Silverton, Co..........................a little challenging to reach, but well worth the cramps

Crystal Lake is on the Million Dollar Highway between Ouray and Silverton.  The trailhead for the Hayden Trail is located here.  We hiked a bit of the trail until we were told there was a moose up ahead grazing on the trail.  Moose aren't always friendly!

 

Similar to Ouray, the town of Silverton traces its roots back first to the Ute Indians and then to prospectors searching for gold and silver in the mid-1800's.  The first mining claims in the region were in the 1860's.  Although the work was difficult, the mining was productive.  The town boomed from the time of the first claim until the silver market collapse in 1893.  Shortly thereafter the good times started to roll again as gold mining boomed until 1907.

Silverton

What do you get when you get a bunch of hardcore prospectors with a little money in their pockets?  A lot of alcohol, gambling and "ladies of the night".  During its boom period, a three-block stretch of Silverton known as Blair Street was home to 32 saloons, gambling halls and houses of ill-repute.  Although I'm not sure what they did with their winnings, legendary western figures Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp were rumored to gamble in Silverton on a regular basis.

The Shady Lady Saloon in Silverton.  Now days they advertise serving up Hot Roast Beef and Turkey Sandwiches.  In the late 1800's the menu was a little different!

Silverton survived booms and busts through the years.  Now the small town with less than 700 permanent residents is a popular destination that can be reached by car, or the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.  From mid-May until the end of October the train makes daily round trips from Durango to Silverton.  The journey is a little over three hours each way, and passengers have several hours to roam the town and spend a few bucks on food, beverage and souvenirs (sorry, no more brothels).  The train ride has been voted as one of the top ten scenic rail trips in the world.  This is especially true at this time of year when the Aspens are at peak color.  My dad would whole heartedly agree with the lofty rating of the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.   He said many times that riding that train was one of the real highlights of his life.  

The train arriving in Silverton

Durango-Silverton Train

Reaching Silverton by car from Ouray isn't a long journey.  It's only 24 miles away on the highway that has been named the "Million Dollar Highway".  The scenery is magnificent.   Leaving Ouray, you pass Crystal Lake and the Hayden Trailhead just a few miles out of town.  The incredible color of the trees, with seven 14,000 foot mountains serving as a backdrop is breathtaking.  If that doesn't take your breath away, climbing over 3,000 feet to Red Mountain Pass probably will.  For much of the ascent and descent there is no guardrail on the winding road...........and it's a long way down!  It's definitely a two hands on the steering wheel drive.  By the time we reached Silverton I had white knuckled the steering wheel enough that I could feel a few cramps in my hands.

Along the way from Ouray to Silverton

It was a mostly cool, drizzly day but the clouds did break for a few minutes while we were at Crystal Lake

On the Hayden Trail..........no moose in sight!  We didn't see him while we were hiking, but Beth did get a glimpse of him as we were driving away.

The drive was a little challenging in the Silver Bullet.  I can't imagine what it must have been like crossing the pass in a wagon!

From Red Mountain Pass

There is some mining that still takes place in the area.  They are also doing some historical preservation of some of the old mines.

Silverton itself is well worth visiting.  It's a smaller version of Ouray, with historic buildings filled with shops, galleries and restaurants.  If you visit, take a little time to learn the history of the town by reading some of the many historical markers.  Also, if you're feeling a little hungry and you hear the train whistle pick a place to eat quickly.  The majority of folks arriving by train have worked up a pretty good appetite on the three-hour ride from Durango. 

Downtown Silverton on a wet Saturday afternoon.  For those who have been on an Alaska cruise, Silverton reminded us of the small Alsakan towns that the cruises visit, especially when the weather is similar to a typical Alaska day (cool and wet)

  

Is this Switzerland? No, it's Ouray!

Switzerland of America right here in Colorado!

Like so many of the small communities in Colorado, Ouray (rhymes with hurray) can be traced back to the 1800's when prospectors were seeking their fortunes along Colorado's rivers and streams.  The community, which sits at 7,800 feet in elevation, actually had its beginnings in 1875 as prospectors worked their way northward along the Uncompahgre River.  In its heyday Ouray had more than 30 active mines.  While there is still mining in the area, the economy has shifted to one based on year-round outdoor tourism, taking full advantage of the four distinct seasons the area experiences.

Along the Uncompahgre River Trail, so far, we haven't found any silver or gold!

