life in durango

i thought i would do a little mini-series about durango, you know the place we are building the house!!  i figured since sooner or later we will be at least semi-finished, or at least finished enough to have guests, that i should start enticing ya'll to get out here and check out not only our house but this kick-a** town that we get to live in. 


if you didn't gather already durango is in the south west corner of the state of colorado.  this little map kind of gives you an idea of the location!  

and just so you don't think i am the only one who thinks d-town is a cool place look at this:

Men's Journal names Durango as "Put Your Outdoor Life First" in their April Best Places Issue.  Here is what they have to say:

"The high-desert city, cleaved by the Animas River and perched 6,500 feet high at the stoop of the San Juans, has just enough oil and gas, ranching, and clean tech to support a handful of coffeehouses doing fair-trade brews, four microbreweries (seriously — it’s the water), and fine community arts and theater programs in an Old West downtown. The presence of four-year Fort Lewis College lends an additional cultural boost, but Durango is also decidedly laid-back, the kind of town where a shopkeeper is likely to lock up early and post a gone skiing sign when fresh powder falls at Purgatory, just 24 miles away."

Just this last October Outdoor Magazine named Durango as "The Next Big Thing"  quoting that its amazing network of trails, Colorado's largest national forest just to the North and the town nestled into some of the most beautiful mountains in the country makes it a place to be.

a birds eye view of the animas river valley
(this is just 4 miles north of our house)

Durango have been on lists for Money Magazine as one of the best places to retire, Backpacker Magazine quotes it as being one of the best places to raise an "outdoor" kid, no doubt because of the incredible access to so many outdoor activities its hard to even name them all.  From, kayaking, snowboarding, rock climbing, mountain biking, you name it Durango has got it.

Even National Geographic Adventure recognizes Durango as an Outdoor Mecca in its Where to Live and Play issue.  

So over the next couple of weeks I am going to try to highlight all of the great things about this little Wild West town.  The locals probably won't appreciate it, they like to keep people in the dark about their little slice of heaven, but I think there is plenty to share, come visit, just don't move here- we don't want you!