Sept 23 Durango

Today we drove from Montrose to Durango through Ouray along the Million Dollar Road.  There are several stories as to how it got the name.  The one I like best is that in the 1880s mine tailings were used as part of the road construction.  Miners later discovered that unrecovered gold and silver in that gravel was worth more than a million dollars.

No money was wasted on guardrails or even shoulders on portions of the road, where six inches off the pavement there is nothing for 500 feet straight down.  Fortunately, early on a Sunday morning there was little traffic in big trucks or RVs going the other way.

Fall colors were magnificent going up over 11000 feet along the road.  See for yourself:

 At Ouray, a balloon had just taken flight.

 Heading uphill from Ouray

 Crystal Lake, between Ouray and Silverton was amazing.  There were more than a hundred people there early on a Sunday morning just admiring the view.  I think that for some it was their version of going to church.

 Typical highway sign along the Million Dollar Highway, but the scenery behind it is breathtaking.

 We stopped briefly in Silverton to get the lay of the land before arriving tomorrow on the train.  We couldn't go down main street because they were filming "Freak Power," a movie about Hunter S. Thompson and his bid for sheriff of Aspen Colorado.  Silverton looks more like 1970s Aspen than Aspen does, so the film crews are here.  Lots of vintage cars were driving around to add flavor, many of them of the muscle variety.

 We stayed at the historic yet well appointed (and with good high speed wifi) Strater Hotel in downtown Durango, right next to the railroad tracks.  Only two blocks from the train station and our ride tomorrow.

 The Strater's Diamond Belle Saloon (and pub style food).

 The Strater Hotel

 We walked down to the train station area to see the last train return from Silverton.  486 would be our prime mover on the next day.

 Sunday's train was engineered by her.