Durango Rain

Tonight, Friday, it is raining in Durango, Colorado. It has been raining since early this morning with an overcast sky in place all day. It seemed a very good day to see what we could see in this go to place. We had arrived on the day before after only a 200 mile drive our stay at the Great Sand Dunes but it was a challenging 200 as we had to top the Continental Divide. The pass we crossed was Wolf Creek Pass at 10, 820 feet. Jim was a bit tense as we started the drive. Turned out that there was road repair going on near and at the summit. The traffic was slow and controlled but it seemed that our rig handled the climb very well but our driver and passenger were really tired from the day. We opted Thursday night to just get to know the Lightener Creek Camp. We walked and just vegged. So by Friday morning we were up for some urban adventures. 

      We had breakfast at Pierre’s Bakery. This place is on the corner of Main and 4th in downtown Durango. The food was too good. I had the Crepes with Warmed Fruit in a fruit sauce. Jim had the Eggs Benedict, agreeing that this was one of best ever breakfast. The town was full of galleries, restaurants, antique stores, breweries and vape shops. Just outside is a train ride, rafting, zip lines as well as many REI type stores. High class motels and hotels ring the downtown and today, by 10:00 am most of the parking was impacted. It seems a young town like Moab but was more food focus and not quite the adrenaline push. Durango is in one of the Colorado counties that allows the sale of not only medicinal cannabis but recreational. Counties have the right to choose if they want the shops since Colorado legalized recreational cannabis. Since California will have this option on the ballot, we thought part of urban exploration in Durango might be finding out what that looks like. We looked on line to find out the details of legalizing and what laws were developed in practice. Google has anything you want to know. 

       We found that residents and non-residents can buy up to an ounce of marijuana at a time but a resident is allowed to possess more at a time. You must be 21 and access to the selling area cannot be entered until you ID is checked and everyone’s ID is checked. You are provided a copy of the Retail Marijuana in Colorado Info for Visitors. A salesperson accompanies you into the sales room where all the “retail MJ” is behind glass. The sales person selects after asking you what you want and then places it in a basket. You do not have possession until you have your ID checked again and then pay for the product. Bag is sealed and official paperwork in sealed on. State of Colorado Department of Marijuana Enforcement had a poster on the wall. I had read that the taxes were from 15 to 20% but at the retail level it was more like nearly 100% with $25 having a $20 tax added to the price. Everything must be paid by debit or cash but not credit cards. We were reminded in our googling that since the Federal Government has not legalized marijuana at any level of use so these stores can not use the banking system so they must deal in cash. The laws you are handed as you enter include that the law makes it illegal to use in public in any form including vaping, smoking or eating and, of course, you can be charged with driving while intoxicated. An additional condition put on these retail establishment is that it appears that zoning must also have regulations. We found that they were not obvious, some being in out of the way locations with muted signage.

        Colorado is an interesting model. Marijuana appears to be more regulated and much more heavily taxed than alcohol but a positive side is the amount of revenue it must generate for the state and counties. If it passes, it will be interesting to see how California implements the legalization but it will have three states to learn from, Oregon, Washington and Colorado. Since Colorado was the first, towns such as Durango which had developed into a tourist destination for outdoor sports and wonderful historical downtown added to that by becoming also a place of out of states tourist to enjoy their recreational marijuana. I believe that soon Oregon and Washington state will begin to eat into Colorado recreational Marijuana tourist market. 

         Tonight and for the next four days, Lightener Creek RV park is home. We are surrounded by families looking forward to 4th of July in Durango. It is a very nice park but much less space that the openness of the high desert at the Dunes. The view of the sunrises and sunsets were staggering with their color but this camp offers the friendliness of many of neighbors enjoying hearing and seeing the kids be so excited. Next to us is tiny AirStream, can not be more that 15 feet pulled by a Suburban and inhabited by a mom and dad and 4 kids. Three sleep in the back of the Suburban and the rest in the Camper. All sound happy and mom and dad not too harried. Be well all.