“I’m a loner, Dottie. A rebel.” Pee-wee Herman – Pee-wee’s Big Adventure   One of my top five favorite things in life is a day spent snowboarding. The allure of winter bliss, combined with exercise, adrenaline, and mountain camaraderie is my ideal and, during the season, usually ranks number one. I consider myself both privileged and lucky, but, unfortunately, I don’t always have the luxury of a companion on the mountain. The drawbacks of lonely isolation are outweighed, however, by the benefit of the “singles only” line. Waiting with your gang in a lift line that makes Disney’s Magic M ..read more

Silverton, Colorado is the basecamp for winter adventure, offering many backcountry high-alpine recreation opportunities, and plenty of options for lodging, shopping, and dining experiences in the heart of the San Juan Mountains. If you like to ski, snowbike, snowmobile, snowboard, snowshoe, cross country ski, or just take winter dog walks, Silverton should be your next adventure. San Juan County has endless snow-groomed trails for all winter adventures starting from Molas Lake area, the town of Silverton, or even out in the east end of the county. No matter what your level of s ..read more

“If you made a sign that reveals something you normally hide, what would it say?”  That’s the question independent filmmakers Gabriel Diamond and Candice Holdorf posed to passing strangers in their poignant documentary short What Would Your Sign Say?. The film, depicting the quiet beauty found in silently sharing one’s vulnerabilities with others, was among approximately 100 feature films, documentaries, and shorts presented at Durango Film’s 18th Annual Independent Film Festival last March. This five-day event brings a spirited distraction from the winter blues as local, national, and in ..read more

By Kathleen O’Connor The Durango Public Library, located next to the scenic Animas River Trail, is more than just a repository of over 108,000 books, magazines, games, downloadables, and other forms of education and entertainment. It’s also one of the most popular community hubs in town; a place to attend a city-sponsored public meeting or a class on Japanese cuisine, join a book club, or gather with fellow history buffs to talk about your favorite historical fiction or nonfiction. There’s more than enough to entice even the most demanding avid learner. And when it comes to Durango kids, the p ..read more

A primer on touring for fun, adventure, and history This series continues our coverage of the renowned “San Juan Skyway,” which traverses five counties in a dazzling 236-mile loop. This time we’ll head northeast from Dolores and travel up and over Lizard Head Pass, to a finish in Telluride. (Durango to Cortez was covered in the Summer/Fall 2023 edition.) LODGING AND FOOD Dolores (population 900) offers several good restaurant options, but those in the know often head to the Dolores Food Market at 400 Railroad Ave., which is the main drag through the narrow town. The market offers a surprisingl ..read more

Workforce housing project honored for collaboration – The Durango Urban Renewal Authority, known as the Durango Renewal Partnership, recently received accolades for its community partnership in developing the Animas City Park Overlook townhomes. – The housing project, which is creating 22 workforce housing units, earned the group the 2023 American Planning Association Colorado Chapter Honor Award in the category of Innovative Partnership & Collaboration. The award recognizes “extraordinary partnerships and collaborations” maintained over time. – The Renewal Partnership collaborated with se ..read more

We’ve all heard some variation of this dream: When I retire, I’ll finally write my book. Durango author Philip Raymond Brown is living, thriving proof that those when-I-have-time dreams can actually come to fruition—and end up taking on unexpected lives of their own. “I don’t think it’s unusual that people slog through their life of work and dream of something bigger or different,” Brown says. His own dream has emerged in an ongoing series of novels fusing sci-fi and historical fiction.  It Gives You Strength and its sequel, Harvesting Earthlings for Fun and Profit, follow an alien scient ..read more

-Art exhibit “The Return of the Force” explores how Native artists interact with the cultural influence of the Star Wars films, while offering social and personal commentary through engaging, accessible visuals. The exhibit is a continuation of the popular and critically acclaimed exhibit “The Force Is With Our People”, which earned national coverage when it opened at the Museum of Northern Arizona in 2019. “The Return of the Force” features more than 20 artists with new work not seen in the original show. The exhibit will be on display at Fort Lewis College’s Center of Southwest Studies thro ..read more