The Wild West

More snow fell in the night in Glenwood Springs, so it was another beautiful morning as I walked to breakfast and took a few pictures around and near my hotel. See first Extra photo.

I also had time this morning for a third spa visit - this time to the Yampah Spa Vapor Caves near the hotel. First known and used by the Ute Indians, these natural steam caves were developed in the 1880s by the same man who developed the hot springs pools and the Hotel Colorado where I’ve been staying. Shortly after, a hydroelectric plant was opened next door and the town was one of the first towns in the world to be powered with electric lights. During the war the hotel, pools and vapor caves were closed to the public. The hotel was used as a Navy hospital and the pools for recuperating sailors.

After a morning of sweating it out in the vapor caves, it was time to check out of the hotel and head to the station for the next part of my adventure! While I waited for the Amtrak train to arrive from Denver, I took a few pictures of the very traditional train station. The train arrived at about 2pm and I was one of only three passengers boarding in Glenwood Springs. I soon got settled in my sleeper cabin - which included two wide chairs either side of a large window. These later collapsed flat and met in the middle to create a bed. If I’d been travelling with someone else there was also a bunk that dropped down from above. See second Extra photo which includes views of the station, my cabin, the observation car and the dining car.

The next couple of hours of the journey were particularly scenic as we went through the Ruby Canyon between Grand Junction and the Utah border, so I settled myself in the observation car so I could see the beautiful views all around us. Although all the sleeper cabins were taken, the train was much less busy today compared with my journey from Denver on Saturday. I spent the next 4-5 hours in the observation car enjoying constantly changing beautiful views of western Colorado and eastern Utah. I even got my sunset views!  We stopped at a few very small and remote towns - it’s hard to imagine living in such a remote place!  There were even some ‘ghost towns’ one - Cisco- famous as a filming location for several movies, including the police chase in ‘Thelma and Louise’. (Cisco is now no longer a ghost town, the town having been totally bought and occupied by one artist resident since 2015)

Once the sun went down I was ready for my 715 dinner reservation in the dining car. All meals are included with a sleeper car reservation. You are always seated with others at a table and throughout my journey it was very interesting to hear others’ stories and why they were travelling long distance by train. Some like me are just enjoying the experience of it, but others have a fear of flying or don’t care to drive such long distances.

Once done with dinner I relaxed in my cabin and it was soon time for bed. The cabin steward provides the turn-down service and sets the bed up. I was very ready to shut my eyes and get to sleep though I was sad that the darkness meant missing what I’m sure was some beautiful scenery! There will be more tomorrow, I’m sure!