It sure has been awhile since I have had time to blog. I am very fortunate to work at such a great place, but it also takes away a lot of my free time in the summer. So here I am with a Monday off, a little bit of rain in the forecast, and a little free time.
I took a little trip back to the place I grew up a couple months ago. We happened to have a long weekend and decided to make the trek down South from Denver. Pagosa Springs is about 5.5 hours South of Denver so it’s not a short drive. In my opinion, you need at least 2 full days in Pagosa to grasp all it’s small mountain town glory.
From Denver, I recommend taking Hwy 285. In my opinion it’s the fastest and prettiest drive to get here. Once you see signs for “The Overlook” when you are coming down Wolf Creek Pass, you have begun your journey!
- Take a photo at the Overlook on your way into town(or out). It’s one of the prettiest views in Colorado in my opinion.
- Get out and stretch your legs at Treasure Falls. Just a couple miles from the Overlook you will find a huge waterfall with a small hike to get up to it. If you like waterfalls like I do, you will enjoy getting out of the car for a few minutes to check it out.
Treasure Falls - Find a Campsite. There are many camping options in the Pagosa Springs area, but I personally love Jackson Mountain. Another few miles down the pass heading into Pagosa Springs, you will see signs on the right for Jackson Mountain. Drive in a couple miles and you will start seeing areas to camp. Camping is a personal preference for me, but there are lots of hotel options in Pagosa Springs as well.
- Grab a Beer! Anyone who knows me, knows that breweries are like a destination for me. I love to go new places and try new styles. Though Riff Raff Brewing is not new territory for me, it is a destination I try to stop at every time I am in town. This old Victorian house was a tea and brunch place for the longest time, and I am so happy that it is now a successful brewery owned by two of my local friends. The beer selection is amazing, and the food menu has a lot of great options for different tastes. My personal favorite beer that Riff Raff brews is Spruce Juice. It’s a lovely pale ale brewed with new growth from local spruce trees that has been featured at Great American Beer Festival here in Denver. Not your thing? You are still likely to find something you like on draft here from their brews or brews on their guest tap.
- Do some shopping. Pagosa Springs is a small town, but you can expect to find a couple nice local shops. It was too early for dinner after our beer stop so we decided to look around at a couple of the places that were open. A lot of these are right downtown all within walking distance of Riff Raff Brewing, Pagosa Hot Springs, and restaurants.
- Grab some food! Beer and food go hand in hand for me. If there is a restaurant that has good beer, and also good food then we have a winner! One of my personal favorites in Pagosa Springs is Kip’s Grill & Cantina . Expect a very quaint space inside, a fairly large outdoor patio, excellent margaritas, and Baja-style tacos. Though they only have three beers on tap(one of them is PBR, and that will never change due to local demand)you can expect to find one from Ska Brewing in Durango and usually one from Riff Raff Brewing across the street. The spicy shrimp tacos are amazing and fresh and go great with an order of the Jalapeno poppers or vegetarian green chile queso. Kip’s also makes a mean margarita and I highly recommend one. Look for the chile pepper sign!
- Visit the Hot Springs. There are two hot springs in Pagosa Springs and you can choose depending on your personal preference. There is the famous Pagosa Hot Springs along the San Juan River that is amazing in my opinion. Expect to pay around $30 to get in, so make a day of it if you can. I always recommend this one at least once just so you can experience it. There are many different pools with temps ranging from 80 to 115 degrees. This is a huge tourist destination so it can get very busy from time to time. The other option is the Overlook Hot Springs which I also really enjoy. It is right on the main strip downtown and has two indoor pools and a couple on the roof as well. You can also get a massage here if you are really interested in getting you full relax on. I recommend these in the evening when the weather is cooler.
- Toss some discs. I love disc golf and there is a really cool disc golf course on Putt Hill right in the middle of town. We chose to get a little extra exercise and climb to the top to play. You can drive up most of the way if you want to though. We played all 18 holes and it took a couple hours. It’s a great way to get outside and walk around. We brought Lucy up with us and she had just as much fun running around. The course is pretty covered with shade so you stay pretty cool. There are places to buy discs for disc golf in town if you don’t have some already.
- Eat breakfast at Pagosa Baking Co. Located right downtown, Pagosa Baking Co. offers an amazing selection of baked goods as well as breakfast burritos, quiche, and did I mention amazing coffee? Service comes with a smile and one of the local regulars will probably chat you up.
- Play in the river. The San Juan River flows right through town and it is gorgeous. You can take a stroll along the river walk, stick your feet in and watch people on rafts and tubes float by. You can do these things yourself if you like playing in the water. Book a rafting trip with Pagosa Rafting when the water is high, rent tubes from the same place when the water is lower. Don’t forget…that water is freaking cold!
- Eat lunch at Farrago Market Cafe. This place is one of my favorites in Pagosa Springs. They have yummy vegetarian options, great pizza, beer on tap, and a great patio! What more could you ask for?
- Hike one of the many, many surrounding trails. Some of these trails are a little bit of trek, but you are guaranteed to find some of the most beautiful parts of Colorado that you will ever see. You can even hike to some natural hot springs that dont cost anything to soak in. Just be aware, it is the middle of the woods and clothing is optional. Click here for a list of hiking trails in the area. http://pagosa.com/pagosa-hiking/
- Visit Pagosa Brewing Company. The very first brewery to open in Pagosa. Also a brewery with great selection and yummy food. My favorite beers here are the Peachy Peach and the Chile Verde Cerveza. Both have won awards at Great American Beer Festival. This location is uptown with the grocery store and gas station I go to, it’s a good stop on the way out of town.
That is about two days worth of stuff to do in Pagosa to keep you busy. These are things I tend to do when I go back to visit the place I basically grew up. Pagosa Springs is a true gem of a mountain town in Southwestern Colorado that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Durango is also an hour away and offers a lot of great dining, craft beer, and activities for outdoor enthusiasts alike if you have more time to spend in the area. I feel homesick for Pagosa Springs sometimes, but I love my life in the big city. It’s nice knowing that it’s only a long weekend trip away.
Lindsay at 5280 