Durango & Silverton

A glass of Champagne at the Strater is a nice way to jump start your stay

Last weekend: Durango. Historic Old West undercurrent, vibrant downtown, dramatic views, delicious food, friendly locals, great skiing, and multiple breweries – need we say more? Gold prospectors began flocking to this beautiful area nestled in southwest Colorado’s San Juan mountains in 1860 and by 1881 it had become an official city and tourist destination. Today, the town’s historic roots are still very much a part of everyday life, right alongside the surprisingly cosmopolitan shops, restaurants and activities. The combination makes for a pretty remarkable vacation. Careful: You might end up wanting to pack it up and move there.

Our favorite things:

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs year-round (half the route in winter) through the dramatic San Juans along the Animas River to the very cool, tiny mining town of Silverton. This coal-fired, steam-powered locomotive is not only for history geeks and train aficionados: the historic and breathtaking tour was named one of the world’s top ten train rides in 2009 by the Society of American Travel Writers. Check the schedule and look for seasonal specials, such as the Valentine Special Train and the Snowdown Balloon Rally Train.

Durango Mountain Resort, better known by its much cooler and much-more-menacing-than-necessary alias, Purgatory, sits about 20-30 minutes north of Durango on Hwy 550. This is a great mostly-intermediate mountain with lots of long, lazy blues and greens. Coupled with Durango’s 300+ days of sunshine and the outdoor seating at Purgy’s, this place is heaven for families and those who prefer a less-aggressive ski day that includes equal parts beer drinking and skiing (we’ve all had those days). Don’t be too fooled by DMR’s laid-back veneer, though: when it dumps, head over to the steep, newly-opened expert terrain off the Legends Lift (8), you won’t be too sad that you didn’t join your buddies at Silverton, I promise. There’s a limited amount of expert terrain, but they are nice long fall-line shots that, under a foot of fresh, absolutely demand your attention. There is a lot of traversing necessary to get yourself over to Lift 8 and the northwest part of the resort, so get there quick: Start with the high speed, 6-person Chair 1, not the inanely slow two person Chair 4, even though it looks more direct.

Expert skier or rider? Chances are you’ve heard of Silverton. Do not—repeat, do NOT—miss a chance to ski this mountain in full-winter or powder conditions. It’s pricey—$100 a day for about six laps on the 1-chairlift mountain, but you won’t stop grinning until July. In early winter, and late seasons, you can go without a guide for $50 a day, but once the mountain really fills in with snow, you’ll need to go in guided groups, so if you think you’re really slow and like to fiddle with your boots a lot, or have a hard time staying on your feet, you’ll probably be better off practicing those turns at Purgatory. The guides pretty quickly split people up into groups according to ability (and ski width). If it’s deep, bring ‘em as fat as you’ve got ‘em. 115 millimeters underfoot seems to be about average.

Whether you took the train in the summer or came for the skiing in the winter, stick around the breathtakingly beautiful town of Silverton (9,318 ft). There is one (literally, one) paved road, lined with historic Victorian mansions, old time saloons, curio shops and coffee shops. Not to miss: The Tasting Room at Montanya Rum Distillery on Notorious Blair Street. It’s not only the coolest hangout in town—it’s one of the top rum distilleries in North America, with a slate of sophisticated cocktails served up in a cozy, colorful (and very sweet smelling) tasting rooms that’s pretty much full of locals on any winter night. Try the Hot Montoddy – a unique twist on the classic hot buttered rum.

Not up for a day ripping big mountain powder? Even adults go sledding at the mellow, kid-friendly Kendall Mountain. They rent out sleds (get the Mountain Boy) for $10 per person and have a steep-as-hell track right on the ski hill, complete with a roller that can launch you clear of the track if you’re not careful. This is adult-approved sledding, and a stop at Montanya is highly recommended afterward.

