{"id":2516,"date":"2013-09-09T18:57:10","date_gmt":"2013-09-09T23:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/?p=2516"},"modified":"2013-09-09T19:48:52","modified_gmt":"2013-09-10T00:48:52","slug":"colorado-discoveries-10-cumbres-toltec-railroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2013\/09\/colorado-discoveries-10-cumbres-toltec-railroad.html","title":{"rendered":"Colorado Discoveries 10: Cumbres &#038; Toltec Railroad"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_2521\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3841.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2521\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2521\" alt=\"The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad takes you through otherwise-uninhabited parts of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3841-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3841-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3841-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2521\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad takes you behind a steam locomotive through otherwise-uninhabited parts of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>For Dave&#8217;s birthday, our family took an overnight trip to the quiet town of Antonito, Colorado for a trip on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cumbrestoltec.com\/\">Cumbres &amp; Toltec Scenic Railroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>More Americans will have heard of other Rocky Mountain tourist railroads, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coloradotrain.com\/\">Rio Grande Scenic<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.royalgorgeroute.com\/\">Royal Gorge<\/a>, or the very-well-known <a href=\"http:\/\/www.durangotrain.com\/\">Durango &amp; Silverton<\/a>. I personally haven&#8217;t been to any of those other tourist railroads, but they&#8217;re all located in bigger cities\/towns\/communities than the two endpoints of the C&amp;T: Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico. The Cumbres &amp; Toltec is a narrow gauge railroad and is absolutely spectacular and takes you through some VERY uninhabited parts of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?q=Cumbres+and+Toltec+Scenic+Railroad&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=FRDNNAIdo1uq-Q&amp;split=0&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Cumbres+and+Toltec+Scenic+Railroad&amp;t=m&amp;z=11&amp;ll=37.0148,-106.275933&amp;output=embed\" height=\"350\" width=\"425\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<small><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-align: left;\" href=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?q=Cumbres+and+Toltec+Scenic+Railroad&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=FRDNNAIdo1uq-Q&amp;split=0&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Cumbres+and+Toltec+Scenic+Railroad&amp;t=m&amp;z=11&amp;ll=37.0148,-106.275933&amp;source=embed\">View Larger Map<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n<p>Okay, bear with me with this map&#8230;the grey line running along the CO\/NM border is the route of the railroad. Turns, twists, switchbacks, etc. dominated our trip. We started in Antonito, which is on the left edge, near the intersection of US 285 and Colorado route 17.<\/p>\n<p>For Dave&#8217;s birthday back in August, after Dave finished work (it was his first day of teaching physics at the AF Academy), we headed south.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2522\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3507.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2522\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2522\" alt=\"Happy Birthday Dave!\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3507-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3507-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3507-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2522\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Happy Birthday Dave!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It&#8217;s about a five hour drive from northern Colorado Springs to Antonito. Unless you get stuck in a hailstorm just west of Walsenberg, Colorado:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2523\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3516.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2523\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2523\" alt=\"DSC_3516\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3516-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3516-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3516-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2523\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A smudge of sunlight shines through the clouds at the rain and hail wrap up.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2524\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3524.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2524\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2524\" alt=\"DSC_3524\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3524-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3524-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3524-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2524\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This picture is not as clear as I would like, but that&#8217;s a puddle filled with hailstones.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>After that rain event, we continued along, as the clouds broke up, we saw some stunning mountains emerge:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2526\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3536.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2526\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2526\" alt=\"East (left) and West (right) Spanish Peaks.\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3536-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3536-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3536-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2526\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">East (left) and West (right) Spanish Peaks.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2527\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3571.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2527\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2527\" alt=\"Enjoying my telephoto lens. This is Goemmer Butte near La Veta, Colorado, which was really about 10 miles away from our road.\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3571-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3571-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3571-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2527\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Enjoying my telephoto lens. This is Goemmer Butte near La Veta, Colorado, which was really about 10 miles away from our road.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>By the time we got to Alamosa, where is where we turned from westward to southward, it was dark. I wasn&#8217;t able to take any more pictures until the following morning.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2528\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3613.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2528\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2528\" alt=\"This is the Steam Train Hotel. It's very old, but the people who work there are VERY welcoming and quick to help out when you need it.\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3613-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3613-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3613-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2528\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This is the <a href=\"http:\/\/antonitocoloradosteamtrainscenicrailroad.com\/\">1911 Steam Train Hotel<\/a>. It&#8217;s very old, but the people who work there are VERY welcoming and quick to help out when you need it.