WEDNESDAY - Since our previous travel day sightseeing stop worked out so well, we decided to try it again today.
Once again, it's to stop and see another one of our National Monuments. I'll admit we did have to travel about 35-miles off our route, and then 35-miles back again, but it was well worth it.
We purchased the Guided Tour for $8 each instead of trying to make sense of the brochure information on our own.
We were so glad we did because our guide Mike was not only informative but entertaining. We gave him one of our cards at the end of the tour and I hope he starts following this blog.
CHIMNEY ROCK NATIONAL MONUMENT
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From the upper parking lot at Chimney Rock National Monument you can see the walls of a large puebloan village at the top of a mesa.
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About half way up the third of a mile trail it turns from gravel to rocks.
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A view of the surrounding valley.
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Chimney Rock was built using techniques learned at Chaco Canyon.
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Thinner rocks are used as shims to leep the bigger rocks level and more stable.
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Here's our guide Mike explaining something to us with his boss listening in over his shoulder.
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Our first far away view of the Chimney Rock and Companion Rock spires.
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Here is a zoomed in photo showing more detail.
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Now back to exploring the various village dwellings.
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Here's one of the perfectly round kivas on top of the mesa.
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There were many separate rooms throughout the village.
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We learned that dendrochronology is the science of dating trees by examining the rings.
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This is as close as you're going to legally get to the base of Chimney Rock.
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Now we have to negotiate the treacherous rocky trail back to the parking lot.
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Here is where the trail turns back into gravel and is much easier to walk on.
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A final look back at Chimney Rock National Monument.
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Now just 60 more miles through the Colorado countryside and we'll be at our campsite.
By 4:15PM we were in our San Juan National Forest campsite here in Southwestern Colorado.
To get level we had to put the nose of THE POD high up in the air, but we made it work!
THURSDAY - Today we are going to try taking another scenic train ride.
If you remember the last time we boarded a train we were only 15-minutes into a 4-hour tour when it broke down and we had to return to the depot. We got a full refund, but no train ride.
Today we have a 7-hour train ride, 3.5-hours up and 3.5-hours back, with a 2.5-hour stop at the turn around point in Silverton.
We'll be boarding the train right here in Durango (elev. 6512) and riding it "up" to the town of Silverton (elev. 9302). You can drive the same distance between the two towns in about an hour, but where's the fun in that.
Before we get to the trains, let's check out the FREE museum
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This 1887 locomotive is the oldest owned by the Durango and Silverton Railroad.
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The original interior of one of the "luxury" passenger cars.
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This is the interior of one of the "crew" cars.
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Not just trains, there were a few antique cars in the museum too.
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This diesel electric engine pulled the first train out of the depot this morning at 8:30AM.
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This is the "open air" gondola car we will be riding in today.
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Our train is scheduled to leave in 15-minutes, but there's a big problem. NO ENGINE! CHECK OUT THE FIRST VIDEO BELOW!
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Two is always better than one when it comes to engines.
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Now that we have an engine it's time to climb aboard.
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We have the last two seats on the left hand side.
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I think I made a poor choice by selecting seats on this side of the train. We are going to be in the sun on the way up and the way back!
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There's lots of activity as our train prepares to leave the station.
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It's about an hour and a half into the ride before the beautiful scenery kicks in. You have to get outside of the Durango's city limits and away from all the homes and traffic first.
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Then the magic starts! This is what we came to see.
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We are in the exact middle of the train, 7 cars in front of us and 7 cars behind us.
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Our first crossing of the Animas River. Got to let those on the other side of the car see too.
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No that's not a fire up ahead! Just our steam engine working hard to climb the mountain.
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A pedestrian bridge gives hikers a chance to see the San Juan National Forest.
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A huge rock slide shut down the track for 4-days in June of 2024.
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This is downtown Silverton, CO looking west from the center of town.
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Same intersection, but looking north.
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Again, same intersection looking east.
