Trains Jamboree Part I: May 30 ~ June 4, 2019
Trains Jamboree Part I: May 30 ~ June 4, 2019
May 29, 2019: Courtyard by Marriott in Windsor, CT
The time between trips to Chama, New Mexico (whose only claim to fame as far as I can see is that it is the New Mexico home of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway) seems to shrink on a regular basis. We were going every two to three years, but this time it has been a mere 20 months since we were here last. No matter, it is a lovely vacation, and it is fun to visit at different times of the year. With this trip we will have seen three of the four seasons (and I doubt that we will come in the winter simply because the train does not run in the winter).
Tonight we are packed and ready for our early morning flight tomorrow morning. We took care of odds and ends at home, had some dinner, and headed up to an airport hotel for a reasonably good night's sleep before our 6:15 a.m. flight tomorrow morning. Jeff's sister, Vicki, and her husband, Chuck Heidorn, will meet us at the airport, and the adventure will begin.
We will spend five nights in Chama, riding the train on Friday - in the Parlor Car no less - and then head over to Durango, Colorado for three nights. We plan to ride the Durango and Silverton in the "Historic Narration Car" on Wednesday. Then on Friday afternoon we will fly back to Bradley, getting in at a very late hour before driving back to Middlebury.
May 30, 2019: "The Big Blue House" in Chama, New Mexico
We awoke early this morning (a 4:15 a.m. wake-up call) and took the airport shuttle to Bradley. Right away we ran into Vic and Chuck and went through the hassle of TSA check in. Lately I have triggered the body scan and have had to endure the "full body pat-down" which is really annoying. Vicki had a container filled with tea and refused to leave the container behind ("my friend got this for me in a yard sale for 25 cents and I like it"), resulting in at least a thirty minute delay as we patiently waited for her to be escorted to the other check point where she exited, dumped the tea, and went back through. Even so, we had a bit of time before boarding - but we were the last ones on the plane as coffee, croissants, etc. were purchased and bathroom needs were met. The flight to Denver was a little bumpy, but not bad. We had a very long walk to our connecting gate, but made it just in time for boarding. It was a relatively short flight to Santa Fe. We picked up our car, made a short stop for burgers at Five Guys (yes, I know that eating at Five Guys seems odd while in Santa Fe, but I did not have any say in that decision), and headed for Chama - about a two hour drive.
After picking up groceries for tonight's dinner and breakfast tomorrow, we decided that there was just enough time to see the train come in from Antonito, so we headed for the crossing at the edge of town. Finally, we made our way to the "Big Blue House" on the corner of Terrace Drive and First Street, just across the street from the train yard. This is the first time we have stayed here, but if we are here with a group, it is the perfect place. The house has four bedrooms and three full bathrooms. Dating from 1882, it has been lovingly restored with the goal of being updated, but retaining as much of the original charm as possible. The furnishings are great, the kitchen is incredibly well stocked (although the knives are crappy), and the beds are comfortable -- what more could we ask for? There is a plethora of art and antiques throughout the house - most of which have a price tag, so I guess one might purchase anything with a tag. That's a little on the odd side, but is not intrusive.
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| The front of our home for the week |
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| The back of the house, showing the master bedroom balcony |
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| Close up view of the balcony off our bedroom |
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| We have made good use of the grill - even in a thunderstorm! |
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| Master bedroom, with ensuite bath - very comfortable |
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| A view of the living room and dining room - love the original doorway with columns |
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| Vicki and Chuck chose the downstairs bedroom |
We prepared a meal of skillet pork chops with potatoes, onions, and apples for our dinner, and had an early to bed night. Tomorrow we get to ride the train!
Friday, May 31, 2019: Chama, New Mexico
We were up early this morning. Chuck made some scrambled eggs with cheese, and folks enjoyed their breakfast before heading down to the station. Vicki and I walked, but Jeff and Chuck took the car. I picked up the tickets and before we knew it the time for boarding arrived.
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| This is the route the train makes crossing in and out of Colorado on the way to Antonito |
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| The Parlor Car is the last car on the train, so you can stand on the platform and enjoy the scenery |
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| Jeff enjoys his fruit plate along with a cola |
Riding the Parlor Car truly makes a person feel special as you are given complimentary snacks and soft drinks throughout the day, and there is a car attendant who points out all of the sights along the way. I didn't take many pictures during our travels, but thought the one below would be fun -- SNOW! They told us that they had had quite a snow storm last week, and it was evident along the way.
It truly was a beautiful ride - so very different from both the mid August trips we have done before as well as our 2017 ride through the autumn colors when the Aspen were almost luminous in their gold, yellow, pink, and peach colors. This year, there were whole stands of Aspen that were just beginning to bud while others were starting to leaf over, and still others that were a glorious chartreuse green. When the sun catches hold of those green leaves, there is an explosion of green that bathes the spirit in the beauty and renewal that spring grants us every year. For Jeff and me, this is yet one more spring in a long line of springs that we have experienced since we began our trip to Florida and back at the end of March. This has been an unexpected treat for me.
