Durango... a very special place

Have fallen in love with Durango.  This is one beautiful mountain town and how can you not appreciate the crisp clean mountain air in the morning.  Weather has been beautiful with highs around 80 but lows near 50 at night.  nothing but sunny days so the views have been stunning.

Yesterday we took the Durango to Silverton, coal driven steam engine train and what a delight it was.  The trip is 42 miles and takes 3 1/2 hrs but the scenery is nothing short of spectacular.  God's hand is all over this place!  When we left, shorts and short sleeve shirts were the order of the day; by the time we reached Silverton, it was snowing in the peaks and the temp was around 45.  We rode in an open air gondola car so it was indeed a little nippy by the time we got there.  We managed to get an earlier train back - and in a closed car!  :-)

Today we did nothing and it was quite a relaxing day.  Took a walk along a beautiful mountain river and watched the rafters go hurling past us.  Found an old saloon this evening where there was a piano player playing all the real old songs.  Talked with him later and learned that he's a retired attorney from NJ who has been coming out here for 25 years performing.  You'd almost felt sorry for him realizing he is of retirement age and still having to do this for a living--until you realize this is his passion and he needs no income.

Well, the stay in Durango has been so good we've decided to extend our stay one more night.  We found a great deal on an old time vintage hotel smack dab in the middle of Durango--too good to pass on this treat so one more day here.  We met someone at the saloon who had been to some hot springs close to Durango.  Sooooo, that's what we're doing tomorrow!

Then it's off to Jackson Hole Wyoming with a stop along the way near Salt Lake City.  Four days in Jackson Hole and then we'll be off to Glacier National Park in Montana.  Of course, our schedule is not planned so that is certainly subject to change.  Key word......FLEXIBLE!!!

Hope you're all doing well.   Amazing how it seems like such a loooong time since we left home, yet it's only been 2 weeks.  Wish we could send some of this mountain air back to you all.