Colorado

DURANGO
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Durango, Colorado

	Durango is another one of those towns we felt like we could stay in for quite some time.  With less than 20,000 people living there, it has a very small town feel, yet the 40,000 people living in outlying areas and the large number of tourists that come through to enjoy the year-round outdoor activities breathe life and culture into what otherwise might become a sleepy ghost town of yester yore.  

	Built by the Denver Rio Grande Railroad in the late 1800s, Durango still boasts an old steam engine that chugs its way up and over 11,000 foot mountain passes to the town of Silverton Colorado and back several times a day.  A number of gorgeous homes, hotels and other buildings built in the late 1800s line Durango’s streets, and are still in use.  We stayed in one of these charming places, the Strattler Hotel, located on Main Street.  Because it was off-season, we got a great rate on this probably otherwise moderately expensive hotel, and then spent the next several hours (along with a few other locals) trying to convince the bartender, Scott, at the Office Bar and Grill (located in the hotel) to vote for John Kerry.  Only Scott will know whether we were successful or not, but either way, we had fun trying.  
	
	The following day, since it was raining outside, we ate lunch (again) at the Skinny Grill (very good) on Main, and then took care of a bunch of necessary errands, including checking emails at a great little coffee shop/internet café that also served up some delicious hot cocoa.  It was hard to leave this cozy place and this cozy town, particularly on such a rainy day, but since we wanted to make it to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, we had to make our move.
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Durango: Colorado
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