Destination Guides - Southpoint.com Blog

The Western wonders of Durango

Received news last week from the Rochester Hotel that both the hotel and their sister hotel the Leland House are now entirely powered by wind energy provided by La Plata Electric Co-Op's Green Power Program. We hope that other hotels will take their lead. We enjoyed our stay at the Rochester Hotel in Durango a few years ago. Each room has posters and memorabilia from Westerns filmed in the area.

One of the Westerns filmed around Durango was the John Wayne classic She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, with actor Harry Carey, a Durango resident. I've had correspondence with, and hopefully he will write another book soon.

Coming up in April is the popular Durango Bluegrass Meltdown, including over 15 leading bluegrass bands. Take a memorable ride on the historic
Durango & Silverton Railroad, as it steams through the area mountainside.

Also, was told about a downtown fire that destroyed Season's Rotisserie Grill, Le Rendezvous, and 1/2 Price Tees, and injured several firefighters. Three firefighters were blown off of a roof from an explosion during the fire. Thankfully, they had only minor injuries. The three businesses plan to rebuild. A relief fund has been set up to help the businesses and employees affected by the fire through Durango's Alpine Bank. If wanting to donate to the 700 Main Disaster Relief Fund, please call 970-247-3020.