Riding the Durango & Silverton Railroad is like ta...

Riding the Durango & Silverton Railroad is like taking a trip back in time. It's easy to image that you've gone back 100 years, because the route, the scenery, and the train are basically the same now as they were then. It's a fabulous ride, second only to the Cumbres & Toltec, which not coincidentally used to be part of the same Rio Grande Railroad. The towns of Durango and Silverton are fun places to visit even without the train.

I like riding Vintage Coach. You're sheltered if the weather is bad, and you can open the windows any time you want. The round-trip price of $89 for adults and $55 for children is reasonable; it costs a lot of money to operate a railroad!

Bring an extra sweatshirt along, because it is cooler at higher altitudes.

The more you learn about the route ahead of time, the more you'll enjoy it. I don't recommend trying to read a guidebook during the ride; you miss too much.

The unlimited-refill cups were a big hit with my kids.

Be sure to visit the free museum located behind the Durango depot. It's a really good museum for rail-fans.