Wonderful Durango, Colorado!

We camped near Durango, Colorado in a gorgeous Douglas fir forest where we practically had the whole place to ourselves. Immaculate campsite, very peaceful. We had a couple of days to explore Durango and liked it a lot. I could see doing a home exchange there. At the visitor's center there was a brochure that made the point that some people come to Durango to see stuff, but most people come to DO stuff. Mountain biking, river rafting, hiking, fishing - lots and lots to do. We went to take showers at the Sports Center which was teeming with people doing all kinds of stuff - it's a huge brand-new facility and it's very impressive. Above it the Animas River which runs through town; sometimes it runs pretty fast. We were standing on a bridge and these people when whizzing underneath us on paddle boards - clearly they were challenged in trying to keep control. we also saw lots of people tubing on the river and some rafts with several people and a guide steering.      

This cute little cottage and garden were right near the library, along a walkway beside the river. The library is also a very new, large, beatiful and heavily used public building that gave us a place to plug into a wall to recharge devices and catch up with stuff like this blog.

We din't eat here but there are some cheap dining options in town!

We walked a lot and along 3rd Avenue there are many old homes that attest to the prosperity of Durango. This brick one has fancy scalloped shingles painted in different colors

Another home further down 3rd Avenue. I love bungalows. 

This one was all stone

In front of these houses on 3rd Avenue were little "fairy" dwellings that people had made at the base of several large trees. This one had a sign that said "Please don't steal from our fairies" There are steps to a blue door into the tree, a little caravan, a swing set, birdhouses. Some others had little bicycles, gardens, etc. At the Visitor's Center we asked about it and they said it's just a whimsical thing some people do.  

There are lots of shops and galleries in town selling jewelry, art and crafts. Also lots of outdoor stores with gear.

We stopped for lunch at SteamWorks - a big brewpub.  There are at least 4 places in town that brew and/or sell local beers. Jim's lunch was quiche, salad and chicken tortilla soup. You get a basket of peanuts when you arrive and just throw the shells on the floor - it's covered with peanut shells :-)

Next stop - Taos Pueblo!!