Durango, Colorado ~ October 5 - 7, 2023
It has been a while since we have actually ridden this train. We generally do a "day trip" to Durango when we come to Chama. Jeff does a "shop tour" on those quick visits, and we chase the train as far as possible. But, as with the Cumbres and Toltec, riding the train is a full-day commitment.
_1.jpg) |
| The Yankee Girl |
Originally built in 1880, our car had several rebuilds over the next 134 years. It made its Durango and Silverton debut in 2014 as the “Yankee Girl,” named after the largest mine in the Red Mountain Mining District north of Silverton, Colorado. It went through a complete remodel focused on maintaining the old-fashioned flair of the 1880s while providing the comfort and conveniences of the 21st century. Luxurious Victorian-Era touches include woodwork created from mahogany, oak, and African bird’s-eye maple, custom wrought-iron scrollwork, and stamped-tin ceiling panels.
I had purchased tickets in March or April, hoping to book the parlor car. But to my surprise, it was sold out, and I had to settle for the very nice (and still kid-free) Yankee Girl. This car has tables for four people on the left side of the car and tables for two on the right side of the car. We had seats on the right side and were seated across the way from a very chatty couple. On the way to Silverton, they were joined by a couple from Maine, and on the way back, there was a couple from Texas. I swear they did more chatting than sightseeing.
Unlike the Cumbres and Toltec, the D & S passenger cars are original to the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. Jeff tells me that the Durango and Silverton got all the original passenger cars.
 |
All of the photos above are from our journey from Durango to Silverton. There is a two-hour stop in Silverton, so folks may have lunch and shop. As is our custom, we headed to Natalia's for lunch. Jeff enjoyed a bowl of chili with a beer.
After lunch, I enjoyed basking in the sun, reading a book on my Kindle while Jeff photographed the trains. We reboarded our Yankee Girl coach for the ride back to Durango. It's a very long ride with mostly the same scenery. I think we may opt for the bus ride back to Durango next time. I was pretty exhausted when we got back to the apartment. Thank goodness we were just having leftovers (or "planned overs," as I like to call them) for dinner.
 |
| Another view of the original building |
 |
| We love the fact that George kept as many of the trees as he could as he did the buildings. |
 |
| This is the original building on the lot - The Stonehouse Loft is built above this building. |
 |
| We never used the "backyard" but it certainly is lovely! |
 |
| If you look closely, you can see the train from our window (center of the photo) |
 |
| The two chairs provided in the kitchen/dining/living room were quite comfortable! |
 |
| A very efficient kitchen - We used the two light green stools as "coffee tables" while we enjoyed our wine and cheese |
 |
| Our Studio above our host's studio |
All good things must come to an end, so we loaded up the car on Saturday morning and headed for Durango Airport where we dropped off our rental car and awaited out flight to Denver.
While I entertained myself by looking out over the wing, Jeff listened to music and relaxed for the hour and fifteen minutes of the flight.
We landed on schedule and dragged our suitcases the length of the airport to the light rail that took us downtown to Union Station in Denver in about 40 minutes. From there, we walked (dragging said cases) the half mile to the Westin where we stayed for the first night of our time in Denver. Not a cab in sight, but it wasn't a bad walk.
We loved our time in Durango and can't wait for our next visit!
Comments
Post a Comment