Pagosa Springs, Colorado: A Town for All Seasons
By John T. Egan
“Wolf Creek Pass, way up on the Great Divide; truckin’ on down the other side.” Maybe you’ve heard “Wolf Creek Pass,” the 1970’s country song by C. W. McCall. But did you know there really is a Wolf Creek Pass and, more importantly, did you know there really is a Pagosa Springs, the little town mentioned at the end of McCall’s hair-raising ride down the San Juan Mountain’s western slope on U.S. Highway 160 in southwestern Colorado?
Don’t feel bad if the name Pagosa (Pah-GO-sah) Springs doesn’t ring a bell -- it falls into Colorado’s ‘best kept secrets’ category. The little town nestled at the foot of the southern San Juan Mountain Range isn’t flashy like other Colorado ski towns. It doesn’t have hundreds of pricey pancaked condominiums and there are no four-lane highways choked with throngs of cars crammed with desperate fun-seekers fleeing their urban work-a-day worlds.
What you will find is a real community of Coloradans who live, work and enjoy life in this understated and charming mountain town that offers the savvy traveler 365 days of reasons to visit.
From spring through the dog days of summer rollicking guided raft trips on the San Juan River carom through the center of Pagosa Springs’ downtown to the whoops and hollers of drenched daredevils braving the high speed waterway. Less adventurous -- but no doubt warmer -- visitors relax in the many historic geothermal pools on the banks of the San Juan River in the midst of downtown. The San Juan and Weminuche Wilderness trails give hikers of all skill levels just the right challenge, from a leisurely stroll through an Aspen tree wilderness to secluded Opal Lake south of Pagosa Springs to backpacking the snow-capped alpine peaks in brilliantly bright daylight to relaxing by a campfire on frosty nights above 10,000 feet in elevation along the Continental Divide Trail.
Winter in Pagosa Springs, not unlike so many other towns in the mountains of Colorado, offers plenty of downhill skiing on peaks above 10,000 feet and cross-country skiing in and around downtown Pagosa Springs and outlying areas. But Pagosa Springs’ other big secret is that Wolf Creek Ski Area, a leisurely day ski area about 30 minutes from downtown Pagosa Springs, normally gets more powder snow earlier than any ski area in Colorado, and it is less expensive than most.
Cheaper, less crowded, best snow -- what’s not to love?
Accommodations in Pagosa Springs are plentiful and range from quaint and inexpensive downtown ‘Mom and Pop’ style motels to homey rental condominiums and pricey resort properties. Dining is as varied in selection and price as the lodging. Restaurants like The Alley House and JJ’s Riverwalk Restaurant and Pub serve very respectable upscale fine dining that includes steaks, seafood and game along with smart wine lists, while simpler and less pricey dishes can be found at local favorites like The Elkhorn Café and Chavolos Taqueria. (TIP: For a great breakfast burrito or pastries baked on property and coffee that speaks with authority, plan to visit The Pagosa Baking Company on San Juan Street in downtown Pagosa Springs. It’s a favorite spot with the locals and offers that cozy ‘bakery’ feel travelers look for.)
To get to Pagosa Springs, most major airlines will route you into Denver’s international airport (DEN), but the savvy traveler will fly into Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Sunport (ABQ) and drive from New Mexico’s awe-inspiring high desert to the calming alpine forests of southern Colorado. The drive is easy, scenic, quicker (four hours as opposed to six hours) and flatter than the route from Denver. The closest commercial airport is located in Durango, Colorado (DRO), only an hour west of Pagosa Springs. (Pagosa Springs does not have a commercial airport.) There are plenty of flights in and out of Durango, but the airfare will be considerably higher.
For more information including myriad events and music festivals (Four Corners Folk Festival, held over Labor Day Weekend, may be the best small music festival in the country) visit http://pagosachamber.com/pagosa-vacation.asp.
Pagosa Springs may be a ‘best kept secret’ in Colorado, but it can be your personal getaway any time of year. Pagosa Springs is truly a town for all seasons.
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Insomniacs, night owls and partygoers unite for the “after” party. While bars in Ocean City close at 2 a.m., Johnny’s grill doesn’t close down until 4 a.m. It’s perfect for a sober-up, or to satisfy any late night munchies with their Philly Cheese Steaks and Jumbo Cheese Pizza slices, or to finish out the night playing Keno at the bar.
Discover the glow of glorious autumn leaves in Deep River, a picturesque New England village where you can appreciate the history of the area while strolling on a sunny autumn day. The foliage of orange, red and yellow sashays lazily from the trees and forms a colorful potpourri on the water. The town’s water feature cascades over reflections of multicolored trees in a lovely central park that beckons you to stay awhile. 
The manufacturing of ivory products began when George Read started a business at the site now occupied by Piano Works Condominiums. The town grew up around this industry and for generations the children of Deep River “cut their teeth on ivory rings,” as they say. Their parents were skilled at turning ivory into combs, buttons, and piano keys. In fact, the Pratt, Read & Company factory became the nation’s main supplier of piano keyboards.
New Hampshire is a beautiful state all year round. However, autumn is the season when New Hampshire attracts most of its visitors to see the magnificent foliage colors.
