QUOTE: Originally posted by jxtrrx Hey Big John, If the wife likes books, try Tattered Cover book store in Denver... it is to books what Caboose Hobbies is to trains: like three floors of 'em.
QUOTE: Originally posted by canazar Ok, Plans are looking good! Plan on rolling out of Phoenix around 11 am on Saturday. Looking to get into Denver Sunday evening. Man, I cant wait! I have heard WAY too many godo things about this place. Also, the wife loves to read so I plan on stopping by a big book store here in town and letting her go nuts. I should be good for the day! So, if all goes well, Monday morning, probably aroudn 10 or 11 I will get to CH. If anyone else is there, look for the tall white dude (6'7" cant miss me) guy in a shorts, sandals and a train shirt. Most likely with a dropped jaw around my stomcah and little puddles of drool around my shirt, and most likley, mumbling over and over again something like....."wow" "look at it all", etc. Anything excting train related on Sunday nights? We will be doing dinner in town somewhere.... Not sure were we are saying yet. Working in that still... Talk to ya guys soon.
Life is simple - eat, drink, play with trains!
Go Big Red!
PA&ERR "If you think you are doing something stupid, you're probably right!"
Best Regards, Big John
Kiva Valley Railway- Freelanced road in central Arizona. Visit the link to see my MR forum thread on The Building of the Whitton Branch on the Kiva Valley Railway
QUOTE: Originally posted by rripperger Well, Andrews is better than Pope (I spent five years climbing on planes there [:)]). You can always come to the Puzzle Palace. DC's a good spot for railfanning - the Met and the Old Main Line are still active, and there's lots of action out at Point of Rocks, Brunswick, and Harper's Ferry. It ain't Ute Creek Pass, but it's still moving tonnage.
http://mprailway.blogspot.com
"The first transition era - wood to steel!"
QUOTE: Originally posted by rripperger QUOTE: Well, if you are ever back in the area, give me a shout! I am going to post some pics of the Colorado Midland hike, so keep an eye out. I am a little uneasy about going through the tunnels, but they are hiked regularly (and is legal), so I don't think we will run into any beasties, but just in case......... I will - incidentally, if you're into all things Midland, have you met Mel McFarland yet? He lives in the Springs and he's written books about both the MT and the CM. Nice guy - posts regularly on the CM Yahoo group. Can't wait to see those pictures. As soon as my little boy's old enough, I'm going to bring him out there (I took my first trip to CO when I was 6 months). If you're ever in DC, give me a call - I know a few good CSX spots. My regards to the Zoo.......
QUOTE: Well, if you are ever back in the area, give me a shout! I am going to post some pics of the Colorado Midland hike, so keep an eye out. I am a little uneasy about going through the tunnels, but they are hiked regularly (and is legal), so I don't think we will run into any beasties, but just in case.........
QUOTE: Originally posted by davekelly If this thread isn't one of the best examples of the help and friendliness one sees in this hobby - I don't know what is!
QUOTE: Originally posted by rripperger QUOTE: rripperger, did you used to live in Colorado Springs? No - I used to visit it fairly frequently for a previous job, and I always made a point of taking some time off when I was in the area.
QUOTE: rripperger, did you used to live in Colorado Springs?
