martinewezel

We,a Belgian family of 4 would like to spend a week in a good equiped lodge in a resort somewhere around Durango or Telluride in July 2003.Any advices? And what weather can we expect?

travellyn

Can you give a little more detail in terms of what you mean by "well-equipped"? Are you referring to amenities in the room, or services available nearby? Do you want to be in a town or a rural area?

Weather in early July is hot and very dry. Himidity can be less than 10%. Temperatures can get above 90F in Durango, but are more reasonable at higher elevations. Morning temperatures in Durango are rarely above 60F. It will be near freezing in the mountains at night. July is the only month you might want air conditioning. By mid to late July, the "monsoon season" starts, and we get brief afternoon thundershowers, which cool things off nicely.

Ready4AVoyage

My family and I spent several nights in August 2001 at Cascade Village in Purgatory (about 25 miles north of Durango and 1 mile from Durango Mountain Resorts). We had a wonderful condo with a full kitchen, fireplace, and jacuzzi tub along with beautiful views of the San Juan mountains. Since peak time at this resort is winter you should be able to get a great rate in July.

We encountered showers every afternoon we were there (August is monsoon season) but since we knew to expect them we planned most of our outdoor activities around them.

If you aren't used to higher elevations (6,500-9000 ft.), expect to take a day or two to get used to it.

If you are looking for something outside of Durango this is a great home base to visit Telluride, Silverton, Mesa Verde, and Durango. You can find information by searching under Purgatory Village Lodging at http://www.durangomountainresort.com

martinewezel

I took a look at the site of this resort you proposed, and it looks very, very nice. We were indeed looking for something like that. Thanks a lot Ready4Avoyage.

And travellyn,also thanks for your tips about the weather. I didn't know it could be so hot in July.

travellyn

Cascade Village is higher than Durango, so it will be cooler. There isn't much around there in terms of nightlife, etc, but it is conveniently located for enjoying the outdoors. There's a beautiful drive very near Cascade Village. It's called Old Lime Creek Road, and it's very rocky, but it's doable in a two wheel drive car. 2-3 miles up this road is a pretty beaver pond. The Spud Lake Trail begins from the small parking area opposite the pond. This trail is short (about 1 mile long), easy, and ends up at a picturesque lake. The scenery on the rest of the road is lovely, too. It takes around an hour and a half to drive.

Durango Mountain Resort ski area is also nearby. The chairlift is free of charge in the summer. It's pleasant just to ride the lift, but you can also use it to get up into the higher country for a few hours. Some people ride the lift up, then ride the Alpine Slide down, or bike down.

You should definitely spend an evening at the Bar D Wranglers chuckwagon dinner and cowboy show. There are a couple of outfitters (Buck's Livery and Rapp Guides) near Cascade Village who could arrange for a horse trip into the backcountry if you wanted.

martinewezel

Great! That chuckwagon dinner and cowboyshow is just what we (as Europeans) are looking for!

Sara

Another enjoyable thing to do in the evening in Durango is to go to the melodrama at the Strater Hotel. Our family went when we were there four years ago, and really enjoyed it. It's kind of silly, but a lot of fun.

travellyn

Here's a second for Sara's recommendation. The melodrama itself is fun, and it's preceded by a lot of audience participation, singing well-known American songs, with accompaniment from an excellent pianist. (I've been taking lessons for 2 years now, and I can't believe what he can do while turning his head toward the audience the whole time.) After the play, there is usually a musical revue with old standards.

Just to warn you, the person selling tickets at the Bar D will probably want to know where you're from, if you have any kind of accent. During the intermission, they recognize people from other countries, as well as those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries.

You'll want to make reservations for both activities a couple of weeks in advance.

I'm also assuming that you'll make a trip to Mesa Verde. It takes approximately 75 minutes to get to MV from Cascade Village. I find it very interesting to compare the construction going on in America with what was happening in Europe at the same time.