The year was 1882, and we were riding the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to Cascade Canyon after staying the night at the Rochester Hotel in Durango, Colorado.
On Friday we drove the scenic route to Durango. We checked into the charming and historic Rochester Hotel and walked to the train museum.
The museum has quite an eclectic collection of loosely related things in addition to the train exhibits.
We had dinner at the Cypress Cafe on the recommendation of the hotel concierge. I had asked where three meat eaters and a vegan should eat. The vegetarian menu items at the Cypress were not veganize-able but the chef made me a beautiful stuffed eggplant. It was a culinary delight. In the morning we had a hearty breakfast at the hotel, checked out, and headed for the train station. Due to the chilly and somewhat windy forecast for Southern Colorado we dressed in extra layers.
We stayed in our coach on the way to Cascade Canyon. By the time we arrived, it was sunny enough that the cool air and breeze were not unpleasant, although we remained bundled up.
Some people brought picnic lunches to eat at Cascade Canyon. We had snacks but mostly walked around and explored the area and took pictures.
On the way home, Stephen and I rode in the open car. There are no seats, so we stood holding on to the poles and leaning over the side to to take pictures along the way. At times we got wet from the steam and it was a little smoky once or twice, but mostly it was delightful.
The train returned us to Durango (and the year 2018) at about 3:00 and we headed back to Albuquerque via the more direct route. After a delicious dinner at El Patron we arrived at Casa Marino. Another adventure in the books!
