4-Day Ski Trip to Durango

We took our first family trip (in a long time) with my family to Durango for a weekend of skiing! This was my first time skiing in 5-ish years and my dad and sister’s first time skiing (her boyf has gone once before but he was basically Drew’s level #athleticpeopleamirite). Drew goes every year with his friends (no, I’m not invited………..) so he’s basically a professional. We’ve never been to Durango but my sister’s boyfriend recommended it because he had friends in the area and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

If you’re looking for an affordable, non-touristy town/resort to ski, I would HIGHLY recommend Durango. The ski resort is about 30 minutes from the main city of Durango and only an hour from the airport, so very convenient and accessible as well.

Travel Accommodations

Airfare: We flew to Durango (versus driving to CO as we’ve done before) – La Plata County Airport. Luckily there are a lot of flights from Houston, with one stop in Denver. I’d recommend arriving early so you don’t have to drive in the dark.

Housing: We stayed at a VRBO condo that was right across the street from the slopes and resort, Purgatory Ski Resort.
It was part of Durango Mountain Club so we had access to all of the amenities at the resort (ie. gym, hot tub). We didn’t really leave the ski resort, but it was nice to be able to pop over to the condo for lunch or a break in between shredding the gnar.

Transportation: Car, walking
We got a rental car as soon as we landed and drove everywhere until we got to the resort. Once we got settled at the condo, we walked around! Similar to other ski resorts, Purgatory Ski Resort had everything we needed – restaurants, rentals, liquor, shopping, etc. We really only drove to/from the airport and to get groceries. Otherwise, no car needed!

Packing List

See my packing list here! I feel like I packed SO efficiently for this trip and am very proud – I’m talking everything in a carry-on and some miscellaneous is Drew’s backpack!

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1

We landed around noon on Friday and immediately got our rental car. Thankfully we were able to get a crossover-sized car that *barely* fit 5 adult humans’ worth of luggage and gear in the trunk (and some people’s laps). We were more concerned with safety and driving in snow, but eventually realized deep down we wanted everything to fit in the car.

Grassburger

As soon as we got packed up in the car, we immediately headed to Downtown Durango to grab lunch. We found Grassburger on Google maps and all really enjoyed our meals. Downtown Durango was filled with unique mom-and-pop shops (I’ll get into more detail on Day 4) and very easy to navigate. Grassburger was tucked away on a side street but did not disappoint. This is a family-owned burger joint that only has 100% grass-fed beef and even had vegan burgers. One of my friends has inspired me to learn more about veganism so this was the perfect place for our group! I ordered the Southwest Vegan Bowl, which has a black bean patty over rice + quinoa with sautéed mushrooms, cabbage, and pico de gallo topped with BBQ sauce – oh and fries, duh.

Side note: If you’re interested in learning about health, sustainability, and veganism, check out my friend Carlie’s blog – Cultivated Vibes! She is an amazing resource, advocate, and human so definitely stop by and read more.

City Market

After lunch, we were only 10 minutes away from a local grocery store, City Market, to grab our groceries for the week. We planned on cooking most of our meals for the weekend so stocked up as much as we could fit into our already packed car. See below for what we bought. Once we were cozied up with food in the car, we made our 30-minute trek to the resort!

Breakfast

Eggs
Fruit
Plant butter – my lactose-intolerant people know
Avocados
Coffee
Cereal
Oat milk – iykyk (see above)
Bananas

Lunch – we ate out for lunch at the resort

Bread
Peanut butter
Jelly

Dinner

Spaghetti
Meatballs
Rao’s pasta sauce
Garlic bread
Asian chopped salad kit
Zatarin’s red beans & rice
Sausage
Red and green bell peppers
Onions
Mushrooms

Other

Large pack of water bottles
12-pack of iced tea
Ruffles
Crackers
Dairy-free Boursin Garlic & Herb spread
Jalapeno chips

Purgatory Ski Resort + Condo

The drive to our VRBO condo was so peaceful and so pretty! Here in Texas (Houston specifically), we don’t have mountains, and definitely not snow-capped mountains. We were surrounded by snow and mountains and couldn’t get enough of the views (especially my dad – who took a lot of the amazing photos throughout this post). The route from Downtown Durango to Purgatory Ski Resort was very straightforward, with minimal scary “mountain-side” driving, which is another perk for out-of-towners.

