Durango , Colorado

View of Durango from high up in the La Plata Mountains

Erin and I are here visiting with my brother Chad and his girlfriend, Erin, who, like my Erin, is a body worker who works out of a coach house behind her house (cue the Twilight Zone music). We've had a wonderful visit, filled with good company, excellent food, liberal libations, a few good hikes and a lazy and laugh-filled tube float down the Animas River. I'll lead with that:

Erin, Erin and Chad

Totally tubular - traffic jam on the Animas

Doctor Brother chilling out in his floatie

Preparing to make my next blog entry

Plus I had to include a video of the Floating Erins hitting the very tepid rapids:

We also did some hiking and up on Engineer Mountain and in the La Plata Mountains, where Chad and I saw a bear cub, a coyote and about ten thousand chipmunks (i wasn't quick enough to get a picture of the skittish bear, so you'll have to take my word on it). Durango is very much like Ashland in many respects -- it's an artsy town with lots of great restaurants and culture, surrounded by stunning nature in every direction. What's not to like?

Yours Truly pausing to hydrate

The Erins and I

A hike along the Engineer Trail

Bonus picture:

The Animas River in a more heightened state (last year when Steve, Cath, Alison and I came out for Chad's birthday in late June)