Cliff Palace of Mesa Verde

The family and I took a great day trip to Mesa Verde National Park on Saturday to take advantage of free admission for Public Lands Appreciation day. The weather was perfect and the crowds did not seem to be too bad, but I have no previous experience to gauge that from. This was the first time I have visited the park and now I can't wait to return. We only scratched the surface of the park and much more awaits.

Oops!

There has been a lot of work going on down at the Santa Rita Whitewater Park. They have been moving rocks and anchoring them to stabilize the water features for the people who play here. I took this picture but I didn't see what was going on in it until I got home. Looks like someone is gonna has some explaining to do! Those excavators aren't cheap!

Emma Sweeny

The Emma Sweeny was the star of the 1950 movie A Ticket to Tomahawk. The Durango Railroad Historical Society acquired the model in August, 2011 from Amador County, California. Restoration is underway to revive the Emma Sweeny to her former Hollywood glory and interpretive signs about the history of the train and Durango's status as the "Hollywood of the Rockies" during the 1950s are on display at the Santa Rita Park in Durango.

Three Durangos

This marker found in Santa Rita Park honors the two other cities of Durango

Finally, SNOW!!

The storm came through for us big time. Several inches in town and it's still snowing as I type. I think I'm gonna dust off my snowboarding gear and head to the mountain Sunday to get my slide on!

Rotary Park, a day later 

                                                                 The Animas River trail

                                                                      The Swinging Bridge

                                                                     The Animas River

                                                        The Fassbinder Neighborhood

                                                                  Driving down Florida Rd.

                                                            On Main Ave. near 10th St.

                           Out in the North Valley off of CR 250, the East Animas Ditch in the foreground

                                         The Animas River Trail under the Main Ave. bridge

                                                                       Main Ave. at 10th St.

Rotary Park

A City park near downtown and the river.

My Street: The View

My favorite part of my street is the view I get on my walk down to town. This is taken from a small park only a hundred yards down from my house.

Rainy fall day along the Animas River

Colors seem to be more vivid when everything is wet and clouds cover the sky. The Animas River Trail at Veteran's Park

Fall in Durango IV

One of my absolute favorite views in town. I snapped this shot on the Animas River Trail right next to the library and fish hatchery. The river in this stretch flows past slowly before it goes through the millrace section past downtown. If you didn't already know better, would you believe this picture was taken in the middle of town?

Watching the Race VIA Jumbotron

After the race departed town, everybody migrated to Buckley Park to party down and to catch some of the action on the big Jumbotron screen they set up. It was a mad house there. There were a lot of people, and it seemed as though everyone had their bike, too. Bikes were chained and locked to just about everything permanent around the whole block. It was a really great time, and I hope the race comes through here again!

The View from Molas Pass

Molas Pass is on Highway 550 between Durango and Silverton. It is actually the second pass one must cross over to get to Silverton from the South. The Elevation here is 10,910 ft./3325 m. This area is actually a city park, owned and maintained by the City of Silverton. It is breathtakingly beautiful up here and serves as one of the best playgrounds you could ever find.

Molas Lake is sittin' pretty in the middle right and the town of Silverton is out of view in the very large, sun-drenched valley in the upper left

A morning stroll through the park

I meet my coworkers on a street across from this park in the early mornings, and I am always attracted to the green glow of the sunlight as it filters through the tree leaves and highlights the leaves of grass.

Fassbinder Park

This great, shady park in Durango is one of many, but this one has some interesting history to it.

Peter Fassbinder and his wife, Kathrine were homesteaders who came to Animas City via Silverton and Rico to the north. Fassbinder homesteaded 160 acres north of the City of Durango in 1878 and quickly subdivided it for development. His addition was filed on April 28, 1882. He built the first bridge over the Animas river connecting Durango to his subdivision, brought  fresh water to Durango from a spring on his homestead, and  later generously donated land to the City for this park, to the Catholic Church for the St. Columbia Church, and to the Sisters of Mercy for the Mercy Hospital.

Today this park is a popular place for picnics, parties, and just hanging out. This is also where the Occupy Durango movement was held last fall.