Above, with the Animas River below, the Durango train is at High Line. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Although we just entered into the month of May, it is summer train season for the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad of southwestern Colorado.
According to the official website, the season this year runs May 2 – November 1st, 2026.
I last rode the train to Silverton in 2022. I am thinking of either doing so again or ride aboard the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. I haven't ridden on that one yet. Both are within a day's drive from home.]
Above, Jessica and I at the Bar D Chuckwagon show in 2022.
There are other things to do in Durango, such as taking in a barbecue show at the Bar D Chuckwagon. The food is good and there is much to see and do there.
Above, the Bar D Chuckwagon dinner show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
For more information on riding the Silverton train, go here.
Above, at the Bar D Chuckwagon show and dinner in Durango in 2022.
A couple of years ago, I was planning to take an RV vacation trip in eastern Wyoming and the Black Hills areas of South Dakota.
Unfortunately, the high price of gasoline at the time stymied those plans, so I took a vacation trip with my former roommate Jessica to Durango, Colorado to ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and camp at Navajo Lake in New Mexico. Both are only a few hours drive from home.
Now is the time where people begin their planning for a summer vacation trip. One consideration is the cost of gasoline and diesel.
RV Travel takes a look at how much it could cost to fill up the gas or diesel tank for the trip.
They begin with:
As the weather warms up (more) across the country, a lot of RVers are in the trip-planning phase. One of the big questions that takes center stage: How much will it cost to fill up the motorhome or the tow rig? We’ve probed the petroleum prognosticators to try and get a feel for what you might pay this summer. Depending on who you ask, fueling up may not be so bad.
Above, at the HHS 50ish Multi-Class Reunion with Debbie and Karen.
As a year, 2022 wasn't too bad of a year for me.
The main problem with the year was the high gasoline prices that swept the nation. This forced me to skip the spring clampout of the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus. It would have cost me over $500 in fuel costs for the round trip.
Above, at the fall clampout of the Lost Dutchman Chapter, ECV.
However, prices did moderate enough for me to go to the fall clampout near Williams, Arizona. The prices moderated enough for more trips, albeit nearer to home.
My ex-roommate, Jessica, came over for a visit and we took a camping trip up to Durango, Colorado to ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train to Silverton and Bar D Chuckwagon show & dinner and do some boating at Navajo Lake State Park.
Above, Jessica and I at the Bar D Chuckwagon dinner and show in Durango.
I then took another trip to Colorado to attend the John Wayne Cancer Foundation's half marathon near Ridgway, where scenes of True Grit (1969) were filmed. There, I met Patrick and Ethan Wayne, the two living sons of John Wayne.
Above, yours truly with Patrick Wayne near Ridgway, Colorado.
After that, I headed up to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park for a few days and took the Goulding's Lodge morning tour of Monument Valley. The route of the tour was different than the afternoon tour I took in 2016, which made the trip more enjoyable as I was able to see the park's features from different perspectives.
Above, yours truly at Artist's Point in Monument Valley.
In September, I made the first trip to L.A. since I moved to New Mexico for the Hawthorne High School 50ish Multi-Class Reunion in El Segundo. I had a nice time and during the trip I visited with Dawn Brown in the San Fernando Valley for a bit after arriving.
Above, at Pancho's with Mark Holloway, Mitch Geriminsky and Dwight Kuntz.
I was able to go to Manhattan Beach for dinner at Pancho's and King Harbor in Redondo Beach. It still looked the same and the food was good. Mark Holloway joined Mitch, Dwight and I there. Mark was another Hawthorne High classmate.
It was sad to see how deteriorated California had become under Democrat and Gov. Gavin Newsom's rule. I really couldn't wait to get back home to New Mexico. Gas prices were over $5.00/gallon. Some stations charged over $6.00/gallon. Pitiful.
At home, I attended all of the rodeos during the summer, including the Wild Thing Bullriding at Red Rock Park. They were all entertaining.
Above, Mitch and I at King Harbor in Redondo Beach. Photo by Dwight Kuntz.
The vehicles (Mustang, Jeep and Minnie Winnie) behaved themselves for most of the year with the only mechanical need was for fix the Mustang's starting issue earlier this month. It turned out that the problem was the distributor cable to the coil was badly corroded.
Above, with cousin Maria and her husband Fred at the El Rancho Hotel.
Other visitors this year included Larry Bach, Mitch Geriminsky and Dwight Kuntz and my cousin Maria and her husband Fred. It was especially nice to have family members over for the first time since I moved to New Mexico.
Hopefully, next year will be just as good or even better than this year.
Above, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
With less than a month of summer vacation left, people may be scrambling to travel somewhere.
If those reading this are in this category, here's a suggestion. Visit Durango, Colorado and Mesa Verde National Park along with points in-between.
I recently took a trip to Durango and rode the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Along with riding the train to Silverton, we also went to the Bar D Chuckwagon and Show in Durango.
Above, yours truly stepping out of the historic Strater Hotel. It is number 10 on the list. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.
There are other things to see and do in the southwest corner of Colorado and The Travel lists ten of them.
They begin with:
Traveling from Durango, Colorado, to Mesa Verde National Park will take around an hour by car – it’s so quick that most people just pass by some interesting attractions between these places. Travelers will pass by the communities of Hesperus and Mancos, plus the ghost town of Mayday. A driving tour from Durango to Mesa Verde will let guests enjoy the breeze of the La Plata Mountains and the towns' hospitality.
The adventure starts in tourist-friendly Durango, where a couple of attractions can be seen. The small town of Hesperus follows, famous for its ski area. Next is Mancos, dubbed the “Gateway to Mesa Verde.” That’s more than 50 miles of satisfying Colorado memories.
Above, Jess and some of her purchases at Honeyville. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Before going to the Bar D Ranch for the night's dinner and show, we stopped first at Honeyville to pick up a few things.
Jess got a number of assorted jams and I got myself a bottle of Red Cliff rum. This rum, I've found, is a lot better than the run I picked up in Havana, Cuba, and their rums are supposed to be some of the best.
Above, yours truly and my Red Cliff rum. Photo by Jessica.
We wandered around the store and watched bees in their glassed-in beehive.
For me, Honeyville is a "must-stop" while in Durango.
We have no plans except for going to the Bar D Chuckwagon this evening and stopping by Honeyville to pick up some goodies, including some Red Cliff rum.
This morning, I had a visitor. This bird hung around our camp for a while.
