On this day, we were doing something that I have always wanted to do – ride the train from Durango to Silverton, Colorado. This means a serious climb in elevation to the old mining town that has become a destination for bikers and outdoor enthusiasts.
Our car had no windows, but it had a hostess who talked about the stuff we were passing. She also had food and drinks. How can you beat that? Actually, how can you write about it? I will just let the pictures do the talking.
First, there should be a people picture.
Then, there was this.
Oh yeah, we saw this.
Plus, we passed this.
This is my favorite.
When we arrived in Silverton, my stepdaughter’s friend asked, “Why did they put a town in the middle of nowhere?”
I have to admit that I was fired up because that question was right in my wheelhouse. I went into full teacher mode and explained that mining towns were built where minerals were found. That is why many towns in the West appeared where logic says they should never be. Anyway, they probably zoned out before I finished. Besides, we were looking for somewhere to eat.
We found it at the Grand Imperial Hotel.
As you can see from the picture, it started raining. The air got colder. We had to ride back in an open-air train car. For a while, it looked something like this.
As we descended in elevation, the air warmed, and everything returned to normal. Well, my wife and I had our one argument of the trip, but you will read about that in the next post.
SBI: A Thinning Crowd 
I have ALWAYS wanted to take that train ride. What a great trip!
It was awesome. You need to get out there and do it.
Very nice train ride – thanks for taking us with you! Have a great day! 🙂
You’re welcome. Everyone should do it if they get the chance.
A trip isn’t complete without an argument!
Absolutely
Yeah, I think I need to do that.
It’s awesome
Awe!!! What a wonderful trip you are having !!! Photos are gorgeous!!!
Thanks. There’s more to come.
This has nothing to do with this post. Your WordPress profile pic looks very heavy metal.
I never thought of it that way. It’s actually a piece by a former art student at our university.
Just to clarify, I meant it as a good thing. A very good thing 🙂
I took your comment as a good thing.
Train used to be my favorite way to go from Calgary to the coast. Comfortable – good food – bar car – can walk around – can sleep – nice scenery. And wasn’t expensive.
Why used to be?
They shut it down for a while. Then re-opened it as an expensive luxury. Out of my range.
In 1985 girlfriend and I took the train along Pacific coast from Seattle to San Diego. It was stunning for someone like me that lived in Miami, Florida almost his whole life. Looking down on trees and clouds when in the Cascades was captivating. Thanks for your recent visit to my blog.
You’re welcome. I always look forward to your drawings as I scan through the blogs that I follow.