Here's my entire Mountain West Road Trip playlist: kzread.info/head/PLq-_cmf3H6yq836p_Frch75GtIGQXn-AX

@DavidRamirez-qw3jp

11 ай бұрын

i be honest that's HollyWood how will you know you will get shoot because of all the scenes i think the was just HollyWood Fake Movies the think people in the past will get shoot for anything the only will to know is if you went to the pass and tell me if you see people always taking away they guns and shooting themselves Oftenly

@Mr.Howell78k

11 ай бұрын

SPECIAL REQUEST NICK: Please review the Oliver Anthony song, I think it speaks to EVERYTHING you've been talking about for months. Mappy's already shaking his hed up and down. ❤

@RAJohns

11 ай бұрын

You have a style like the old 60 minutes guy: Andy Rooney

@thomasmartinscott

11 ай бұрын

My Band played Durango in the 1980s and again in the early 2000's. I didn't recognize the place! With a different Band, I played a corporate party on that train. The atmosphere was anything but "small mountain town". I moved to Ouray in 1996 to work in Theater Shows, the last of which was with Dennis Weaver (Chester on Gunsmoke and McCloud). Since 96 Ouray has been taken over by a handful of people who think it belongs to them because they have money. Silverton is the most preserved of the area because it's quite secluded, and there's nothing more there than there used to be, and you can't make a living there. We played New Years Eve in Silverton and it was like stepping back in time. Very Nicely Done video, Nick!

@gigi9301

29 күн бұрын

@@RAJohns Yep; nice saunter. kids with rich parents love to get a residence here..."move" here

Lived there for 31 years and had a real love of place, but at 53-years-old I'm content to have moved away. The 90s were the salad days in Colorado.

@samtarariverasanchez59

11 ай бұрын

🎉❤

@prescottlange

11 ай бұрын

May I ask where you moved to?

@basedretard844

11 ай бұрын

Cant wait till freaks like the lady in the intro are gone. The Boomer Generation and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race

@gregleavitt1255

11 ай бұрын

Yes, new millennium was bad for the US, not just CO.

@The-Finisher

11 ай бұрын

Yup

That's why you NEVER tell anyone about your secret fishing spot !

@DJPTEXAS

11 ай бұрын

@@ruger8412 LOl.....

@Botoburst

11 ай бұрын

Social media ruins everything.

@williamwilkins3084

11 ай бұрын

That's one thing I'm sure not going to do, is let anyone know where I'm going to move to next.

@pholly62

11 ай бұрын

Absolutely!

@skylarsartnphotography3450

11 ай бұрын

​@@BotoburstAnd before that, it was television! You know a long time ago, seashores of Florida and even Cali were quiet and secluded....but then in the 1960s those Frankie & Annette beach movies came along and then everyone had to start touring and going to beaches

South Park did at least two episodes on this. First, when they gentrified Kenny's neighborhood into SoDoSoPa. Second, when Cartman became a real estate agent for all the new people moving in. He ended up pricing all the locals out. Also, social media has changed a lot of these quaint, isolated communities and sights. Once somebody puts your secret fishing spot or hidden valley on TikTok, it's gone. The scenesters swarm in.

@facediaper09

11 ай бұрын

We're doomed

@longhairdontcare122

11 ай бұрын

​@@facediaper09Emp.

@HeritageWealthPlanning

11 ай бұрын

Oh man that was so funny!

@Ariapeithes_

11 ай бұрын

That's awful.

@caravanstuff2827

11 ай бұрын

Social media and the MSM are the biggest problems in America to day...time to reset and shut them both down..go back to tv and home based telephones...the world was a happier and more sensible place to live in back before these evil inventions!!.🙏❤️🇺🇲🇺🇦

The worst thing about a small towns progress is they lose that uniqueness that draws everyone there... pretty soon they all look alike with Starbucks and chain restaurants pushing the small mom and pop places out... I am shocked traveling across the country at how every place looks the same with the same stores ect.... sad...

@rexcatston8412

11 ай бұрын

you should come to Europe. You can travel 8 countries and you'd never know it except for the change of weather. The EU flag should be replaced with a picture of an Arab selling off-brand iphone covers at a market stall.

@DJPTEXAS

11 ай бұрын

@@rexcatston8412 I lived in Europe for awhile ! Yes I hear ya......haha

@carinarilk89

11 ай бұрын

​@@rexcatston8412Where are you from? Is Europe really Europe? No!😢

@bludgeonedtodeath90

11 ай бұрын

You are absolutely right! Democrats moving and destroying everywhere.

@bludgeonedtodeath90

11 ай бұрын

@@rexcatston8412 Did you mean Eurabia?

Came to Colorado in 1950, grew up in Boulder during the 50s and 60s, if you didn't experience it there is no way to explain/comprehend how wonderful the state was back before shopping malls, maze street suburbs and interstate highways...

@beegiator

11 ай бұрын

The small town feel that was once Boulder is long gone. Sad. My family lived there but have since moved to another city.

@dpavlovsky

10 ай бұрын

Was born in '84 and lived most of my life in the CO front range. It was such an awesome place up until about the mid- to late-90's, at which point it began its slow-and-steady decline.

The population has increased almost 40% since 2000. The worst part about places growing like this is often the long time residents get priced out of real estate. The median cost of a house is almost $600k.

