days.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS 

There’s plenty of shopping in downtown Durango. There’s also cute little movie theater, a melodrama production at the historic Strater Hotel and a respectable number of art galleries. But being in Durango is principally about being outdoors.

One local suggested hiking the Animas River Trail, a paved route which runs more than five miles along the river. He also mentioned a long list of day hikes, including Vallecito Creek, Crater Lake and West Animas Mountain.
Rafting sounded better to us. 

The weather was beautiful that Saturday with impossibly blue skies interrupted by only a few tissuey clouds. The guides for the company we used, Mild to Wild, warned us that the water was cold with snow melt, so we rented wet suits and booties. I wasn’t alone, but I felt pretty stupid, like a down-on-her-luck Bond girl. That was moot when the first frigid wave literally took my breath away. What would it have felt like, I wondered, without all that insulation? 

After the two-hour tour was done, I left wanting to do it again. 

Our ride cost $31 and another $15 for the gear. They offer many more trips, including local jeep tours, full day kayaking ($100) and rafting trips as long as four days ($1,300). 

The biggest adventure of the trip, though, was Soaring Tree Top Adventure’s 5 1/2 hour zip line tour.

Because there is no road access to the property, the trip starts early with beautiful two-hour train ride on the historic Durango-Silverton train. If the views along the Animas River weren’t so beautiful, the chank-chank-chank of the train would have certainly put me to sleep. Although only eight were in the first-class car for the Soaring tour that morning, the company will usually see as many as 80 during the high season. They run tours seven days a week, mid-May through mid-October. 

Once we got there, we signed the inevitable waiver, picked our lunch and were individually fitted for our gear. Soaring takes safety very seriously and not only were the procedures explained in detail, but they talked about the patented equipment, including the non-invasive platform system that does not impede the growth of the old growth Ponderosa pines.

There are 24 spans, the longest 1,400 feet and about 35 miles an hour through the woods and over the Animas River. That’s the end of the day, though. The first part is spent easing you into higher and longer runs. 

The $429 per person price includes the train ride in a reserved, 

first-class car, an excellent box lunch on a platform by the river and most important, an eco-tour of the area, top-of-the-line professional equipment and the experience and care of the guides and staff. 

But as I was taking in the breathtaking beauty of mountains carpeted with pines and willowy Aspens, I wasn’t thinking about all that. I was thinking about flying through this unsullied forest and the strange exhilaration of conquering fear. 

Then I looked down. 

OTHER STUFF TO DO 

• The Farmers Market (8 a.m. to noon Saturdays), First National Bank parking lot, 259 W. 9th St. It’s a small gathering of local growers and ranchers at this time of the year, but worth seeing for the flavor of the area. Vendors actually call customers by name.

• Durango Art Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave., 1-970-259-2606, durangoarts.org. Exhibitions of local and national artists. Check out “Always … Patsy Cline,” which plays weekends through September 18.

• Mesa Verde National Park, 90 minutes from Durango, heading west on Highway 160 to the park turnoff, 1-970-529-4465, nps.gov/meve/ A rare glimpse into life from 550 A.D. to 1300, this national park preserves more than 4,000 known sites, including cliff dwellings and mesa top sites.

• Crossroads Durango Pro Rodeo Series (June 19 and 26, July 3, 10, 17), La Plata County Fairgrounds, 27th and Main Avenues, 1-970-739-3851, crossroadsrodeocompany@yahoo.com.

• Art on the Animas (July 9-11), Santa Rita Park, 1-970-247-2117, artsandcraftsfairproductions@web.com. Local artists, local art.

• Music in the Mountains Festival (July 10 to Aug. 1), musicinthemountains.com. In its 24th year, this season features orchestra, chamber and conservatory performances of classical and world music.

• Mushroom and Wine Festival (Aug. 7-8), Durango Mountain Resort, 1-970-247-9000, durangomountainresort.com. A two-day festival of themed activities, meals, tastings and demos.

• Durango Coffee Festival (Sept. 11), Main Avenue and 8th St. Sample aromatic coffees, specialty drinks from local shops. 

RESTAURANTS AND BARS

• Bar D Chuckwagon: Cowboys, music and good, old fashioned dining. 8080 C.R. 250, bardchuckwagon.com, (970) 247-5753

• Carver Brewing Co.: Durango’s original brew-pub. Distinctive beers and wholesome, delicious food. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a comfortable hometown atmosphere. 1022 Main Ave., (970) 259-2545 

• Cyprus Cafe: Mediterranean fare in a sophisticated setting. 725 E. 2nd Ave., cypruscafe.com, (970) 385-6884

• Durango Brewing Co.: 3000 Main Avenue, durangobrewing.com, (970) 247-3396
 
• Durango Diner: Straightforward diner food in a classic setting. 957 Main Ave., durangodiner.com, (970) 247-9889

• Irish Embassy Pub: An authentic Irish Pub serving traditional Irish Fayre, Imperial pints of Guinness, and custom catering services. 900 Main Ave., theirishembassypub.com, (970) 403-1200

• Lady Falconburgh’s Barley Exchange: Durango’s largest selection of beer, almost 40 on tap. 640 Main Ave., ladyfalconburgh.biz, (970) 382-9664

• Orio’s Roadhouse: The place locals go. 652 Main Ave., (970) 259-6120

• Serious Texas BBQ: The name says it all. 3535 N. Main Ave., (970) 247-2240; 650 S. Camino del Rio, (970) 259-9507; serioustexasbbq.com

• Ska Brewing Co.: The largest little brewery in the four corners area. 225 Girard St., skabrewing.com, (970) 247-5792

• Steamworks Brewing Company: Comprehensive lunch & dinner. Award-winning beers brewed while you watch. 801 E. 2nd Ave., steamworksbrewing.com, (970) 259-9200

HOTELS 

• The Double Tree Hotel: Located on the Scenic Animas River, the Doubletree is also walking distance to Historic Downtown. 501 Camino del Rio, rldu.ds@hilton.com, (800) 222-8733, (970) 259-6580

• The General Palmer Hotel: The General Palmer hotel, the right choice for elegance, service, and downtown convenience. 567 Main Ave., generalpalmer.com, (800) 523-3358, (970) 247-4747

• Nobody’s Inn: Durango’s new boutique hotel located in historic downtown. Geared for those seeking an alternative to the routine hotel. 920 Main Ave., nobodysinn@frontier.net

• The Rochester Hotel: Distinctive downtown lodging experience in the spirit and tradition of the Old West. 726 E. 2nd Ave., stay@rochesterhotel.com, (800) 664-1920, (970) 385-1920

• The Strater Hotel: Durango’s most prominent downtown landmark, the Historic Strater Hotel established in 1887, delivers world-class accommodations and hospitality. 699 Main Ave.. reservations@strater.com, (800) 247-4431, (970) 247-4431

 SOURCE: durango.org