I think we all were tired after our long day riding the train and then taking the bus back from Antonito. Our driver (whom I recognized from our last trip) played an entire CD of Johnny Cash music -- much to Jeff's consternation (and I had "I've seen the train a-comin'" in my head every since). We still had to shop for groceries since we had only bought one night's worth the night before. I decided on steaks, brown rice with onions and carrots, and a salad. With Vicki's help, we not only got the meal on the table, but we also put chicken in to marinate for tomorrow night's dinner.
Saturday, June 1, 2019: Chama, New Mexico
As all good rail fans (sometimes known as "foamers") do, we "chased" the train out of the station and up to Cumbres Pass, pausing to take pictures at all "good" opportunities. Some day when I have nothing better to do, I must go through all of these pictures and put together a collection of photos in different seasons taken from the same spots. Lord knows, we have enough pictures to do something like that. I'll put that on my "C" list!
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| Jeff taking some shots! |
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| Jeff and Chuck |
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| Lady "Foamers" -- Who knew there was such a thing!?! |
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| Vicki watching all the action! |
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| This one showered cinders all over me -- spotted my orange blouse -- won't ever be the same! |
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| Look carefully, and you will see JJ atop a snow "mountain" getting some shots! |
Arriving at Bodes, we enjoyed a delicious lunch. They are renowned for their Green Chile Cheeseburgers, which both Vicki and I enjoyed. Jeff had a grilled cheese sandwich, while Chuck ordered the pulled pork. We were all stuffed at the end of the meal, but that did not stop Vic and Chuck from getting ice cream at the Frosty Cow nearby.
Martin Bode immigrated to the United States at the turn of the century to work for an uncle, a rancher and merchant in the southern New Mexico town of Rodney. Eventually Martin moved north, working for the Bond and Nohl Companies in Espanola and eventually working for Miguel Gonzales in Abiqiuiu. Martin purchased the store in 1919.
The place is really eclectic, and we enjoy both the food and the whole General Store experience each time we stop at Bode's.
Back at the house, we grilled some steaks, which we enjoyed with some brown rice mixed with sautéed onion and carrot. A green salad completed the meal. After dinner Jeff ventured down to the rail yard to take some night photos.
It truly was a wonderful day!
I made Susan's Ginger Scones this morning - a hit with everyone. I had mixed the dry ingredients at home and hoped for the best as I tried to make this recipe for the second time (first time was an epic failure). Yay! They turned out the way they were supposed to, and everyone enjoyed them. After breakfast we caught some train shots from a bridge (Jeff did -- I stayed in the car), and then headed south to Santa Fe. Chuck wanted to catch some shots of an airplane that he had flown on when he was in the Navy and which he had spotted as we left the airport on Thursday, so we headed for that first. We then went into Old Town Santa Fe to park. Lots of galleries, restaurants, and more galleries to see in that part of town. We enjoyed lunch and then stopped into a gallery owned by Barbara Bowles. I must ask Peter if she might be a relative.
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| Vicki, Jeff, and Chuck in front of Santa Fe Municipal Airport |
After lunch we walked down to the town square before heading back to the car and onward to El Santuario de Chimayo. Aimee has frequently talked about this place, and we have somehow never made it there. I was pleased that Jeff was determined to take me there even though others in our party were fatigued and ready to go "home."
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| The Monument to Three Cultures |
As we drove back to Chama, the skies grew ever darker with crashing lightening. We followed the light show all the way to our house where the storm continued. Eventually the power went out for the second time, but we managed to light our gas stove burners and heat up leftover rice and potatoes as well as steam some broccoli to go with the chicken that Jeff cooked on the grill.
Another great day in Chama!
Monday, June 3, 2019: Chama, New Mexico
Today has been a much more laid back day for me anyway. Jeff got up early and was down at the rail yard by 8 a.m. He ended up having a tour of the shop with the president of the railway and took a variety of photos that he had not taken before. Then he, Chuck, and Vicki went train chasing while I stayed here at the Blue House - took a walk into town, mailed some post cards for Vicki, and did some writing.
After they returned at about noon, we went down to the High Country Saloon for lunch, then to the grocery store to shop for the makings for Pasta Bolognese, which I prepared while others were napping and/or chasing the train back from Antonito.
We just finished dinner and are thinking about finishing up our time here in Chama and heading to Durango tomorrow. As we were cleaning up the kitchen Jeff and Vicki noticed six deer grazing in the school yard across from the kitchen window. What a peaceful end to a wonderful visit to Chama.
Tomorrow begins part two of our trip!
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