April 23, 2014.  Yesterday was fascinating.  We began with a bird’s-eye view of Durango from a high plateau above the Animas River, on the campus of Fort Lewis College.  Very steep hiking and bike paths wind their ways up the embankment from the town below.  At the apex, travellers are rewarded with a clearing with round picnic tables with boulders for seats and a panoramic view of the surrounding snow-covered La Platas mountains.  Barbara explained that the Durango area is in the throes of a serious drought and that the river is very low for this time of year, when the snow melt normally gushes into the valley and greens up everything in its path.  We toured the college campus, public golf course and chapel – all at the top of this teeming metropolis of 15,000 and then went down into the town itself.  Durango is a charming old Western town, with more restaurants and art galleries than your can shake a stick at.  Barbara and I ducked into several shops, while Brad, Jack and Doris waited patiently in the sun on benches lining Main Street.  We stopped for lunch at the Diamond Belle Saloon in the historic Strater Hotel, an experience straight out of Gun Smoke.

From Durango we headed north 25 miles to Purgatory — the ski area where Jack is an instructor.  The resort is closed for the spring, but we got a good insider’s tour of the facilities and can imagine how wonderful it is when things are in full swing.  Jack and Barbara ski there three or four days a week and, without fail, run into friends there every time.   They have really carved out an idyllic life here, having been very thoughtful about finding a place to spend their retirement: combining perfect weather, a college-town community with the attendant culture of art, music and performing arts, a host of like-minded friends, and family nearby.  It is refreshing to see them so obviously in their element.

After a nap and cocktails, we went back into town for dinner at a local Southwestern restaurant.  Sitting around the table, we collectively solved all the problems of the world and came back home for dessert and coffee.  Another great day in the books.

Today we will set out again on new adventures with Jack and Barbara.  Not sure what they have in mind.  We’ll venture out as soon as Jack returns from his board meeting of the Women’s Resource Center here in Durango.  He is the second male in the history of the organization to be invited to join the board.