Ouray is small, which is something we like more and more these days.  It's less than a mile long and at it's widest point it's less than a half mile wide.  What it lacks in size, it makes up for in beauty.  Ouray's location is something straight from a postcard.  It's located in a narrow valley, almost entirely surrounded by the steep San Juan Mountains.  Ouray has proclaimed itself as the "Switzerland of America".  This may be a bold proclamation, but just a few days into our month long stay we woke up to a fresh snowfall at the higher elevations surrounding Ouray.  Having spent a little time in Switzerland, we could see the resemblance.

Ouray from the "Million Dollar Highway" Overlook.  It was so named because of the expense related to building the highway over the passes and through the valleys.  The cost was estimated to be over a million dollars a mile.  It has also been named one of the most beautiful roads in America with "Million Dollar Views"

Cascade Falls is just a few blocks away........but it's a steep uphill walk to get there!

Full Moon Rising over Ouray

Ouray's population is around 1,000 people and at least four deer!  They tend to frequently hang around this corner just a couple of hundred feet from our Airbnb.  

October is an amazing time of year to visit the Ouray area.  The summer crowds are gone, the temperatures are moderate (our highs have been mostly in the low 60's with low's in the low 40's) and the golden color of the Aspens as their leaves begin to change is stunning.  When we arrived, the trees were mostly still green.  They are now in full color.  By the time we leave near the end of the month, the leaves will mostly have fallen and will quite likely be covered with a blanket of snow.  At least that's what we're hoping for!

Fresh snow at the higher elevations and golden leaves below.  This picture was taken just a few miles outside Ouray.

We're enjoying watching this transition take place from the cozy confines of our Airbnb which overlooks Main Street, as well as from numerous hiking trails.  We've seen more golden leaves from the Silver Bullet as we've explored nearby towns such as Silverton, Ridgway, Telluride and Montrose.  But our favorite spot to enjoy the scenery just might be from the Ouray Hot Springs.  The natural hot springs have been enjoyed for hundreds of years, dating back to the time when the Ute Indians considered the hot mineral water from the springs to be sacred and healing.  If the waters from the Ouray Hot Springs turn out to be the fountain of youth, Beth and I will be mere children by the time we pack it up and head out of town!  

The Ouray Hot Springs....................

If you don't find us soaking in the water............

you might find us soaking up the scenery from a nearby bench.

Basalt.........Kicking off our Colorado adventure

 

Along the Rio Grande Trail in Aspen

Arriving back in Denver, we found the Silver Bullet right where we left it and ready to go.  I've mentioned it before, but it's worth another mention.  The website Park, Sleep and Fly is a nice option to consider for a combination of a hotel night (can be at the beginning or the end of the trip) and extended airport parking.  We had stayed at the hotel before flying from Denver to Tampa, so we threw the bags in the Bullet and were on the road to our first destination.

Park, Sleep, Fly

The great majority of our Colorado adventure will be spent in Ouray, however, we kicked it off in the small community of Basalt.  It was just a little over a three-hour drive from Denver to Basalt.  Most of the drive was on I-70 until we reached Glenwood Springs.  As fate would have it, we arrived in Glenwood Springs around 1:00 PM, one hour before Sweet Coloradough closed.  Sweet Coloradough is an amazing and somewhat eclectic bakery/sandwich shop that we had discovered on a previous trip.  The sandwiches were good, but the sweets are amazing!  We knew that there would be plenty of hot springs soaking once we reached Ouray, so we fought off the temptation to make a detour to the Glenwood Hot Springs, and with full bellies and a few extra treats for later we made the short remaining part of the drive to Basalt.  

Leaving Sweet Coloradough with a few goodies for the road

Sweet Coloradough

Basalt is a small community of approximately four thousand residents that is located twenty miles from the resort town of Aspen.  Basalt was first named Aspen Junction because there was a railroad junction there that led to the town of Aspen. There are actually two sections of Basalt, located a few miles apart.  Our hotel was located in the "newer" area, which was a nice mixed-use development that seemed to be only a few years old.  The "Historic District" is located at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Fryingpan Rivers. It had been a long travel day, but we still enjoyed walking through both the commercial and residential areas near the hotel.  It was a well-planned development that reminded us of areas like Disney's Celebration and Lakewood Ranch near Bradenton.  A nice place to reside, either full time or just for a couple of nights.

