COME TO LIFE / Durango, Silverton, Pagosa Springs SPIRIT OF THE SOUTHWEST 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 136 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 watching it rush by, you can use the train to access the Weminuche Wilderness (2) . It makes two stops along its route, where adventurous travelers can COLORADO MOUNTAINS & MESAS 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 in Durango, Silverton and Pagosa Springs will give you a taste of the glories of true Southwest living. disembark or board the train. There’s also a stop (and combo packages available) at Soaring Tree Top Adventures , an ecotour on 27 different ziplines that carries riders across the Animas River and through aspen groves and ponderosa pines. Or stay on the train to visit Silver-ton (3) to enjoy the storybook mining village’s well-preserved splendor. The entire town is a designated 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 and Silverton Museum and Jail . If you extend your stay in Silverton, you have plenty of options for enjoy-ing the surrounding San Juans, including Jeep and OHV tours, rafting, horseback riding, amazing day hikes up to Ice Lakes Basin 3 4 @rayyyray14 5 QUICK TIP 136 / 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. 1-800-COLORADO CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: DURANGO & SILVERTON NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD, SCOTT DW SMITH; WEMINUCHE WILDERNESS, KENNAN HARVEY; THE SPRINGS RESORT AND SPA, INSTAGRAM/@RAYYYRAY17; TREASURE FALLS NEAR PAGOSA SPRINGS, KENNAN HARVEY; DOWNTOWN SILVERTON, EFRAÍN M. PADRÓ. 1 2
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2020: Page 136
