We still have clear air at our campground. We got up this morning and decided to drive over to Silverton. We knew the main tourist attraction, the Narrow-Gauge Railroad, was out of operation due to the National Forest closure. The train travels daily from Durango to Silverton and it is breathtaking. We took that train a few years ago and it has views that can only be seen from the train.
With the train closure, Silverton stands to lose a huge majority of its tourists’ dollars and is looking at a major economic hit. We wanted to drive over and spend some money.
Hwy 550 was closed just past Silverton at this parking lot. The smoke is clearly visible in the background.
Lunch at High Noon! There were several places already closed down for the summer after the news of the Railroad closure. There were a few bikers in town, but otherwise, it was as close to tumbleweeds and dust devils as I’ve ever seen out west.
But, the burgers were great and I had plenty of hot fresh fries. We lingered over lunch because the weather was still beautiful and we were not ready to drive back.
Waterfall on Hwy 550 between Silverton and Ourey. The only way to find it is look for the metal railing and crowds of people. If there are no crowds, you’ll drive right by it. It’s huge and beautiful.
Tonight, campfires and s’mores!