The
Durango took us to Durango and then to Silverton.
The Route
We drove 134 miles today by continuing westward on US-160 to
Durango, took US-550 north to Silverton, and returned.
About the Day
The day was mostly sunny and pleasant until late afternoon. Intermittent showers moved in around 4:30 pm and continued for a hour or so.
On the Way
It’s clear that the area between Durango and Silverton is a
playground for people with money. The attraction
of mountains, forests, and open ranges brought golf, skiing, hiking, camping, resorts
and vacation homes.
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| Approaching Durango on US-160 |
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| Heading north on US-550 |
US-550 was docile when we left Durango. It got more exciting as we climbed into the mountains. Sharp curves, cutbacks and narrow berms without guardrails kept our attention.
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| Skiing can be difficult here. |
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| If skiing doesn't get you, the drive will, |
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| It's quite an exciting climb. |
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When you get this high,
the name "Molas Pass" sounds funny. |
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| Views from the Molas Pass Summit |
Silverton
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| Approaching Silverton from US-550 |
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| Mine tailings color the mountainsides |
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| Visitor Center/Museum |
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The main street is lined with
shops, restaurants and vehicles. |
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| Very few cars stood out like this '37 Pontiac |
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| Greene Street is the main street |
We stopped for a late lunch at Handlebars Food & Saloon. Lots of others had the same idea. The lunch was well worth the wait.
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Handlebars Food & Saloon
was the busiest place in town. |
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| There was a waiting list. |
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| They have a sense of humor. |
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| A lot of business. |
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| And lots of entertainment. |
The Campground
Staying in a campground more than a day helps us discover more
about our neighbors and the community.
Today we learned we’re the smallest RV in the campground. Most rigs here are really big 5th
Wheels or Class-As. License plates and
visits with neighbors reveal that many are from Texas and Arizona. They come at this time of year to get away
from the heat at home. They’re the reverse
of “snow-birds”.
We also met a resident named Kuzco. Kuzco
is also called Al, so we assume he’s a male.
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| Kuzco is a gentle spirit. |
We walked around the park in the evening and stopped to feed Kuzco on the way. We offered baby carrots and he took them with
experienced gentleness.
Tomorrow
We’ll tour the Durango historic district and continue westward to Cortez.
You are getting into territory that we have really liked! In 2011, we came through Durango after seeing a lot of the National Parks in southern Utah. (I'm assuming you are going to see them, too!) We had a few hours to kill in Durango before flying back home, and found a wonderful art gallery (Azul Gallery). It's located at 781 Main Ave, and worth your time. We bought a wonderful copper art piece that we have REALLY liked (and friends want to have for themselves!). Enjoy!
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