After our parents came to visit, Dylan and I left the van at his uncle’s and flew back to our home base in DC. We spent a lot of quality time with family, did wedding planning, and took a few extra showers while we were there. Every time we spend time away from the van, I realize how much I love living in it and how grateful I am to experience something new every day. I also had plans to see Mesa Verde and had booked an adventure on the Durango Train, so I was excited to get back on the road.
We flew back to the van in New Mexico, gathered all of our belongings, and hit the road once again. This time we were headed to Colorado with the plans of spending the entire month of April there! I know that Colorado is a very large state, but Dylan and I had the goal to see as much of it as possible in 30 days. Along the way, we knew we wanted to see all four national parks and take as many hikes as possible. We were really excited to see new places and visit one of those states that has insane natural beauty everywhere you look.
We drove that first night for three hours until we reached the town of Pagosa Springs. We spent the weekend exploring new natural sights and taking an adventure on the scenic railway! You can read more about our time in the van below and continue following along for all of our latest adventures!
Table of Contents
Stops We Made this Week
Pagosa Springs
Our first stop in Colorado was to the beautiful town of Pagosa Springs. This area gets its name because of the natural hot springs that thrive in the town. It’s a great destination for swimming in hot springs, seeing gorgeous landscapes, and going on beautiful hikes. Because we visited during the Mud Season, we decided to stick to visiting the hot springs.
The first spring we visited was Nathan’s Hippy Dip Hot Springs, which are located right off the river walk in the downtown area. We loved these springs for two reasons: 1) they’re free 2) they are very easily accessible. Like many other free hot springs, they are clothing optional, but you are in the center of downtown so many people will walk by and see you soaking in them.
Dylan and I got to the springs late in the evening and people were still soaking in the hot pools. Because these are free springs, they are less regulated. The pool that was free was incredibly hot, but we still wanted to enjoy soaking. We ended up sucking it up and easing into the pool, but you could see a line of red on our bodies from the heat.
Our next stop was the Pagosa Springs Resort, which is one of the more expensive springs (~50/person) I’ve been to, but I thought it was worth it. The natural springs at this location feed 25 individual geothermal pools at the resort. Each of the pools has an individual name and tells you the temperature of the pool, so you can choose the perfect one for you. They also have delicious food, showers, and access to the river. If you want to take a quick dip in the cold river, then you can go back to soaking in the hot pools. It’s a fun place to spend a day with friends or partners.
Dylan and I got there late in the evening, so we only had time to enjoy a couple of the pools before we knew we would have to hit the road. We loved testing the water temperatures and enjoyed having multiple pools to ourselves during our time there. Neither of us were brave enough to jump into the river though! At the end of our day in the pools, we took nice showers before hitting the road again.
After a long day of flying and driving, we were pretty exhausted and extremely hungry. A friend had recommended a pizza place on the edge of town in Durango and we really wanted to try it. It ended up taking 45 minutes to get to the bar and pizza place, but we hoped that it would be worth it. Dylan and I ordered the Vinny pizza, which we thought was appropriate because our van is named Vinny. Once we finally got it, we gobbled it down and filled up our bellies before a good nights sleep.
Mesa Verde
In typical van life fashion, we spent the night in a Walmart before heading into yet another National Park. After an exhausting week at home, we decided to sleep in and head into the park a little later. We knew that it was easily feasible to see a lot of Mesa Verde National Park (NP #27) in just a few short hours. On the way to the park, we saw Ben who is walking across America to raise money for mental health. The craziest part is we had seen him a couple weeks before in Santa Fe! We decided if we saw him on our way back we would stop to chat.
Once we got to the park, we decided to do the Main Loop to see the major cliff dwellings in the park. Luckily, they have an audio tour that you can listen to while you drive on Spotify. It was a great way to learn intricate details about the Ancient people that used to call this place home. Dylan and I really enjoyed driving the loop and seeing the amazing cliff dwellings that still exist.
After we drove the main loop, we decided to head out of the park to grab some food. As we were driving, we noticed Ben on the side of the highway again. I told Dylan to stop and we made our way to the side of the highway. We told him we had followed his journey since Santa Fe and gave him some water for his walk. He told us that he walks an average of 20 miles a day(!!) and we chatted about camping and living life on the road. It was amazing to meet someone with such a passion for their cause. We really enjoyed talking to him and learning about his walk.
That night, we were able to stay at a family friend’s place in Durango. She allowed us to use her laundry and she invited us in for a delicious dinner of Mexican food. The house itself felt extremely peaceful and had a sprawling yard with views of the mountains. It was a relaxing way to spend the night before we had to get up early for an adventure.
Durango
After our trip to Mesa Verde, we drove to the adorable historical town of Durango. This is one of the most beautiful towns in Colorado with beautiful mountains and great river views. People flock to this destination to go skiing, hiking, shopping in the historic downtown, or spend a day taking the Silverton & Durango Train.
Again, Dylan and I opted to skip out on the outdoor adventures, because the trails were still very muddy and icy. Instead, we decided to take the famous scenic train ride through the mountains to see the landscapes. During the winter months, the train only runs from Durango to Cascade Canyon, and is about $85 a person.
We boarded the train early one morning and prepared for a five hour round trip experience. If you go during the summer months and take the Durango train there and back, then the ride is 7 hours long. It is really cool and unique to go on the historic locomotive, but it’s also cramped in the normal seats. We sat on a bench seat with a window view, but there was no table or anything around the seats to entertain ourselves. Usually, we like to play card games on experiences like these.
However, despite the cramped seats, the journey was incredible. We went through mountain passes and by the river. At times, the train sprayed out steam so that it misted over the river and created incredible rainbows. We also stood on the train car that was open air on both sides to feel the wind in our face and get even better views over the river. At Cascade Canyon, we stopped for lunch and Dylan went on the search for skippable rocks. He did not get lucky, but I think this is because lots of people have picked over the best rocks. On the way back, we enjoyed the scenery and talked about our future travels.
We ended our trip in the Durango area feeling excited about the month ahead in Colorado. It was a great weekend of adventures in Mesa Verde and along the Rio Grande. We knew that there would be some mud and ice along the way, but we were excited for more adventures in this beautiful state during mud season!
Where We Stayed
- Durango Walmart Parking Lot
- Family Friend’s Front Yard
Let me know what you want to hear about in our next van chronicles!
📌 Pin Van Chronicles #10: Mesa Verde & Durango Train Ride to Pinterest
I live in Cortez with an incredible view of Mesa Verde. We arrived here to our new home 3 days prior to the declared pandemic. Friends come to visit and expect us to know all about the area, but so much has not been available for the past 2 years. I look forward to your other chronicles of checking out Colorado. D.
I’m sure that was a wild time to be living somewhere new! Thank you so much!
aloha lita! if you ever get the chance, you should visit great sand dunes when the river is running. usually in april i think. profite de la vie!
Oh I will have to go back sometime!
You do need to be careful…the Durango Walmart generally does not permit overnight rv parking but there are lots of National park roads outside town for boondocking.
And it’s a shame you missed Sirious Texas Barbecue…one on each end of town. The best!
You do need to be careful…the Durango Walmart generally does not permit overnight rv parking but there are lots of National park roads outside town Durango and Pagosa) for boondocking.
And it’s a shame you missed Sirious Texas Barbecue…one on each end of town. The best!
We will just have to go back again some other time and try it!