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>This is a Bed and Breakfast, but we had to travel to a different building for the breakfast part:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2529\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3622.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2529\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2529\" alt=\"This was the Jones family home in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. We ate breakfast there.\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3622-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3622-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3622-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2529\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This was the Jones family home in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. We ate breakfast there. It&#8217;s under new management, so I hope it gets cleaned up a little.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We had tickets for the 10am ride. I couldn&#8217;t possibly post all the amazing pictures we took during the ride, so <a href=\"https:\/\/picasaweb.google.com\/103925217663556280353\/201308010CumbresAndToltecRailroadTripDaveSBirthday?noredirect=1#5911000935673753778\">I&#8217;m going to just point you to my Picasa album at the start of the ride<\/a> and you can scroll through. I&#8217;ll include a few favorites here.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a pretty long ride. About 5 hours of travel, with a one-hour lunch stop at a location called Osier. The lunch was quite good, I highly recommend the turkey meal, which includes mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing and cranberry sauce. There&#8217;s also meat loaf, which Jacob enjoyed.<\/p>\n<p>One you get to the end of the line at Chama, New Mexico, a motorcoach takes you back to Antonito by about 5:30pm. We drove straight home from there.<\/p>\n<p>Tickets for the Cumbres and Toltec can be purchased online, and tickets start at $79 for adults and $39 for kids. During the summer months kids ride free with a paying adult, but you will be charged $10 for each kid&#8217;s lunch at Osier. If you&#8217;d prefer more luxurious conditions, you can book the climate-controlled parlor car for $169. There are discounts for military, AARP and AAA. You can take the entire route between Chama and Antonito with a motorcoach return to your parking, or else you can take an out-and-back route from one end to lunch, then a return to your parking.<\/p>\n<p>Do I recommend this for kids? I&#8217;ll be honest, my sons were VERY sick of being on the train by after lunchtime. Unfortunately, every experience will be all day. Bring plenty to do for the kids if you choose to bring them.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few more pictures from our trip.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2530\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3643.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2530\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2530\" alt=\"DSC_3643\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3643-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3643-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3643-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2530\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">You drive under this when entering the railroad property at Antonito.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2531\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3681.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2531\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2531\" alt=\"DSC_3681\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3681-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3681-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3681-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2531\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boarding our coach car.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2532\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3693.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2532\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2532\" alt=\"DSC_3693\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3693-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3693-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3693-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2532\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Our pretty ticket.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2533\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3704.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2533\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2533\" alt=\"DSC_3704\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3704-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3704-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3704-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2533\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mr. Conductor. He even tried to clip a word into Timmy&#8217;s ticket, but he didn&#8217;t do such a good job.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2534\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3733.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2534\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2534\" alt=\"DSC_3733\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3733-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3733-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3733-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2534\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The eastern 1\/3 of the trip isn&#8217;t very interesting. It&#8217;s mainly scrub brush. We&#8217;re slowly ascending the whole time.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2535\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3740.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2535\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2535\" alt=\"DSC_3740\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3740-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3740-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3740-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2535\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Look closely&#8230;do you see the line cut into the terrain? That&#8217;s the 37th parallel, the boundary between Colorado and New Mexico.<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3771.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2536\" alt=\"DSC_3771\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3771-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3771-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3771-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2537\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3776.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2537\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2537\" alt=\"DSC_3776\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3776-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3776-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3776-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2537\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">There were 17 of these border crossings.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2538\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3813.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2538\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2538\" alt=\"DSC_3813\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3813-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3813-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3813-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2538\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A group of ATV tourists were following along with us.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2539\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3814.