COME TO LIFE / Spirit of the Southwest: Durango, Silverton & Pagosa Springs SPIRIT OF THE SOUTHWEST: DURANGO, SILVERTON & PAGOSA SPRINGS COLORADO In southwest Colorado, everything seems a little more: higher mountains, bluer skies and so many activities you’ll have a hard time choosing. Spending just a few days will give you a taste of the glories of true Southwest living. DAY 1 In Durango , historic buildings housing award-winning restau-rants, craft breweries and art galleries line Main Avenue and surrounding blocks, cyclists zip through the streets and you hear the toot-toot of the departing Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (1) . The train has been operating continuously for 128 years, and a ride on its rails is a must. Opt for a one-way ride with a motorcoach return trip to afford more time to explore the historic mining town of Silverton . The tracks take the steam-powered train through parts of the San Juan National Forest that are impenetrable by car. If you’d like to experience the wilderness rather than just watch-ing it rush by, you can use the train to access the Weminuche Wilderness (4) . It makes two stops along its route, where adventur-ous travelers can disembark or board the train for a convenient way to explore some of the most pristine and remote wilderness in the state. Once in Silverton (2) , enjoy the storybook mining village’s well-preserved splendor. The entire town is a designated a National Historic Landmark and an archetypal example of a mining town that reinvented itself after the ore disappeared. There are shops and restaurants to explore, as well as historical 1 4 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: DURANGO & SILVERTON NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD, ERIC LINDBERG; WEMINUCHE WILDERNESS, KENNAN HARVEY; DIAMOND BELLE SALOON, VISIT DURANGO; ROCHESTER HOTEL, ERIC LINDBERG; SILVERTON, JASON J. HATFIELD. 2 3 5 QUICK TIP 136 / In the winter, the Durango train (via heated coach) stops in Cascade Canyon , where you can disembark and snap photos of the frozen Animas River in its winter glory. COLORADO.COM
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2017: Page 136
