Went to Lebanon, NH: December 3 – 6

My sister, Edith, accepted a 13-week contract as a traveling nurse in Lebanon, NH and I decided to ride with her and Midnight/Junior (her cats) to her new apartment.  Edi meet me at the airport at 8:00 in the morning of the 3rd; since I was flying back on Sunday, I wanted to have my car in the lot upon my return.  The drive out was pretty uneventful with our staying outside Cleveland the first night at a Best Western Plus, getting up early, and arriving at Edi’s new apartment around 5:00 Friday evening after driving through some beautiful countryside.   I had not been in New Hampshire before so was surprised with its mountains and rolling streams.

The apartment complex

The apartment complex

We got the cats unloaded plus all her containers (thankfully her apartment is on the first floor); we then headed out to discover a local grocery store.  When going into the parking lot, we asked a resident where to go for groceries and he told us of a local co-op a couple miles away.  We found it and purchased a salad plus soup for our evening meal and quiche in the morning.  Returned to the apartment, feed the cats, unpacked all the containers, made our respective beds, and retired for the evening without thinking about eating our evening meal.

Midnight and Junior getting acquainted with the apartment

Midnight and Junior getting acquainted with the apartment

After sleeping in and eating our delicious quiche, we went to meet with the apartment complex manager where Edi had to sign some papers.  She took us through the clubhouse which has exercising room, bathrooms, patio, computer room, and a central area with TV plus papers, coffee, and cookies…great area!  We learned about a bus that goes to Boston’s Logan Airport where I was departing the next day.  After signing the papers, we left and found the bus depot where I purchased a ticket for the next morning at 9:00.

Then we explored the town; great K-Mart, found Walmart, walked through LLBean, saw the book store, and went to Family Dollar where Edi purchased things for her apartment.  Went to the co-op, where we purchased a pizza for our evening meal.  Returned to her complex and walked to the clubhouse where I printed out my boarding passes for the next day….I also selected a couple tags from the Christmas tree for items to purchase for a needy family. 

Ready to explore

Ready to explore

Returning to Edi’s apartment, we baked the pizza…which was delicious…and tried to connect up an antenna to the TV but it did not work so decided to go back out for a cable, which Edi thought was needed to make the antenna operational, and to purchase the items for the tags we had selected in the clubhouse.  After getting the cable, we went to multiple stores to find the items on my list; finally made the purchases and headed back to the apartment.  Got back and tried to hook up the TV; we discovered the cable was not needed but it still did not work.  Since Iowa was playing for the Big Ten Championship against Michigan State, I really wanted to watch the game but it was not to be; that was okay since I was glad to spend time with Edi.  The Hawkeyes lost the game during the last few seconds so it would of been too nerve wracking for me to watch!  We went to bed and I was lucky to have Junior, Edi’s male cat, visit me by settling on my chest around 4:30 in the morning…reminded me of home and Beauty/ Cutie although they do not climb onto my chest.

Got up and, after breakfast, walked up to the clubhouse to deliver the Christmas gifts for the family we had selected.  The area has a wonderful bike/walking trail which I would enjoy if I lived there.  Edi took me to the bus terminal where, after a brief wait, I boarded and headed to Boston.  What a comfortable bus…bathroom, cooler with water and pretzels, WiFi, and movie to watch if the passengers wanted to watch.  And the scenery to Boston was fantastic!

Heading to Logan

Heading to Logan

Scene from the bus

Scene from the bus

  Got to the airport, zipped through security, and hang out until the flight boarded.  Both legs of the trip on American was uneventful and I landed in Cedar Rapids around 7:00 pm…got home by 7:30 with Beauty and Cutie happy to see me.

Cutie helping unpack

Cutie helping unpack

 

Good trip; I was glad to spend time with Edi and see her new, temporary home.  People seemed nice and landscape beautiful with mountains surrounding Lebanon.  Its an area I wish I had more time to explore.

