Hog Wild in Durango!
By: John T. Braun
The call of the wild, the seduction of the roar, the embrace of scenery so beautiful that it makes you weep.  Okay, well, maybe not weep, but it is incredible all the same.  While Durango is known for it’s historic downtown, cowboy history and friendly people, we wanted to experience the sites in a bit more personal way.  How better to do that than with 90 cubic inches of America’s best rumbling between your legs?  That’s right, saddle up on the steel horse, and ride through town with little more than an open mind and a full tank of gas to take in some glorious scenery.

Our adventure began at Durango Harley Davidson, where we had reserved a Harley Davidson Heritage Soft Tail Classic, bespoke in chrome, leather and attitude!  After about a half hour with the friend staff to complete the paperwork, talk about routes, get checked out on the bike and perform a short test ride for the staff (to prove our proficiency in riding), we were off.  

Well, first, we were inside suiting up.  Keep in mind that Durango is in the mountains, and can get a bit chilly.  Dress in layers so that you can shed or don jackets and pants as necessary.

Now, we’re off!  We chose to ride out to Vallecito Lake, about twenty miles or so outside of the historic downtown Durango.  Now, I have to be honest here.  I don’t ride a Harley Davidson back home, so the Heritage Soft Tail Classic took a bit of getting used to.  Not too much, though.  The bike was almost brand new, and in top-notch shape.  In fact, a quick scan of their entire rental fleet showed nothing but beautiful, new or almost new motorcycles.  Nothing in the group that would offend any Harley Davidson die-hard!

Once over the Animas river, heading out of town on 32nd Street, we quickly found County Road 240 which took us most of the way out to Vallecito Lake.  The final leg of the journey out was on County Road 501.  Both of these country roads wind comfortably through the mountains with gentle curves and rises.  Each time we rounded another bend, I’d comment to myself about the perfect motorcycle roads that we were enjoying.  I actually found myself pulling off the throttle a couple of times just to enjoy the ride a bit longer!

Be prepared to enjoy green pastures, complete with horses, snow capped mountain tops and miles and miles of road that seemed engineered by a life-long Harley Davidson enthusiast.  Turning around at the far end of Vallecito Lake, we began our double-back course towards Durango.  Once we reached 32nd Street, our awe of the scenery began to give way to hunger.  To answer the call, we rode through Durango to a fantastic little restaurant called Poppies where we enjoyed a great sandwich.  The fresh ingredients and comfortable dining area were just what we needed to cap off such a great ride.

After fueling up, we headed back to Durango Harley Davidson to return our steed.  Once again, the friendly staff met us, and asked about our ride.  Once they quickly checked the bike out to insure that it was as we accepted it, we were off.  

Enjoying a ride like this on a motorcycle is great.  You simply feel so much more connected to everything around you than if you were in a car, with the windows up and the radio on.  Enjoying a ride like this on a Harley Davidson is just special.  Harley Davidson has a unique cache that cannot be experienced on any other bike.  The attitude of the design, the rumble of the V-Twin and the friendly wave of the hand from other Harley owners all complete the experience.  Finally, there is no better or more convenient way to enjoy this experience than with a Harley Davidson rental from the professional and friendly staff of Durango Harley Davidson.

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