Megan’s Take
Today’s plans seemed less productive in terms of maximizing our time here – like we didn’t get out of the camper until after 9:30 am and didn’t do any hikes today. But we did take the kids to a science museum called the Powerhouse
and visited the train depot in downtown Durango.
We also got gelato/shaved ice and a parking ticket while there.
Emilia had some time swimming at the campground pool in the afternoon. (I had offered to take her to a pool with an indoor waterpark/splash area, but she really really really wanted to swim in our simple campground pool again, which surprised me.) After that we had a nice early dinner at the Steamworks Brewing Company and took a stroll along the Animas River Walk. There was a botanical garden with small paths and rocks that the kids loved exploring and jumping around.
Overall, Durango is a fun place to visit but it’s very similar to other touristy places we’ve visited. If/when we come back through this area, we would stay in Ouray instead of Durango (specifically – Ouray Riverside Resort along the Uncompahgre River), as it has a different vibe and exceedingly beautiful views. Definitely bucket list item to come back to Ouray adults-only or when the kids are old enough to do more serious hikes.
Phil’s Take
Overall, I likened a day in Durango to places like Wisconsin Dells or Gatlinburg. I don’t particularly enjoy those places as much as a more genuine place like Ouray, so I completely agree with Megan. Still, I had fun with the kids making memories. The parking ticket definitely pissed me off though. I swear there couldn’t have been more than a few minutes over the time we had put in coins for.
Here’s the gallery, where you’ll see the kids’ take on the day as good.