Basalt

Although we spent two nights in Basalt, we arrived midafternoon the first day and planned to leave fairly early in the morning on the day of departure.  We took full advantage of the middle day to explore both Aspen and Historic Basalt.  First up was the very upscale town of Aspen.  Although it is most commonly known as a ski destination, it is a year round playground for the rich and famous (frequently visited by Jeff Bezos, Oprah, Tom Cruise, Kevin Costner to name just a few), as well as the not so rich and famous like the Tuckers.  If we passed any of the rich and famous, we didn't recognize them.  We did however enjoy a nice hike on a section of the Rio Grande Trail.  Afterward we roamed around the downtown area, which was quite busy in spite of it being "off season".   "Cheap Eats" are not easy to find in Aspen, but we found a good one.  Big Wrap had a nice selection of wraps and salads that were a nice bang for our buck in a town where a buck doesn't go too far.  Our favorite places to eat along the way tend to be those local places with a one $ sign.

There's 42 miles of continuous trail along the Rio Grande Trail between Glenwood Springs and Aspen...........we saved a little bit for future adventures.

I like how it has pets listed before kids!

The trail runs along the Roaring Forks River

A nice water feature in downtown Aapen

It may not look it from this picture but downtown Aspen was pretty busy and very colorful

Big Wrap

On our way back from Aspen we stopped for a while in the Basalt Historic District.  This section of Basalt is sometimes referred to as "Old Town".   "Old" seems to fit us just right these days and we had a great time wandering up and down the two main streets (Midland Avenue and Two Rivers Road).  The buildings were filled with shops, restaurants, art galleries and local businesses.  It was distinctly different from the area around our hotel but equally enjoyable to see.

Historic Basalt

We enjoyed our two days in the Basalt/Aspen area.  It was a great place to kick off our Colorado adventure.  Next up............Ouray! 

Hurricane Ian..............

 I don't remember exactly when it was, but while we were in Florida enjoying visiting with family, and celebrating Beth's mom's (NaNa) 94th birthday we heard about "an area of interest" that the National Hurricane Center was keeping an eye on.  This certainly isn't unusual at this time of year, but it is something that always gets Floridians attentions.  Over the next few days, the "area of interest" continued to strengthen, and while it was still a long way away, early projected paths showed that it could be headed for Florida.  We watched it closely as it continued to grow in both size and strength, and it became more apparent that Florida could be in the path of what became Hurricane Ian.

We had left the Silver Bullet in Denver close to two weeks earlier and had an Airbnb booked in Ouray, Colorado.  Our flight out of Florida was scheduled for Tuesday, September 27.  On Sunday morning, while visiting with NaNa, we got word that Southwest Airlines was allowing changes to upcoming flights in anticipation of the Tampa area being impacted by the storm later in the week.

We called Southwest and they were able to change our flights out from Tuesday to early Monday morning. As it turns out the airport closed Tuesday afternoon. The Tampa Bay area was projected to be in the bullseye of what was now a major hurricane.  Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for the island.

What unfolded over the next few days was terrible.  The storm grew and grew.  Although the Tampa Bay area and Anna Maria Island were spared the worst of the damage, it's incredibly sad to see the devastation that has taken place less than 100 miles south, from Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda where we lived and worked for seven years, down to Fort Myers (where Ben and Sarah were born) and Naples.

We are grateful that all of our immediate and extended family, as well as friends are safe.  We are also grateful that while there has been some damage to some of their homes, the damage can be repaired.  We pray for those who have lost loved ones, the many who suffered significant damage or complete loss of their homes, as well as the emotional and financial challenges that will be faced for years to come.

We made it to Denver Monday morning and drove three hours to Basalt for the first two nights of this adventure.  We've now settled into our Airbnb in Ouray, which we will call home for the month.  I look forward to sharing soon about the adventures here in the Centennial State, all the while still trying to reason with hurricane season. 

Prayers to all of those impacted by Hurricane Ian.

Catching up...............Shuffling back to Buffalo, Bamboozled by the Bisons, Saying Goodbye to the Finger Lakes and Westward Ho!

Niagra Falls At Night!

As is often the case these days, I've fallen a bit behind on my blogging.  It's now September 20.  We left the Finger Lakes on September 10.  My last post prior to this one was on September 8.  We've covered a lot of territory; I'll try to be brief. 

On Labor Day morning we did a little backtracking.  We drove back the hour and half from Geneva to the Buffalo/Niagra Falls area.  We were excited to do so because there's plenty to do in the area, and we had a special guest joining us for a couple of days.  

Ben had to work until 3:00 but made the drive (3 hours) from Slippery Rock after getting off.  He made it just as the sun was setting.  We had a full two days of fun planned and we kicked it off as soon as he arrived.  After getting a bite to eat we headed to Niagra Falls State Park to get a look at the falls at night.  Morning, noon or night, they're always spectacular.  At night they are lit up, turning them into a kaleidoscope of ever-changing color.  As an added bonus, from May to October our Canadian friends have nightly fireworks at 10:00 PM.  The fireworks show was about five minutes in length and very enjoyable even though the weather was a little drizzly.