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Again, same intersection looking south, see anything strange? The tracks just stop! There's no train ride north of Silverton.
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That's the 8:30AM train on the left and our 9:00AM train on the right.
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Our steam engine train appears to be a few cars longer than the diesel-electic train.
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Time to leave the depot in Silverton. "That guy" is in most of our photos that you didn't get to see.
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Now that they've turned the train around we'll get to see all the things we missed on the way up.
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Apparently both sides of the train have awesome views of Colorado.
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I call this a "waterfall of trees".
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This steam engine doesn't need diesel fuel, but it does need lots of water.
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That was one of two water stops we made along the route.
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It takes a lot of effort to maintain the tracks so close to the river.
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There's "that guy" again in one of our photos!
A lesson on how to hook up a pair of steam engines in 5-minutes or less.
You'll get a chance to get up close and personal with the canyon walls going up and back.
We specifically chose the steam engine over the diesel-electic to experience a more authentic ride. Plus I'd rather hear the "choo choo" and "whistle" instead of the "honk honk" of the diesel-electric engine experience.
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From the upper parking lot at Chimney Rock National Monument
About half way up the third of a mile trail it turns from gravel to rocks.
A view of the surrounding valley.
Chimney Rock was built using techniques learned at Chaco Canyon.
Thinner rocks are used as shims to leep the bigger rocks level and more stable.
Here's our guide Mike explaining something to us with his boss listening in over his shoulder.
Our first far away view of the Chimney Rock and Companion Rock spires.
Here is a zoomed in photo showing more detail.
Now back to exploring the various village dwellings.
Here's one of the perfectly round kivas on top of the mesa.
There were many separate rooms throughout the village.
We learned that dendrochronology is the science of dating trees by examining the rings.
This is as close as you're going to legally get to the base of Chimney Rock.
Now we have to negotiate the treacherous rocky trail back to the parking lot. 
Here is where the trail turns back into gravel and is much easier to walk on.
A final look back at Chimney Rock National Monument.
Now just 60 more miles through the Colorado countryside and we'll be at our campsite.
Before we get to the trains, let's check out the FREE museum
This 1887 locomotive is the oldest owned by the Durango and Silverton Railroad.
The original interior of one of the "luxury" passenger cars.
This is the interior of one of the "crew" cars.
Not just trains, there were a few antique cars in the museum too.
This diesel electric engine pulled the first train out of the depot this morning at 8:30AM.
This is the "open air" gondola car we will be riding in today.
Our train is scheduled to leave in 15-minutes, but there's a big problem. NO ENGINE!
Two is always better than one when it comes to engines.
Now that we have an engine it's time to climb aboard.
We have the last two seats on the left hand side.
I think I made a poor choice by selecting seats on this side of the train.
There's lots of activity as our train prepares to leave the station.
It's about an hour and a half into the ride before the beautiful scenery kicks in.
Then the magic starts! This is what we came to see.
We are in the exact middle of the train, 7 cars in front of us and 7 cars behind us.
Our first crossing of the Animas River.
No that's not a fire up ahead! Just our steam engine working hard to climb the mountain.
A pedestrian bridge gives hikers a chance to see the San Juan National Forest.
A huge rock slide shut down the track for 4-days in June of 2024.
This is downtown Silverton, CO looking west from the center of town.
Same intersection, but looking north.
Again, same intersection looking east.
Again, same intersection looking south, see anything strange?
That's the 8:30AM train on the left and our 9:00AM train on the right.
Our steam engine train appears to be a few cars longer than the diesel-electic train.
Time to leave the depot in Silverton.
Now that they've turned the train around
Apparently both sides of the train have awesome views of Colorado.
I call this a "waterfall of trees".
This steam engine doesn't need diesel fuel, but it does need lots of water.
That was one of two water stops we made along the route.
It takes a lot of effort to maintain the tracks so close to the river.
There's "that guy" again in one of our photos!