The Hobo Railroad and Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad offer varied train rides leaving from Meredith and Lincoln. We spent big ($130 each) for seats on the President’s Car for the four-hour tour from Meredith to Livermore Falls and back, which included a hot lunch at the Common Man Inn at Plymouth. This train is like a step back in time. A cheerful old attendant welcomes all on board and serves drinks and snacks as the train slowly moves along the historic track past blue lakes, across rivers and through farms and forests, all enhanced by the multi-colored landscape. Friendly locals wave as the train passes by. A man in the carriage playing a piano accordion completes the old-time scene. For more details and other tour options, check out 
The Basin and The Flume are water-based features, with The Flume the more spectacular. A path winds its way along a creek in a narrow gorge where at its upper reaches, the creek falls in several cascades. The wooden walkway at one stage seems to have been built right over the top of one of the waterfalls. The track continues in a scenic circuit, including a covered pedestrian bridge over another rivulet looking down along a valley lined with colored foliage. The Flume is privately operated so there is a cost of $12 per person to do the walk.
Contrary to popular belief, the glorious Panama hat originates in Ecuador -- not Panama. This remarkably functional, fashionable fedora has existed under its misnomer for more than a century, when the hats from Montecristi and Cuenca, Ecuador, traversed difficult Andean mountain ranges to Panama, where they were exported to the world. Hence, the false signature name Panama hat. 
The original hat was made of toquilla straw, a name that has ancient roots. When the Spanish first arrived in Ecuador, they saw indigenous people wearing a strangely woven hat that looked as if it had vampire wings. In 1630, the people were persuaded to wear these hats without the brim; this new version was called a toquilla. In 1796 Charles V encouraged the introduction of craft leagues in Ecuador, including one for this straw hat. Because of their growing popularity, the meticulously woven hats became the principal export product of Ecuador between 1944 and 1945.
The quality of the hat depends not only on the thickness of the raw material but also on the manual skill of the weaver whose dexterity is passed from generation to generation. The weavers work at home, often in poor light in difficult surroundings, and deliver the hats in their first stage to the factories. It takes at least four months, and often more, to produce a tightly-woven, earth-scented, cream-colored, true ‘panama’ hat.
Albuquerque’s greatest claim to fame, though, is the annual Balloon Fiesta the first week in October. Balloons from all over the country converge for a spectacular air show where up to 700 balloons take to the sky in the Mass Ascensions. This balloon festival began in 1972 with 13 balloons and has developed into the largest event of its type in the world. A unique weather combination makes Albuquerque ideal for ballooning -- varying winds at different altitudes allow balloonists to circle the area rather than fly away in a single direction.
For a special treat, Rainbow Ryders provide rides in their balloons during the Ascensions. Aloft for up to two hours, you can watch balloons taking off from the field below, landing in nearby clearings and surrounding you in the air. This is an extraordinary way to appreciate the Fiesta. With only about 50 people per day allowed, the price of $375 per person is not that unreasonable for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Visiting Albuquerque during any season of the year is worth your time but doing so in October adds remarkable memories that are treasured forever. 
The Bay of Lerici is nicknamed Golfo dei Poeti, or Poets’ Gulf, for the first famous English-speaking tourists in the area, Romantic writers Lord Byron and Percy Shelley. A plaque in Porto Venere commemorates the Byron Grotto, where Byron was said to have started his swim across the bay back to Lerici. Sadly, the seas were less kind to Shelley, who drowned in a storm attempting to sail home to Lerici from Genoa. Today, you have your choice of bards -- you may stay in Hotel Shelley or Hotel Byron, among other places. 
2011 marks the 86th anniversary of the legendary Rosarito Beach Hotel, a haven for the cinematic stars of the golden age of Hollywood. To celebrate such a milestone, they are offering free historical tours of the famous resort throughout the year. 
As part of The Legend, which is more like a hotel-condo, the tower is a montage of the tradition and beauty of Mexico’s past and all the current creature comforts and excitement of Mexico’s future. The suites are beautiful and zen-like, while also being luxurious and very modern. There’s a coffee table in the great room with a sand tray of pebbles to play with, and a full kitchen with stove, fridge, cupboards full of dishes and drawers filled with cutlery. There’s a huge bathroom with a sunken bath tub and separate shower. Plus some of the most comfortable beds and pillows you’ll ever sleep on in the beautiful master bedroom… complete with dramatic lighting. All the suites boast two plasma TVs.
At Rosarito Beach Hotel, their free tour will allow you to learn about the couple who started it all -- businessman Manuel Barbachano and his gorgeous wife, Mexican actress Maria Luisa Chabert. Not only do their descendants still own the hotel, but Chabert’s nephew is actually the Mayor of Rosarito Beach. You’ll be amazed as you look around the beautiful mansion they called home. It’s now the decadent Casa Playa Spa and the elegantly refined Chabert’s Restaurant, known for its “Frenchican” fare, serving up escargot, flaming crepe suzettes, grilled Puerto Nuevo lobster, traditional fluffy Mexican rice and freshly hand-tossed tortillas.