I am planning vacation for my family and my parents (they are in their 50's) in Durango, CO. While I am sure that my husband and 8-year old daughter will enjoy white water rafting and Mesa Verde NP, is there anything else, other than "adventures" that my parents will enjoy? I am worrying that they will be bored... Any tips on on how to make this vacation better for them will be appreciated. Also does anyone have any feedback on River House B&B in Durango area?
Thanks,
katie

I live in Colorado, and am turning 50 this year. I love whitewater rafting, and rafting on the Animas is pretty mild. In Ignacio, there is a small Indian reservation gambling business. In Pagosa Springs, there are great hot springs. You could spend more than one day in Mesa Verde. Four Corners, near Cortez, might interest your daughter. Valicito Reservoir has some great fishing, and beautiful scenery. You can rent a 4WD vehicle for an interesting side trip. (Be sure to get advice on road conditions.) The Durango/ Silverton railroad is a great trip with great scenery (but a little expensive).
I think it will be easy to keep them happily occupied. I don't know River House B& B, but the Strater Hotel, is a great hotel with discount in the Entertainment book is sometimes available. And there are quite a few ghost stories about the hotel.

My family spent several days in Durango last Summer, and we loved it! When are you planning to be there? The Diamond Circle Melodrama and Vaudeville revue performs nightly (except Sundays) from the beginning of June through the end of September, and is a lot of fun - the whole family really enjoyed it. Do your parents like to shop? There are lots of great shops and art galleries in Durango. A number of good restaurants, too. The Durango and Silverton narrow guage steam train trip is really wonderful - passes amazing scenery the whole way, we even saw bears, and Silverton is pretty interesting. It is a bit expensive, as gb said, but we thought it was worth it. You have the choice of taking the train both ways, or taking a bus back from Silverton (faster trip, different scenery than the train). If you do go to Silverton, bring a jacket - it's at a higher altitude, so even if it's hot in Durango, it will be cool in Silverton.
We didn't go to this, but there's a rodeo that runs from June 15 through August 25 - your family might enjoy that. They also might enjoy going on a horseback ride. There are a number of places in the area that offer trail rides and advertise. Our hotel gave us the name of a place outside of town on Lemon Lake that doesn't advertise, I think they are called Millers stables, and they were great. They took us up on a mountain, and it was really beautiful - we had a great time. We didn't have time to do this, but I understand that a drive on the Million Dollar Highway is supposed to be spectacular. Have a great time, your family should really enjoy Durango!

I most heartily recommend the Durango-Silverton RR trip. It was one of the most fun times I've ever had and I am 59 yrs. old. We rode in an open gondola car to Silverton and took the bus back. The scenery along the way was beautiful. I thought it was worth every penny. I also highly recommend the Million Dollar Highway. The scenery is spectacular, especially coming into the town of Ouray, aptly called "The Switzerland of America."

Katie, don't underestimate your parents! Unless you know that they can't, or really don't want to do certain things (I refuse to bunji jump)they might just surprise you! We can pretty well keep up with our mid-40 year old kids, and sometimes amaze them at what we want to do on vacation! Last summer I went with 3 younger friends from church just to ride the roller coasters at King's Island (Ohio)and I'm 67! While at Pagosa Springs about 3 years ago we hiked up Chimney Rock, wandered all over Mesa Verde and loved the Durango Silverton RR ride up! Go for it--then you will all have some wonderful memories to talk about when you can't go and do.

Katie, I'll also recommend the Silverton and Durango RR, but the best time I had in this area was an off road jeep ride with a guide. I know you can do this yourself, but having someone who knows all the trails and how to drive on them was the best for me (I didn't have to worry about getting lost or breaking down). We took a half day trip out of Silverton, but I would have liked to take a full day up and over to Teluride. That would have been an adventure! The Million Dollar highway to Ouray was spectacular, but really scary! Fortunately, my husband loves mountain roads! Besides, who says 50's is old??? You'll be there one day, and you'll see it's just the begining.

Wow! I am so glad so many people have replied: I am sure that my parents will just love the area. Thanks again for all the wonderful advise!!
Katie

Another endorsement for the train ride to Silverton (and definitely take the bus back). Also, you might enjoy a Chuckwagon experience--outdoor barbecue beef dinner and entertainment. It's touristy and hokey, but it works!

