Louis L’Amour and the Strater Hotel
The Strater Hotel, attracting travelers as overnight and long-term guests since 1887, was a favorite of one of the most prolific authors of Westerns of all time: Louis L’Amour (1908-1988). The world-famous writer stayed in room 222 above the Diamond Belle Saloon to write the Western fiction that made him a popular choice for millions of readers and is the reason for the hotel’s official designation as a National Literary Landmark.
The popularity of Louis L’Amour occurred during his lifetime. He experienced the reward of his bestsellers during the course of his 80-year life, which included selling more than a hundred million books worldwide (outselling the total of John Steinbeck’s books), accumulating a vast personal library, and enjoying the month of August in room 222 for ten years.
His best known books are the award-winning Hondo, Flint, and the “Hopalong Cassidy” series. In addition to many literary awards, the United States Congress awarded Louis L’Amour the National Gold Medal and the Medal of Freedom.
Read about Louis L’Amour here: LouisLAmour.com and about the Strater here: Strater.com.
Surrounding Area in Durango
Durango is a family-friendly destination with a fun dinner theater inside The Strater where the cast doubles as servers. Street reenactments of Western stories seem to pop up out of nowhere. River-rafting is available at all different levels. Shops line quaint streets. And, then, to top it off, visitors can take a break to read at the beautiful Durango Library, where the whimsical children’s area is an imaginative haven for children.
The Animas River, where whitewater rafting is popular, runs alongside the library, and outdoor art is exhibited on the deck behind the library. Read more about it here: https://durangogov.org/library.
The Strater Hotel and the Durango Library are the seventh and eighth stops on our Colorado Author Adventures Trail and where it ends.
Patricia Smart
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