Last week Claudia and I decided to go on a 5 day river trip.  We all know there is no cell phone reception on the river and no practical way to be contacted…perfect. We had a good amount of support back at the office covering our business so we packed up and headed for the rio!

The Salt River in Arizona was the river of choice.  We applied for permits and were selected for the days we requested.  There was word that the water might be too low but we took a chance and went for it anyway.  What a beautiful get away.  We had a small group, 5 people and 2 boats.  The river was amazing, each day we were taken away by beautiful desert landscapes, unique rock formations and splashed by fun rapids.  We lucked out with good weather conditions and the water was never too low.  The rapids were from class II up to Class IV which was pretty adventurous at moments and kept things pretty exciting.  Between the big rapids there was flat water and a few little riffles that set a really nice pace.  Each night we enjoyed a big dinner and campfire under the stars.  All in all it was a great vacation and completely necessary.  After 5 wonderful days it was time to get back to the office.  It was easy to jump right back into the flow at the office but this trip was a great reminder of why can’t loose sight of why we work so hard.

What a great to kick off this year’s rafting season.  There are closer rivers that can be day trips or even hour trips.  The Dolores River is just a little over an hour away from Durango and the Animas River runs right through town.  In the middle of summer I jump on the ‘town run’ down the Animas right after work.  Put in at 32nd street at 4:30 pm and take out over by Walmart by 6:30 pm and still have time to make dinner!

by Shaheen

Video of Smelter Rapid in Durango:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hN8cI6LcGk

Claudia

More on Durango Arts and Music Community, by Shaheen Hangval, Buyer’s Agent at Blue Ribbon:

In the last year I have noticed a major positive shift in the music and arts community here in Durango. I would have to devote most of the credit to new owners or new management. The Durango art center has had a complete face lift and how offers more melodrama shows, fundraisers and gallery exhibits. The taste of Durango is a fun annual outdoor main street event that is growing each year. This gives the restaurants in town a second in the spot light to show off their skills and delicious foods as well as enjoys some fun with the family.

The Abbey Theater has also taken a big step up showcasing much bigger names. In just the last month big names have popped up like; Legend – Martin Sexton, Great American Taxi (members from Left Over Salmon), and reggae singer – Anthony B. For example, I went to the Anthony B. show last night and it was packed, sold out, on a Monday night! That is pretty impressive. Everybody was excited, jumping around, it was the best reggae show I’ve seen in years.

Durango’s annual independent film festival continues on for another fun year with 24 documentaries, over 10 features, 5 adventure films, 37 and short films! Within this list includes local entries and stories as well as Nationwide featured films.

New restaurants and downtown pubs have also been a big hit. Names such as The Durango Brewery, The New Ska Brewery, The Cairo Cafe, Raider Ridge Cafe, Derailed, The Irish Embassy etc are added to the list of favorites downtown spots. Food, festivals, film & fun! What more could you ask for?

This town is on the rise!

Here are links to a few of the organizations/events mentioned here:

Durango Arts Center: http://www.durangoarts.org/contact.cfm
Taste of Durango: http://www.tasteofdurango.com/
The Abbey Theater: http://www.abbeytheatre.com/
Durango Film Festival: http://www.durangofilmfestival.com/

Shaheen Hangval
Broker Associate/EcoBroker/Buyer Specialist
Blue Ribbon Properties
835 Main Ave. Suite # 214
Durango, CO 81301

Office: 970-247-8388
Fax: 970-247-8360
Shaheen’s Cell: 970-769-2441