Let's Go to Durango, Colorado!

Thanks for popping in to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  This is a time when I reflect on something I'm thinking about and invite you to link up and do the same.  Today I'm getting my memories from a short trip to Durango, Colorado into a post!

There’s something about a trip to the mountains that feels like an instant reset, and my summer getaway to Durango, Colorado was exactly that! This trip was a little different from some of our other vacations because there was actually a very specific reason I was headed to Colorado—I had babysitting duty! My brother, sister-in-law and older nephews and niece were planning to ride their motorcycles on the famous Million Dollar Highway, and while they were off tackling the twists, turns and incredible mountain scenery on two wheels, I was going to hang out with my younger niece and nephews. And I wasn't going alone! My adult son, Ian, came along with me to help with the kids, which made the trip even more fun. Between the two of us, we were ready to keep everyone entertained while the motorcycle crew had their adventure.

Honestly, it sounded like a pretty great deal to me. They got their motorcycle adventure, and Ian and I got some quality time with the kids and my mom in one of the most beautiful parts of Colorado! Of course, we managed to pack plenty of fun into our time there too—beautiful scenery, hiking, waterfalls, a memorable train ride and, at the very end, a travel adventure we definitely did not see coming.

We arrived in Durango late on Saturday.  Our home away from home for this trip was Purgatory Ski Resort in a condo we found on VRBO.  If you have kids to entertain, I highly recommend this location!  I'll show you the reasons further down in this post.

On Sunday morning, we met up with the rest of my family at their rental and had breakfast.  My mom had come along with them and it was great to all sit around a big table and share a meal together.  After breakfast, we headed to a nearby waterfall hike to Cascade Falls.  

The hike to get to the falls is short with moderately tough terrain.  We made several stops along the way but eventually made it to the falls.  The kids loved playing in the pool of water!

You can't plan a trip to Durango without hearing about the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and riding it was high on our list.  Ian and I headed out Monday morning to ride the train.  We chose the option to take the bus from Durango to Silverton, then ride the train back into Durango.  The bus driver was full of interesting facts about the area and train so I was glad we decided to take the bus one way.  We even stopped at an overlook for pictures!  The train ride was definitely one of those vacation experiences I'm glad we checked off the list!

The historic train ride through the mountains is truly an experience. The scenery along the way is spectacular, and there were so many moments when I was mesmerized taking it all in. Mountains, rushing water, steep cliffs and views that seemed to go on forever—it was exactly the kind of Colorado scenery I had hoped to see.  We even had the bonus of seeing bears two times!  We chose to sit in the open air car and I believe that was a great decision.  The seats were facing out, so the views were literally right in front of you.  

And thankfully, I had packed my Bonine! Motion sickness and winding mountain transportation aren't always the best combination for me, so I was happy to have one of my favorite travel staples along for the ride.

When the bus dropped us off in Silverton, we had a couple hours to grab lunch and check out the old mining town that's tucked high in the mountains.  It's one of those places that feels like you've stepped back in time. We had fun exploring before it was time to make our way back.

The train ride was definitely one of those vacation experiences I'm glad we checked off the list! The scenery was stunning!  It was a memory Ian and I will always treasure.

While some of my family headed out Tuesday morning on their motorcycles to experience the Million Dollar Highway, Ian and I happily settled into our roles as the babysitting crew. If you're not familiar with the Million Dollar Highway, it's a spectacular stretch of road through the San Juan Mountains known for its breathtaking views, steep drop-offs and winding curves.

Having Ian there made the trip extra special for not only me, but for the kiddos too.  Ian did a lot of chess playing and catching the kids at the bottom of the slide in the pool.  It was priceless to make so many fun memories with my niece and nephews.

Purgatory Ski Resort had a lot of activities the kids loved!  We got each of them a day pass and they enjoyed riding the ski lift, zooming down the mountain on the alpine slide and experiencing the alpine coaster.  The pool, with an exceptionally fast slide, was also a huge hit.  The day went by way too fast and we were reunited at the end of the day for another family dinner.  Listening to the tales of the day while sitting around the fire was a favorite!

We were flying home Wednesday afternoon.  One of my favorite moments of the entire trip happened on our last morning in the mountains. The sunrise was absolutely beautiful.  I remember thinking what a beautiful way it was to end our time in Colorado.  

Before heading to the airport, we decided to use the morning to drive the Million Dollar Highway.  The hype is real - there really are hairpin turns and steep drop-offs!

Little did we know, Colorado wasn't quite finished giving us memories! You know how sometimes the part of a vacation you talk about the most afterward is the part you never planned?  Well, this trip definitely gave us one of those stories.  When Ian and I were ready to fly home from Durango, our flight was canceled.  That flight had been canceled for a couple of days in a row, and there weren't any flights available for days.  Okay. No problem. We'd rent a car, drive to an airport where we could get a flight and figure it out. Except...the rental car company wouldn't honor our reservation because it was made less than 24 hours before we were picking up the car, and there wasn't a rental car anywhere to be had.  

We needed to get to Albuquerque so we could catch a flight home the next morning. With no traditional rental cars available, we had to get creative.  And that's how our lovely Colorado mountain vacation ended with Ian and me renting a U-Haul truck and driving to Albuquerque, New Mexico!  Yes. A U-Haul.  Because apparently sometimes your vacation transportation goes from a historic narrow-gauge railroad to a moving truck!

It certainly wasn't how we pictured the end of our trip, but we loaded ourselves into that U-Haul and hit the road. At that point, all you can really do is laugh and add it to the list of travel stories you'll be telling for years.

We made it to Albuquerque and crossed our fingers that our 7:00 a.m. flight the next morning would actually take off.  Thankfully, it did!  We even got to see some hot air balloons in flight as we took off.

Some of my favorite vacation memories aren't necessarily the big attractions. They're the moments when we're all together, walking a trail, laughing about something silly, and stopping every few minutes because someone sees another view that needs to be photographed.  What started as a trip to help my brother by babysitting my niece and nephews while the older crew had their motorcycle adventure turned into a pretty wonderful Colorado getaway for Ian and me too.  We saw gorgeous scenery, rode the train to Silverton, hiked to a waterfall, spent lots of time with family, and watched a beautiful mountain sunrise. Most importantly, we got to make some pretty special memories together. 

Durango, you were beautiful, memorable, and definitely an adventure. I'm so glad Ian and I got to experience it together!

Now it's your turn.  What are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!

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