Day 26 - April 11, 2008

We had quite a treat today. We rode the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. We saw some incredible scenery!!! If you ever have a chance to ride this train you need to take advantage of the opportunity. We thoroughly enjoyed this experience - one of the best if not the best experience of our trip so far.

After our train ride we had a beer at the Diamond Belle Saloon at the Strater Hotel. Talk about a trip back in time. The cocktail waitresses (saloon girls) had fish nets stockings, little black corset looking outfits, and colorful ostrich feathers in their hair.

I feel like Durango is quite a unique city. It has lots of history, tons of outdoor activities with several outdoor shops to equip you for several activities (skiing, mountain biking, regular biking, kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, camping, etc) and a very upbeat flavor to the town. It is the home of Fort Lewis College so the young people add their free spirit and zest to the town. I would highly recommend Durango as a vacation spot.

The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Look at how narrow some of the passages were. Also, check out the snow!

When the train goes over High Bridge, the "blowdown" valve in open to clear sediment that accumulates on the bottom of the boiler. Quite a sight!!

Looking straight down from our railroad car. Quite a long ways down. This is called the High Line and is considered the most spectacular railroading views in the world.

"G" in the snow.

"Grizzly Adams" in the snow. Ask Parker about Grizzly Adams.

View of Shalona Lake from the train.