The San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway includes
Highway 550 between Durango and Silverton.
This road is the gateway to the Million Dollar Highway starting 12 miles
south of Ouray, CO to the Red Mountain Pass at 11,000 ft.
The surrounding mountains are at 13,000 ft. elevation.
The October chill has the Aspen trees turning colors from brilliant green
to yellow, gold and fire red.
Dark Evergreen trees are a nice contrast to the Aspens.
Molas Lake
Silverton at 9,300 ft.
We arrived just as the train was pulling into the depot.
The steam engine uses 6 tons of coal and 10,000 gallons of water per day.
The locomotive traveled at about 18 mph and took about 3 1/2 hours one way.
The railroad was first built in 1881 to haul silver & gold ore from the San Juan Mountains and is now a popular tourist train.
Silverton greets tourists with many shops and restaurants.
Brown Bear was our choice for lunch. We shared a table
and great conversation with a couple from Southern France.
Harmony Park lives up to it's name.
Chimes in the background are available to make music
with a wooden mallet.
Historic & colorful buildings everywhere you look.
Old 1902 County jail to the left of Hungry Moose Bar & Grill.
Notorious Blair Street once crowded with saloons, gambling halls and bordellos during the mining town era.
Tourists with full stomachs, souvenirs and happy experiences
returning to Durango.
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