@stubru16

11 ай бұрын

city people and townies always make a complete mess of their areas so once they destroy their areas they just move somewhere else and trash the next place they live in

@lidiaochoa4193

11 ай бұрын

Wow! 600k for a mediam house? That's not bad. In "hell la," the medium cost for a slum house is 800k up😂😂😂😂😂

@ledzep3692

11 ай бұрын

That's dirt cheap for folks coming from California.

@carlcolvin8320

11 ай бұрын

​@@lidiaochoa4193don't feel too bad we had the Kalifornians invading Reno Nv. A house is listed for $ 450,000.00 The only thing that I do not like besides the Kalifornians are the ILLEGAL ALIENS

@philipparana9225

11 ай бұрын

Too bad for them

"Is there anyplace in America that hasn't been ruined by economic decline... or economic success?" --Nick Johnson Truer words have never been spoken! Everywhere I go, people are either complaining about how their small town is dying. No jobs. People are moving away. OR they're complaining about how there's all this growth and all these new people are raising property values and prices. Another GREAT video! And the mayor you interviewed really knows what he's talking about.

@redstickham6394

11 ай бұрын

That statement is so true. It's almost like a state/city/community just can't win. Are there any places for "regular people" anymore?

@b-genspinster7895

8 ай бұрын

People cant see the forest for the trees. Population growth is bad. Very bad.

Just wanted to comment that this is one of the best videos you've done! So true what's happening to these small quiet towns with the residents fleeing from California to small towns with the same mindset they had in California. Bringing their beliefs that just don't work. Kudos!

@loriwyoming835

11 ай бұрын

People are now moving out of Colorado into Wyoming. Now they're pushing my small town to pass higher taxes for multi-million dollar rec centers and splash pads. It's a town with a population of 5000. We bought our house for $35,500. 30 years ago, it's now valued at $329,000. Things have just gone insane!! Of course we have a hedge fund manager buying every ranch he can get his hands on in my county which is driving up housing and land costs.

@jeffrutledge1789

11 ай бұрын

We all have to stop illegal and legal immigration into this country which is the cause of all this! Our population is dropping.

@dreadhead5719

11 ай бұрын

dont forget texas too, the girl at the start mentioned texas. they're silently creeping up and ruining places like colorado, but californians get all the attention.

@lidiaochoa4193

11 ай бұрын

Yup, 100% agree! and BTW, I'm a Californian, been here all my life!

@geraldinevaughn8435

11 ай бұрын

What beliefs, and what exactly is everyone changing? No one really says exactly what newcomers are changing.

I'm taking the rails next week across the country from Sacramento to Chicago on amtrak, in a roomette. Its going to be so nice to sit back, relax and watch the country go by.

@NickJohnson

11 ай бұрын

Lucky!!

@benjaminjantzen1398

2 күн бұрын

I got to do that with a college buddy!…was fun…ate and drank the whole time.

I love how hard the Mayor of Durango is fighting for his town. Prayers for him and his strength.

@felixbedera7642

11 ай бұрын

are you from there?

@myseville1976

11 ай бұрын

Fight for what? Is there a war going on! Land can't be bought unless it is for sale!

I remember when I lived in Colorado Springs in the 90's, at a stop light a car was in front of me with a bumper sticker that said "Move back to California and take a Texan with you". Ironically the car to the left was from Texas and the one to the right was from California. I wish cell phones were a big thing back then so I could have got a photo of that...

@NickJohnson

11 ай бұрын

Amazing!!

Hey, your in my town, which is probably the best small town in America. I'm sure glad I moved here 25 years ago when it was still affordable because the cost of an typical home here is approaching $1,000,000. Unfortunately, Durango is rapidly on the way to becoming Aspen where the rich people live in town and all their servants live down valley an hour away. Developers and the city counsel have steadily pushed the city up-scale while giving lip service to affordable housing but doing nothing about it. Despite this, it is still the best small town in America because of it's Victorian Architecture, world class outdoor activities (mountain biking, rafting, skiing, hiking), and sunny climate. The price of admission is very fat wallet.

@joeg5414

11 ай бұрын

That's pretty much it. I live near Bayfield. I do pest control and rich people afraid of spiders but wanting to live in the mountains has been great for business😂

@hoppes9658

11 ай бұрын

Fourth generation from northern Michigan and Durango would be living on the other side of hell.

@rogergoodell1874

11 ай бұрын

YOU are the problem. My family has been in Durango over 150 years. 25 years??? 😂. You people are what made the cost initially go up.

@YOUR-LOCAL13

10 ай бұрын

It’s all about greed and it’s sickening.

Great video Nick! I agree with your guest, when you move somewhere be respectful of the culture and try to assimilate, rather than trying to change things. This is unfortunately happening in a lot of places.

@geraldinevaughn8435

11 ай бұрын

Yet when Americans go overseas, whether to visit or live, they're still referred to as Ugly Americans who don't assimilate well into other cultures, or find it extremely difficult to do so. Interesting.

I had a friend who was a real estate agent in a small Colorado town. When the Californians moved in they started complaining there were not not enough restaurants, boutiques and salons. They effectively Californicated the town and drove the locals out. I miss the old Colorado when all we had was a Montgomery Wards.

@susanw489

Ай бұрын

Surely you're talking about Montrose ;)

Truly, this is happening everywhere.

@fernandoscrenci4874

11 ай бұрын

100%!!! No question about it!!! The Empire is coming to A end!! Mark my words!!!

