Steam Train to Silverton

Remember how it was pouring at lunch yesterday? Well, the couple was correct. Ten minutes later the sun was shining with fury. And me without my sunglasses.

I walked around Main Street for a while, checking out the bullet hole in the Diamond Belle Saloon from a gunfight way back when. Or so the story goes 😉. I also scoped out some other buildings from one of the handouts I picked up, then hopped on the bike to go back to the hotel. I was absolutely stuffed from lunch--calamari to start, a main course of pork loin with duck fat-fried potatoes and calabacitas, and creme brulee to finish--so by the time I got back to the hotel, I crashed hard. I woke up an hour or so later, goofed on my phone a while, then got up to go to the street party for the start of the rally.

For the rally of about 400 people, the city closed off 10th Street between Main and Narrow Gauge Avenue. There was a decent band, food, beverages, and a bike show. We also had a "Drunk Tricycle Race," which was pretty much a fustercluck but really funny (video attached). The goggles you must wear simulate a blood alcohol level of 0.15%, then teams of 4 ride the adult sized tricycle relay-style. Fustercluck 🤣.

I was chatting with people as they drifted around and ran into Wes whom I met at the Texas rally in April. We rode together for two days from Texas to Arkansas for the Ozarks rally, stopping at Oklahoma's 50 Rides 1 Nation location along the way. Great to see him again.

Perhaps the best part of the evening, though, was the brilliant rainbow and its distinct reflection directly over town, then the sunset behind the clouds in the opposite direction. Magnificent.

The mile-long walk back to the hotel was good for me, and I was ready to go to sleep so I could get up at 06:00 this morning.

When the alarm went off, I jumped up wide awake and got ready to walk back into town. First to eat breakfast at the best place, Durango Diner. Second to make my way to the train depot for my steam train ride to Silverton!

The train is so much fun and I'm having a great time chatting with my neighbors while gaping over the scenery. These pics don't do it justice. Tomorrow's post will have better pics from my real camera.

So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

Day 153 mileage: 5.2 🤣 (total 39222.7)Read more