Our condo was right across the street from the lobby of Purgatory Ski Resort. One of the benefits of the condo we stayed at, was that we were part of the Durango Mountain Club. That gave us access to all of the resort amenities, but also much more space. We stayed at a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo with a king-sized Murphy bed in the living room. It honestly came with everything we needed. Here were some of the amenities that were very useful and convenient for us:

Toiletries
Towels
Washer/dryer
Anything and everything you could want in a kitchen (including a toaster and condiments)
Outdoor ski storage
Wifi – It was kind of spotty, but we weren’t too upset
Free parking spot
Dishwasher
Multi-level heat control
Smart TV
*BONUS* Heated floors in the bathroom!

Unfortunately due to our 4 pm check-in time, we had to pick up our rentals before actually dropping our stuff off at the condo. Luckily for us, the rental process was very smooth and easy. We purchased our rentals and lift passes a few weeks beforehand so we just needed to get fitted for our shoes, skis, and poles! Another perk of Purgatory Ski Resort was being able to link our lift passes to our physical card online – so one less line to wait in.

SKIERS BEWARE: We were not able to book ski classes (group or private), even weeks before. We put in a request for private lessons a few weeks in advance but they never got back to us – we had to email them a few times before getting the final notice that they were sold out. So I would recommend booking MONTHS in advance if you can! This may have been a COVID-related issue, but better safe than having Drew as your instructor (amirite?).

Night 1 Activities

After we unloaded our bags/stuff and got settled in for the night (this included a fashion show and photoshoot of course), we made dinner (spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread), unpacked, and played mahjong! Our family is pretty much addicted to playing mahjong whenever we’re together so it only made sense for us to play on our first night (and SPOILER ALERT…every night we were in Durango). Long story short: Drew somehow won 6 games that night, so really nothing exciting to discuss…

By the time all of us were done losing to Drew in mahjong, we got to business – LEARNING HOW TO SKI VIA YOUTUBE. We turned on the handy-dandy Smart TV and literally searched “How to ski” and watched this video. Considering we weren’t able to book a real ski class, this was the best we could do before we hit the slopes. I’m not sure if it was actually helpful IRL, but it at least gave us some expectations. After practicing our pizza and french fry feet, we got ready for bed to get some rest for our big day!

Day 2

Our first official day of skiing! We woke up bright and early to cook breakfast for everyone and opted for a hearty breakfast: Scrambled eggs, avocado toast, fruit, bananas, and cereal with milk. We also pre-made our lunches for today, got dressed, and made our way to the slopes.

Morning Ski Lesson

Our condo was close enough to the slopes, it was a 5-minute walk to the lifts. We started our day on flat land so we could learn/re-learn how to ski. I’ll spare the details but let’s just say *some* of us were good (me and my sister’s boyfriend) and some *other* people were not (my sister and dad). I will say that Instructor Drew, while he wasn’t professional by any means, was VERY kind and patient. He helped my dad all morning and literally carried my sister during her first runs in the early afternoon. SWOON at my hubby!

My dad chose to relax at the base while the rest of us powered on! The four of us made our way to the bunny slopes and practiced all morning. This section was meant for beginners and was wide and open for us (ahem Jennifer) to learn and fall! We did this for the rest of the morning before heading back to the condo for a quick PB&J lunch.

Afternoon Skiing

After lunch, we took the Twilight Lift up the mountain and chose the flattest routes possible for our way down. Given it was a lot of our first time(s), we wanted to take it slow – and because my sister was going literally 2-miles per hour (sorry Jennifer, but these are facts). Here was our route for the afternoon:

Twilight Lift
Columbine to Angel’s Tread (green)
Angel’s Tread to Mid-Way loading (green)
Mid-Way loading to Yellow Brick Road (green)
Yellow Brick Road to YBR (green)
YBR to the base (green)

For any beginner skier, these slopes were great! The routes were fairly flat and even some took you through the snow-covered trees. I really enjoyed the paths we took, and I especially loved how respectful other skiers and snowboarders were. I was afraid that we would “get in the way” of others, but everyone made sure to not run into us. The only person I collided with was my sister (again, just facts!!!).