After 35 years in Colorado I just moved to small town Nebraska pop.5000, at 6pm on the Main Street in town not a single car, lots of closed shops, some empty houses, but it is quiet and Affordable.

I think the irony of the lady at the grocery store perfectly sums up a bunch of peoples' attitude in this state. "Out of stater that's been here for 20 years complains about out of staters that have been here for 2 years." I was in Ouray about a year ago and struck up a conversation with a guy who was a native and his outlook on the whole influx of people was interesting. His take was that he was kind of ok with the boom this state has had, given that many of these towns and their histories would likely be forgotten and they would slowly rot away (think wv).

@holdenc3082

11 ай бұрын

Old Mary wasn’t crying for me when I got priced out of Southern California by the other 49 states invading us. You used to not be able to throw a rock without seeing a Colorado license plate in Southern California.

@kenrossmac

11 ай бұрын

I was thinking the same thing! She isn't even a native Durangan!🙄 Also... should people not be allowed to move where they want to? Should there be a checkpoint at the border where people have to pledge to abide by a certain set of beliefs or views??🙄 That doesn't sound very American to me mister! 😂

@b-genspinster7895

11 ай бұрын

@@holdenc3082somehow, I don’t believe there were a bunch of Colorado plates in California unless they were coming back to check on their relatives or houses they own there from before they moved. Old Mary is probably an alcoholic smoker from Texas or California who thought running away to Colorado would changes things for her but didn’t.

@vireogilvus

11 ай бұрын

Yup. It's the whole "you aren't IN traffic, you ARE traffic" thing

@onerationallady2661

10 ай бұрын

Can you believe these ppl are pissed they are being priced out of their homes?!?! The audacity!! It really is ironic isn’t it?? 🙄

Man I miss Colorado of the early 2000’s when you could get a seasonal job in Vail or Steamboat and easily find affordable housing . Colorado is the most beautiful state next to Utah

@5280MTM

11 ай бұрын

I live in Steamboat and those days are done. Housing is impossible to find, and what is available is unaffordable for 99% of the working class. Steamboat resort packs 6 employees into a 2 bedroom apartment. Studios go for 1500+. Those prices have been trickling over to the small outskirt towns like Hayden and Oak Creek. Majority of my friends have all packed up and moved on, because working 3 jobs to cover rent is not worth it. We also see it at the College I work for. We cant get new students if they don't have anywhere to live. The only students really attending anymore are the rich kids who's parents can afford it. I've been trying to buy my 1st home the last few years and nothing in Hayden or Oak creek is below 450k- Steamboat is 1+ mill for a home. Steamboat went from that small ski town vibe to Aspen/Vail in a couple short years and the COVID home cash grab seriously destroyed living. The whole town shuts down at 8pm because there isnt enough people to work the jobs.

@greasesicle

11 ай бұрын

CO or UT aren't beautiful. Kooks from neighboring states say they are beautiful.

@wanneroo7106

11 ай бұрын

Yes I know those times and places. I think I was paying $400 a month in very nice employee housing and making many multiples over in income and living a good life. I saw the writing on the wall and left in the late 2000s. My family had a long generational history in Colorado and sad to see it now in some places.

@amdg2023

2 ай бұрын

I guess you haven't been to Arizona lol

I had a good friend that said that when a town gets a stop light it is time to move. He was 100% correct! This happens everywhere. Thing is most of those CA people will move out in a few years. The winters and altitude plus they brought the problems they had in CA with them. Anyway start going to City Council Meetings and push for No Growth or Slow Growth. The City Council will always sell themselves out to the developers and real estate industry.

@longhairdontcare122

11 ай бұрын

Lol in central Florida... help

@Dangic23

11 ай бұрын

CO still a trillion times better than Florida. I’m in the Panhandle

@blueamenaa749

11 ай бұрын

I live in a small town in France near French riviera. We re 3k people, house are 700k. Everyone is living. The bakery closed. Houses are mostly holidays house of the rich, they sit empty 9 months of the year.😶

@HairyPixels

11 ай бұрын

LOL 100% true though

@punkeratthecasbah2114

11 ай бұрын

Californians will bring California problems with them? Why do you all sound like Fox News douchebags? Has Durango turned red now that it's all money?

I lived in Durango in the 90's til 2017. Had a home worked 2 jobs to raise 3 sons. I go back to see friends. It is ruined. What drew us all there is gone.

This has happened to fort collins in northern Colorado. I am a native and it is sad to see that people don't camp in tents but ugly RVs and our mountains are trashed. People are rude. Wish they would move back to where they came from.

@markmark2080

3 ай бұрын

"ugly RVs" 👍

Wow same in FL, use to be so nice and peaceful until the bridge from NY & NJ finished up and steady stream came pouring in.

I grew up in Colorado and lived in small mtn. mining town, i had a small business for 9 years but when our town officials began letting franchise businesses with big $$ push us smaller independent businesses out! I threw in the towel and moved out of state. i also saw the gentrification destroying the rustic infrastructure and the disregard for the land it was disgusting to witness its demise!

@SMaamri78

11 ай бұрын

I lived in Colorado Springs in the mid 1980’s. Stationed at Peterson AFB. We loved Cripple Creek. It was such a nice mountain mining town. We moved away and didn’t revisit for 30 years. Cripple Creek had been destroyed, imho, during our absence. Nothing but casinos now. I was so saddened by that.

This all started happening in every nice city and town when people starting working from home during covid. They packed up and moved. It's destroying everything.

