Silverton, Ouray & Telluride

The next morning, a quick call to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway confirmed my suspicion...the train was not climbing all the way to Silverton. Completely disappointed, I proposed that if we could not ride to Silverton, that nothing could stop us from driving...

This time, we drove in two vehicles, as the cramped conditions from the day before were quite uncomfortable for these of us in the backseat!

The drive to Silverton was beautiful...though the decidious trees had yet to leaf, the scenery was stunning!

Once in Silverton, we walked downtown exploring the shops. Though most were closed, as the season was not officially open, we did have a small handful available to examine. We lunched at a delightful little cafe named The Pickle Barrel. If you are ever in the area, it would be a definite recommendation!


After lunch, we were off to Ouray, over Red Mountain Pass...

Nolan and I were both filled with amazement as we drove The Million Dollar Road between Silverton and Ouray. We had many scattered memories from our childhood regarding this drive, but honestly, we each thought that our own memories were exagerrated. They were not! Truly, the majesty of this pass and these mountains cannot be expressed with simple words. It must be experienced, there is no other way...words are simply inadequate.

Quietly, I had hoped to rediscover the falls in the Ouray area, particularly Box Canyon Falls, but it had been closed the previous day when a tourist had nearly been lost to the gorge after slipping on a patch of ice. So, we headed out to see the lower falls of Cascade Falls, which was an easy hike. It was there, that I discovered that Bonnie loved rocks! Amusingly, my brother must truly be in love...why else would he haul a 40-pound rock down a steep hill?

As our time at Ouray ended, the four of us discussed our next plan...both couples were planning a drive to Colorado Springs the next day to view Pike's Peak and Garden of the Gods before heading to our homes. So, it was decided that we would drive together. Nolan and Bonnie would return to Durango to arrange the checkout of the hotel, and Patrick and I would drive to Telluride tonight, with plans to meet the next morning to proceed to Colorado Springs.

The drive to Telluride was beautiful...the Dallas Divide was fantastic, especially in the light of the westering sun. But Telluride was a bit disappointing. Maybe it was all the hype, maybe just the scenic overload from the previous drive to Silverton and Ouray, or maybe I was just tired...but Telluride was pretty, and had some big mountains...but nothing to particularly set it apart. So, we drove in, we drove out...

Night found us in Montrose...with plans to sleep in!