PART 2 - Durango, Great Sand Dunes, Breckenridge, Conifer

DAY 4 - "Durango"

Started the day after a good night's rest, care of the Hotel Strater in fantastic downtown Durango. After breakfast, most of Thursday morning was spent getting the "blog" up and running. It probably took way too long, but with a little help uploading pics via a hotel computer and editing the content on a laptop Jon Boeke lent me, it's good to go. Got it
published online, and took a nap while it stormed outside.

Refreshed, I picked up some tea from Durango Coffee Co., and went strolling around town. Couldn't be a more beautiful setting. While writing this section, I was sitting in the park off Main Street, listening to the train's whistle, and smelling the grilled meat from a nearby bbq competition. No threat of rain... the skies got their thunder and lightning out of the way earlier, while I was napping. It's really going to be tough to find a
better town along my Western travels. Durango sets the bar pretty high, and I'm really glad I stayed an extra night.

I meandered up and down Main Street for a couple hours, hitting a few camp stores for some supplies. Stopped for dinner at a place called Tequila's, after asking some locals which restaurant had the best Mexican food in town. And they did NOT disappoint. Fantastic salsa... best I've had in a long time.

Before bed, I grabbed some espresso (which was the best I've had since Japan... I can never find it very good in the states, so I was pleasantly surprised), and chatted with an Arizona State alum. Nice guy, who moved to Durango with his wife after 13 years in AZ. According to him, she demanded a change in scenery after finding a scorpion in their home. Hah! Just get a cat!!!

Not quite ready to hit the hay, I headed up the block to 2nd Ave and found a jazz trio playing outside an Italian restaurant. Sounded so good... keys, upright bass, and drums, with fireworks going off in the distance. I grabbed a chair on the patio, just to listen and enjoy the perfect temperature, and nobody bugged me about buying a drink or ordering up some food. So nice...

Ventured down 2nd Ave a bit, which feels a bit less touristy and more old-town cool than Main Street. Passed the Leland House Bed and Breakfast and Hotel Rochester, two promising spots for a future stay in Durango. Across the street from a Taylor Guitar dealer, I hit up another patio / restaurant / bar called the Cyprus Cafe for a martini. No live music, but it was too cool a setting to pass up. They specialize in locally grown produce and sustainable seafood, and the menu looked amazing. Too bad I already had dinner, but I kicked back and sipped my drink as the jazz band down the street fired up another set.

Ahhhhhhh Durango... this spot... this air... these smells. It just seems like they're all straight out of a dream.

DAY 5 - "Durango to The Great Sand Dunes"

Happy Independence Day! Woke up early... 6 AM. Grabbed one last Strater Hotel breakfast, and took off before the 4th of July celebrations could hinder my exit. Really didn't have anything to worry about, though, as the streets were EMPTY. I headed East on the 160, following the Animas River out of Durango, and passed through Pagosa Springs. I had originally planned on stopping in Pagosa, but skipped it after talking to a local last night. From his take, there's not much to see if you aren't planning to soak in the hotsprings. Besides, I wanted to get to the Great Sand Dunes about noon.

Outside of Pagosa, Route 160 just got spectacular as I entered the San Juan Forest. So many parts of the road followed and crossed rivers and streams, and Beefy just kept climbing. Feels like she hit 10,000 feet in a few spots. Soooo beautiful... rivers on all sides, forested hills, and HORSES. Healthy horses, like they belong right where they are. Basically, they're spitting images of what you think horses should look like. And plenty of cattle, grazing in lush green meadows that bump right up against the mountains. Halfway up, I stopped at a place called Treasure Falls. UNREAL little spot on the side of the road, with a flowing creek and what seemed like an army of chipmunks. I took the half mile hike through the forest to the top, where I was rewarded with an amazing sight: Treasure Falls. The waterfall spills over a towering cliff, dumping clean mountain water and creating an almost eerie mist between the trees. I headed back down to the truck and stopped to catch my breath.

It's strange, getting acclimated to these altitudes. The little mountain hikes I've been taking are a bit easier as the days go by, but I can still feel the effects: shortness of breath, slight nausea at times, and the occasional headache. Nothing major, but definitely something to get used to. It should all peak when I stay in Breckenridge tomorrow night, where it's 9600 feet above sea level.