@danrynazewski4151

8 ай бұрын

My cousin just moved to Idaho they sold their California Home for 3 million they bought it for 300k so they moved to Idaho retired in a four bedroom 3 bath home for 250k .. Who can blame them plus they voted for Trump so they went to their people!

@aaronj08ar

4 ай бұрын

​@@danrynazewski4151 Your extended family members sound very intelligent.

Nick, you are totally unique. I love your narration. Thanks for another great video.

Based on what you filmed for this video, Durango, Colorado is a beautiful place. Much of the natural area surrounding Durango is forested, with abundant Poderosa Pine and Quaking Aspen. The stunning scenery ranges from high desert mesas and canyons to high alpine peaks and meadows. However, it's elevation is 6,512 feet. It's average high temperature for the month of July is a very comfortable 86.0 degrees Fahrenheit. Its average low temperature in January is a very cold 14.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The average annual precipitation is 20.95 inches. The average snowfall each year is 64.7 inches of snow. Durango is somewhat isolated--the nearest international airport is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a distance of 214 miles or so.

@les0101s

11 ай бұрын

After this video, more people will be moving in.

@stonemagic540

Ай бұрын

too bad that dont stop the influx of liberals and their ilk..we are having a drought from hell, by the way

I have been so bored with youtube videos....but yours rock! I live in Colorado and did a 2 month business trip in Salt Lake.....loving your videos and learning lots. Jesus bless you!

@NickJohnson

11 ай бұрын

❤️❤️

I have to travel into western Colorado on occasion... seeing the changes in Montrose, Delta, and yes, Durango, is kind of bittersweet to me... I wish the folks moving in there could dig how the lifestyle is the real gem of these places. Cheers!

The only train I've been on was the one from Durango to Silverton. Back in 1980. Family trip. Thanks Dad and rest in peace til we meet again.

People who have moved to the small town in Arizona that I live have ruined everything and brought traffic and noise, higher rents, higher home costs etc. It used to be a town that travelers got gas and kept going. Now drugs and crime are on the rise. It sucks

You should have checked out Ouray, CO. I grew up spending my summers there. My parents owned 2 homes on Main Street. It's a small mountain town. Old gold mining town. It's in between Montrose and Silverton off 550. My dream has always been to move there one day, but that's now impossible. So many people form the outside (other states) have ruined it. They've built HUGE homes there and now the prices of homes are outrageous. There's no way I can ever move there unless I win the lottery. Too many outsiders. Too trendy. The place to move. People who work in Ouray have to live elsewhere due to the shortage of affordable housing. It's sad.

@NickJohnson

11 ай бұрын

I saw it! It'll be in another video!

Charleston, SC used to be fairly small... but natives have absolutely been priced out!! It saddens me everyday. 😢 People move in and ruin it for the people who've been there, often for generations

@planetvegan7843

11 ай бұрын

Funny, that's what the first nations said about you.

@eurodiaz3712

11 ай бұрын

oh please@@planetvegan7843

@bestchannelintheworld

11 ай бұрын

@@planetvegan7843 except those were tribes, refusing to form their own state when literally all other parts of the world have all been controlled by states for millennia. If the natives had their own state, nobody would've taken their land, it's that simple. States respect other states' right to exist, but tribalists can go fk themselves.

@GenXfrom75

11 ай бұрын

@@planetvegan7843 ok 🤣

They're doing this to my home town too, they're turning Arizona into California...

I don't understand how ANY Colorado city can be listed on a top place to live, list. One, the home prices are INSANE, two, it is very crowded and the various cities did not plan well for the influx of people or HOUSES that they have allowed to build. There are still single lane roads that are heavily trafficked. The road that that girl who died after having that rock thrown threw her windshield is a majorly traveled road...its still a country road, with no plans to widen in. Three, its just overcrowded and crime is growing....

@jimechols4347

11 ай бұрын

Same thing with Austin Texas.

@YOUR-LOCAL13

10 ай бұрын

Crime is definitely shooting up. Fentanyl trafficking and theft is skyrocketing. Many, many young people dying from fentanyl usage and these deaths are being covered up by the communists in our state and local governments.

Here in England we have a different problem. All the coastal towns get bought up as holiday homes so the locals get priced out but also because nobody lives there 45-50 weeks a year, the stores go out of business too. Eventually you just end up with 100s of little villages that date back 100s of years but are now incoherently expensive and empty

@crazychicSHENA

11 ай бұрын

Same in Ireland coastal town's and village's have growth. Like in sunburns of Dublin and counties to the north and mid Ireland are growing now that Muslims illegal immigrants have landed in Ireland☘️🤷‍♀️ while the economy inside the E.U market's go % in product values😮.

@shaunsteele6926

11 ай бұрын

@@crazychicSHENA it's a shame they sold out to the EU. When I visit Ireland now it just isn't Ireland anymore.

@Angry_Toe

10 ай бұрын

It’s happening here too- especially in New England Cape Cod and Maine. Parts of the southern coast are also suffering from a lack of service industry workers because there is no affordable housing for them during the busy season.

