Durango & Silverton

[ezdays]

Thanks guys, it was well worth the time and cost. Just a few facts and opinions:

• There's just over 45 miles of track, all laid in nine months back in 1881. That's amazing when there are so many cuts through solid rock.
  
• The tracks run parallel to the river most of the way and switches sides about halfway. There are many good photo ops of the river and many rapids. I think they have Kayak races through the rapids in the spring when there's a lot of runoff.
  
• It was cool but not cold. Many peaks around Silverton had snow on them, you can see it in one of the photos I posted.
  
• There's only two hours turn around at Silverton, just about enough time to get a hamburger (there had to be about 150 in line at the one hamburger restaurant). Not a heck of a lot to see up there anyway.
  
• One very large disappointment was that we asked about tours of the maintenance shop and the gal told us it was $6.00 and to show up at 10:30. We were there at 10:00 to get our tickets and the clerk said they were booked up and to come back tomorrow, except that our train was leaving at 9:00 tomorrow. Their website doesn't say anything about the tour, so best to get tickets in advance somehow....
  
• Skip the Chinese food and BBQ restaurants in Durango, lots of other good food there, but not these. Guess how I know this...