After passing South Fork, the terrain flattened out considerably, with humdrum scenery the rest of the way to the Sand Dunes. But I did cross the Rio Grande just outside Alamosa, where I stopped for gas before my final push. The morning absolutely FLEW by, about 180 miles, and just like that, The Great Sand Dunes came into view.

Beautiful sight. They are the tallest dunes in North America, and on approach, they looked as if they were climbing up the mountains. Only one last lonely road before I hit the park entrance. And it was lonely, UNTIL I reached the visitor center and a long line of cars, waiting to get in. The Dunes were extremely crowded, which I guess is something to expect on a holiday weekend. But it all worked out. I arrived early enough, just as the campground was filling up, and grabbed a site with a fantastic view.

Pinon Campground, 88 sites, is similar to Morefield in Mesa Verde, with a little less room between neighbors. And like Morefield, bears are an issue. But this time, I had my very own "bear-proof locker". Score!!! There are warnings everywhere about keeping a clean campsite and locking up any food or items with "attractive scents". And to top it off, the main campground's trash dumpster is a veritable fortress.

After setting up, I cruised over to the Sand Dunes. The crowds were ALL here, playing in the creek that flowed past the base of Dunes. I made my way through the throngs, and hiked up the mountains of sand for an hour or two. Such a trip! Felt like I was in some huge African desert. I turned around after a mile or so, when the sky turned a bit unsettling. (Weather changes quick here, and you don't want to be on the dunes if lightning is a factor.)

Pretty much all worn out, I headed back to my campsite. After dinner, I barely made it to sunset before passing out in my tent. By the end of the day, the altitude, the heat, and the mosquitoes were finally getting to me, and I was feeling pretty ornery. But I had no problem falling asleep as the temps eventually cooled off.

DAY 6 - "Great Sand Dunes to Breckenridge"

I think I was the first one up throughout the entire camp, and I woke up to deer! Three of them, walking between the tents and trailers. Before heading out of The Great Sand Dunes, I hiked a couple miles along a trail next to my campsite. Some climbs, switchbacks, and sand made for difficult hiking. Startled a few more deer down trail, and had numerous views of the Dunes. I was a little apprehensive of bumping into a bear or mountain lion, so I sang along the trail. I read somewhere that you really don't want to startle a bear, so making some noise is a good thing. My noise on that early Saturday morning was everything from Johnny Cash to Jack Johnson.

Packed up the truck, and headed out towards Breckenridge. Another "mini-day" of driving, clocking in at about 160 miles. Passed beautiful Poncha Springs and stopped for lunch in Salida, a town on the banks of the Arkansas River that came highly recommended. The same kind of "wise-old-soul" that you find in Durango, just on a smaller scale. And like Durango, I fell in love with the place almost immediately. Scarfed some tacos at an open-air cantina, overlooking the river, and watched kyackers try to navigate the rapids. The city park, which was just a couple blocks over, and also right on the river, was even hosting a strong beer festival. Found myself wishing I had reserved a room for the night. Plenty of slick old hotels and funky shops to explore for a day or two.

Back on the road, I drove the final stretch to Breckenridge, still climbing and climbing. Passed the Continental Divide, the Platte River, and a cool little town called Alma, at about 10,500 feet above sea level. Also worked pretty hard at developing my "Tan Left Arm" (Mr. Peiffer and Mr. Boyd - you paying attention?).

Rolled into Breckenridge about 2 PM, and it took a few hours, but the city slowly grew on me. It's big, it's crowded, and above all the altitude was messing with my head. It also felt, hmmm, maybe a bit too clean? Too polished? But once you get past the new condo developments, Breck does have a cool Main Street scene, with plenty to see and do. I REALLY needed a shower after a couple days of hiking, but my hotel, The Great Divide, wouldn't check me in early. So, grime and all, I walked around town a bit, checked email in the hotel's business center, and FINALLY got into my room about 4. After staying at such a cool place in Durango, this hotel annoys me. It's a bit off the main drag, the elevators are goofy, the hallways are dingy, and they don't have air conditioning in the rooms. Not blazing hot, but not comfortable, either. Cleaned up and took the shuttle downtown, and into the rain.

