Relaxing in the Mountains

Cumbres-Toltec Narrow Gauge Railroad, Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, catching fish at multiple lakes, incredible sunsets, amazing weather, and memorable scenery.

Quick Tips:

Pack your collapsable fishing poles, or be prepared to buy some. This Fairfield resort doesn't have any for rent. Also, it's cool at night, but in early Sept. it's still pretty warm during the day. Layered clothing is always the best way to go.

Best Way To Get Around:

You'll want your car. You can get everything you need nearby, but not within walking distance. And you'll want to experience the scenery.

We opted for the one-bedroom unit but wished we'd had the one bedroom deluxe instead. The furnishings were very nice and the unit was clean, however, the kitchen was woefully small. The only place I found to store the non-perishable food items were on top of the fridge. And there was no workspace to speak of when preparing a meal. But all utensils and such were there, so I was able to make do with just a bit of inconvenience.

Best Things Nearby:
My favorite was having the newly remodeled grocery store so close by. I found myself cooking more than I planned since it was so convenient.

Best Things About the Resort:
The lakes... omigosh.. the lakes. And the fish were biting.

Resort Experience:
The resort is large and rambling. You'll need a car to get around. There are four marvelous lakes (yes, we love to drown worms) stocked with trout, bass, perch, bluegill, and much more. We had a one bedroom, which I wouldn't recommend. I think the one bedroom deluxe would have been a lot nicer, with a larger kitchen area. The unit was clean and very nice except for the cramped kitchen. I had to store any non-perishables on top of the fridge.

We were on a lake, which was very convenient and quite beautiful. Looking over the lake and seeing the new snow on the uppermost mountains was a wonderful experience. The resort staff are very capable and quite friendly. Although we had no children with us, there were parks and a large playground in the area.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Good
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

We enjoyed the Hog's Breath Saloon, but I didn't think it was anything all that special. Not bad, mind you, just pretty average. They make great baked beans and the chicken fried steak was delicious. However, the grilled chicken breast was pretty dry. They have a nice soup and salad bar with a good variety. The decor was a bit puzzling. It looked like it may have been put together by committee. However, the booth was quite comfortable and we enjoyed the paper place mats were unique, with a most artistic rendition of the local area. Overall, we had a nice meal with good service. It would be a good place to bring the family and it's very close by the resort.

For $11 each, we got the weekly fishing permit from the recreation center. You can also get daily passes for $6 each. The permits allow you to fish on any of the four very large, very well stocked resort lakes without having to get a Colorado fishing license. We fished nearly every day. And the highlight for my husband was the 16" rainbow trout that he caught on his collapsible pole with only a worm on a hook. We also caught bass, yellow perch, and bluegill. The yellow perch are somewhat overabundant, but then I didn't really care, as I just like to drown worms. If I happen to catch something along the way, it's just that much better.

We often fished into the evening and watched the sun set, leaving only when the bats arrived to feast upon the insects of the night. We actually enjoyed watching the bats skim the water, darting here and there for their dinner. Perfect ending to a perfectly relaxing day.

We rode the Cumbres-Toltec Narrow Gauge Railroad high into the mountains and enjoyed scenery that wouldn't be available other than from the train. The vistas were awe-inspiring. It was like sitting on top of the world and looking down at natural beauty nearly beyond belief. Although we missed it, many of the passengers spotted a huge mountain lion (from the safety of the moving train). We did manage to see a herd of about 15 antelope. You need to ride this train and I have no doubt that children would love the adventure. And if you happen to be a train nut like my husband, you'll buy the video and watch it the minute you return from your vacation just to relive the experience. We also rode the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which we enjoyed. However, Cumbres-Toltec was the better of the two by far.

When we unpacked our fishing poles, we realized that one of them was missing the handle. We looked in the phone book and located a sporting goods store in town. At the store, the owner found a spare handle and a nut to attach it. Although we offered, he wouldn't allow us to pay anything for the handle as it was off of a broken reel. However we still needed some sort of washer to give the handle traction. The sporting goods store owner sent us to the ACE Hardware store up the road for the washer. At the hardware store, we decided that we'd better pick up some needle nosed pliers. The gentleman who worked there told us that they only had the expensive ones, but the "Corner Store" up the road, had some for $4.99. He also found the two washers we needed and gave them to us, without charge. Now at this point, I'm feeling like people here in Pagosa Springs are mighty neighborly. We trekked up to the Corner Store, and found the pliers we needed...$4.99...and I also got a small Styrofoam cooler for the worms and drinks and such. As we paid at the counter, one of the clerks asked if we'd just like a little ice instead of an entire bag, since the cooler was so small. She then proceeded to put some the ice from the soft drink machine into our cooler...again...no charge.

This was our introduction to the people of Pagosa Springs and we were impressed. And for the entire week, everyone we interacted with at Pagosa Springs was just as wonderful and friendly.