I had such a nice time wandering around Silverton, you might enjoy seeing a few more pictures.
The old jail.
Street view.
This old church.
The color!!!
They were happy to pose!
Read about my Silverton experience here. Read about the train ride that took me there by clicking here.
When we hopped off the train in Silverton, this was the first restaurant I saw and I badly wanted to eat there. I had no idea what they served but the exterior and the car were perfection.
Sadly, a sign on the door said they were closed for a private event. So, we ended up somewhere else and that worked out fine but I’m still said we didn’t get to eat in the fabulous building with the spectacular car outside.
I later learned that it is the oldest standing bordello in Silverton and that it has enjoyed a long and colorful history in a colorful town.
Perhaps next time!
Whether you chug along on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad or follow the spectacular Million Dollar Highway, when you arrive at Silverton, Colorado you are at more than 9,300 feet.
This former mining boomtown has a population of about 600 during good weather that falls to 400 in the winter. We had less than two hours there before hopping on a bus back to Durango but that allowed enough time for a quick lunch and some sightseeing.
While most people went straight for the shopping, I went looking for architecture.
This Catholic Church is lovely.
The view down the street is another church.
I liked this nice old train car.
The post office isn’t exactly what you would call a tourist attraction but I sought it out anyway.
Neither is the library but I liked it too. My only regret is that it was closed.
Meet Dale. He plays ragtime music at the hotel.
Here’s one more of the hotel.
Don’t worry. I did eventually fall prey to the touristy shops and spent a few bucks along the way.
Check out the Make the Journey Fun Facebook page for a video of one very special experience I had while there.
I took a bunch of pictures in Silverton so I suspect you’ll hear more about it in the future. Stay tuned!
Since 1882, trains have made the climb through the San Juan Mountains from Durango, Colorado to Silverton. While this was once a vital route for practical purposes, it is now a scenic railway for tourists.
The 45 mile route takes about 3.5 hours at a top speed of 18 mph. It begins in downtown Durango, traveling through nice rural areas, into the San Juan Forest and along the Animas River.
I cannot even fathom what it took to lay this track. The crew, made up mostly of Irish and Chinese immigrants, worked in precarious places to carve out space for this narrow gauge line.
There are places so narrow that you can almost reach out the window on either side and touch granite. There are also places so close to the edge that you can see no flat ground but only a sheer drop off to the canyon below.
It was both awe inspiring and occasionally terrifying from my window seat.
At the end of the line, passengers have a couple of hours to explore Silverton while they turn the train and prepare for the return trip.
I will be completely honest with you. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip but it is a very long ride. So when we learned that it might be possible to upgrade our return train ticket to a bus ticket, Johnna and I jumped right on the opportunity. The bus took significantly less time, allowing us to get on with our evening.
Clearly, we wouldn’t have made good pioneers. To be fair, the bus ride was a terrific experience, partly because our driver was knowledgeable and friendly and the bus views were great too.
Check back tomorrow and I’ll tell you about Silverton.