Estes Park Adventure

Wednesday, October 8: Edith and I left my place around 8:30 am which was the official start of our annual adventure to celebrate our birthdays. This year, Edith is reaching a milestone so I am treating her to 4 nights at a resort outside Estes Park which have condos along the Fall River. We stopped for an early lunch at Perkins in Council Bluufs. Filled the car with gas and headed on toward Kearney, NB for our first night stop. Was going to stop at Cabela’s in Omaha but did not see it. There was a visitors center right inside Nebraska so we stopped and got some information about Kearney and they suggested we go to the Cabela’s at Sidney because it was the original one and there was lots to see there so we changed our route for the next day planning to take their suggestion. Arrived at Kearney about 4:00 pm, checked into BW Kearney Plus, went to Whiskey Creek for an early dinner. After dinner, we took a walk along the bike/walking trail which went alongside a stream. Back at the hotel, since neither of us slept well the night before, we were both quite tired so it was an early night.

Thursday, October 9: Had breakfast at the hotel and got an early start leaving Kearney around 7:30. We drove to Sidney and stopped at Cabela’s which was disappointing but I did find the socks and gloves that I was looking for.

Center aisle at Cabela's

Center aisle at Cabela’s

Rock of goats surrounded by other critters

Rock of goats surrounded by other critters

We then went to Walmart where we purchased some groceries for our condo stay. Instead of taking a state highway to met I76, we decided to keep on I80 to Cheyene, WY and the catch I25 into Colorado. At Cheyene, we stopped at Denny’s for lunch; both of us were pleased with our food. While in the area, we filled up with gas and were on our way. Stopped at a visitor center once we got into Colorado and got information on Estes Park plus Rocky Mountain Park. At Loveland, we stopped and took some pictures of the mountains behind Boyd Lake.

Boyd Lake scene

Boyd Lake scene

Then on with our drive on Hwy. 34 into Estes Park. Once we hit Thompson Canyon, we were in some beautiful country. And we arrived in Estes Park where we stopped at Safeway for a few more supplies. Onward to our lodging for the next 4 nights at a place called Stone River and Bear Paw Resort. What a beautiful resort with wonderful people in the office! Our condo was two levels with balcony area above the kitchen and main floor bedroom. The living room, with fireplace, faces the river; there is a deck area outside the living room with chairs and gas grill; from here, you can hear the water rushing down over the rocks.

Fall River flowing outside our condo

Fall River flowing outside our condo

Outside our condo

Outside our condo

We settled in with Edi taking the lower bedroom. For the evening meal, each of us had a salad with slice of hot bread. Entertainment for the evening was watching the DVD “Hope Springs”. Up to bed and lights out around 10:30.

Friday, October 10: We did not hurry out this morning with drinking coffee and having a leisurely breakfast. After taking showers and getting dressed, we headed into Rocky Mountain Park; our plan was to do a quick 10-mile loop, connecting to Hwy. 36 which took us back toward Estes Park, in hopes of seeing the RV park that our brother had stayed the previous year but we did not locate it.

View inside the park

View inside the park

Upon entering Estes Park, we stopped at the visitor center where we got information regarding the park, town, and the Stanley Hotel. We found the river walk which we walked until it ended on the west side; turned around and walked back to the visitor center.

Thompson River flowing

Thompson River flowing

Enjoying the day and walk

Enjoying the day and walk

At this point, we decided to drive to the Stanley Hotel to inquire about tours; we signed up for the 1:00 tour called “The Stanley Tour” which lasted 90 minutes. With time to kill before the tour, we decided to eat lunch on the outside patio at the hotel. Good food, good scenery, good conversation. And it then was time for the tour. Co-inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile and entrepreneur, F.O. Stanley, opened the luxury Stanley Hotel in 1909; he built it for his wife to convince her to live in Estes Park during the summer months. The tour included the history and architecture of the hotel along with seeing some beautiful state rooms, the hallways of the haunted fourth floor, and the tunnel which allowed servants to enter and exit without being seen. We also learned how the Stanley inspired Stephen King’s fictional Overlook Hotel in his bestselling novel The Shining.

