Today we drove the one-hour trip from Mesa Verde KOA RV Park to Alpen Rose RV Park in Durango, CO.  I was surprised to see a whole new section of town that has been added in the past 11 years since my last visit.  It now looks very modern and upscale compared to the old small town that I saw before, with only the old Strater Hotel and the narrow gauge railroad to draw attention to itself.  It now is a desirable place for retirees and young professionals to live.  After we parked, we drove the Jeep to the Walmart to get some supplies, then to CityMarket for groceries.  We also stopped off at the local Albertsons for large ziplok bags, since CityMarket does not have them.

 When we got back to the RV park, I heard what sounded like a toy train whistle.  I found out later that the small gauge railroad runs nearby.  I never heard the train itself but only the whistle.  That is the train that we shall ride tomorrow.  A bus will take us to Silverton at 9:30 am.  Then we shall have lunch in Silverton before taking the train back to Durango.  That is the opposite of what I did in 2006 when I rode the train from Durango to Silverton, had lunch in Silverton, then rode a bus out of Silverton to Grand Junction.  It snowed that year as we rode to Silverton, and I have photos of that ride on my web site.  Will it snow tomorrow?  Stay tuned . . .

Alpen Rose RV Park