Silverton and Durango CO, cont.

After driving for about 45 minutes you reach the main passes through the mountains.  In winter, this is avalanche country, but during the summer it is very nice.  Temperatures are in the 50's today and the views are spectacular.

Then all of a sudden, after a turn on the mountain pass, you can see the old mining town of Silverton down in the valley (http://www.silvertoncolorado.com/).  It is really picturesque and you can imagine what it was like in the early nineteenth century.  I had lunch at  Grumpy's Hotel in honor of all of our happy relatives and friends!  There was even a live piano player, named Lacey, who could really belt out those tunes.

As I was leaving the hotel after lunch I heard the whistle of the old narrow gauge steam train (http://www.durangotrain.com/) from Durango pulling into Silverton so I hopped over to the train station and got some great photos.  The boys would really like this train ride through the mountains in vintage old cars.  Maybe they could help the fireman shovel in the coal?

Back in Durango, it is more modern, but there are a couple of great old Victorian Hotels with vintage interiors that are worth a visit, including the General Palmer and the Strater Hotels.  (http://www.strater.com/)

Tomorrow, I head to Abiquiu, NM. which is near the Christ in the Desert Monastery, where I will be spending several days.  It is Georgia O'Keefe country, the famous artist, and Ghost Ranch is quite near where I will be staying.   I may not have a chance to post any more blog items until after I leave the Monastery on September 6th.  In case I forget, Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!  I really wish you were here to see all of this.

Silverton and Durango, CO

Today I decided to take the scenic highway Rt 550 to Silverton, CO., an old mining town. The drive brings you through the mountains and the views are incredible all along the way. Here is a short sample. I am still trying to figure out how to load these pictures more quickly. I may just do a couple of quick posts to show you all of the pictures I took today.

More Pictures from the Grand Canyon North Rim, and my trip from Page AZ and beyond to Mesa Verde National Park.

I am glad that I stayed in Page, AZ rather than trying to push it and make it to Durango, CO from the Grand Canyon all in one day. Because I cannot currently use my CPAP, I tend to become drowsy at the wheel after a few hours. So I have decided to take the safe route and only travel a few hours each day, staying in hotels, and taking frequent breaks and naps. Hopefully, by the time I do get to Durango, CO. where there is a CPAP representative, I will be able to resolve the problem there.

Anyway, here are some more shots from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. From the Lodge area I took the scenic drive to Point Imperial. At 8,803 ft it has the highest vista point at either rim; it offers magnificent views of both the canyon and the distant country; the Vermilion Cliffs to the north, the 10,000 foot Navajo Mountain to the northeast in Utah, the Painted Desert to the east, and the Little Colorado River Canyon to the southeast.

I spent the night in Page, AZ since I rethought how wise it would be to drive another 300 mi to get to Williams AZ. I believe that I will get back to see the South Rim once I get to Santa Fe to do my sabbatical program. I believe they set aside a weekend excursion for this.



That was a good decision. I stayed at a low cost travel lodge in Page, got some good food, a good night’s sleep, and even did a laundry. From Page I took the scenic route up through Monument Valley, the Four Corners area (I must have missed the sign to the actual spot) and on to Mesa Verde National Park. I am staying in the lodge tonight at Mesa Verde. My room gives me an Eagle’s Eye view for hundreds of miles around and we just had a thunderstorm which left a beautiful rainbow just outside my balcony. What a treat!

I figured no shops would be open in Durango until tomorrow anyway, so why not enjoy a night at a lodge. The rooms are simple, but the views are priceless. No TV so there are no distractions from the beauty around us.  There even was a rainbow to greet me.

Mesa Verde is absolutely incredible.  It sits on a high mesa and for the first time, rather than just looking at red rocks, I got to see what other peoples did with these red rocks, i.e., made them into their homes.  The Puebloan peoples were really ingenious in designing these cliff dwellings.  As you can see from some of the photos, it is pretty difficult to actually get up and close to these dwellings.  But they have the park laid out in such a way that even Icould get some good views.

I left Mesa Verde National Park after lunch and headed to Durango, CO.  The first item on my agenda was to find someplace to check out my CPAP machine and perhaps get another.  I found the people here to be extremely understanding and helpful.  They got me in touch with Lincare, and the people there got me a replacement machine which I can rent for a couple of weeks until I get settled in Santa Fe. NM.  My Jesuit Health Trust Insurance pays for everything.  I immediately went to find a nice hotel and took a long nap with my new CPAP.  After two hours, I awoke refreshed and ready for a night on the town.