Beautiful southwestern Colorado awaits us, with its fascinating history, stunning views and a fun ride on a steam train!  The cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde are some of the most notable and best preserved in the North American Continent. Originally inhabited between 1190 and 1300, these structures range in size from single storage units to villages of more than 150 rooms.  The Durango Silverton train began hauling passengers and freight in 1882 and is still considered one of the scenic train rides in the world.

Included meals are denoted: Breakfast: B, Lunch: L, Dinner: D

DAY 1              L

We head north and west, stopping in Abiquiu for lunch and a tour of Ghost Ranch, home to artst Georgia O-Keefe. We pass through Pagosa Springs and arrive in Durango late-afternoon, giving us time to enjoy historic downtown from our centrally-located hotel, the Victoria-era Strater Hotel. Durango is a fun, frontier mining town that sits on the Animas River in the shadows of the San Juan Mountains. Its Victorian architecture, saloons, hitching posts, and old train depot give Durango a charm that few towns can match.

DAY 2              B

A blast from the whistle, a hiss of steam – suddenly, aboard the last of the legendary steam trains, we are in another century. The train puffs its way to Silverton, which is 9,300 feet high, yet the peaks rise all around. After free time to shop and to enjoy Silverton’s splendid setting, we return to our deluxe coach for our drive to Twin Peaks Lodge in Ouray to lodge one night. The glorious hot springs are waiting to cradle us in a warm, bubbling bath.

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DAY 3              B,L

After breakfast, we climb into jeeps for our off-road tour of the San Juan Mountains. We stop at Maggie's Kitchen for lunch then continue to Far View Lodge for one night.

DAY 4              B,L

Mesa Verde National Park has the grandest ruins of the Anasazi culture. Our guide leads us through the ruins of the various periods and tells us the story of the builders. We have the option to take a ranger-guided tour of Cliff Palace or enjoy exploring this amazing cliff dwelling site on our own. Cliff Palace, with about 150 rooms, is the largest cliff dwelling in the park. The one-hour, ranger guided tour involves 120 uneven stone steps and climbing five 8 to 10 ft. ladders on a 100 ft vertical climb. Total walking distance is about ¼ mile, round-trip. Then it’s time to leave and cross the colorful land of northwestern New Mexico, homeward bound, with memories of the beauty of southwestern Colorado.

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Itinerary subject to change.