Day 9-10
We drove for a couple of hours and after several bends in the road we arrived in Durango, on the banks of the Animas River, the best little town in Colorado. I have been to Durango numerous times, but I will hold off on most details for another post. For now, I will just gloss over our town experience in this one.
Anyhow, we checked into our room and took turns taking advantage of a badly needed shower. Then we were ready for a night out and a hot meal. We walked through all the down town shops, museums, and the usual tourist traps. While walking about, we found a great place to eat, the Derailed Pourhouse. That day was my birthday and my daughters took me to the Pour House to celebrate. This was just the right place and though it is not a Five-Star, but in my opinion, it should be; it had great food, great service, large selection of craft beers, and a unique menu of cocktails.
The morning of our ninth day greeted us with the whole reason to be in Durango on this very date; The Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Keep in mind, I grew up in the desert southwest and I have been up and down the windy roadway from Durango through Silverton numerous times; I had never taken the rail. You must reserve tickets several months ahead and this day we could get tickets in our allotted timeframe; the whole trip was planned around this very day.
We got up early, went to Denny’s for a quick breakfast and then off to the train station. Now a person can choose to ride in comfort in train cars with windows or…. we chose to ride in a car with no widows so I could take pics unencumbered; the early morning mountain air in a moving open train car gets, let’s say, frigid.
Bend after bend, mountain wall on one side with a drop-off on the other, the train trudged on weaving through the ancient canyon carved by the Animas River. Rafters and kayakers-waters were all up and down the river’s rapids. Midway there is a stopping place just below the Purgatory Ski Area (another story of another post), to pick up hikers and other visitors.
A few short minutes later, we re-boarded the train and continued our train journey to Silverton, Colorado. The canyon opens up into a wide, but rocky, valley surrounded by steep mountains. Located in the middle of the valley is an old mining town called Silverton. The three of us, disembarked, set a rally time to meet back, and then off we went our separate ways.
We explored the usual shops, cafes, museums, a blacksmith shop, tours, and tourist attractions. I recommend, if your are a person who is curious, get off the main streets and find all kinds of ruins of old trains, defunct mining equipment, and remnants of yesteryear. There are old restored churches and hotels which enlivened my imagination of what it may have been like in 1876; the year of Colorado statehood. Time came for us to get back on the train for the return trip to Durango.
Once back, we walked around, hit a few more shops, and decided to eat at The Steam Works Brewery. Steam Works is another trendy restaurant gem that should not be missed when one visits Durango. Durango is a great location to serve as a base of operations when exploring southwest Colorado. Durango is surrounded by National Parks and Forests, camping and hiking, ski areas and Native American Reservations.
Furthermore, Durango is a destination for some of the best whitewater rafting in North America, the Animas River. A visitor experiences a blend of native, Hispanic, and Old West cultures. There are numerous museums, tours, and many relics from days gone by. Durango is a mecca and home for Boomers and adventure destination for Millennials.
Up to this point, the tenth day, our road trip went as planned, however, a person must be able to adjust along the way. Originally, we had planned to work our way across southern Utah and northern Arizona through Monument Valley.
Originally we planned to visit the Grand Canyon, but those plans got dashed. Reviewing our itinerary, we found several fires reported along our planned route. So, instead of going west and hooking south through Arizona into New Mexico, we decided to jump over to Utah. Then from there we went north where there were fewer fires to dodge and more mountains to see.
Now sometimes vacations become all about planned itineraries and not about the experiences. I know, some people just have to have a plan; my youngest daughter is one. The morning of the eleventh day arrived, we packed and checked out of our Durango motel. Before leaving town, we stopped at Denny’s for a quick breakfast. We sat down with our smart phones and made new plans. We booked a whitewater rafting trip down the Snake River and we canceled old plans. Then we headed out, Yellowstone or bust!