And on to Durango

We said good-bye to Santa Fe....at least for the time being....and headed north to Heron Lake State Park in Northern New Mexico. The trip was uneventful, except for a flat tire on the trailer outside Abiquiu. Fortunately, our Good Sam Club membership includes towing and road service, so we were able to have the tire changed with only a 2.5 hour wait!

Heron Lake State Park is a lovely park, with large, shaded sites and lots of room to roam. Access to the lake from our campsite was convenient, and on Tuesday morning John, Gage and the Dog Girls had a nice swim.

Feathers and Nickie also engaged in a spirited game of "Capture the Stick" at the water's edge.

We stopped in Chama on Wednesday, and spent an hour or so with Curtis Green, a blacksmith and maker of hand-forged knives and other items. We learned a lot about how hand-forged knives are crafted, and Gage received a very special gift of a key chain embellished with elk antler and "elk ivory." (Elk Ivory is a special tooth that the bull elk uses when he "bugles" to attract a mate in the fall.)

Wednesday night found us in Durango, Colorado at Leightner Creek RV Park. Our site backed up to a lovely little creek, and the park also had a pool and playground for the kids, as well as a "pet park" for the dogs.

On Thursday, we took the narrow gauge railroad train from Durango to Silverton and back.

The train passes through spectacular canyons and timber along and above the Animas River, and has been in use since 1882.

Gage shows off the protective eyewear that everyone was encouraged to wear to protect against the cinders and soot from the coal-burning engine.