304.365 {2017} Halloween

Halloween 2017 was a success with loads of candy, fun and cold but clear weather!

 We had a villain...Catwoman and 2 superheroes this year...Supergirl and Wonder Woman!

 Favorite candy?
Gobstoppers

Least favorite?
Whoppers or Dots

 Favorite candy?
Twix or Snickers

Least favorite?
Whoppers or Kit Kat

 Favorite candy?
Kit Kat

Least favorite?
Twizzlers or Whoppers

We went over to a friends for dinner and then all got to trick or treat together for the majority of the time.  The girls buckets were FULL and they had a blast as usual!

303.365 {2017}

We were able to carve the pumpkins just in the knick of time...Halloween Eve.  The girls did great with their original designs and it was the first year that they actually carved the majority if not all of their own pumpkin!  

303.365 {2017} Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park is about 45 minutes from Durango.  When we got to our first visitors center we were so disappointed that the tour tickets were sold to a school group that day.  We also didn't realize how far the museum and cliff dwellings were from the initial entrance (about 1 hour).  

You can take an easy hike around the Far View Sites which were inhabited from 900 to 1300 A.D.  The Ancestral Pueblo people were here about 200 years before building the cliff dwellings.  

They were once home to hundreds of people that lived in many villages.

This was a mesa top farming community.  They grew crops such as corn, squash and beans and hunted here.  

Jamie discovered some pinyon nuts (pine nuts) on our hike.  These are an important source of food not only for the people but animals as well.  They also used the trees for building materials and firewood.

Cliff Palace...requires a tour ticket but was closed undergoing renovation.  In AD 1200 the Ancestral Pueblo people began to build their villages here under the cliffs.  They shaped the sandstone into rectangular blocks.  The used dirt and water as mortar.   The round chambers are called Kiva.  You would enter via a ladder and were thought to be a multi-use site for religious, social and utilitarian purpose.

The Spruce Tree House was also closed because of a rock slide.  It is an absolutely fascinating place even though we weren't able to walk through the dwellings.  The visitors center was so interesting as well.  

302.365 {2017} Silverton and the Durango-Silverton Railroad trip

Today we had tickets for the Durango-Silverton railroad and took the bus first to Silverton to have lunch and then ride the train back to Durango. 

Silverton is nestled in the San Juan Mountains and used to be a silver mining town.  It is also one of the highest towns in the US at 9,318 feet.  

It feels like you are on the set of a hollywood movie with the old buildings and dirt roads.

We ate pizza and had a few beverages at Avalanche Brewing Company.  

This sign tells you a bit about the notorious Blair Street here in Silverton.

We heard the train arrive and went to find our seats!

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad goes 45 miles on track.  It was originally a route to transport silver and gold ore that was mined from the mountains here.  It is a steam locomotive.  The railway is now a National Historic Landmark.  

The girls also had a scoop of ice cream before we left...it's never too cold for that!

We splurged for the Knight Sky carriage.  We knew that the weather could be iffy and definitely cold and being able to have a nearly glass car to see the scenery was amazing!

Enjoy the pictures from outside the window...

Animas River

The water tower 

The girls enjoyed being able to step outside the train in between the cars.

The girls filled up on hot chocolate and had cookies mid-way through.  It was a beautiful and relaxing ride.  One way was plenty long!

The highest point of the trip

Just a tiny bit of aspen fall color still here!  A few weeks ago, the color would have been out of this world! 

We arrived back into Durango.  The train trip was about 3 1/2 hours.  They were having a balloon glow in town and the girls were excited to see this!  We had dinner downtown that evening.