In front of Stanley Hotel

In front of Stanley Hotel

Wood frame of original Stanley automobile

Wood frame of original Stanley automobile

Stanley automobile from early 1900's

Stanley automobile from early 1900’s

Inside the Stanley

Inside the Stanley

Looking down from upper staircase

Looking down from upper staircase

After the tour we returned to the condo where Edith took a nap while I typed my notes from the previous two days. Edi got up and worked on getting her iPhone and iPad operational. When she got everything working, we went to Safeway to purchase items for our meals the last two nights. Returned to the condo and had our evening meal. Found out the Chicago Cubs/St. Louis MLB game was not on TV so we decided to watch the DVD “The In-Laws” starring Michael Douglas. After the movie, I read for awhile and went up to my room to prepare for tomorrow; lights out around 10:00.

Saturday, October 11: We were up early, made our breakfast, and got ready for driving the Trail Ridge Road in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The National Park Service is celebrating the park’s centennial this year. The park has a stunning array of mountain peaks, 77 of which have elevations of 12,000 feet or more. Being the highest national park in the country, it protects over 265,000 acres. We made numerous stops as we wound our way to the Alpine Visitor Center. The most exciting stop was along an uphill side where there were a herd of elk; both of us were able to get a couple pictures. There was much color with the changing of the leaves this time of the year and we “ohh, aww’d” over the beauty of the various meadows, streams, and peaks. Reached the top, with elevation of 11,795 ft., and discovered the center was closed because of the lateness of the season; there was a trail which took a person up to the top of the peak and I thought I would climb it but decided against it as I started the climb in the cold, brisk mountain air.

A meadow within the park

A meadow within the park

Elk herd with male in front

Elk herd with male in front

View from close to the top

View from close to the top

Another mountain view of valley below

Another mountain view of valley below

There's snow up there

There’s snow up there

Pretty scene

Pretty scene

We started back down with the thought of stopping at two lakes which have paths around them for our daily walk. However, we discovered one of the parking lots were full and we would of had to take shuttle in so we decided against. Due to the wonderful weather conditions, it being a 3-day week end, and the color there were crowds. Once we got out of the park, we stopped at the DNR visitor center to talk to one of the park rangers about animal sightings. She said bear and moose were now starting their hibernation so were rare to see but elk are plentiful. Got back into the car, went into Estes Park where there were many people, and found parking at the center where we were the day before. And there, resting in a meadow, were herds of elk. What a sight! A local policeman told us it was not uncommon for them to come down for a time during the day due to the abundance of green grass.

Elk herd

Elk herd

Can you spot the fishermen?

Can you spot the fishermen?

Sisters having good time

Sisters having good time

We went down the river walk and found a place for lunch called Ed’s Cantina. After a good lunch, we headed to the shops where both of us found some items for purchase. Returned to the condo where we relaxed outside on our deck while doing a load of laundry. We grilled pork chops and vegetables for our evening meal and, after clean up, sat and talked the evening away. We adjourned to our respective bedrooms. I got ready for bed, read, and turned out the lights around 10:30. Tomorrow we are going to take the scenic drive called Peak to Peak.

