Many Durangoans have been grieving our loss to Anchorage in the second round of Outside magazine’s Best Town in America contest.
But cry no more: Durango continues to be beloved by publications, in this case Cities Journal. We have been named one of the Top 12 Colorado cities by the publication.
Gunnison came in at the top of the list, described as “virtually flawless,” followed by Steamboat Springs, Crested Butte and Ouray, with Durango coming in at No. 5. Rounding out the list in order were Aspen, Telluride, Glenwood Springs, Silverton, Lake City, Hotchkiss and Creede.
Durango is the largest municipality on the list with a population of 17,000, begging the question of whether it should be called the Top 12 Towns in Colorado instead, but because the publication granting the award is named Cities Journal, it may be required to rank them as cities.
The folks at the magazine clearly like our state, including numerous pieces of trivia to entice travelers, ranging from Telluride being the first city in the world to have electric lights to Lake City’s notorious Alfred Packer and the U.S.’s first known case of cannibalism.
“While the entire state has a great deal to offer,” they wrote, “there are gems within the God’s country that is Colorado.”
The judges looked at the towns primarily from a recreation standpoint, including climate and traffic. Yet “virtually flawless” Gunnison is noted for dropping below zero degrees 60 days of the year. Go figure.
They also didn’t give us points for having great restaurants, a thriving arts scene or Mesa Verde National Park, along with several other national monuments nearby. But hey, we outranked Telluride and Aspen.
Perhaps we should demand a recount?
abutler@durangoherald.com
