Authentic horsepower - Cowboys returning from a hunting trip in the nearby mountains ride next to SUVs on Durango's busy Main Avenue.

Durango
City Profile

Elevation: 6,523'
Population: 14,603
Average Midsummer Temperature: 81 / 47 degrees

Durango came into existence after the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad built a depot just south of the bustling agricultural community of Animas City, after the railroad's demands were turned down by the Animas City fathers. The gold fever in 1874 resulted in the early mining settlement of Silverton, 50 miles north of what was to become Durango, and the narrow-gauge railroad would connect Silverton to the south. The first stake was driven in 1880, and Durango became the transportation hub of the area. Although tourism drives the economy of Durango today, its colorful past includes agriculture and mining and smelting operations. The narrow-gauge tracks, built more than 120 years ago to haul ore from the mineral-rich San Juan Mountains, is still used today as an excursion train for tourists.

Durango Area Tourism Office: (970) 247-3500

"Water Town"
Former territorial governor A.C. Hunt had passed through Durango, Mexico (a name meaning "water town") on his way to the Animas Valley location. He saw similarities between the two places and suggested the name. Today, the two Durangos are sister cities, joined by Durango, Spain – which perhaps is the ultimate origin of the name. The Animas River (as it is known today) flows through town and was named by Spanish explorers in 1776, who called it Rio de las Animas Perdidas, meaning the River of Lost Souls. Today, the river is enjoyed by kayakers, rafter, fishermen, bikers, tube riders, bird watchers and more.

A River trail runs through it
Through the heart of Durango and serves as a recreation outlet and commuter trail for the town. The trail is accessible now, and when a small segment is finished in September, the paved path will run the entire length of town – from 32nd Street to the Wal-Mart shopping area. Midway on this route near 15th Street, walkers can stop at a fish hatchery and feed the trout. There are playgrounds and parks along the way to interest children of all ages. Main access points: Memorial Park at 29th Street and East Third Avenue; Rotary Park at East Second Avenue and 15th Street; and the 9th Street bridge.

Events Museums Golfing Eat, Drink & be Merry Nature Studies Cowboy Culture D&SNGRR

The Diamond Belle Saloon
The Diamond Belle Saloon is known as one of the most famous original ragtime piano bars in the Wild West. The Belle plays host to the world's finest ragtime entertainers, while costumed dance hall girls & bartenders transport you back to the turn of the last century.

The Diamond Belle sets the stage for Western novels, and a few noted personages have made the Strater their home away from home. For example, Western author Louis L'Amour always asked for the room directly above the Diamond Belle Saloon, Room 222. He said that the honky-tonk music helped set the mood for his novels of the Old West. Indeed, a good part of his Sackett’s novels were written at the Strater.

Call the Strater Hotel at 247-4431 or visit www.strater.com

Bar D Chuckwagon Suppers
May 28-Sept. 5

Get set for a great meal in a beautiful setting followed by a terrific Western music and comedy show. The Bar D Chuckwagon keeps cranking out quality food and entertainment as it enters its 36th season. You'll get to choose between sliced roast beef or chicken breast simmered in barbecue sauce, accompanied by potato, baked beans, biscuits and more.

Other things to see and do at the Bar D include a little train that goes around the property, nature trails, record shop, gift shops, a chocolate shop and other Western fare. Bar D is 9 miles north of downtown on County Road 250. Call 888-800-5753 or visit www.bardchuckwagon.com

Diamond Circle Melodrama
June - September

Professional actors from around the country perform alternate shows nightly except Sundays.The show is followed by a hilarious vaudville review. Melodrama is a genre of theatre that was popular during the late 1800s until motion pictures became common, around 1910. Melodramas are characterized by exaggerated movement and strong on-stage emotions. Characters usually include the villain, the hero and the heroine, with performances usually punctuated by boos, hisses and cheers from the audience. Uptempo dialogue and precisely choreographed stage movements combine to keep the action fast and the pace peppy while original piano music draws the audience into each scene.

Call 970-247-3400 or visit www.diamondcirclemelodrama.com

Museums

The Animas Museum, located in the historic 1904 Animas City School building at the corner of 31st Street and West Second Avenue, features exhibits on local history and archaeology. There is also an authentic turn-of-the-century schoolroom and a 1870s pioneer log cabin, plus a research library and photo archives. Summer hours: May through October, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Winter hours: November to April, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call (970) 259-2402 or
visit: www.frontier.net/~animasmuseum

The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum is located in the Durango railyard roundhouse. The museum features a large collection of railroad memorabilia, full-size locomotives, historic rolling stock, maps, photos, artwork and a gift shop. Museum hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $5 per adult, $2.50 per child. Admission fees are waived for ticketed passengers.
479 Main Ave. Call (970) 385-8854.

