Spirit of the Southwest / COME TO LIFE SPIRIT OF THE SOUTHWEST: DURANGO, SILVERTON & PAGOSA SPRINGS COLORADO In southwest Colorado, everything’s a bit extra: 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 (2) . The train has been operating continuously for 135 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 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 (1) . It makes two stops along its route, where adventur-ous travelers can disembark or board the train. Once in Silverton , 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 sites, including the Mayflower Mill , Old Hundred Gold Mine (4) and 1 2 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: WEMINUCHE WILDERNESS, KENNAN HARVEY; DURANGO & SILVERTON NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD, SCOTT DW SMITH; ICE LAKES BASIN, KENNAN HARVEY; OLD HUNDRED GOLD MINE; THE SPRINGS RESORT AND SPA, @RAYYYRAY17. @rayyyray14 3 4 5 QUICK TIP The Tracks Across Borders Scenic Byway shows off what the landscape would have looked like during the golden age of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad while connecting two still-operating historic narrow-gauge railroads, the Durango & Silverton and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. COLORADO.COM / 127
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2019: Page 127
