Riding the Old Steam Train!

 This week we drove to Chama, NM to ride the old Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad!! What a great time we had. The train ride is all day, it meanders through forests and beautiful scenery for 67 miles at an altitude between 8,000 and 11,000 feet! We crossed gorges on trestles, we went through tunnels and crossed the New Mexico and Colorado borders 11 times! The weather was perfect to ride in the open air gondola to get a great all around view of everything!

We left on Wednesday morning and we were so sad that Sonja and Randy couldn't come with us as planned months ago! Sonja got Covid just days before and so they had to cancel!! We stopped in Santa Fe to eat at Tomasita's and to see the famous Loretto Chapel with the miracles staircase!!

The staircase has two complete 360 degree turns with no center pole for structural support. The banisters were added 10 years later.

These wall hangings were really cool depicting the steps of Christ's crucifixion. There were like 14 different ones.

We stayed in Chama, NM in a little older home with a great location. We found out there is not a lot there in Chama, population 917! There was no place to eat breakfast at 7:30am except a Donut place. We did find a nice dinner place called "Local, Local, Local".

We booked the Deluxe Car, which included lots of drinks and snacks.

They told us this 'swinging water thing' was used in the Raiders of the Lost Ark movie when Harrison Ford swings over onto the train!

The open Gondola was a great way to see everything! I did get a few cinders in my eyes and hair!

We stopped at Osier Station for a great buffet lunch. There was lots of history of what used to go on there!

We passed several of these water towers that hold 50 thousand gallons of water. The train needs thousands of gallons of water and tons of coal to power it up.

The scenery changed the second half of the trip. 

The 'rock tunnel' goes through 360 feet of solid rock.

We stopped in Sublette briefly.

We got to Antonito, CO about 5:30pm. We then rode back on a super nice big bus that took us back to Chama and got there around 7pm.

My phone died so I didn't get anymore pictures, but, 'Oh what a trip'!