Colorado is my happy place.
Mountains and cooler weather and snow and skiing and outdoor living. All these things speak to me!
Hubby and I decided to sneak away to the mountains for a few days after Christmas to enjoy some family time and show our kids snow! I grew up outside Chicago, so, I know snow. But my youngest, who is 7, hasn't seen proper snow in years. Years! We knew it was time to take to the mountains.
We settled on Durango for a couple of reasons.
1. It's only a 12.5 hour drive from Arlington. Yep, I said only!
2. We heard great things about Purgatory Resort and wanted to ski there.
3. Durango has hot springs to soak in after some cold days on the mountains.
What To Do With Kids in Durango, Colorado
Places to Eat
Is there anything better than finding awesome food in a new town? No, I don't think so either! While Durango is full of great places to eat, these are our four favorite meals that we ate:
Bird's Durango- Chicken is always a crowd-pleaser with my group, and this spot was no exception. The sandwiches, named after celebrities, were a smash hit and my oldest won't stop talking about her "honey and chicken biscuit that was soooo good!"
Switchback Tacos- Because tacos. And Mexican Street Corn. And spicy margaritas. This place serves tacos a la carte so you can pick and choose what goes on your plate. Plus, they have delightful vegan options! This place was a favorite for us.
Homeslice- When in doubt, order pizza. Or, at least, that's what we do at our house when we can't decide what to eat! I love barbeque chicken pizza, husband likes all the meat and the girls like cheese and more cheese. This spot pleases everyone's palate and left us wanting to make another trip!
Steamworks Brewing- This place served me the best non-burger burger I have ever had. EVER. Seriously. The quinoa burger is my favorite thing I've eaten in some time. Don't skip it when you go to Durango!
Places to Visit
Santa Rita Park- Let the kiddos burn off some steam at this city park with the mountains for a backdrop. Run, play and breathe in the fresh mountain air.
Durango Train- We actually didn't visit the Durango Train Museum or ride the train during our visit- and the girls haven't let us forget it! It's impossible to drive downtown and not see the train, which had an old-timey, wild wild west feel to it. We traveled immediately after Christmas, meaning the Polar Express train ride was still happening at the time. It's on our list for our next visit already!
Pleasant Journey Alpacas- Learn all about these adorable animals from the friendliest farmers! We spent two hours here, petting and playing with the alpacas. The owners are nice and chatty, and the experience is free. Just be sure you email ahead of time, and plan to make a purchase from the gift shop. My husband swears the socks he bought there are the best pair he has ever owned!
Durango Hot Springs- I can't begin to tell you what a cool experience the Durango Hot Springs were! We went one evening late and the kids went nuts. There are multiple pools at varying temperatures (there are some that are adult only and some that are open to all ages). There was one large pool for kids and swim and play tag. The snow on the ground around the pools and the nearby mountains make the experience serene. My advice? Bring sandals or flip flops and a robe. It's hard to go from pool to pool without shoes or something warm to keep you from freezing (ask me how I know!) because the ground is so cold!
Downtown Durango- Plan a few hours to stroll downtown. Grab a bite. Or a beer. Shop for cold-weather gear, local teas and candles, clothing and so much more. We had a blast strolling the streets. And don't skip the candy shop, Fuzziwig's Candy Factory. It's a candy-lover's heaven!
One of the reasons we chose Durango was to ski at Purgatory Resort. It's consistently a top-rated resort in Colorado and, even better, kids 10 and younger can sign up on their website for a free season pass to ski! The resort has a number of ski-in, ski-out vacation rentals, although we didn't stay onsite. There is also a spa, restaurants, ski rentals, toy shop, ski gear shop and more.
We went during peak time, and the slopes were crowded. I didn't ski, but my husband and girls did. It snowed the entire day our first day on the mountain, which was beautiful and cold! The lines were long, and Covid restrictions added to the wait times. It was hard to find a place to sit if you weren't skiing (like me) because seating was a premium. Because of Covid, there was nowhere inside to sit and stay out of the cold. These are things to consider if you are thinking of a ski trip with a non-skiier.
My youngest took a lesson the first day because she had never skied. We also had to rent gear for three girls for two days. We paid $395 for two days of rentals for three kids plus morning ski lessons for one. The girls all skied for free after that. The price seemed competitive. Lift tickets for my husband were $100 per day, and he has his own gear.
The girls found a small hill that they loved and skied it on repeat while my husband and middle daughter did the big runs. The youngest got in about 14 runs in 4 hours on the small hill. We stopped to grab ramen and warm waffles from Waffle Cabin the second day and loved it. The first day we stopped for lunch at the on-site pizza place and the wait was very, very long for food plus a table indoors.
We had a blast in Colorado being outdoors in the snow and sunshine. We plan to make a yearly trip after Christmas to Colorado and are already planning for next year. What spot should we hit next?!
(We stayed at the SpringHill Suites in Durango. We planned and paid for our entire trip- nothing was hosted or sponsored and I am sharing simply to promote a great little town in Colorado!)
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