Sunday Outing

A warm hello Ladies~

This past Sunday we took my mother in law to Silverton for the day. First time for us to go out since March.  It was a lovely drive, a bit more people there than I expected but almost everyone had masks on.  Some of my favorite stores are not open yet.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.  It's always nice to go. We try to go at least once a year (not in Winter!).

Silverton stands at about 9,800 ft above sea level. It's a tiny little town in the mountain valley that originally was where miners landed to mine, guess...Silver! Hence "Silverton".  There are other minerals there as well. You may see some of the old tailing piles in the pictures. Some mines are still active, but I don't know much about them.

Enjoy!

This is the only highway into Silverton. It switches back and forth, if you look across the other side you can see the road we will drive after the bend.

Here, we are on the bend. The road to the right was what we drove on, and we are headed to the left. Notice - no railings! The only railings are at the last peak just before you descend into Silverton.  Needless to say I don't talk to the driver much and do a lot of praying.  I don't like heights so a few of these pictures where taken then had to look to the left to see the mountain side.

There is Silverton!  That tiny little town in the mountain valley.  The orange by the picture is the color of the dirt there due to all the minerals in the mountains.

Railing! Getting close. Look across to the mountain side in front of us.  Where the lighter color is, I believe is a "tailing pile" (what gets left after they have mined.)

Silverton. Cutest town ever!  (to me) You can see the train tracks here as well. That train is one of the last coal burning train in the US (there may be one more).  From Durango to Silverton, by train at 13mph...takes 5 hours. 

Mountains just before the town entrance. The colors are the minerals.

Welcome! The whole town is a National Historic District. 

 The only grocery store. When I first met my husband and he took me here, I fell in love with it and wanted to move there. At the time the grocery store owner talked to me about the snow.  He walked me out the door and pointed to the roof line and said "yes, ma'am. We get snow. It is usually up to that roof line for most of the winter. Roads get closed and the only way in or out is helicopter"  Changed my mind after that! Now I just love to visit.

A fun picture.  An old Ford, and a new "Razor". I wish those would be outlawed!

Here is the train station. It is still functioning and used 3 times a day when the train runs. (No train now due to pandemic, but they do bring a LOAD of supplies up for them now and then.) 

Down the side you can see benches.The train turns here and pulls right into town. Tourists can get off, have lunch and shope for about 2 hours. Then the 5 hour journey back.

This was a restaurant back in 1912. It still is on one side, then an art studio on the right.  Lovely place with good food.

Here we are in The Grand hotel in Silverton. I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of the outside.  They just did major renovations last year and updated electrical. Praise be to God! There is a store in town that burned down  a few months ago due to electrical problems. The firemen saved the buildings to the right and left of that one. Back to the Grand Hotel here, There are original furnishings here.  Well to do folks who came to check on their "money" (silver) would stay here, as well as their family. Miners and "ladies of the night" did not stay here. There is a whole street, one block down, that had a row of brothels. Just part of the history of a mining town.

When I was in college, I remember furniture was designed based on the fashion and women's dresses. To be able to accommodate them when they sat down or socialized.  This is a very large chair and the ladies probably had bustles that they needed the space.


Well, That's it.  Time to go feed my husband and I lunch.  I hope you enjoyed the little  "outing" with me.

Peace be with you,
Mrs. Peterson