This is what Colorado has become: Overrun with tourists and transplants from California and Texas. I lived in Montrose 3 years ago and the Texan Tourons invade in droves. You can’t find a trail or scenic road and enjoy solitude. In the winter the ski towns are overrun. The closer you get to the Front Range, the worse it gets. You will spend more time driving to and from the mountains then you will hiking or skiing in them. I love Colorado and wanted to stay but it has become too reminiscent of the crowded, congested, expensive east coast l fled from. Now I’m in a remote area on Lake Powell in Utah working in a campground where more than half the people who visit have Colorado plates. They are coming here to the desert where it’s over 100 degrees to escape their mountain towns that are being overrun . 😂

I feel the same way about Temecula, CA. I moved there in 1987 when it really was a "small town". Now it looks like Anaheim... it's a shame what people have done

@stacky512a

9 ай бұрын

True, but Temecula is clean and friendly. (Esco resident here)

I lived in Durango from 2016-2019 The homeless were EVERYWHERE! They sleep and hangout whenever the want. Manly around the soup kitchen. The soup kitchen enables far-far more than it helps. The people who are temporarily down their luck will automatically do better if they want to. Then we got the underbelly class that wants to stay like that ON PURPOSE.

My Band played Durango in the 1980s and again in the early 2000's. I didn't recognize the place! With a different Band, I played a corporate party on that train. The atmosphere was anything but "small mountain town". I moved to Ouray in 1996 to work in Theater Shows, the last of which was with Dennis Weaver (Chester on Gunsmoke and McCloud). Since 96 Ouray has been taken over by a handful of people who think it belongs to them because they have money. Silverton is the most preserved of the area because it's quite secluded, and there's nothing more there than there used to be, and you can't make a living there. We played New Years Eve in Silverton and it was like stepping back in time. Very Nicely Done video, Nick!

Lived here for 6 years of my childhood during the 70's and early 80's, graduating high school. I KNEW this would change because that was the stated GOAL. The parts of town that were dirt cheap to live in simply don't exist anymore, nor do the people (many of whom were minorities). They've literally moved MOUNTAINS here (see: Smelter Mountain tailings), and although I recognize it, I remember a time where a retired miner in his 90's talked with me about the 'old days' while on my paper route for the Durango Herald. That was 40+ years ago now and MY memories of Durango then are as different from now as his were from MINE. Change is inevitable, and it was only a matter of time before Durango was 'discovered'. But, it still looks as pretty as I remember, and Nick, you should've ridden the train. The trip on the tracks to Silverton are just amazing.

@NickJohnson

11 ай бұрын

I saw silverton! It'll be in another video! 🚊

@Chordonblue

11 ай бұрын

@@NickJohnson Great! Can't wait to see it!

@jeffrutledge1789

11 ай бұрын

The only thing that should be changing is technology! We have millions of illegal and legal people flooding over the border causing this! Our population is dropping so we should have more room.

@b-genspinster7895

8 ай бұрын

@@jeffrutledge1789 we still have too many people even if as you say, the population is dropping. Which it is not.

Nick, you have the best narration ever when it comes to your videos. Kept me entertained. Keep it up friend!

It's wild how quickly things can change when such a massive population of rich people seem to collectively decide to move somewhere en mass. I'm considering a job in CO which does break 6 figs but still have doubts...All I hear about is people moving out because the cost of living is so insane, 21% higher than the rest of the country. I've never seen a housing market so cracked as the Denver area. Even with a 100k salary on my own it would be hard to do.

@grumpyoldlady_rants

11 ай бұрын

The figure I saw (from 2022) is it’s cost of living index is 96 - 4 points less than the overall US average.

@lowking7235

11 ай бұрын

I make well over six figures and I still live month to month

@grumpyoldlady_rants

11 ай бұрын

@@lowking7235 - I get it. You must live in an expensive area and/or have kids. My son and his wife have two little boys. My son earns over $100k a year and it was a struggle. They live frugally, too. Of course it’s not the same struggle as people with low paying jobs.

@mikemiller659

11 ай бұрын

Thats plenty of money YOUR problem is the government is stealing 1/3 of it ..for migrants..healthcare for migrants..bombs..bombers Cash for ukraine

@sookietrueblood-gp4sd

11 ай бұрын

Well I still wish you well with your new journey. God bless you.

That was a good interview Nick, I've lived in the Denver area for 66 years (native). The good mayor Jasper brought up a lot of good points about living in Colorado.🤠

Wowwwww!!! I went to high school there and graduated from Fort Lewis TWICE in that little town!!!!! It really was a safe, warm, nice place. Everyone I know who is still living there has told me how bad the place has changed and completely ruined.

@LinkMassing

11 ай бұрын

Also, one thing that was missed, The Strater hotel is where they filmed National Lampoon's Vacation when Chevy Chase stole money out of the silver cash register. That silver cash register is still there till this day behind the counter.

Everyone leaving other states to come to Colorado over the past few years. Time to move out. Unfortunately...not many other nice/affordable/safe places to go in America anymore.😟

I grew up in Durango. It was a thriving community back in the 90's. I loved my hometown. The pain of going there now and seeing what it has become, and seeing old friends that are near poverty in Bayfield is akin to losing the closest of family members... California can suck my globes...

@waltchan

8 ай бұрын

California state create a lot of rich Democrats from the tech industry boom, so they can move to Durango someday. The governor is proud of all their achievements.

@stonemagic540

Ай бұрын

NOW Bayfeild IS Being Californiated...

Sounds so much like what has happened to Prescott, Arizona. You need to come visit.

Thank you Mary for taking care of it for us until we get there.

I live in Philly and a family member wants me to move out to Idaho. I looked up COL in Idaho, Montana, Washington....it's all astronomically expensive! I can't afford those places! Guess Ill just stay where I am and continue working to try and make my neighborhood a better place.

