Train Ride

The whole point for riding the train on July 4th was to see the fireworks and to ride the train back to Durango in the fullmoon light. I have to say it was the best fireworks show I have ever seen. Of course the backdrop was spectacular with the mountains, but some of the displays were the largest I have ever seen. That includes Disney World!
After having lunch and messing around Silverton awhile, we went to the tent they had set up for our train. There, they had a wonderful bluegrass band. The band was very good and extremely young. We also were served a BBQ supper in the tent. It was delicious!
Look at the license plate closely....and you thought he was dead....He lives in Silverton, Colorado!
I was so proud of Randy. I had bought us matching 4th of July shirts from Old Navy(thank you 2 for one sale)to wear on that day. That morning I forgot, and had on something else. Randy remembered to wear his, and when I looked up and saw him with his on I was reminded to get mine on. I never knew my husband had such a fine fashion sense.
There are lots of abandoned mine buildings and equipment along the tracks and the highway as you go up to Silveton. They are reminders of a time when this area was in its "heyday." The highway is called the Million Dollar Highway in reference to how much was mined and carried over the road.
The train would have to let off steam from time to time. If you are lucky you will see a rainbow in the steam. It was a little overcast at the time the picture was taken, so we did not get to see one. The young man with the dark hair whose side of the head you see was very interesting. He is originally from Chicago. His parents brought him to ride the train when he was 5. He has loved the train since, wanting to spend every vacation there. He moved to Durango to go to college there to be closer to the train. He works for the train in the summer. This is his 4th ride since the tracks opened in early May. Did I say he was interesting? I meant obsessed!
We rode the train on July 4th. What a treat that some folks sang patriotic songs in each car on the way up to Silverton. It was a great atmosphere on the train that day and in Silverton and Durango. Leaving out of Durango, people waved, cars blew their horns, and people shouted happy birthday America. One girl in Durango had USA painted on her tummy and "flashed" us as we went by. As the train arrived in Silverton, we were "mooned" by 4 college age boys. Although I did not particularly enjoy the mooning, I did enjoy the comment I heard a little girl tell her mother. She said," those boys moonshined us."


Once again, I forgot that the pictures load backwards. I was trying to show our day on the train from Durango to Silverton. I suppose I was taking Stephen Covey's advice, and starting with the end in mind!