Part of the Wild West show at Viejo Oeste

Originally we had no intentions to visit the city of Durango, but now that we’ve spent two full days here we are incredibly glad that we did. This city is wonderful! It was built because of mining in the area, and is Mexico’s most isolated major city. The downtown core boasts lovely colonial buildings, coffee roasters, a cathedral, many museums, and other major buildings. Just last year many of the sights were revamped for the city’s 450^th anniversary. Our highlights include the hotel where we stayed, a trip to an Old West film set, and the many festivities for Day of the Dead.

We stayed in a rambling historic hotel directly on the main pedestrian street next to the cathedral. Our room was on the third floor with two small balconies, and it was only about $11 per person each night. Good luck getting a deal like that in the states! The plaza is a beautiful open space filled with locals and families. We loved wandering it both during the day and at night.

Our hotel room: 2 beds and 2 tiny balconies at the end of a maze of hallways.

The first day we were in Durango we took a tourist trip to the nearby “Viejo Oeste”, or Old West. This is a film set built just outside the city where Hollywood has shot classic Western films. Nowadays it is a tourist destination primarily for Mexican families. You pay an entrance fee that includes the round trip bus and is about $3 per person, and you can wander the set to your heart’s content. Every two hours there is a dramatic live action show on the main street with costumed performers and horses. It was full of surprises and we had a blast.

They literally drug this guy in by rope off the back of a horse! And of course most of the characters were “dead” by the end of the show.

After the show, we had some time to wait before our return bus so we dressed up as bandits and had a photo shoot. Jason and I even tried shots of the local liquor specialties!

Jason takes care of Tyler in the jail.

Don’t mess with Daisy’s loot!

Daisy and a dragon

We were also lucky enough to be in Durango for the Day of the Dead celebrations. We were further lucky that Nov. 1 and 2 were Saturday and Sunday this year, so it seemed the entire city was out to play. There were giant sculptures scattered throughout the downtown core, street vendors selling fresh corn slathered with butter and parmesan cheese, and street artists performing. There was a stage in the main plaza for music and dancing. We spent two evenings wandering about with countless Durango residents and taking in the sights.

Delicious, savory, street-baked corn during the festivities.

Jason in the plaza

There were several very large sculptures. The detail and colors were great!

I (Daisy) think that Durango would be a wonderful place to be a tourist for a week’s vacation. There are many outdoor adventures available in the nearby mountains, and we didn’t have the time to visit any of the many museums the city has to offer. We did get to sample some of its classic cuisine, and it was delicious. Perhaps in some future time we will return here and enjoy it all over again!

Us eating traditional food at a fancy-ish restaurant. We hadn’t eaten at a restaurant this nice in ages! … Also note the bicycle-themed paper decoration in the background.