Durango & Mesa Verde

My sister Carla spent the past week with me while working on business in Denver. We had a blast and it was so nice to catch up with her since we never get any one on one time anymore. She kept me laughing the whole time with her crazy stories. I literally cried one evening at dinner from getting tickled at what she was telling me. The girl can spin a story for sure. She was able to work in a few extra days after her work was completed and I suggested Durango since I had never been there. I have yet to travel to southern Colorado since living here. It was beautiful just like the rest of the state, but oh so far away.


All aboard!!!!! We took the steam powered locomotive from Durango to Silverton. We missed being able to make it to Silverton by one week since the train only goes to Cascade Canyon for the winter route. The full line will open up on May 2nd. It was a great experience and some of the prettiest scenery."She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes." Here is the front of the train as it heads around one of the many cliffs in the San Juan Mountains.Smile!!!!! So we got tickled with just how slow this train moves. They said it travels at 18 mph. Carla said no wonder all the trains were robbed by horseback during the old west. It felt like we could run faster than the train at some points.




Here is a great video of the train as we are going through the San Juan Mountains. Talk about a huge drop off down to the river. Durango was founded by Denver and the Rio Grande Railway in 1879. The train started service in 1882 to Silverton after taking only 9 months to lay the tracks from Durango to Silverton..Here is Carla as we made it back to Durango. It was a full day being on the train. Loaded up at 10 & were back in Durango by 3.
My sister is a sucker for some Whoa Whoa's. Horses that is in case you weren't able to put it together. She and I are absolute nuts when it comes to horses. We were hoping to do a trail ride while she was here, but just didn't have enough time.
Here I am overlooking one of the many Cliff Dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park. The park was created in 1906 to preserve the archeological heritage of the Puebloans. You can see one of the cliff dwellings to the left of my shoulder.
Carla in front of the Spruce Tree House which is the best preserved cliff dwelling.
Here I am in a reconstructed Kiva which is a ceremonial room. Pilasters supported a beam and mud roof. The entry was by ladder through a hole in the center of the roof.
Here is out tour guide and group in the Cliff Palace which is the largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde. It is a short hike down into it, but the payoff is grand.


Here is a video inside the Cliff Palace which will give you an idea of just how big this place is. It is amazing to think that these people survived this many years ago (600 to 1200 AD) with such primitive tools.
Here I am sitting at the exit of the Cliff Palace. The trip was a lot of fun, especially since I was able to share it with my sister.