Hey, pull over!

The Denver Post just came out with its “10 picturesque (and less visited) Colorado mountain towns” list. Don’t worry, Durango’s not on it. Well, not exactly.

The list, which names 10 places that won’t “break the bank for a mountain town experience” and are “away from the ski lifts and condos … where the mountain-town spirit lives in a (relatively) affordable way” does include Durango’s friendly neighbor to the west, Mancos.

“You might not expect to find a thriving art scene in the desert of the Four Corners region, but pull off U.S. 160, and that’s what you’ll find,” writes the Post’s R. Scott Rappold.

Of note are the town’s eight art galleries, historic opera house and “a vibrant local business scene.” He also writes that Mancos makes an ideal stopover on the way to Mesa Verde, where he advised visitors to book a tour of the Cliff Palace.

For lodging, he mentions Mesa Verde’s Far View Lodge or Durango (OK, so just a little mention). For dining, he recommends The Boathouse on Grand, which is owned by Durango ex-pats Jen and Dave Stewart.

Other nearby-ish towns making the list include:

• Del Norte – “No longer just where you turn right to go to Wolf Creek” (or left to go to Denver)

• Paonia – “The Napa Valley of Colorado”

• Platoro – Located “deep in the South San Juan Mountains” and admittedly one we’ve never heard of

• Ridgway – A “calmer experience” than the stretch between Ouray and Durango, which “swarms with tourists during the summer.” True that – and bonus points for spelling Ridgway right.