Life + Culture

The Exchange

A Global Exchange That Reminds Us What Makes Home Special Article by Kalista Peña | Photography by Jonas Grushkin, Rotary International We are fortunate to live in a place so abundantly beautiful and to call it home. Turn in any direction, and you’ll be met with stunning landscapes, adventurous activities, deep-rooted history – and above all else – a robust creative community. Our small mountain town is impeccable; that’s why we share it with strangers, the people we love, and new friends.  ...

Local Services

What Local Gives Back

Local businesses build connection, community and a stronger economy Article by Denise Leslie | Photography by Courtesy of Local First We hear “shop local” a lot. It shows up on storefronts, in holiday campaigns, and in reminders to spend our dollars close to home. While keeping those dollars circulating in our community matters, another side of the story sometimes gets overlooked. What does local give back to us? The question is timely as Local First Foundation welcomes Andrea Wright...

Local Services

Always Room at the Table

How Manna Turns a Shared Meal into a Lasting Community Article by Kathleen O'Connor | Photography by Courtesy of Manna Soup Kitchen “Nobody Cares.” Those were the words scribbled on the wall of a horse stall at the La Plata County Fairgrounds by a hungry woman in the winter of 1985. Tragically, the woman died of starvation there, but her death launched a movement: community members began providing food to the hungry in a church parking lot. That movement became Manna, and more than four...

Home + Design

You Wood Never Guess

For Todd Wilkens of Gecko Woodworx, Handcrafted Woodworking Transforms Furniture into a Family Member Article by Jennifer Mason | Photography by Andy Wingerd Like a genie-granted wish, the turkey emerges from the oven in a puff of steam. The family gathers. Platters and tureens waltz to the tune of “Please pass the ___.” Stories swirl. Jokes crackle. Family lore unspools. “It’s funny,” remarks Todd Wilkens, “People sit at a table, but they don’t really think about the table. Where it came...

Home Services

How to Maintain Your Roof in Durango, CO | Kihle Roofing

Living in Durango, Colorado, means enjoying beautiful mountain views, snowy winters, and changing seasons. However, the mountain climate can also put extra stress on your roof. Heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures, ice dams, strong winds, and intense sunlight can contribute to roofing damage over time.Regular roof maintenance helps homeowners identify potential problems early, prevent avoidable water damage, and protect their investment. Whether you're preparing for winter or checking for storm...

Health + Wellness

Light, Recovery and the Horse

As a horse owner, I’ve always believed that caring for our animals means paying attention to the whole picture and being interested in natural ways to support the body.Paying attention to the animal – not just how they perform, but how they recover, how they handle stress, how they move, and the little things they communicate to us through their behavior.Growing up with a mom who has been a naturopath her entire life I was surrounded by natural wellness and witnessed the positive results...

Food + Beverage

Pearls Before Stein

After Three Decades, Steamworks Brewing Co. Powers Forward, Full Steam Ahead Article by Jennifer Mason | Photography by Andy Wingerd Relationships are hard work. Perhaps no one knows this fact better than the hardworking crew inside Steamworks Brewing Co. now celebrating their 30th anniversary. “They said we wouldn't last 30 days,” says co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer Brian McEachron. Kris Oyler, CEO and originating mastermind behind Steamworks, chimes in, “Most restaurants don't...

Food + Beverage

The Unconventional Pie

How The Happy Pasty brought a 700-year-old tradition to downtown Durango Article by Kathleen O'Connor | Photography by Andy Wingerd The versatile pasty, once a prized food item on the dinner tables of medieval England’s royalty, then the humble all-in-one meal of choice for 18th-century Cornish tin miners and, later, for Colorado miners in Leadville and Silverton, has found its latest home in modern-day Durango, courtesy of Kerry Adams, owner of The Happy Pasty located in downtown Durango. ...

Home + Design

Designed to Gather

Fine Wood Interiors creates kitchens shaped around how families live. Article by Kathleen O'Connor | Photography by Ryan Throop and Kathleen O'Connor You can plan the house party anywhere you want. Set out the comfy chairs in the living room, string fairy lights across the deck, arrange the appetizers on the dining table. It won’t matter. By the second glass of wine, everyone will be inevitably standing in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, reaching past one another for the corkscrew...

Food + Beverage

Before Durango Wakes

Inside Durango’s earliest coffee rituals. Article by Kalista Pena | Photography by Andy Wingerd & Bonnie Boggiano Long before most of Durango reaches for its first cup of coffee, lights flicker on inside cafés and in a trailer on North Main Avenue. Espresso machines warm, grinders hum, and ovens heat as the aroma of coffee replaces the night's quiet. Customers rarely see the first espresso calibrated or the morning rush taking shape. For those who make Durango’s coffee, the day begins well...