Sunday, October 11: The weather was warm and sunny for our scenic drive; however, the wind was breezy with gusts up to 35 mph. We planned on leaving Estes Park on Hwy. 7, pick up Hwy. 72 at Raymond, go as far as Nederland, and take Hwy. 119 to Boulder where we picked up Hwy. 36 for our return to Estes Park. We had been told that each of the small mountain towns along the way had many gift and antique shops but we either did not know where to look and missed them or they did not exist. As we began the day’s adventure, we came upon Lake Lily which had a walking trail all the way around it so we decided to get in our daily walk. However, the wind was so breezy that it made the walk uncomfortable and chilly so we did not go far. As we came back to my vehicle, the couple parked next to us rolled down their window and asked where Benton County in Iowa was. It turns out they are from Atlantic, Iowa; they had spent four weeks in the area and had one more week before returning home. We continued our drive through some spectacular mountain vistas within the Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt National Forest. Once we arrived at Nederland, we stopped for some shopping and lunch. At the visitors center, we were told to visit the Carousel of Happiness which is a restored 1910 Looff carousel with 56 playful hand-carved animals. The carousel was rescued by a former Marine Gunner named Scott Harrison. It took him a little over 26 years to hand-carve all the animals. Because of such a beautiful day, there were many people in the small town and the carousel was especially filled with children excited about getting a ride. We checked a couple places for lunch but each one had over a 30 minute wait so we ventured into the First Street Pub and Grill. What an excellent choice! Not crowded, there was an outside table in the shade, our waitress was very efficient, the hostess quite friendly, and food very good.

Peaks with snow

Peaks with snow

Creek as seen from Nederland bridge

Creek as seen from Nederland bridge

Carousel of Happiness

Carousel of Happiness

Relaxing lunch stop

Relaxing lunch stop

After lunch, we decided to continue on our journey. We stopped at the small town Lyons on Highway 36 to check out a couple shops plus I had to get an ice cream cone…yummy!! We stopped in Estes Park for our daily walk; we got on the bike/walk trail around Lake Estes.

Walk scene

Walk scene

Path of trail

Path of trail

Flock of geese

Flock of geese

After our walk, drove to our condo and arrived late afternoon. That evening we grilled chicken and asparagus for our meal. After dinner, we were sitting on our deck watching what looked to be a gorgeous sunset when Edi suggested we go into the park to view it. So that is what we did…what a good suggestion! Not only was the sunset beautiful but there was a herd of elk heading across the open meadow to the creek for drinks. It was interesting to watch; one followed the other and went into the creek. Shortly thereafter, the male followed behind everyone bellowing his lungs out!

Sun going down

Sun going down

Lots of color

Lots of color

Elk herd

Elk herd

Bellowing male

Bellowing male

Male getting drink

Male getting drink

We finally decided it was getting too dark so we headed back to the condo. On the way, we saw a gift shop that was open so, naturally, we had to explore it. When we got back our lodging, we sat around and talked until it was time for bed. Even though we were leaving for home the next day, we had no plans as to what time we were going to get up and depart.

Monday, October 12, and Tuesday, October 13: Both of us were up relatively early on the 12th and, after breakfast, we headed out around 7:30 Mountain time. Both days were uneventful. We drove as far as Lincoln, NB the first night where we checked into the Best Western Lincoln Inn which had just opened in July. Dinner was at the Red Lobster and we both ordered their grilled shrimp. After dinner, we stopped at JC Penney where I purchased some moisturizer like Edi uses. Back at the room, we found the Cubs game and were delighted that they won. On Tuesday, we got a good start after eating breakfast at the hotel. We made good time and arrived at my place around noon.

Another good, fun trip with my sister celebrating our birthdays. It always makes me happy that Edi and I have a good, sisterly relationship; she is truly a good traveling companion.

