Durango, CO
Jodi Mongold
Litchfield Park, AZ
Family Travel and Over 50 Travel Specialist
I made the leap to become a Travel Consultant in 2024 as a second career after years of planning travel for my family and other people.
Travel has been an important part of my life since I was a child, evolving from the simple road trip va...
I made the leap to become a Travel Consultant in 2024 as a second career after years of planning travel for my family and other people.
Travel has been an important part of my life since I was a child, evolving from the simple road trip vacation to ocean cruises, and eventually to extensive travel visiting other continents and far-away places.
I know how important it is to find the right destination, accommodations, food, activities, and even transportation for your trip- and I pay attention to details that make your trip unforgettable.
There are a lot of ways to book travel these days, but not every option gives you the same value or experience. Instead of settling for the trip you can find online after hours of searching, allow me to use my expert resources and knowledge to book the vacation you actually WANT to take!
Can Be Reached At
1-260-615-8622
Train Chaser Curtis in Silverton, CO
My husband and I recently took a trip to Durango, CO and had a fabulous experience! It was just a long weekend, so we didn’t venture much outside of Durango into the surrounding areas, but here’s a few of the recommendations I’d make for your next trip:
1. Take a city tour. I love to take a city tour of wherever we visit because it gives you insider knowledge into the history of the city, as well as a quick overview of places you might want to visit during your stay. We also usually get great recommendations for dining, as well as little-known points of interest. Or, as in the case of our Quick and Dirty History Tour with Horsefly History and Ghost Tours in Durango, we got all dirt of Durango’s seedy past, as well as it’s current hauntings of many buildings lining the streets downtown.
2. Dinner and a Show. Local theater and shows highlight area musicians as well as regional music and flavors. Bar D Chuckwagon Suppers is a cute little tourist venue that serves a country BBQ dinner followed by a country music show. Arrive early to take advantage of the shopping in their little village where you can see a tin smith at work, buy sweet treats, or view an art gallery by local artists. There’s also a playground where kiddos can run off some energy before the show.
3. Take a Train Ride. The historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad offers trips every day between Durango and Silverton. The 3 ½ hour ride (each way) provides beautiful scenery and breath-taking views as well as a bit of historic information about the railway. The highlight of the trip was Curtis- a regular guy who follows the train every weekend and shows up in various places along the route just to cheer you on. After the first few sightings, looking for Curtis became one of our favorite things to do, and we began to cheer for him more than he did for us! He also made an appearance in Silverton, where the train stops for about an hour and a half for lunch and shopping before starting its reverse ride back to Durango.
For those who don’t want to ride the train both ways (It is a very long day!), there are tickets available for a one-way ride on the train with a coach bus ride the other direction.
If you’re visiting in winter, the train transforms into The Polar Express from Late November to Early January.
4. Stroll through Downtown Durango and visit the many shops and restaurants. There are tons of great places to see, including historic hotels that allow even non-guests to stroll through their lobbies. We sampled warm drinking chocolate from Animas, bought Christmas ornaments at Christmas in Durango, enjoyed an outdoor concert in the park, and ate pastries from Jean-Pierre Bakery.
When planning your next trip to Colorado, don’t forget to add Durango to the itinerary. It’s a great place for a weekend get-away, or even as a short stop on your way to other destinations in Colorado.