The Children's Museum of Durango, located at 802 E. 2nd Avenue upstairs in the Durango Arts Center. Open Wednesday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sundays 1-5 p.m. Adults, $5.50, children $4, seniors and children under 2 are free. Call about hands-on workshops (970) 259-9234.
Visit: www.childsmuseum.org

The Center of Southwest Studies, founded in 1964, is in a new $8 million, 48,000-square-foot facility on the Fort Lewis College campus. Parking permits are required during the academic year but not in the summer. The Center features a 4,400-square-foot gallery, a
2,000-square-foot archives and special collections research library, and a 100+ seating lyceum for lectures and public programs. The gallery exhibits continually change with major traveling exhibits of photography and artifacts of the greater Southwest. Always on display will be samples from the Durango Collection®, which represents 800 years of weaving in the Southwest with one of a kind, rare prehistoric and historic textiles from Pueblo, Navajo, and Hispano weaving traditions. Fort Lewis College has free tuition for Native American students who work at the Center and assist with curation and exhibit preparation. Additional exhibit cases are in the Robert Delaney Southwest Research Library, which has over 160,000 photographs, hundreds of maps, and over 12,000 volumes on the Southwest. Visitors and researchers are always welcome. The Center of Southwest Studies is on the Fort Lewis College campus, located at the north end 1000 Rim Drive. Call (970) 247-7456 or visit: swcenter@fortlewis.edu. The Center is open Monday-Friday 1-4 p.m., and gallery tours are by appointment.

Spectacular courses for golfers

If you want to play some golf right in town, Hillcrest Golf Course fits the bill. The mature landscaping and spectacular views of the La Plata Mountains and Animas Valley skyline make for a memorable round on this 18-hole municipal course. Call (970) 247-1499.

Dalton Ranch, in the Animas Valley offers fantastic vistas of the Animas Valley and surrounding mountains. Expect to find a restaurant, lounge, driving range, practice green, sand trap and
chipping green. Need more info or a tee time? Call (970) 247-8774.

Eat, drink & be merry

Farmer's Market
Visit the market from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday from June through September at the parking lot of the First National Bank of Durango, on 8th Street off Camino Del Rio. Shoppers can find local meat, honey, chiles, farmstead cheese – even fresh-
pressed wheatgrass juice. There is live music, chef demonstrations, local products like wool and pottery, and crafts for kids. Call (970) 247-4355 (ask for Greg) or visit:
www.durangofarmersmarket.org.

Smokin' 4th Barbecue Cook-Off
The savory smell of barbecue smoke will waft through downtown Durango on the 4th of July as a barbecue cookoff takes over Main Avenue between 11th and 12th streets. Barbecuers from all over the West will be in Durango to compete for prizes, bragging rights and the opportunity to go to a national barbecue competition. Many of the competitors will sell their food to the public. Call 759-5406.

Durango microbreweries
Over the past five years, Durango has become a beer lover's heaven. No less than four microbreweries now grace the city, offering those with a taste for suds a selection of more than two dozen different local brews. Visitors can sample many of them at the San Juan Brewfest, held Sept. 3, 1-4 p.m. at Durango Mountain Resort. Brewers from the Front Range come to the Four Corners get together at the Village Tent for brews, food, and music.
Call (970)247-9000 x236.

Carver Brewing Co. – Restaurant, bakery and bar. The brews that are always on tap include Minor's Gold (their lightest brew) made with local honey from the Animas Valley and hanging on the malty side; Old Oak Amber Ale; balanced with a healthy hop bitterness and aged on oak chips for a smooth flavor; Colorado Trail Nut Brown Ale, a malty flavor and a nutty palate, with more hop balance than English browns; and Iron Horse Stout, a rich body with strong coffee overtones. 1022 Main Ave.
Call 259-2545 or visit: www.carverbrewing.com

Steamworks Brewing Co. – Restaurant and brewery in two locations, featuring brews such as Engineer Light Lager with a rich malt flavor; Steam Engine Lager with hop spice and a smooth, dry finish; Colorado Kolsch that is light, crisp and refreshing; the medium-bodied Lizard Head Red; Backside Stout with chocolate and roast overtones; and the heavily hopped Third Eye Pale Ale. The Durango restaurant is at 801 East Second Ave. and Bayfield restaurant is at 442 Wolverine Drive. Call (970) 259-9200 or visit: www.steamworksbrewing.com

Ska Brewing Co. – Tasting room only. SKA Brewing, located out in Bodo Industrial Park, depends on local restaurants and pub rooms to market their products, which includes their popular Pinstripe Red Ale, Buster Nut Brown (seasonal), a True Blonde Ale and other speciality brews. SKA owner Dave Thibodeau says visitors are always welcome at their facility, located at 545 Turner Lane, where they can pick up to-gos, kegs, and pony kegs. 545 Turner Drive. Call 247-5792 or visit: www.skabrewing.com

Durango Brewing Co. – Durango Brewing doesn't have a pub room, instead selling their beer at local restaurants and liquor stores. Beers include Amber Ale, an American-style amber/red ale; Derail Ale, a barley wine-style; Durango Dark Lager, a German-style Schwarzbier; and Anasazi Wheat, a light American wheat ale usually served with a slice of lemon.
3000 Main Ave. Call 247-3396