Durango
1 / 2
Durango is a great mix of Wild West history and mountain-town charm. We had originally planned to take the train to Silverton, but once we realized it was 3.5 hours each way, we decided to skip the seven-hour round trip and explore town instead. Definitely the right call.
Train Station in Durango
1 / 17
We started at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, located right in the rail yard. It is packed with artifacts from Durango’s mining and railroad days. The town itself was founded in 1880 by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad to support nearby silver mines, so railroad history runs deep here.
From there, we wandered through downtown, popping into historic buildings and old hotels like the Strater Hotel and the General Palmer Hotel. We had lunch at the Diamond Belle Saloon inside the Strater, a frontier-style spot with servers in period dress and a lively, old-timey vibe.
After lunch, we headed to the Durango Fish Hatchery. Operating since 1903, it is the oldest state-owned hatchery still running in Colorado. We fed the trout and learned how they are raised and released into rivers across the state.
We wrapped up the day with a few scenic stops along the Animas River Trail, enjoying the views and unexpectedly catching a group of kids in the park doing full medieval-style sword fighting.
Just a normal Friday in Durango
From there, we wandered through downtown, popping into historic buildings and old hotels like the Strater Hotel and the General Palmer Hotel. We had lunch at the Diamond Belle Saloon inside the Strater, a frontier-style spot with servers in period dress and a lively, old-timey vibe.
After lunch, we headed to the Durango Fish Hatchery. Operating since 1903, it is the oldest state-owned hatchery still running in Colorado. We fed the trout and learned how they are raised and released into rivers across the state.
We wrapped up the day with a few scenic stops along the Animas River Trail, enjoying the views and unexpectedly catching a group of kids in the park doing full medieval-style sword fighting.
Just a normal Friday in Durango