Spectacular 24/7

Fireworks over the Falls!

Tuesday morning, we hit the links at the City of Niagra Falls Hyde Park Golf Course.  The course wasn't very busy and the nice gentleman in the pro shop gave us an extra cart so Beth could ride along and provide commentary on the match.  I asked Ben for two shots a hole, but he felt that was a little excessive, so we settled for one shot a hole.  It was a close match, but thanks to one really bad par 3 on the back nine, he whipped me. 

On the tee!  Hyde Park is a city owned course located in the second largest city park in New York (Central Park in NYC is the largest).  

Beth provided excellent and unbiased commentary and praise throughout the match!

 

After all that intense golf we had worked up a pretty good appetite.  We wanted to provide Ben with an impeccable dining experience.  I'm sure there are a number of options in the Buffalo area, but the choice was easy.  It was a return visit for Beth and I, and Ben's first trip to the Anchor Bar.  The original home of the Buffalo Wings.  We order plenty, Beth went with chicken tenders, Ben opted for the "boneless wings", and I stuck with the original.  There was plenty of sampling going on.  In the end we agreed they were all good.  If you've ever nibbled on a chicken wing or tender, and you're in Buffalo give the Anchor Bar in downtown a try.  I think you'll be glad you did.

It was around 5:30 when we were finishing at the Anchor Bar.  It was a little cloudy and the temperature was forecast to be in the mid-60's throughout the evening.  It was a perfect night for baseball!  The Buffalo Bisons, (triple A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays), were in town and taking on the Gwinett Stripers (Braves affiliate).  Buffalo has a reputation of being a great minor league baseball town and we were looking forward to the experience.  It would also complete the New York triple A trifecta of seeing a game in Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo.

Suddenly Ben had a puzzled look on his face and showed us his phone.  There was an announcement that the game was postponed due to unplayable wet conditions on the field.  It happens.  Games get rained out.  There was only one problem.  It hadn't rained in Buffalo for at least twenty-four hours.  Since we were only a few minutes from the stadium we decided to drive by just to confirm this wasn't some kind of hoax.  At the stadium there were other fans, many with their dogs in tow since it was "bring your dog to the game night", milling about with the same confused looks that we had.  The gates were locked, and signs that simply said "Tonight's game is postponed due to an unplayable field".  We dug a little bit for the truth, but never came up with anything that made sense.  Our best guess is the teams wanted a night off or someone forgot to turn the sprinkler off when they left Monday night.  We left feeling a little bamboozled.  But we didn't leave the stadium before putting a curse on the Bisons.  I'm not sure if it'll be as successful as the Curse of the Bambino on the Red Sox or the Billy Goat Curse on the Cubs...........only time will tell.

You may not be able to read the sign, but it says, "There will be no baseball tonight"!

Chained and locked!  Did someone forget to turn the sprinklers off?

The Curse of the Bambino

Curse of the Billy Goat

Although disappointed there would be no baseball, we did enjoy looking around the canal side area.  There are several shops, restaurants and a very nice military park.  The military park has several naval ships, a submarine and military aircraft on display, as well as memorials to those western New Yorkers who had lost their lives in various conflicts around the world. 

Buffalo's Canalside Military Park.

Buffalo Main Lighthouse along the Lake Erie shoreline

Downtown Buffalo from the waterfront area

Wednesday morning before we headed back to the Finger Lakes and Ben returned home, we had one more item on the agenda.  On a previous visit to Ben's, we had toured the Frank Lloyd Wright designed home "Fallingwater" in the Pennsylvania Laurel Highlands.  There is another Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Buffalo.  It's known simply as the "Martin House", named after the owner, Darwin Martin.  The Martin House and Fallingwater are very different, but it's easy to see Wright's work in both homes.

In front of the Martin House

Another view of the outside.  Photography wasn't allowed inside the house.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House

Beth and I arrived back in Geneva in time to make one more trip to Ventosa Vineyards.  As I had mentioned in a previous blog, there are over 100 wineries in the Finger Lakes region.  We only made it to a couple, but we enjoyed them and the live music they frequently offer.

