Surrounded by majestic views, relax in this one-bedroom, 3/4 bathroom (shower NO tub), 750 sq ft home with kitchen. Sleeps two. Close to hiking, biking & skiing. Just 1.5 miles north of the Durango Hot Springs. Walk to the Hermosa Creek Grill for a great breakfast or lunch. One minute to gas station. Five minutes to PJ's grocery & liquor store. Fifteen minutes to downtown Durango and train station. The space This is a two room home. The entry leads into the open living area with dining & full kitchen. The Cottage and our home are two separate houses, joined via a large covered patio. There are tables and chairs on the patio. Guests are welcome to use this shared space. The Cottage is the home on the left side of the patio, and we are on the right. The bedroom has a king-size bed, and has the bathroom "ensuite", which means the bathroom is accessed through the bedroom. There is a wired internet connection if needed; of course wifi is accessible in the unit for your mobile phone and other devices. The AC is a newer portable "R2D2" unit in the bedroom, with external air exchange; this system is disconnected in cold months. There are ceiling fans in the living area and bedroom. In summer months, it typically cools down quite a lot at night, so with windows open in the main room and the AC in the bedroom everyone is usually quite comfortable even without them. Most homes in Durango don't have full house AC systems as the climate in warmer months is mild and not humid. The hottest times of the year are near the end of July and beginning of August when we top out at around 100 degrees; it is a dry heat. Cook your meals here with groceries from a wonderful grocery store nearby that includes well-stocked liquor store. Or enjoy breakfast & lunch at the delicious local cafe, only a minute away by foot; also a gas station is another minute beyond the cafe, and they offer typical quickie-shop items, including bags of ice; next to the gas station is another liquor store, older but decently stocked. You can also head into town for a variety of amazing restaurants in all price ranges. We do offer television service only via Roku; we "cut the cord." You can watch most major networks via the Roku free streaming service, and channels are "segment based" which means you can choose only what news you want to watch a la carte. This system also allows you to use your own Netflix/Prime/Roku/Sling etc. accounts. *KIDS ARE PEOPLE. PLEASE COUNT THEM IN YOUR NUMBER OF GUESTS.* *This property is NOT handicapped accessible. There are six steps to access the front door. * Note that the unit entrance is itself shared, with the commercial exterior door opening into a snug foyer, providing access to both the lockable unit door, marked WELCOME and the lockable basement door marked PRIVATE. This allows guest access to the unit, but also owner access to the basement storage and work area. When owners use that basement area, we do our best to be discreet and as quiet as possible so as not to disturb guests. We've been working away and are still finishing some final trim work as time and reservations allowed. There may be some missing trim pieces in the entry and where we are working on a pantry and laundry which are NOT currently available. Again, there is NOT a washer/dryer. For longer stays, we are happy to wash the bed/bath linens for you. There is a clothesline in the backyard you are welcome to use, though do note that the sprinklers come on in the morning! Guest access Parking is comfortable for guests in single cars. If your party is split into multiple cars, you'll need to block one in, or ask about parking in front of the detached garage, around the back of the property. There is room for two cars comfortably in the front, and one is ours. We sometimes park in the back ourselves, to give guests more room. We are happy to accommodate and ask for prior notice. While the city of Durango is about 15 minutes away by car, and there is no other way to reasonably get there, within walking distance of the guest cottage there are many amenities including: a place to eat breakfast and lunch, a gas station and a "blue collar" liquor store. Within about a five-minute drive, there are two more restaurants, a neighborhood grocer, and a more upscale liquor store. There is also a hardware and home goods store. Other things to note If you are a smoker, this is probably not the property for you: you may incur a 700 USD fee for smoke mitigation (see below). ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKING ON, OR NEAR THE PREMISES! No smoking includes, but is not limited to: cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vaping, cigars, pipes, bongs, or joints. The overwhelming majority of our guests are non-smokers, and a number of them choose our listing because we accommodate those with allergy sensitivities, such as no pets, smoke-free, and those allergic to industrial chemicals. While we do own a dog, she has never been inside the guest house. NO other animals are allowed. No exceptions. If we can smell tobacco or drug smoke after your departure you automatically agree to pay the 700 USD fee for professional mitigation, AND you will be liable for any future rents lost due to cancelled or postponed reservations and/or mitigation of complaints of guests who arrive after your departure. No exceptions. Kitchen Rules Most guests do a superb job cleaning up their kitchen messes, and leave only trace evidence they cooked at all. But occasionally we deal with ugly messes. Therefore: By using the cooking facilities, guests agree to leave them in "substantially" the same condition as when found. This also means washing dishes, pots/pans, etc, either by hand or in the dishwasher provided (dishwasher and hand soap is provided under the kitchen sink). Hint: the more quickly you clean a spill, the easier it is; letting messes dry takes quadruple the effort, and if they become "baked on" quadruple the effort once more. NOTE: Managers on-site are instructed to count how many guests arrive, and will request additional monies for extra guests beyond the reported limit, so please just be honest about the number of people staying. Kids are people too, so please count them. No swimming or wading allowed in any water feature on the property. By renting the property, guests agree to waive the liability of the property owners and any/all of their agents for any reason.