QUOTE: Originally posted by canazar Ok, I feel I need to explain this... We will not be leaving form Durango to go to Denver. The plan was, if we decided to go to Denver, (Caboose hobbies) We would drive from Phoenix the first day and go directly there. Our whole plan all along was to drive into Colorado as far as we could (northeast in direction), and then slowly make our way southwest acorss the state back into Arizona via through Durango, over the course of a week.. The idea being, we never really have a long drive home. We just keep hitting RV parks couple of hundred mles closer to home, so that on our last day, we are pretty close, and hopefulyl make for a short drive home. Originally, we never planned on going that far northeast, hence, just the "extra drive to Denver in traffic." But, after we talked, she wanted to see the city, and I am hell bent for the hoby shop. We're going! But this is where the extra 300 miles came into play as in the very original plan, we woudl have stopped in Colorado Springs and hung a hard left to head into the mountains As it is now, we will be taking I-40 out of AZ into NM, then take 25 straight up into CO. Man, I cant wait. I am scrapeing every peice fo change I can find to add to my shopping spree up there. I am taking your advice, it will be the closet thing I will ever have to walikng into the Walthers Catelog. *Take as much money as I can :: Cause I know I will never have enough[:D] *Eat before I go... :: So I dont have to leave when I get in[;)] *Were sneakers :: "Cause I will be running around like a man possed[:p]
QUOTE: Originally posted by rripperger The area you're going through has a lot of interesting railroad sites and relics - aside from the sites people have already mentioned, you might think about Marshall Pass near Salida (D&RGW), Hagerman Pass near Leadville (CM), Alpine Pass near Gunnison (DSP&P) and Rollins Pass near Denver (D&SL). All are worth a visit, and all are extremely scenic. You should let the guys on this forum know your planned route - they can probably give you quite a few suggested stops on the way. For my money, if you're heading through C-Springs, you might want to stop for dinner at the old railroad station downtown (there's a Grande T-12 on display, too), visit the old stone Colorado Midland roundhouse in West Springs, and, if you have access to a small car, take a trip up the Gold Camp Road - it's blocked part of the way up, but it's the old Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District Railway - "the ride that bankrupt the English language."
QUOTE: Originally posted by stokesda Ooh, ooh! One more! (sorry, these things keep popping into my head) [:p] If you can fit it into your route and itinerary, I highly recommend driving through Glenwood Canyon on I-70 (just east of Glenwood Springs). It parallels the Colorado River on one side, with the UP (former D&RGW) mainline on the other. If you're lucky, you'll catch a train passing through the canyon at the same time! Might want to have the wife drive this stretch while you gawk and take pictures! It's one of my all-time favorite stretches of highway. According to a lady we met in Glenwood Springs, it is the second most expensive road project in US history (Boston's "Big Dig" being first).
Jerry SP FOREVER http://photobucket.com/albums/f317/GAPPLEG/
Dan Stokes
My other car is a tunnel motor
QUOTE: Originally posted by jeffers_mz I don't want to rain on the parade, it was pretty clear from the beginning what you wanted to do, and I'd find my way to the store no matter what but... Durango to Denver isn't just any old 300 mile drive, no matter which way you go. The shortest routes are almost all two lane through some pretty rough country. You're going to be DRIVING it, in an RV, fighting traffic, tight curves, fallen rock, passes up 10...12...13 thousand feet, rain, grauple, even blinding snowstorms are possible up high, along with all the bad results that go with such weather on narrow, crowded, two lane rugged mountain roads. On your way down off Red Mountain Pass into Ouray, should you decide to go that way, you probably won't believe such a road exists or is paved, or is legal to drive on. That's in a short wheelbase 4WD. In an RV? LOL, you're going to be busier than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I know folks who've made it from Ouray to Denver in 6.5 hours and I wouldn't even think about trying to beat them, because they are nuts and just don't care. So, my advice then is to plan this as if it were 600 miles, one way, not 300. I'd categorically refuse to even consider a round trip in one day. Even a two day roundtrip is going to take something out of you. In a perfect world, a day to drive up there, at least a day to rest and enjoy the store, and a third day to drive back is probably the minimum time I'd invest in a trip like that. Further, I'd have my head examined before attempting such a trip that caused me to drive into Denver on a Sunday, or had me leaving Denver on a Friday, or had me crossing Kenosha pass on either day. Like I said, I'm not looking to change your mind, just to let you know what you're in for, so you can plan around it and enjoy your trip. What I said above were my minimum recommednations, but there's so much to do around there, and so much to do in between point A and B, you might even be happier planning four days to a week around this trip. You've got a lot of flexibility in some very pretty country with that RV, but it can work against you just as easily as it can work for you. Just my 2 cents... :-)
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL