Ok, the spousal unit and I are headed to Durango to ride the Durango/Silverton.  I have packed the camper and all the fishing gear.  Is  there anything cool/neat/unique we should see while we are in the area.  We will probably head to Mesa Verde for at least one day.  I like brew pubs and hear there are four in town, which one is the best?

Any travel/fun tips will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks neighbors.

Lets see:

1.  Start by coming through Ridgeway, and go west for about 10- 15 miles out of the town of Ridgeway (I think its hwy 62) to look south at Mt Sneffels.  This is the most beautiful view in Colorado- I think its up there with the Tetons for beauty (for you Jackson Hole TU folks ).

2.  Stop in Ouray, and spend a few hours in the Ouray Hot Springs

3. Appreciate Red Mountain Pass on your way from Ouray to Silverton.  
Keep your eyes on the road!

4.  Drive north out of Silverton for 12-15 miles on Rd 110 (take the east branch) to the animas forks ghost town (a car will make it this far without trouble), or keep going for some of the best four wheeling in the nation.  If you have a fairly high clearance vehicle, you can go to the top of Cinnamon Pass without too much trouble, and see some phenomenal views with alpine tundra.

5. Go to the Bar D Chuckwagon for a meal and concert of Cowboy songs.

6. Walk main street in Downtown Durango for "touristy stuff"

7. Watch a melodrama at the Diamond Circle

8. Go rafting

We're not really brew pub folks, but I think "SKA brewing" is more of the "hip" place, and "Steamworks" has a very good "Cajun Boil" meal, if you like spicy Cajun food.

Not really a fisherman either, but it looks like Duranglers has links to area rivers on its' site.

Great info, thanks.  Looks like I may head to the Delores for some tailwater fishing.

Take some DEET- the black flies are pretty nasty in the canyon.

Check out Vallecito reservoir just outside Durango, heckuva view and fishing too.  Another pretty drive is from near Cortez, head up past Rico to Lizard Head pass, then down to Telluride.  From there, head down the canyon around the west end of the Sneffels range, then back to Ridgway.  You'll catch the view of Mt. Sneffels mentioned above.  Ridgway is a good starting point for several of the scenic drives in the area; you can make a loop of the Ridgway-Ouray-Silverton-Durango-Mesa Verde-Cortez-Lizard Head Pass-Telluride-Ridgway drive.

Another good drive is from Ridgway, go north a couple of miles, then turn east and drive over Owl Creek Pass, to the forks/headwaters of the Cimarron river, and Silver Jack reservoir just below.  Parts of True Grit were filmed here; the climax where Rooster Cogburn charges Ned Pepper and gang  across the meadow was filmed on the west side of the pass, below Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain.

Also, go north from Ridgway to Montrose, then head east to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison river.  Pretty amazing view––it ain't the Grand Canyon, but it's 2600 ft deep, and 40 ft across at the bottom at one point.