Planning a trip to Mesa Verde in August. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to stay? Would Durango or Cortez be best spots? Any advice would be great. Thanks.

Re Mesa Verde: Why not stay at the lodge that's right there. It's just a basic motel (unlike a lot of the "classic" national partk lodges in the west), but it's pleasant and VERY convenient. By all means, get tickets to one of the ranger-led walks through the restricted-access cliff dwellings. UNbelievable!

Patrice,
We stayed at the Far View Lodge in the park at Mesa Verde last summer and thought it was very nice. Not luxurious, but clean, comfortable, and attractive, and not too expensive. Each room also has a nice balcony with a great view - we watched a coyote frolicking in the meadow below us from ours. The restaraunt at the lodge was pretty good, too. We took the all day ranger led tour, which I highly recommend. It made it so much more meaningful to get all of the background information on the history, culture, architecture, social life, etc. that existed there - not to mention the plant and wildlife in the area. Staying at the lodge made it quite easy for us to take this tour, as it starts from the lodge in the morning. Mesa Verde is fascinating. Have a good time!

The Strater Hotel is great. Very Victorian and in downtown Durango. Entertainment Book has a coupon for it. Although there are a few chain motels, there's not too much in Cortez.

I stayed at the Strater Hotel when I was there last October. There is not a lot to do in Durango. I went to Mesa Verde, and I took the Durango/Silverton train trip. The train trip was horrible. I only recommend this for elderly people. It takes over 7 1/2 hours round trip. It was extremely boring, and most people in my group did not like it. We spent about 1 hour in Silverton, which is enough. One way on the train is not too bad, but round trip was awful.

Evidentally, Cheryl, no one advised you that the best way to do the trip is to buy a one-way ticket and take the bus back! Doing it that makes it much more enjoyable!

I think there is a lot more to do in Durango in the summer months. In October, the tourist activities have shut down for the winter (winter comes late Sept).

Your parents are in their 50s and you think they are incapable of enjoying anything slightly physical? If they are physically handicapped, then I agree you have a problem, but if not, there's some problem here unless they just have no interest in anything. I spent a week there but I was at a dude ranch and like riding and just being in the outdoors and reading, so I wasn't bored in a week. Other people on this ranch did various sports things -- lots of fishing, hiking, boating, etc, around there. Durango is not too exciting after a day or two, just a small town with Indian trinket and souvenir shops. I drove my own car up that highway where the train goes and it was a beautiful drive, but I do think the train both ways would be too much and Silverton is nowhere you'd go on purpose as there's nothing there but more Indian trinket shops. If your parents do not like the outdoors, sports, and physical activity, I think they probably will be bored, to be honest. Of course, you don't say how long you'll be there, anybody can handle it for a couple days. There's always the movies, but what can you expect? It's a small rural town. No one can really say what would be good for them because you didn't give any information about your parents and what their interests are except that they are (heavens!!) in their 50s!!!!!!!! Even if they don't like sports or walking, hiking, fishing, boating, horsebacking riding, tennis, biking, etc -- most people can handle a few days in a beautiful area just going for a drive and looking at the mountains or sitting on a porch reading or something. My life is so hectic, I'd love to do that. I wasn't that aware of it before I went there, but the San Juan mountains are gorgeous. There are plenty of Indian ruins around there, also, within an hour or two, in addition to Mesa Verde, if you go down into New Mexico and some interesting rock formations and countryside. Aside from that, it's not really that far to Santa Fe or Taos NM, if desperate (about 200 miles). Finally, there are some good bars and country-western dancing and music there, if your parents are more into that kind of culture. I myself am a sucker for cowboys (but you know they are showing off when they wear spurs to the bar). One nice thing about country-western music and dance, actually, (even though some of it drives me up the wall), is that those kind of saloons and bars are very egalitarian agewise, unlike pop/rock clubs-- you'll find people out drinking and dancing from teenagers up to 70 year olds, all in the same place, and nobody thinks anything of it. I went there when I was about 40 and had a great time dancing with guys of all ages, it's a lot of fun and a simple two-step isn't too hard to learn unless you're totally arhythmic and tone deaf.