Drew is a black diamond-level skier, so it was very nice of him to stick with us on the greens to make sure my sister made it down alive. Unfortunately for me, I stared at the height for so long that I psyched myself out and…HAD TO WALK DOWN THE SLOPES. I regretted it about 10 feet down, but Drew (kindly) took my skis down for me so I had no choice but to walk my ass down the mountain.

Once we made it down from our *only* run of the day, we made our way back to the condo with our gear to decompress for the day. One of the best parts of our condo was the ski storage right outside of our door – so we didn’t have to go far to get our skis everyday.

Night 2 Activities

Luckily for us, we had two full bathrooms in our condo so we each had space to shower post-shred. This night my sister and her boyfriend (but mainly her boyf) made dinner – red beans and rice with sausage, mushrooms, and red and green bell peppers! It was a one-pot meal that left us feeling full and satisfied after a long day of skiing.

As I mentioned before, we stayed mostly in our condo during our trip, which was perfect for our group. It was only a matter of time before mahjong was busted out and another tournament started. I’m telling you, this game can get addicting. I was feeling a little tired so opted to “nap” on the Murphy bed which ended up being the start of my full night sleep (before going back to our own room).

Day 3

For our second day of skiing, my dad opted to explore and enjoy the resort (no skiing for him). We made breakfast in the morning and got dressed, pretty much the same routine as yesterday.

Morning Skiing

The rest of us made our way up the Twilight Lift to a bunch of greens! I told my sister that I was going to go on without her because I got spooked the day before but she did so well today. With my confidence back, we made our way down the slopes again as a group a few times:

Twilight Lift
Route #1: Pinkerton Toll Road to Yellow Brick Road (green)
Route #2: Pinkerton Toll Road to Nature’s Trail to Yellow Brick Road (green)
Yellow Brick Road to YBR (green)
YBR to the base (green)

The trails are very well kept and the other skiers and snowboarders are very mindful of where they are going. A lot of the green routes were wide and open so you could make as many “S” turns and “pizza” as much as you wanted. For beginners, these greens were a great way to enjoy skiing without feeling like you’re going too fast. It also felt like most skiers and snowboarders were on blue trails or above (including the kiddoes) so the greens weren’t very crowded. My favorite trail was Nature’s Trail because you are literally skiing through the snow-covered trees.

Village Market & Deli

For lunch, we ate at the resort’s Village Market & Deli right at the base. We ate around 11:30-12pm and beat the lunch crowd – which was out the door by the time we got our food. There are tables to eat inside but we opted to eat at the picnic tables outside since we had all of our ski gear on. I got the chicken caesar salad wrap with a bag of barbeque chips. My sister got Frito pie for the table and it was the perfect warm side for our lunch meal.

If you’re looking for a quick lunch stop that’s not far from the base and lifts and is quick, I would recommend this place (but also consider taking an earlier lunch to beat the crowd)!

Waffle Cabin

After my morning of skiing, I called it a day and hung out with my dad at the base! We grabbed two of the free Adirondack chairs and relaxed while the others (including my sister) skied for the rest of the afternoon. My sister went on a run BY HERSELF! To go from never having skied to skiing by herself in 2 days is amazing!!

While everyone else was skiing, my dad and I were people watching and took turns grabbing snacks. One of the spots that was right at the base of the slopes was the Waffle Cabin. It looked to be a mom-and-pop style cabin that offered Belgium waffles! I ordered a waffle with Nutella for myself, a waffle with Nutella and bananas for my dad, and two hot chocolates. Let me tell you, there is not any other perfect snack for relaxing by the slopes.

When everyone returned from their afternoon of skiing, my sister and her boyfriend got drinks and apps with their friends who live in the area while me, my dad and Drew returned our equipment and went back to the condo. Another great perk of our location and the resort, the return location is right at the base of the resort and you just hand your equipment to an employee and are good to go!

Paradise Pizzeria

Earlier during our trip, we made plans to go to the Durango Hot Springs this evening so we opted to get a quick dinner before heading out. We ordered a veggie and pepperoni pizza and some sides from the resort’s local pizza shop, Paradise Pizzeria. Their order online option was not working during our trip, but we called in our order and they had it ready for us within 30 minutes. Again, due to the location, it was very convenient to just walk over and pick up our dinner. Did I mention I highly recommend going to Purgatory Ski Resort?