There are lots of choices for lodging in Durango and surrounding areas, and I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that you’re absolutely bat shit crazy if you don’t stay at the Strater Hotel on Main Ave in Durango. Built at the apex of Victorian extravagance in 1887, it still stands as Durango’s most prominent downtown landmark. The authentic mahogany antique Victorian furniture is impressive to say the least – the Strater Hotel houses one of the world’s largest and finest collections of Victorian antiques in the world. Take a walk around the hotel’s elaborate hallways with a glass of wine and it’s like being in an extremely comfortable and unpretentious museum. The young staff is very friendly and helpful, although you get the distinct feeling that they would probably would rather be skiing. (That’s not a bad thing: they don’t pester you with service the way they do at other hotels; if you want to walk around the hotel hallways with a drink, checking out the amazing collection of antique photos and Western paraphernalia, they won’t hassle you). If you need a post-ski soak, be sure to reserve a spot in the hotel’s one private Jacuzzi before you get an après cocktail at the Diamond Belle Saloon downstairs, or the Office Spiritorium. I won’t go as far as to declare that the hotel is haunted, but if you have a weak heart you may want to steer clear of room 227. Just a fair warning. Though if you’d like an intimate play-by-play of the previous guests of your room, curl up and read the honeymooners, anniversary-goers, and tell-alls boasting of their lurid and laughable exploits in the rooms’ guest journals.

Outside the Strater Hotel

Standard room at the Strater

antique furniture

Suite at the Strater

Strater lobby

Friendly staff at the Strater

Lounge area in the Strater lobby

Definitely check out the on-site Office Spiritorium (with a name like that, you’ve got to deliver) for a glass of good scotch; if you’re staying at the Strater, park yourself in the fireside leather couch and throw back a few while listening to live acoustic Johnny Cash covers. Here you can take in the eclectic mix of tourists and locals, ranging from aloof ski-bum types to extremely intoxicated 70+ year-old men with cowboy hats and moustaches. The Diamond Belle Saloon, located across the lobby from the Spiritorium, has a fantastic five-piece bluegrass band that plays every Sunday nights and the waitresses wear old timey getups that hardly cover their bums. A more lively atmosphere, especially on Saturday night.
> more on the history of the Strater Hotel

The Office Spiritorium

Durango has some great restaurants: Cosmopolitan, Ken & Sue’s, The Red Snapper, the Ore House, East by Southwest and The Mahogany Grille are all fantastic and surprisingly sophisticated for such a small mountain town. For breakfast or pre-dinner glass of wine, check out Jean-Pierre Bakery and Wine Bar: the tasteful and fun country-French furnishings alone are almost worth the visit.

Wine bar at Jean-Pierre's

Bakery and restaurant at Jean-Pierre's

Outside the Cosmo

Guys: Even if you don’t need a haircut, you must, must stop in and get your ears lowered at Tucson’s Barber & Styling. The always endearing proprietor, Tucson, has been there for over 30 years and has been dubbed the unofficial “Mayor of Main Street”. Have him to play a song for you on his twelve-string guitar or ask about his refurbished old Ford truck and you’ll make a new friend for life.

Tucson and his sidekick in the barbershop

Tucson singing us a song

Ska Brewing, located off Hwy 550 just outside of the city proper, has got to be one off the coolest breweries in existence (they just celebrated their 15^th birthday). Half the charm is that it’s extremely unpretentious. It’s tiny (about 40 employees total), so don’t come with too many grand expectations. Just get a beer in the tasting room (we recommend the Ten Pin Porter, Modus Hoperandi for hops lovers, or try one of their creative seasonal concoctions), talk to the employees, and get a half-assed tour of the brewing facilities. The brew room literally smells like an animal shelter (lots of malt, hops and a floor is drenched in beer), and the scruffy staff are jamming out to some pretty obscure tunes, but the pure, unadulterated coolness of the place will win you over. So much so that you might be convinced after a beer or two that YOU could open your own brewery. Lip up, Fatty!