LAX to Durango, and exploring Durango

 WOW!!!

As we flew over the Grand Canyon, I was reminded just how majestic this part of the world can be.

We visited the Grand Canyon a few years ago on our south west road trip, but this time I taken aback by it's beauty and variance of color which unfortunately the pictures do not do justice.

Durango is a very small airport, that I forgot to capture when we deplaned, click here to see what the official pictures look like.

https://www.flydurango.com/

After we landed we picked up our sweet ride, a Ford Escape, (small SUV).

We all felt a bit peckish as it was just a little after 1 pm (noon, CA time) as we pulled away from the rental car parking lot. 

The drive to downtown Durango did not disappoint...

Durango is a small town that looks like a small town America movie set. We enjoyed an incredible pizza lunch at a place called Fired Up Pizzeria.

We enjoyed our lunch in their roof top dining area. This pizza was super yummy.

With full tummies we set off to explore the fabulous down town shops. We found a wonderful toy shop called Twilight Toys that had some seriously cool board games, that were definitely small enough to fit in our suitcase and will likely be put to good use tomorrow.

We also really liked the Durango Antique Market 

http://durangoantiquemarket.com/

But of course, I found a super amazing and super cute book store called Maria's Books. 

https://www.mariasbookshop.com/

This fabulous independent book shop was a highlight of my day.

My family had remembered the rules of going into a book store with a book dragon like myself.  (If you haven't seen it, the meme reads something like this:

How to shop with a book worm. (except I prefer the term Book Dragon)

1. enter store

2. keep eyes on your book worm at all times

3. wow, ok you lost them

4. yup, they're gone forever now

It was on par with Ruby's for those of you in Folsom who know how much I LOVE RUBY'S Book Store.

Here are some other shots of the pretty down town area.

(This hotel is very famous apparently and it was very pretty)

Durango, I am not done with you yet, as there was also the train museum that we wanted to explore but it was finally time to drive to Pagosa Springs to check into our time share condo.

The hour drive to Pagosa Springs was lovely, each turn and twist of the road offered a different scenic view

https://www.chimneyrockpark.com/

This is where we are going on Tuesday for a Sunset Tour!!!

Unsurprisingly, after an incredibly long day (hey we have been up since 3 am!!) Danny fell asleep and stayed in this position until we arrived in Pagosa Springs (I did adjust his seat belt.)

Pagosa Springs Wyndam is HUGE! Most of their resorts are contained, this is more like an entire neighborhood.

(I did not capture our entry)

Near the front desk we discovered that they had an outdoor play area, Danny squee'd when he saw the giant chess set.

In this area they also had a giant jenga set, a giant connect 4 game, and cornhole and maybe one or two others.

They also had an original cabin

It reads:

A Brief History of the Six Mile Ranch Cabin

The name of the pioneer who built this cabin has long been forgotten. Sameul E. Hatcher was the first recorded owner in (1891). Hatcher's son Elmer, his wife, and children lived in it during the 1890s on the property known then as 6-Mile Ranch. That 2200 acre summer sheep range bordered Sunetha, a narrow gauge railway station located directly across from US 160 from Pagosa Lodge.

David E. Hersch of The Citizens Bank took ownership after the turn of the century. In 1976 the cabin was moved to this location by Ralph H Eaton, restored, using original building materials and dedicated to the memory of Archuleta county early settlers.

Our home for the next few days, (we only get the front corner, there are two condo units in this building)

A little tour of our home away from home...

YES! That is a hot tub in our suite, I have never stayed in a place that had that big of a hot tub in a private room. (it's more like a giant jetted tub, but I am not complaining). Danny says it more than makes up for the fact that there really isn't a pool here. There is a local gym that guests of this place can use but it isn't really a place for kids to be able to play in the water.

James got take out from a restaurant that was not very good but it was edible and filling.

*I may be open to trying them again, they had quoted James an hour before the food was ready and so he went grocery shopping.... food was ready 15 minutes later, and so he was a tad late picking it up).

Tomorrow we are checking out Mesa Verde

https://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm

Ancestral Pueblo People of Mesa Verde

About 1,400 years ago, long before Europeans explored North America, a group of people living in the Four Corners region chose Mesa Verde for their home. For more than 700 years they and their descendants lived and flourished here, eventually building elaborate stone communities in the sheltered alcoves of the canyon walls. Then, in the late A.D. 1200s, in the span of a generation or two, they left their homes and moved away. Mesa Verde National Park preserves a spectacular reminder of this ancient culture....

To read more click here:

https://www.nps.gov/meve/learn/historyculture/upload/ancestral_pueblo_people_2018_508_01-24-18-2.pdf

Ok I think that is enough story telling for one night! More stories to share tomorrow.