Sister Visit

My sister, a traveling nurse, is working a 13-week contract in Fayetteville, AR. and I visited her from January 15 thru the 18th when she had a long week end off.  I left by 7:00 on the 15th and the drive to Fayetteville was uneventful with my arriving shortly after 4 pm.  Edith and I had dinner that evening at Dickey BBQ close to her apartment; the beef was quite tender and tasty.  The next morning we drove to Eureka Springs where we shopped and ate lunch at Nibbles Eatery; the drive up and back was through some beautiful countryside.  That evening we ate at the apartment.   On Saturday, the 17th, we drove to downtown Fayetteville where we talked to a gentleman in the Visitor Center regarding things to do around town.  After our visit, we walked down Block St. to Dickson St. where all the shops were supposedly located; the amount of shops was minimal so it was a disappointment but the beautiful day made for it.  After walking around the square, we drove to the outskirts of Fayetteville where we found San Migual’s, a Mexican restaurant for a late lunch/early evening meal.  We drove to Lake Wedington, a recreational area outside of town that Edith wanted to visit.  A very pretty area with walking paths alongside the water.  That evening, we located a Braum’s ice cream place; this was the first time for Edith to taste their delicious favors.   In the early morning hours, 1:37 am to be exact, we were awaken by loud pounding, shouting, and kicking at the front door.  Upon Edith opening the door, she discovered a gal with her boyfriend who stumbled (with the influence of alcohol, we think) upon the wrong apartment.  Talk about increasing the beat of my heart!  On Sunday, the 18th, I took a walk around the apartment complex on a walking path that took you through the woods and around a pond; it was a beautiful, quiet morning so the walking was very relaxing.  Around 11:00 am, I said my good byes to Edith and her two cats…Junior and Midnight…and headed to Bella Vista where I met up with Joyce and George Sheldon for a visit at their apartment and lunch.  Mid-afternoon found me heading north while listening to the Green Bay Packers/Seattle Seahawks football championship.  At Cameron, MO. I decided to stop for the night at Comfort Inn where I had a good night’s sleep.  Monday, the 19th, found me on the road early; because I had been recording high blood pressure thru the whole week end, I called my doctor’s office when I was south of Des Moines and drove to his office before going home.  Blood pressure was still high so he put me on some medication and ordered blood tests in another few weeks.  Arrived home and was greeted by my wonderful cats, Beauty and Cutie, who are siblings of Junior and Midnight.

Junior

Junior

Arkansas 011

Midnight

Frozen on the hill

Frozen on the hill

 

 

 

Off to Visit Sister in Austin, TX

On February 23, I flew from Cedar Rapids to Austin, TX to visit my sister, Edith, who had 4 days off from her traveling nurse job at a local hospital.   After a slow drive due to heavy traffic, we stopped and had dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Los Pinos, not to far from the campground where Edith has parked her camper.  Lucky for me, I was able to rent a cabin right across the street from Edith which meant I was able to “visit” with Junior, Midnight, and Mama; these are Edith’s three cats.  I have to admit Mama was not a very good hostess; she hissed and hide away every time I came to the camper.   The morning of the 24th was warm and sunny.   Got an early start because of the distance we wanted to travel that day.  We headed for the Wildseed Farm close to Fredericksberg, TX.  This is one of my favorite places to visit!  I purchased a top and necklace which goes nicely with a skirt I have in my closet.    Then we headed to Pipe Creek, TX where we planned on visiting with one of Edith’s old neighbors, Jack.  Along the way, we stopped at Luckenbach, TX which is 10 acres that has, as its oldest building, the Post Office-General Store-Bar which opened in 1849 by Minna Engel whose father was an itinerant preacher from Germany.  The community, first named Grape Creek, was later named after Minna’s husband Carl Albert Luckenbach.  While there, Edith and I were entertained by the bartender who played guitar and sang.

Singer, guitar player, bartender

Singer, guitar player, bartender

We arrived at Jack’s around 1:30 in the afternoon and had a very good visit.  Since it was warm and sunny, we walked Jack’s yard looking at his cactus gardens and swing/overlook of the valley.

Enjoying view from swing at overlook

Enjoying view from swing at overlook

Jack's cactus garden

Jack’s cactus garden

Jack and Edith

Jack and Edith

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our way back home, we stopped for dinner at a brew pub in Johnson City.  Arrived home and, after visiting with Midnight/Junior, headed back to the cabin to read and prepare for the next day’s activity of shopping at two huge outlet centers along with visiting Sam (Edith’s grandson) and his family.