You should have been here last year before they cleaned out the homeless camp by purple cliffs, behind home depot by the river. Whole area completely trashed and covered in tents. Was there a couple years before they cleared it out. Was a real eye sore. Plus they were leaving used needles and crap (literally) by the river. Oh and the used toilet paper is a nice touch. Definitely improved though since they cleared out the camp. People were coming from Farmington, Albuquerque and all over because they heard homeless were well taken care of in Durango. Luckily that's changed. Durango can't support a large homeless population

I don't know why Durango felt like they'd be spared from all the hell that's going on the Earth

Dear Mappy, Your channel is one of my favorite channels on the entire KZread’s! I also like when Nick Johnson talks about his adventures.

@NickJohnson

11 ай бұрын

Mappy says ❤️❤️!

What a tragedy for our country. Used to love Durango 20 years ago. Californian politics and culture are pure poison. They seems to ruin anything they come into contact with.

@maryutz8358

11 ай бұрын

The problem is wealthy people, wherever they're from. Extreme limits need to be put on the wealthy. We need to reign in these criminals.

@jeffrutledge1789

11 ай бұрын

Like I keep saying no one on here is talking about it this is all from illegal and legal immigration! Our population is dropping we should have more room. This has to be stopped!

@devengudinas1649

11 ай бұрын

Become rich and your mind will change.

@maryutz8358

11 ай бұрын

@@devengudinas1649 🤣🤣🤣🤣

@tomcripps7229

11 ай бұрын

@@maryutz8358they had the same problems 30 years ago. It was said that you could make a small fortune in these towns if you brought a large fortune with you. The internet has changed everything and when the working classes can no longer afford to live there, the sense of community is lost. Towns like Aspen and Telluride have a constant stream of traffic coming and going of construction, service workers which create smog in these canyons and valleys, hard on the roads and they slow travel. There are far more questions than answers. The ultra rich, mostly absentee residents will get their way and buy up the towns, have proxy voters to push their agenda because profit rules everything. And I'm not a socialist.

The landscape around Durango is nothing short of stunning......

We were in Durango last summer. Santa Fe -> Taos -> Durango. It was really just a stop to take the Durango to Silverton train. We stayed a couple nights and it was OK. Nice people and it is beautiful.

As a Texan, I am so sorry. We have seen the same thing. The town I have loved here in Texas went from 14,000, maybe, to over 110,000 in less than 8 years and it's still going. I would love to come visit your town. I do not do politics and idealisms. Just want a good cup of coffee, some beautiful scenery, hiking and a good book.

@amdg2023

2 ай бұрын

Hiking is political, everything is political in life, you'll have to get over it or get involved.

Silverton may be the next victim! Beautiful scenery, love the railroad and Old West history. Rv'd in Colorado e few times and saw a lot of special places, never went near Denver or any other big city, Leadville was awesome, camped @ Turquoise Lake.

NICK BRILLIANT VIDEO VERY INFORMATIVE VERY WELL DONE BIG THANKS 👍👍👍👍

Simple Formula: More People = More Problems.

You keep getting better. Love your commentary.

I live in Denver. It’s not recognizable. It’s unreal how many Texas, Florida, and California plates we see on a quick drive. Almost everyone new I meet is from one of these states. Not only can we not afford it, we refuse to spend asking price for homes here. it’s not worth it to us. 😂 so we’re moving to Europe. It feels ruined. But I lived here for over a decade and enjoyed it. Great years.

I’ve lived 45 miles south of Durango my whole life. The best way to experience this beautiful small town is to do just that. Aztec, New Mexico (45 miles south) is a great small town of about 6,000 people. Farmington, New Mexico is only 15 minutes away which has everything you need. When you get the itch for the mountains, they’re 45 min away in Durango. You don’t get the harsh winters in Aztec that you do in Durango. Skiing is amazing up there at Purgatory. White water rafting right there in Durango. Zip lining. All kinds of stuff.

@YOUR-LOCAL13

10 ай бұрын

You shouldn’t have told anyone about Aztec. It’ll start being invaded by those who will want to change it to be like where they came from.

@LuckysLair

3 ай бұрын

Shhhhhhhh don't tell anyone

Great idea to interview a local that really knows his community to comment on their local issues 👍👍👍

"What goes around comes around" . Indeed, the sad truth is that it happened more than 200 years ago in Centennial State was a Nicknames for the State of Colorado. Despite the changes in the past, Native American Indians, a forgotten people, are still present here and observing their land. All Native American Prophecies are coming True, ... we were told we would see Amrican come and go and sense American is dying from within. Because they forgot the intructions on how to live on earth.

@siciliatavernier8503

11 ай бұрын

Indeed!! And it's a bit ironic to see so many people in the comments complaining about "outsiders" coming into "their land"

I love Colorado, I thought to move there a while back, but its sooooo expensive now. I just want a nice place I can ride my bicycle around :)

@gumby2241

11 ай бұрын

I live in colorado springs and there are a lot of places to ride your bike, but it's a big town now and of course the homeless ruin everything with their trash and lawlessness.

