PEGGY WINKWORTH

As a college English major, my passion has always been writing. Life took me on a different path, and my background is in event planning, but I continued with writing projects over the years and have published articles on subjects as diverse as art and motorcycle touring.

After moving to Durango twenty years ago, on the lookout for something new to write about, I picked up a book in a tourist shop in Key West, Florida, Discovering Key West, Looking At Yesterday and Today. With an interest in history passed along to me by my husband, I conceived the notion to write a similar book about Durango.

At first, I planned to devise a scavenger hunt as a children’s activity with an emphasis on the town’s historical past. Not long after that, however, I found Ann Butler’s “Walking Tour of Durango” offering in the Fort Lewis College Continuing Education guide and signed up. I soon realized that adults as well as children would find Durango interesting. I began to do research and take photographs, and gradually the book took shape.

The process taught me a great deal about Durango, about writing, and I even discovered a newfound interest in architecture along the way. My hope is that readers will enjoy and learn from Walking Durango: History, Sights, and Stories as much as I have.

Why did outlaws kidnap a minister? Where were the saloons? Did one lawman really shoot another? What famous boxer fought here? First in the new Detours series, Walking Durango is a fun history scavenger hunt for all ages. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a long-time resident, this smart little book will keep you looking, learning, and laughing as you stroll the streets of Durango, Colorado's Historic Districts.