Durango Riverside, Durango CO
Our drive to Durango, CO, took us through beautiful countryside southeast with the Canyon Of the Ancients National Monument to the west. Then we passed through Cortez and Mesa Verde National Park, as well as Mancos, with my favorite brewery, which we had visited the previous year. Then the climb started, crossing the mountains before dropping into the valley and Durango.
Our campground was north of town, right on Animas River, but it was very tight, a bit of a shock after so many campgrounds where we had plenty of space around. The riverside was just jammed with campers and cars, lots of kids around, biking and playing. Not quite our jam, but we made the best of it. And it was hot, with temperatures in the 90s during the day but pleasantly cool at night.
We got back to town to grab some late lunch, we found a nice BBQ place called Serious Texas BBQ. It was excellent; I haven't had ribs this well done in a long time. Tom had some brisket and Mac-n-cheese. Good stop.
We liked historic Durango a lot; it's very walkable with stores and restaurants, still retaining the old building style from the 1890s. It's an old railroad town that was developed for silver and gold mining in the area during the 1870s. I loved shopping in the little stores and even bought a book in a bookstore. Our favorite place to eat was the Carver Brewing Company , which had great beers on tap and lovely salads and sandwiches. There are many places to eat in the historic downtown.
The Animas River valley is home to many farms and ranches, but it's prone to flooding. Once you are down in the valley, the river is perfect for kayaking, rafting, or just floating down. We saw many people enjoying it; the town park featured river access, picnic areas, and a bike trail.
We reserved a ride on the Durango-Silverton train. Our friend Lynn, whom we met in Las Vegas, suggested the adult-only car. That's what I booked; the car also had a platform in the back, which gave you a different perspective. The train departed at 9 am, so I grabbed a breakfast bagel at Durango Bagel , which was a perfect choice (Tom had McDonald's, meh).
The train is narrow-gauge; in this case, it is 3 feet wide. We learned that it was constructed in less than one year, approximately nine months, and was likely staffed by miners from Silverton and surrounding towns as labor. The car attendant provided a lot of interesting information about the town of Durango and the start of the railroad. Once we left the valley and began climbing in the San Juan National Forest, the scenery became dramatic and breathtakingly beautiful. We passed by Soaring Treetop Adventure , the largest zip line complex in the US. It is only accessible via the Durango narrow-gauge railroad; some trains make specific stops. As we passed, you could see a group of adventurers getting ready to go zip lining.
The train passes the Animas River five times, and the views of the narrow river canyon are incredible. The area north of Rockwood and Silverton is designated as a wilderness area. Still, you can flag the train to stop and pick up hikers.
We shared a table in our car with a lovely couple from Ohio, Paul and Laurie. It's always nice to meet new people and share adventures with them. We pointed out sights for photos to each other and enjoyed conversation about our travels.
Silverton is a small mining town with only one paved street, Greene Street. Blair Street is sometimes called Notorious Blair, as it was the street with saloons and bordellos. Now, it has some of the original buildings, with gift shops and a museum. We walked to Greene Street and found lunch at The Pickle Barrel , then grabbed some ice cream at Smedley's Ice Cream Parlor. We walked around town a bit more; frankly, it was needed after lunch and ice cream. We got a couple of souvenirs and boarded the train for our return. Our car attendant told us that if you miss it, you're on your own.
The return ride was just as beautiful, but we were getting tired. The elevation in Silverton is about 8,800 feet, and Durango is around 6,500 feet. The lowlander in me did not appreciate the height, and my sinuses were still in distress.
After spending another afternoon in historic Durango, shopping and having lunch, we started packing for our next stop, Pagosa Springs!
