Apres-Ski / Nightlife

After the lifts close, some people congregate at Purgy's Pub, which sometimes has a band. Shakers Martini Bar on the 2nd floor at Purgy's, features top shelf liquors, jumbo shrimp and olive skewers. In general, however, apres-ski is found in town, not on the mountain.

Most ski areas have a "locals" spot, and here it's the Schoolhouse Cafe, a small and friendly hangout located two miles south of the resort. It's across the road from the Needles Country Store on U.S. Hwy. 550. This is where the lift ops, ski patrollers and other insiders fill up on beer and calzones the size of footballs. The music rocks, and the pool table is free.

A wa-aay popular apres-ski spot that's available on trade with your Total Adventure Ticket™ is Trimble Hot Springs (970-247-0111), 8 miles north of Durango on the way back from the ski area. Natural mineral springs bubble into two outdoor therapy pools, one heated to 90 degrees and the other to 105. A heated outdoor 50-meter pool awaits lap swimmers. Massages are available; call ahead.

If you really want to party, go to downtown Durango—depending on the time of year, it's either jumping or mildly hopping. Spring Break, which goes on for several weeks in March, packs 'em in and the bars schedule lots of entertainment.

Carver's Brewing Co. offers several beers brewed on-site along with a full dinner menu. Steamworks, a brew pub on the corner of 8th Street and East Second Ave., pours award-winning beer and serves moderately priced food in a party atmosphere. Lady Falconburgh's Barley Exchange has 20 microbrews on tap and more than 80 different bottled beers. Its long picnic benches attract large groups of students from nearby Fort Lewis College. Their Philly Cheese Steak is excellent. El Rancho is Durango's old standby. You've got to stop and have at least one drink there, along with a bowl of free popcorn. Other bars have come and gone but "The Ranch" has served liquid refreshment since the days when Jack Dempsey fought his first fight there, although historians now say the fight actually occurred across the street. A mural on the side of the old Central Hotel depicts Dempsey's first TKO.

Durango has quite a variety of musical entertainment. Flyers posted around town will tell you who's playing where. The Wild Horse Saloon at College St. and Second Ave. has dancing and live music. Solid Muldoon's is primarily a dance and pool-shoot spot for the college crowd, but worth a visit for the decor. Coloradaponga's is a smokey pool hall. Scoot'n Blues dishes up soul, jazz, and, of course, blues, blues, blues.

Over at the Diamond Belle Saloon (above left) in the Strater Hotel, a ragtime piano player plunks out hit tunes from the Gay ’90s—1890s, that is. The Diamond Belle recently went non-smoking, and their waitresses wear vintage-era costumes that are worth the price of a drink to see! A new favorite is The Office at the Strater, where the three-martini apres-ski is de rigueur. Check out the $11,000 chandelier.