Christmas Choo-Choo

The Slim Princess. That's what they used to call the old narrow-gauge trains, because they had to be thin enough to snake around high mountain passes. And no princess is more famous than the Denver & Rio Grande Railway's Silverton that runs from Durango to Silverton through the splendor that is the San Juan Mountains. Summer, fall, spring or winter, this is a train trip any self-respecting Coloradan must make at least once. It was even immortalized by C.W. McCall (he of "Convoy" fame) in the tune "Silverton" and in the movies How the West Was Won and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, among others.

Now is the perfect chance to make that magical trip happen: Tonight is the last time the whistle will call passengers for a special trip to the North Pole on, well, the Polar Express. Relive the classic children's story during this hour-and-fifteen-minute ride filled with hot cocoa, caroling, and Santa and his reindeer waiting at the other end. If you plan ahead, you can catch the train on Thursday, December 21, Friday, December 22 or Saturday, December 23, as well. The magic happens each evening at 5:10, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m., and tickets, $24 for adults and $16 for children, are available by calling 1-877-TRAIN-07.
Nov. 23-Dec. 27