Durango

At Christmastime, Durango is picture-perfect and a great destination for a family holiday. The small, beautifully decorated downtown of the mountain town in the southwest of Colorado is illuminated by thousands of lights throughout the holiday season.

The first weekend in December is dedicated to an arts and crafts festival, and many of Durango's boutiques offer handcrafted goods made in Colorado. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs the Polar Express Train to the "North Pole", which is the most treasured Christmas tradition for kids. Your child will enjoy listening to the Polar Express story while sipping hot cocoa on the trip to the North Pole. When Santa arrives at the North Pole stop with his elves and reindeer, he joins the train for the return trip and gives a special present to each child as carols are sung. For the trip, which runs every night between mid-November and early January, most kids dress in their pajamas. There are numerous hotels in Durango that celebrate Christmas.