Trip to Silverton and Ouray....(Lori)

Yesterday we spent the day touring the towns of Silverton and Ouray with Pat and Burt Armstrong. They wanted to show us the area so that we can take our company if they want to go. Burt has been a tour guide in the past so we got a very historical guide of the area. Thanks Burt! The train that is a big tourist attration in Durango goes to Silverton through the mountains. Silverton is very small, around 300 people in the winter and many of the stores and restuarants shut down until summer. The town is bigger in the summer when people come back to run their businesses. Every building there whether old or new, is built in a very old structue to preserve the feel of old town. The school there has 64 kids in it. It is an old mining town but the mines shut down in 1952.
Here we are in Silverton....it's kind of behind us......


We then traveled to Ouray which is about 23 miles from Silverton on winding mountain roads with huge drop offs. I was a little nervous about it, esp. when Burt decided to look and point and take his eyes off the road!! This road actually stays closed a lot during winter because the icy conditions of the road. However, the road was clear of snow and ice due to the great weather we have been having. This is just a picture of some of the beautiful scenary that's on the drive there.....


We stopped on an overpass to see this waterfall coming out of the rocks....it is kind hard to see it in the picture

Ok...this is Ouray...do you see the little town at the base of the mountain?

We stopped and ate at this little bar and grill (sorry, every place around here is a bar and grill!)



Ouray has an outdoor hot springs swimming pool complete with slides and all. It was weird to see an outdoor pool with probably 150 people in it and snow on the ground all around it! My kids sure wanted to try it out but too bad...no swimsuits. Ouray is home to an Ice Climbing Festival that had taken place the weekend before. However, people were out yesterday doing it...let me rephrase that....CRAZY PEOPLE were out yesterday doing it.....here are some pictures...look for the climber in each picture...

That is one winter sport that this family will not be trying!! Talk to you later.....

Lori