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2539\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2539\" alt=\"DSC_3814\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3814-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3814-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3814-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2539\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We come around a curve and the terrain suddenly goes from desert-like scrub to a coniferous forest!<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2540\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3898.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2540\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2540\" alt=\"DSC_3898\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3898-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3898-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3898-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2540\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">These are <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hoodoo_(geology)\">hoodoos<\/a>&#8230;vertical spires of eroded land.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2541\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3939.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2541\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2541\" alt=\"DSC_3939\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3939-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3939-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3939-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2541\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">These hoodoos were at a distance. Thank you telephoto lens.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2542\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3987.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2542\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2542\" alt=\"DSC_3987\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3987-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3987-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3987-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2542\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">These pretty asters were in Osier, but they were all along the route once we came out of the desert.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2543\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_4055.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2543\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2543\" alt=\"DSC_4055\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_4055-1024x678.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_4055-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_4055-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2543\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The final 1\/3 of the trip was along a river valley.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For Dave&#8217;s birthday, our family took an overnight trip to the quiet town of Antonito, Colorado for a trip on the Cumbres &#038; Toltec Scenic Railroad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[100,386,421,420,422,53],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5ycQ0-EA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4042,"url":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2016\/02\/colorado-discoveries-47-royal-gorge-rr.html","url_meta":{"origin":2516,"position":0},"title":"Colorado Discoveries 47: The Royal Gorge Route Railroad","date":"02 February 16","format":false,"excerpt":"As you might imagine, being the wife of a train guy, I've been on a lot of trains. From the Amtrak Auto Train to dozens of\u00a0tourist railroads, we've experienced rides that range from luxurious to utilitarian, with lengths from just 15 minutes to 7\u00a0hours. We have been driving past the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"colorado\"","img":{"alt_text":"We got a nice photo of the family before boarding. I wish Dave's Dad was more visible.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/2015-12-26-Royal-Gorge-Route-Family-Pic-1024x712.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3315,"url":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2014\/08\/colorado-discoveries-38-durango-silverton-rr.html","url_meta":{"origin":2516,"position":1},"title":"Colorado Discoveries 38: The Durango &#038; Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad","date":"30 August 14","format":false,"excerpt":"Dave had been telling me about the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad for many years. Okay, perhaps over 20 years. It was the highlight of a Colorado trip he had taken as a teenager, and he was excited for a chance to share the experience with the boys and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"colorado\"","img":{"alt_text":"DSC_1487","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/DSC_1487-1024x678.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2895,"url":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2014\/01\/colorado-discoveries-26-colorado-railroad-museum-ii.html","url_meta":{"origin":2516,"position":2},"title":"Colorado Discoveries 26: Colorado Railroad Museum II","date":"03 January 14","format":false,"excerpt":"Last weekend while Dave's parents were visiting we took a road trip up to Golden to visit the Colorado Railroad Museum. I had written about our August 2010 trip before, and there wasn't much different on this trip (at least from my point of view). The boys rode on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"colorado\"","img":{"alt_text":"Denver & Rio Grande Western No. 318, which has run for railroads all over Colorado in its 100+ year lifetime.  Read more about it here: http:\/\/coloradorailroadmuseum.org\/museum-home\/locomotives\/","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/DSC_0078-1024x678.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2491,"url":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2013\/08\/colorado-discoveries-9-cripple-creek.html","url_meta":{"origin":2516,"position":3},"title":"Colorado Discoveries 9: Cripple Creek","date":"11 August 13","format":false,"excerpt":"A drive to Cripple Creek, CO.","rel":"","context":"In \"colorado\"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/IMG_7230.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3304,"url":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2014\/08\/colorado-discoveries-drive-to-durango.html","url_meta":{"origin":2516,"position":4},"title":"Colorado Discoveries 37: Driving from Colorado Springs to Durango","date":"30 August 14","format":false,"excerpt":"I guess it's high time I start writing about our family's southwest summer vacation. After all, we left for the vacation exactly two months ago. As usual with my lapses in writing, real life started to get in the way. I really truly want to write about these adventures while\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"DSC_1326","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/DSC_1326-1024x678.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2656,"url":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2013\/10\/colorado-discoveries-15-georgetown-loop.html","url_meta":{"origin":2516,"position":5},"title":"Colorado Discoveries 15: The Georgetown Loop Railroad","date":"12 October 13","format":false,"excerpt":"A couple weekends ago our family took a trip up towards Denver to visit the Georgetown Loop Railroad. It was a beautiful early autumn day. I was hoping we'd see brighter aspen, but we were a couple weeks early for that. The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a remnant of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/523534_10151708813178865_350151304_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2516"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2516"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2547,"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2516\/revisions\/2547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}