Dave and Nola's Adventures

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Cripple Creek, CO - September 2013 - The Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad

http://cripplecreekrailroad.com/

http://www.cripple-creek.co.us/

Yep! Another train, another adventure in Colorado mining.

Cripple Creek is a mining town that is chuck full of museums

and rich in the history of the area. It was inhabited first by

Native Americans, and then came fur trappers, settlers, and

then miners. From 1890 to 1910, more than 22,400,000 ounces of

gold were extracted from 500 mines in the Cripple Creek Mining District,

which included Cripple Creek and the neighboring town of Victor.

In 1976, the Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad started taking

passengers on a journey back into gold rush history and into the scenic heart

of the Rocky Mountains. With its lovingly restored steam locomotives and

historic 1894 station house.

Chuff-chuff-chuff

We were able to relive the outlaw days of the Wild West in the Cripple

Creek Jail Museum. The calendars, art and poetry of the stiffly bored inmates

showed that time in this slammer was bleak, but with some creative spirits.

I took one of the inmates home on a work-release program.

And along the road, the antelope played!

Durango, CO - September 2013 (Silverton and Ouray drive)

Durango, CO (Silverton and Ouray drive) - September 2013

Ater taking the train ride, it was time to take the road from

Durango to Silverton and on to Ouray. The road gave us the vistas

not seen by train.

Silverton, in lush Fall colors

Small mining towns along the way

The shocking yellow of the aspens!

Ouray.

They say it looks like the Swiss Alps

A hot spring. Continuously oozing mineral laden water

that creates the vibrant colors

Durango, CO, September 2013 - (Wolf Creek Pass; Durango& Silverton Railway)

Durango, CO, September 2013
Wolf Creek Pass; Durango& Silverton Railway

On our way to Durango, we had to go through Wolf Creek Pass
(10,857 ft). When we approached it, the fog socked in tight, and
then the rain poured down in buckets, and as we rose through the
pass, it got colder and whiter; sleet that looked like snow and rocks
sliding down from the cliffs. Navigating a motohome with Jeep in tow
was quite an experience. It was an obstacle course! Did not slide,
nor have any flat tires; WHEW!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Creek_Pass

The steam train from Durango (6500ft)to Silverton (9300ft)has been operating since 1882

for both passengers and freight.The sounds and smells of a real steam train
are fantastic! The chuff-chuff and SSSSHHHHHhhhhhhhh and clanking are
simply grand! And the stops for water are fun to watch.
The route runs from Durango to Silverton and back, through the gorge with superb
views down to the Animas River. There is a long enough stopover in Silverton for a nice lunch
and a walkabout through the old mining town. Silverton's elaborate Victorian-era architecture
reflects the millions of dollars drawn from the earth during the mining boom of the late
1800's to early 1900's.

www.durangotrain.com/
www.silvertoncolorado.com

Taking on water that comes right from a stream

Downtown Silverton

The scars on the mountainsides and the mills and shantys

have walls that could tell many a fine story!

The scars of mining high up the mountains show that

every nook and cranny was explored in search of the

mother load!

We learned long ago that it is NOT possible to ride too many trains
NOR to take too many pictures!

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Lancaster County PA - Discovering where we lived 2014-07-30

Lancaster County PA - Discovering where we lived for 25 years!

A dear friend named Sue from Illinois noted that she enjoyed our blog pics, but wondered when we would post some to show the nifty stuff about our home ground. Think about that! How often do you tour your own stomping grounds and take pics of the scenery and lifestyles that surround you every day? Well, here goes.......

For Sue

Lancaster County has more than 2,700 miles of winding country roads connecting small towns and villages, but there are main roads so often that it is near impossible to get lost. We often try to lose ourselves along these back roads among breathtakingly scenic farmlands, romantic covered bridges and PA Amish and Mennonite life, but have never succeeded!

A typical farmstead here has been home to several generations of Amish or Mennonite families, and they build more houses or add-on dwellings as needed. This one shows two large houses, a greenhouse, barn and silo to the rear, and vegetables for sale in front (garden to the right-front). There are several clothes lines full on this fine Monday, and the clothes tell that is is a Mennonite family as there are many colors and some patterns.

The average farm is about 50 acres. Their gardens provide produce to sell and preserve and eat, and the fields grow a wide variety of crops, such as wheat, oats, corn, alfalfa hay, soy beans, and *tobacco (*only the Amish).

Cocalico Creek Bridge number 2, built in 1892, 64 feet long, 15 feet wide, and still in use today. Lancaster County has 29 covered bridges, the most of any county in PA.