I love listening to you, you are wonderful! ❤

Well, you made it to Durango - such as it is. I first got here in 1987. Bought some property and made it my home until 2002. During that time, I sadly watched a pasture that fed herds of elk get turned into a golf course littered with expensive homes. After too many years away, I came back in 2018 to a Durango I barely recognized. I discovered a man-made lake had been created, named after a former senator. I still haven’t seen that lake. I discovered marijuana had been legalized. And the apparent doubling of the population came along with being Californicated. No, it sure isn’t the Durango I used to know and love. But the beauty of the nature surrounding this little town still survives, and I’ve decided to retire here. I live on the outskirts, in a place that’s more rural than urban. That’s just the way I like it. I also still drive down old Main to admire the old buildings that still dominate downtown. And I do love that ol’ train. People, if you come here to live, enjoy it, admire it and respect it. Don’t come here to try to change it. That just ruins it for everybody.

@ragauerk9310

10 ай бұрын

I left in 2002 also and miss it dearly. Maybe would break my heart to return now.

You can imagine my going back to my HS town of Moab after 30 years. We must have been close to the same parallel. I played football against Cortez, Colorado, was like a foreign country. I am thrilled that there are people who enjoy the SW. I have never been so hot, tired, dirty, thirsty, hungry and measurable as I was working in the SW. After graduating from Cal Poly, I took a job with Weyerhaeuser and except for 3 years in Chicago I have been here ever since. I never tire or complain about the rain. Enjoy the company, there is nothing more lonely or beautiful than a SW desert.

Moved to a small town of 13,000 people 35 years ago. Now the population has tripled to 39,000. Went from 6 cops and two stop lights to 48 cops and at least 50 stop lights. Tax and spend is what politicians call progress.

Thank you so much for loving America enough to be the channel of choice to get real information on its hills, hollars, and hamlets..

Curious…what percentage of “Californians” that move and change things up were born in California, vs having moved to California first, changed things up, then left for the new states to change them up? Anecdotally I’ve noticed most who leave California had left somewhere else first. - from a native Californian who’d rather stay and fight.

@mritzs5142

11 ай бұрын

I am one of those I lived on the East Coast I lived in Texas for a long time than my husband and I moved to California for his work I never wanted to go out there I never liked Los Angeles and I was not impressed with it , fact I was let down it didn’t feel like a city at all it was likeExactly what Dominick Dunne expressed in his book a lot of small suburbs trying to look like a city, but I do agree with you I think a lot of people come to California and they’re so disappointed the pollution the homelessness the cost of living the traffic the crime we left good luck fighting to stay there

@NickJohnson

11 ай бұрын

Period

@yeboscrebo4451

11 ай бұрын

It’s not worth fighting for. They’re intentionally dismantling the state, destroying it in order to “build back better”. San Fran is going to become a dystopian hellscape smart city once they gobble up all the real estate for pennies on the dollar.

@maryutz8358

11 ай бұрын

The problem is wealthy people. It's time to start reigning them in. They ruin everything.

@kbtexas2142

11 ай бұрын

@@NickJohnsonWhen and why did periods stop being a thing!?!

Nothing destroys a small town faster then people who are not wanted planting themselves and trying to change everything.

@Jumpyrumble

11 ай бұрын

Interesting take from ‘native Coloradans’ whose ancestors brutally killed indigenous people, took their lands, and made a few changes.

@lkern6238

11 ай бұрын

​@@JumpyrumbleIndigenous never claimed ownership of land. Land being owned is a european concept.

Colorado definitely use to have more of a country/western kinda feel(even near Denver) and it totally has turned into over populated California type place unfortunately.

@YOUR-LOCAL13

10 ай бұрын

I’ve lived in Colorado my whole life and I remember when, probably in the 70’s, maybe late 60’s, politicians were whining about how they didn’t want Denver to be considered a cow town. Right after that, they started rezoning properties to not allow horses anymore. That kept spreading into all areas around Denver. We used to see many places with horses, which was wonderful, until they pushed horse property out and they’re still trying to get rid of the last few horses properties anywhere near Denver. Horses and western culture used to be strong in this area. So sad that was destroyed.

Lived in Durango from 2011 through 2013. It was a great place to live, just wasn’t sustainable long term because of the housing costs.

I moved to Longmont, Colorado from Wyoming back in the early 70’s. It was a zoo then and it’s a thousand times worse now. I lasted 3 months until I was back in Wyoming.

Excellent video. Hopefully the town can find a balance of keeping its traditions and culture.

Great video as always! We live in a small Colorado mountain town and hear locals with these same complaints. It's a ski town and NEEDS the tourism to survive yet many people simply don't understand that. Blows my mind!

@YOUR-LOCAL13

10 ай бұрын

How about have tourism but don’t sacrifice your town’s culture for it. I’ve lived near Denver my whole life and I hate what it’s become. We visited Deadwood, SD for the first time in July and we loved it: the culture and the locals. I pray they never let tourism nor outsiders change it.

@jamminjimmie211

7 ай бұрын

@@YOUR-LOCAL13 Those towns in the black hills are awesome! Very calm and tranquil feeling in the air up there. Great hiking trails too.

Great timing on this video Nick! I was planning to road trip through Durango to Mesa Verde, but sadly life happen and that road trip isn't happening this year. So thank you so much for this video! I feel like I can still experience a little bit of Durango.

@NickJohnson

11 ай бұрын

Ok!

@warrenmcelroy4718

11 ай бұрын

Mesa Verde is just an Extremely Amazing place, I really do hope you’re able to make the trip someday soon.