Things started to look up, when I stopped at The Blue River Bistro, a place I had scoped out on my earlier walk. And as I write this section, I'm sitting at the bar, and the jazz quartet just started playing two songs ago. So as you can see, Breckenridge might just work out after all. The band sounds nice... drums, sax, guitar, and upright. I was skeptical about the guitar, thinking four is a crowd in this little place, but he actually might be the star. And here comes dinner.

Holy MOLY, it might be the altitude talking, but that may have been one of the best meals I've ever had. A total splurge tonight, monetary as well as dietary, but well worth it. Fantastic salad, followed up by a seafood primavera. Huge prawns, scallops, mushrooms, creamy tomatoe sauce all over linguini. Rarely do I sign up for pasta anymore, but yikes that was good. Yeah, I can't stay mad at Breck. Henceforth, any negative feelings in this town will be directed at my stupid hotel.

After an amazing dinner complimented with two solid sets of live jazz, I strolled down Main Street in search of some espresso. The rain had stopped, and everything smelled so fresh and so clean. (Sing it). And I love how late twilight lasts in Colorado. I thought that was just a Michigan thing... here it is, after 8 PM, and it's still bright. Wandered back to my hotel after some coffee at an internet cafe / oxygen bar, and hit the sack.

DAY 7 - "Breckenridge to Conifer"

Slept great, ate a pretty weak breakfast courtesy of my hotel, and checked out. I was more than happy to be done with the Great Divide...Blech. Hung out a bit in a French bistro, waiting over a cup of tea for another rainstorm to quit. The sun popped back out, and I headed outside to call my folks. I guess the skies were only taking a breather, because after I hung up the phone it turned NASTY. Thunder clouds started rolling down the mountain, with lightning strikes near the ski-lifts. The kind of weather where you hunker down and head indoors QUICK.

I found shelter JUST as it started pouring, in a slick little restaurant called The Cellar. A waiter last night at the Blue River recommended the place, and he wasn't messing around. It's a cool two story house from the late 1880's, with a big open room, large picture windows, and a bar right down the center. Wood floors, couches, and with the rain outside, I thought I was back in Michigan. It's almost TOO cozy. The servers were super-friendly, and I had the best grilled cheese sandwich in history. Seriously. Get to Breckenridge, go to The Cellar, and order a grilled cheese. You'll never be the same.

The rain was about done, so I made my way back towards the truck. I felt so much better...not fighting the altitude as much as I was yesterday. It was too nice outside to get driving just yet, so I headed down Main Street to the same internet cafe I hit up the night before. Loved the setup... 5 bucks, and I was able to check my email, and more importantly: upload my latest batch of pictures. Back outside, the skies were threatening again, so I decided to get driving.

SLOW going down the mountains out of Breckenridge. Heavy rain, heavy traffic. But I was in no particular hurry, as it was only 70 miles to Ed and Nancy's house in Conifer, where I'd bunk down for a couple nights. It took over 2 hours, but I had more incredible scenery as I followed the Platte River most of the way. I headed through the backroads just before Conifer, and found the house, with spectacular views of the foothills leading up to Pike's Peak, just off the balcony. I stretched a bit, unloaded the truck, and played guitar out on the deck with the dogs. Ed and Nancy arrived shortly after I did, coming back from a weekend visiting their son Ben, a buddy of mine from Arizona. We chatted the night away over egg sandwiches and Moose Drool (REALLY good beer out of Missoula).

DAY 8 - "Conifer"

And here I am, wrapping up Part Two of the blog. It's about lunch time. I had a fantastic night's sleep, woke up about 6:30, and we hiked down to the mailbox... which at 3 miles round trip up and down the hills, it's a nice workout. We're about 8700 feet above sea level, but I've almost completely adjusted to the altitude. Got back to the house just as it started raining, something this area desparately needs. Anything I can do to help! Taking it easy today, doing some laundry, and just marveling at the views just outside the window. (THANKS NANCY AND ED!!!!)

That should do it for now... thanks again for reading, and I should have more when I stop in Montana in a few days. Peace!