Woke up on the 25th to light rain and cold temperature of 47; not the type of weather I expected for Austin.  After having coffee, we headed to the San Marcos Premium Outlets and Tanger Outlet Center; these outlets are on the same side of the road but separated by a street.  The rain did not let up and the temperature did not get higher throughout the day.  But we did have a good time shopping.  We ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant located by the outlet centers.  When we got back to the Austin area we traveled to Sam’s apartment to see him and his children, Cameron and Autumn.  Sam is my great nephew.

Grandma Edith with Sam

Grandma Edith with Sam

Cameron and Autumn

Cameron and Autumn

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our visit with Sam, we stopped at a local grocery store and picked up some soup/bread for our evening meal which we ate in my cabin.  We spent the rest of the evening talking.  Because of the heavy traffic Edith experienced on her way to pick me up from the airport on Monday, we decided to leave early the next morning for the airport where I would check in and we have breakfast together before my departure.  However, when we arrived at the airport, I did check my bag but we discovered that there was no breakfast being offered outside of security.  So we said our “good byes” and I went through security.  The travel from Austin to Cedar Rapids was uneventful.  Mary and Joe were waiting to pick me up; on our way to my home, we stopped to eat dinner at Coop’s in Shellsburg.

All in all, a good trip with great conversations with Edith, Sam/his family, and Jack but it was very short with our trying to “cram” much activity in such a short time.

 

 

 

 

Colorado Birthday Adventure: Part 2

We left Durango, CO the morning of the 13th heading for  Colorado Springs.  On the way, we stopped at Pagosa Springs to view some hot springs and the San Juan River flowing through the town.

San Juan River and hot springs

San Juan River and hot springs

My standing in front of flowing rock

My standing in front of flowing rock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our next destination was stopping at Bishop’s Castle outside of Rye, CO.  The castle is named after Jim Bishop; construction of the castle began in 1969, when Bishop began construction on a family cottage, which he decided to surround with rocks. Several neighbors noted that the structure looked something like a castle. Bishop took this into consideration and soon began building his castle. He had bought the land when he was fifteen for a price of $450.  For some reason, the pictures I took of the place did not turn out so you can visit the web site at www.bishopcastle.org; it is truly worth your time to view what an amazing structure has been constructed.

We arrived in Colorado Springs and checked into a Comfort Inn which turned out to be a mistake due to loud noise, thin walls, and a blow drier that “blew up” in Edith’s hand; the  morning of the 14th,  we checked out and found another hotel.   The day proved to be busy with our first stop at the railway for Pikes Peak; we purchased our tickets and got on board.  Due to high winds and snow, we were only able to go up 9000 ft. before the train returned to the depot.  The weather caused them to close the highway going to the top so no one could drive their car up.

Front car of the train

Front car of the train

Sign for the railway

Sign for the railway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edith and I enjoying the ride

Edith and I enjoying the ride

Look for the summit of Pikes Peak

Look for the summit of Pikes Peak

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scene taken from train

Scene taken from train

After our Pikes Peak adventure, we headed to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings which are authenic architecture of the ancient Anasazi Indians built 700 years ago.  We enjoyed walking through all the rooms and I especially enjoyed the gift shop <:)

Oven for making bread

Oven for making bread

Standing on upper level

Standing on upper level

Dwellings from parking lot

Dwellings from parking lot

 

 

 

 

 

 

After leaving the dwellings, we headed for Garden of the Gods which is a public park in Colorado Springs; in 1971, it was designated a National Natural Landmark.  The Garden of the Gods red rock formations were created during a geological upheaval along a natural fault line millions of years ago. Archaeological evidence shows that prehistoric people visited Garden of the Gods about 1330 BC. About 250 BC Native American people camped in the park.   Before driving through the park, we had lunch in the visitor center and enjoyed the gift shop.

