The train going over a pass
Donna, Nelson, and the kids in front of the train
Here we go on the train!
Today was all about the train ride with Auntie Donna and Uncle Nelson. Tim and I got ready with peace and quiet since the kids stayed the night with Donna and Nelson. We arrived at the train station to meet up. The kids were so happy to see us and they were well fed, rested and clean! We got the first peek at our train. The Durango Silverton Railroad has been in existence since the late 1800's and is one of the last coal fired steam operated engines around. We had an open air gondola and to our surprise, Tim was on the train with us! When I booked, they were short 1 seat so he agreed to go in a different car, just on the way there but they must have had a cancellation and put us all together. The ride up is beautiful! First of all, the whistle is so loud and you are spattered with coal and steam throughout the entire ride. It is also very bumpy and precarious at times as you are hugging the edge of the mountain and literally feel like you are going to tumble down the river below. The train climbs 3000 feet in elevation and stops in this cute little old mining town called Silverton. One of the highlights on the way up was watching a glider plane go by and then a couple of minutes later it landed right in front of us! But overall, the sweeping views of the mountain, trees, and river were just amazing. We arrived in Silverton just in time for the rain to come pouring down! We had a good lunch at the Brown Bear Café and walked around town a bit. Then it was back on the train. We had a couple of delays on the way back but it was nice to have time to catch up with family and just hang out on the train. The train ride is over 3 hours each way so it was a full day! We then went back to our camp and hung out listening to some Casting Crowns and relaxed. Then it was bed time. A great day with family…we will miss Donna and Nelson! 11, 23, 24
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