For early 1970s to around 2005, the woods of Durango were part of Harley rallies and runs. But due to the influx and loss of forestland, those are long gone

@martinginsburg7222

11 ай бұрын

& thats a good thing. I've been on a lake kayaking and all I heard all day long was Harleys. Only Harleys & people making money off it want that noise & pollution

I lived in Bayfield for 14 years and moved back to Durango almost 7 years ago in order to care for my dad. I live close to the hospital now with my dad long gone. I love Durango but may have to relocate in a year or two due to being priced out. Makes me sad.

@stonemagic540

Ай бұрын

NOW they are putting ANOTHER Mac Donalds up by the hospitle

Poor Mary 😂 can't imagine my town getting taken over by people from California....

I thought about moving back to Colorado but after I heard that Colorado Tax Dollars are being wasted on ILLEGAL ALIENS my response was F**K that.

Having lived in the Four Corners region (Cortez) for an extended time and as a Colorado resident for 50 years who now lives in the Western Slope Region, I can tell you that the nature of Colorado is irretrievably changed. Durango is no singular exception to the decay of western rural life; it is everywhere. The Front Range is a giant octopus whose tentacles have touched the rural, conservative life that existed here long before it was loved to death by newcomers. There are very few places left that you can still feel the past, places that have not had their heritage sucked up by the socio-political machinery of the Front Range. In most cases, you will only find this past life in Louis L'Amour books. Nick, I think you didn't (maybe on purpose?) say enough about how the college has influenced the character of the present-day Durango. Colleges today are a force as they bring the newest ideas and culture to bear wherever they are; a force that is counter to what towns like Bayfield, Durango, Cortez and Dolores have lost. Colorado, as it used to be, RIP.

@ginakelley749

11 ай бұрын

Grand Junction is turning into another Los Angeles 😡😡😡

@oxigenarian9763

11 ай бұрын

@@ginakelley749 The whole state is turning into another California...

@SMaamri78

11 ай бұрын

I was stationed at Peterson AFB in the mid 80’s. Then moved away. It was 30 years before I was able to return for a visit. What a shock I was in for. So sad.

@les0101s

11 ай бұрын

Times have changed. Can you make enough money now being a cowboy? It's confusing to hear talk about the culture changing because part of just sounds like a generational thing. People have to change in order to make a living. Can you make a living farming, or should you get a computer science degree? It's not just because people are moving to Durango from other towns, it's because people from Durango sold out and moved, per the Mayor.

@oxigenarian9763

11 ай бұрын

@@les0101s Yes - times HAVE changed. To borrow something from a movie line, we can't make a living anymore from building buggy whips. My point is that we did not have to turn our backs on God or abandon the timeless values of our founding principles...

❤❤❤Thank you, Nick! Good video .

Good morning Nick, Thanks for the wonderful video, from cold Adelaide Australia 🐨🦘

In my old job, I used to attend an annual business meeting in Denver. Sometimes, I'd take a week's vacation and tour the state. I loved Durango--but that was over a decade ago. Thanks for the update.

thank you Nick. I liked and always subscribed. Great video today for sure !

I lived in Colorado 25 yrs ago & everyone then said CO had changed-after going back this year, CO has really changed! It’s way to busy for me now!

@NickJohnson

11 ай бұрын

You liked Silverton and Ouray!

Everybody that moves to a nice place wants to shut the door behind them.

Extreme limits need to be put on wealthy people. They are ruining our country.

@ConsolidatedPBY

11 ай бұрын

They’re trying to kill us all.

@shaunsteele6926

11 ай бұрын

you misspelled boomers

@maryutz8358

11 ай бұрын

@@farseervisions what? Are you saying all wealthy people are Jewish? Lol! It sounds like YOU'RE the one who's stereotyping. Go gaslight someone else.

@marcussmith4913

11 ай бұрын

ya unfortunately the only way to change things is to burn it all down. We basically have to throw a revolution and take it all back =]

@jamminjimmie211

11 ай бұрын

Not just wealthy people, but it's strongly liberal wealthy people and their lower class stoner hippy liberal types who trail behind them.

Nick and Mappy ❤❤❤😊😊😊

@NickJohnson

11 ай бұрын

WANDA

I can imagine how long time residents in CO must feel. I moved from Evergreen in the '80's and back then the residents were complaining about how that town was changing. When I see videos of it now it looks like just another wealthy mountain suburb. A suburb and not a mountain town anymore.

@MrAlliecaulfield

8 ай бұрын

Had good friends who lived on top of of Bear mountain in the 70s and 80s. Yeah Evergreen was becoming a tourist trap back then

@annabelleb.8096

8 ай бұрын

@@MrAlliecaulfield I moved to Evergreen from NYC so it seemed very quaint to me. I didn't stay long tho. Living on Bear Mountain must have been nice. I lived in an apartment in town.

Those mountains in the backdrop are stunning

A+ video! Awesome video, very cool place! The scenery is so pretty too.

Good video . Informative and interesting. I like your edgy commentary. Keep up the good work !

I like to see an update of what s happening in 2023 in rural towns.

Made a visit to Colorado last month and this video helps explain why my boyfriend and I got SO many stares! 😆I guess many locals there don't take too kindly to newcomers. Anyway, it was a very beautiful state that I hope to visit again but I was surprised at how expensive it was! Thanks for the video and for a glimpse into Colorado history! :)

@NickJohnson

11 ай бұрын

Ok!

Nick Johnson this is Jeffrey saying you are the best. You're soft, subtle, but you get right to the point and you don't mince words, beautiful.

Great video Nick! New subscriber and I really enjoy the interviews you are integrating with the content!