Durango Hot Springs

We wanted to explore a little outside of the resort and found Durango Hot Springs Resort & Spa. These are naturally fed hot springs that range in temperatures. Each man-made pool is fed with naturally geothermally heated water. It was only 20 minutes away from our resort and reservations were easy to make! Reservations are a requirement before going because they only have a certain number of spots available every 30 minutes. They were in the middle of renovations, but nothing was noticeable when we walked in!

Once you check-in, you go into the gender-specific dressing areas to change into your swimsuits and rinse off (required) before getting into the hot springs. You have to rent lockers to put all of your stuff, but we were able to fit 5 people’s worth of stuff (including jackets) in 3 lockers (2 small, 1 big). Due to COVID, we had to bring our own towels but they normally provide them.

The *worst* part of the experience was having to go to the pool area in 10° weather! There is a map before you head outside that shows the adult-only side and the family side of the resort, as well as outlines the temperature of each pool (which naturally changes every hour). But once we were able to find an available pool, we all jumped in and enjoyed our evening in the springs. You may or may not have to share with others, but everyone seemed respectful of others’ space.

There was a “plunge” pool that was around 40-50° water – we thought about it, but chickened out! It’s supposed to be great for your muscles, but we thought the cold air was enough. Overall a good experience, but I think it will look amazing and feel more lavish once the renovations are done!

Night 3 Activities

Once we returned back to the condo, we got ready for a night of…you guessed it…MAHJONG! At this point (if it’s feasible), you gotta bring along your own mahjong set. If you haven’t played before, your world will change once you have. Unfortunately, it does take up space and can be heavy but it’s worth it if you love it as much as us!

Once I won a few games (heh), we started going through the check-out list. One thing I’m not a fan of when it comes to vacation rentals is the check-out process. Unlike hotels where you just tidy up and throw away trash, there can be a long list of things you need to do. For us this included:

Take out the trash and recycling (outside of the building)
Put all towels in the washer
Remove the sheets from all beds
Load and start the dishwasher
Wash all pots and pans
Clear the fridge and freezer
Return the parking pass

Of course, there are many perks to staying in a condo rather than a hotel, including more space and privacy, it feels more like home, a full kitchen/fridge and amenities, and washer and dryer access to name a few. So depending on what you would want for your vacation, there are multiple factors to consider.

Day 4

Our last day involved a lot of cleaning and packing. We had an early check-out time of 11 am (we tried extending but we couldn’t due to added COVID-related cleaning protocols). Drew and I did most of our packing the night before so our morning was just making progress on the check-out list and loading the car.

We grabbed breakfast tacos at the Village Market & Deli. I got the Spanish Pipedream Burrito and it was arguably the best breakfast taco I’ve ever had. It had eggs, cheese, black beans, breakfast potatoes, bacon, and avocado…I MEAN C’MON.

Downtown Durango

Once we packed up our car and locked up the condo, we made our way to Downtown Durango. Parking was free this day because it was MLK Day! We found a spot and just made our way down the streets of Durango. I loved this part of our trip because everything was quiet but very accessible. There is one main street lined with unique shops. Some of my favorites were:

Animas Trading Company
Durango Antique Market – there were some great finds here! I wanted to ship multiple pieces back to Houston
Urban Market
Second Story Books
Old Colorado Vintage
Durango Coffee Company at 730 Main
Durango Welcome Center – honestly I loved this place. The staff was friendly, there was a lot of information available, and there were free (and clean) restrooms!

There were countless other shops in between so you could definitely spend your entire afternoon (or an entire day) just browsing!

Rice Monkeys

As our last meal, we grabbed lunch at Rice Monkeys. They offered modern Asian cuisine including pho and sushi. It was a more intimate restaurant but were able to seat us within 10-15 minutes. We ordered Bang Bang Shrimp for the group and I opted for a warm beef pho, which was perfect for the cold weather. I would recommend this place if you’re in the area and are wanting a warm noodle soup!

Travel Home

At the end of our trip, we went back to the airport to return our rental car before making our way back home!