お みやげをかったり、しゃしんをたくさんとったりしました。- We bought some souvenirs and took

lots of photos. 📷

This is one more entry in my summer trip journal, Day 5 - Part 13:

Let's continue the tour of the town of Silverton, Colorado. Established as yet another mining camp in 1874, due to the abundant gold and silver deposits nearby it quickly prospered. The railroad arrived in 1882 and with it, more growth. A year later, the town boasted a population of 2,000 and an entire red light district, the Notorious Blair Street. Imagine 29 saloons, numerous hotels, gambling dens and of course brothels.

Today, many buildings are nicely renovated and host eateries and shops for visitors. If you could magically sweep the cars out of the way, that horse drawn coach with the backdrop of hotels and saloons could make you think you travelled back in time.

The railroad has been serving Silverton with a line from Durango continuously, which is almost a miracle. Not only that, it has also been employing steam engines on the route the entire time. Today, this is one of only two routes remaining from the former mighty Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. The train operates year-round as a tourist attraction.

We were lucky enough to witness the arrival of the train and the magical sounds, sights and smells that accompany it. The cars were pulled by two engines, one coal powered and an oil burning one. I have great appreciation for train history and moments like this make my heart beat faster. I haven't actually ridden this train yet, something that remains on my list for sure.

Our trip is slowly winding down, but there is still a little more to tell. Stay tuned....