Scene driving through the park

Scene driving through the park

Garden of the Gods Park

Garden of the Gods Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to say that I have been to the Garden of the Gods many times and, each time, enjoy the experience tremendously.  After some discussion, Edith and I decided there were no other attractions around the area we wanted to visit so we made plans to leave for home the next day.  The trip home was uneventful and we arrived at my place in the early afternoon of October 16th.  As usual, it was a great trip;  I am so thankful that my sister and I travel well together and look forward to our next adventure!

Sunrise as we leave Colorado Springs for home

Sunrise as we leave Colorado Springs for home

Colorado Birthday Adventure: Part 1

Quite a few years ago, my sister and I started an annual adventure in celebration of our birthdays which are 5 days apart.  This year we decided to go to southwest Colorado;  we left home on October 8th and returned on October 16th.  The trip to Colorado was uneventful and  we took  Highways 71 & 24  off of I-80 to avoid Denver.   As we approached Colorado Springs, we decided to take Highways 115/50 heading to Gunnison and encountered some beautiful scenes full of fall colors.

An example of beautiful colors

An example of beautiful colors

Water and color

Water and color

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Color, water, color, rocks

Color, water, color, rocks

Beautiful countryside

Beautiful countryside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We arrived at Gunnison around 5:00 P.M. on the 9th and stayed at a Comfort Inn.  On the 10th, our goal was to drive to Durango  because we had reservations to take the  train from Durango to Silverton on Friday, the 11th.   It was raining when we arrived at Montrose, CO so we decided not to stop for shopping but kept going.  I wanted to see the Black Canyon at  Gunnison National Park but it was closed because of the federal government shutdown.

Our government working for us

Our government working for us

More color

More color

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we got to Ridgeway, CO the rain had turned to snow so we decided to take a route that did not have as many passes as Red Mountain.  After going about 5 miles out of Ridgeway, weather was really bad and a county sheriff recommended we not try to get to Durango that day so we turned around and headed back to Montrose where we found a room at a Best Western.  We shopped Montrose; had late lunch at El Jimador, a local Mexican restaurant.  I called the Durango Railway and got our reservation changed from the 11th to the 12th; the evening was spent reading in our room.

The next morning we left Montrose with good weather; at Ridgeway, we decided to go the outer route instead of over Red Mountain because a local had told us that the passes over Red Mountain were still getting snow with ice underneath.  And our drive to Durango was beautiful with wonderful views of snow, color, rocks, creeks, and lakes.

Snow, creek, color

Snow, creek, color

Snowy rocks

Snowy rocks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch was ate at Millwood Junction which is located in Mancos, CO; it had very good food.  We arrived in Durango mid-afternoon; after checking into the BW Durango Inn, we picked up our train tickets for the next day, did some shopping, and ate dinner at the Carver Brewing Co.

After a good night’s sleep and breakfast, we headed to the train station where we found out the car we were scheduled to be in broke down.  We agreed to the proposal of taking a bus to Silverton and riding the first class car on the way back; this turned out to be a good decision on our part.

Scenery as seen from the bus

Scenery as seen from the bus

Edith and I ready for our train adventure

Edith and I ready for our train adventure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It did not take  long to reach Silverton by bus  so we had time to explore the town, have lunch, and shop.

View of downtown Silverton

View of downtown Silverton

Lunch in a building built in the 1800's

Lunch in a building built in the 1800’s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We boarded the train for the trip back to Durango at 2:30; the train moved slow and we did not arrive back to our car until 6:00.  However, it was a fun ride with some beautiful scenery.   The reason we were glad that we took the bus one way and train the other is because we got a different perspective of the scenery and the slowness of the train would of made the day quite long if ridden both directions.

Rushing stream

Rushing stream

An old trestle bridge

An old trestle bridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from train down a steep canyon

View from train down a steep canyon

Train pulling around a bend

Train pulling around a bend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After arriving at the train depot in Durango, we went back to our hotel and ate in our suite.  We made some preparation for our departure the next day; we will be heading to Colorado Springs.