The last two of days of our Finger Lakes stay were spent relaxing by the lake. We enjoyed walking along the lake shore and pedaling the Cayuga-Seneca Trail a couple of more times.  We also found ourselves frequently sitting and staring at the beautiful lake.  Beth's mother (NaNa) named us the Traveling Idiots (a term of endearment, I'm sure).  While sitting by the lake we came up with the "Gazing Geezers" and "Bench Bums".  They all seem to fit! 

Our final sunset on Seneca Lake.  We're looking forward to a return visit somewhere down the line.

We pulled out Saturday morning, with hopes of returning to Geneva and the Finger Lakes Region again.  We drove to Ben's for the weekend, but of course there were a few stops along the way.  First up was Letchworth State Park, which was named the nation's top state park in 2015.  It is also known as the "Grand Canyon of the East".  OK, it's a really nice park, but to call it the "Grand Canyon of the East" might be a bit of an exaggeration.  We also spent a little time in the town of Ellicottville.  It's a ski village in the winter, but is a year-round destination with golf, biking, hiking and more.  Our last stop was a "spur of the moment" stop at Allegany State Park (also in NY).  Like all the NY State Parks we visited, it was really nice with camping, canoeing, hiking, fishing and much more to keep you busy.

Letchworth State Park

Always looking for a place to sit and relax for a few minutes...........

OK, so maybe "Grand Canyon of the East" is a little overstated..........or at least a few million years premature!

There are three very nice waterfalls in Letchworth State Park.  This is the "Middle Falls".  It is the tallest of the three falls (150 feet).  The "Upper Falls" is in the background just below the railroad bridge.

Letchworth State Park

 

Ellicottville is a year-round destination in upstate New York.

A creative use for old skis in Ellicottville!

Ellicottville, NY

Because it was getting late, our time at Allegany State Park was short.  We were very impressed with what we saw!

Allegany State Park

Because of Ben's schedule we didn't see too much of him over the weekend.  But as always, we enjoyed the time we had with him, as well as with his sweet dog Allie.  Monday morning at 4:00 AM we fired up the Silver Bullet for the great westward migration.   One thousand one hundred sixty-six miles and a little over seventeen hours later we pulled into the Holiday Inn Express in North Platte, Nebraska.  When I did the math, it ended up that we averaged a little over sixty seven miles per hour!   Who were we running from?  Nobody!  But we were stalked most of the drive.  We can vouch that Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska can grow a whole bunch of corn. We estimated that at a minimum, at least 60% of the time we were driving there was a corn field on either or both sides of the highway.  That's a lot of stalks!

Having put in so many miles the previous day, we had only a short four-hour drive from North Platte to Denver.  We had a nice morning soak in the hotel hot tub and stretched our legs with a walk along North Platte's Riverside Trail.  After our walk we enjoyed visiting the Golden Spike Tower and Visitors Center.  The tower overlooks the world's largest railyard.  It may not sound terribly exciting, but it was actually very interesting.  The museum told the story of North Platte's railroad history and the tower offered views of the very busy railyard, which at its widest point is 101 tracks wide.  Most interesting was the story of the North Platte Canteen.  

North Platte's Golden Spike Tower and Visitors Center.

Working on the railroad or recreating a scene from Blazing Saddles?

Union Pacific Railroad's Bailey Yard...........the world's largest railroad yard.  Both our dad's worked for the railroad so I guess you can say it's in our DNA.  Even if there isn't a strong railroad connection, we think most people would find it interesting.  Especially the amazing story of the North Platte Canteen.

 

From the Golden Spike Tower you could not only see the railroad yard, you could also see..........corn!

During World War II troop trains passed through North Platte, stopping for ten to fifteen minutes to service the trains and switch crews.  Starting on December 25, 1941 until April 1, 1946 every train carrying troops that passed through North Platte was greeted by citizens of the local communities.  The citizens offered the soldiers sandwiches, drinks, snacks and probably most importantly friendly smiles. It was common for young ladies to put their addresses in the sandwich bags and many long term "pen pal relationships and even some marriages resulted from this practice. It is estimated that over 55,000 local citizens from the surrounding small communities served over seven million soldiers! 

Buffalo Bill Cody made North Platte his home from 1878-1913.
 

After close to 1,500 miles in two days, the Silver Bullet is getting some much-needed rest in a hotel parking lot near the Denver Airport.  We'll be flying back to pick it up next week for the ongoing adventure.  Next up, a month in Ouray, Colorado!  Why Ouray?  You can see for yourself below:

Ouray 

Ouray Hot Springs

We're enjoying a couple of weeks back in Florida.................

and look who we found!!!!!!!!!!!!  This Saturday is her 94th birthday.  Could it possibly be that the key to longevity is a Coke Float?