Advice needed-Western US summer trip

Chromedome wrote:
Now I just need wisdom for what to do/where to go in the following areas:

Durango CO

Keep in mind we have two boys, ages 8 and 10, and are more interested in outdoors type stuff. So, nothing too strenuous, but also we're not going to be going to museums or too many historical sites, to keep the kids from getting too bored.

The few things I know I want to do are Mountain biking (looking for good flowy single track and tech stuff as opposed to long hard climbs lol)
I understand the train from Durango to Silverton is a must, so we'll do that. Any special tips for that trip? Things to see/do in Silverton? Also I was thinking of doing the train/bus combo. Is that the way to go? I figured the kids aren't going to be that interested in the train, and this way we get different scenery.

I'd like to do a Jeep rental in Durango also. But a real 4x4 Wrangler trip, not boulders but not dirt fire roads either. We are planning to buy a new Wrangler when we get home, so this is big on my list...I may also want to rent a dirt bike by myself for just a few hours one day. Is that practical? Any good routes that I could do in only a few hours? Again, not too hard but not a dirt road either...

I think the kids will LOVE the train. It is so different from anything they've experienced before. I see the RR now has an app to use while travelling. We love the book Cinders and Smoke by Osterwald to understand what we are going by. In the old days, I'd say bring lots of film! If you take the first train to Silverton, eat when you first get to town, as the restaurants get really packed at midday. If you're on the last train, shop first and eat later. Or bring a sack lunch and wander about at your leisure. You'll probably have enough to keep you busy just wandering the streets and poking your head into the shops. There is an interesting museum there, but I'm not sure I'd use the train trip as a time for visit there.

Mountain Biking: A lot of the trails right around Durango have a fair amount of climbing. Phil's World out toward Cortez is right off the highway and pretty fun. Even easier trails are at Boggy Draw just north of Dolores. We go counter clockwise from the parking lot: Mavericks to Italian Canyon to Boggy Draw. Nice flowy trails. Italian Canyon is more in the open with views, but the others are in the trees, which is nice on warm days. After riding, stop at the Anasazi Heritage Center on the south end of McPhee Reservoir. Interesting little museum, but they have information on ruins other than Mesa Verde that are less well know and less visited.

If you head the other direction from Durango, east toward Pagosa Spgs., there are some really fun trails in the Turkey Springs area. Mostly in the trees, but not too crowded. Afterward, head to Pagosa Springs. You can rent inner tubes and float the river through town. IIRC, there are companies that run continuous shuttles if you want to go more than once. Or, go to the Pagosa Hot Springs. Over 20 different pools at different temps right on the river. We took a lunch in with us, as it costs to go out and return.

Mesa Verde is worth a full day. Make sure you get reservations for at least one guided hike through a cliff dwelling. Spruce Tree House is closed, so a tour is the best alternative. There are also a number of mesa top ruins that you can go to without guides. Some of these guided tours have ladders to climb.

For 4x4 adventures, you might want to drive back to Silverton and rent a jeep there. Everything from mild to wild. We like to go over Cinnamon Pass and over to American Basin. If you are there after the snow has melted, this is one of the best places to see wildflowers in CO. On the way, you'll pass Animas Forks, an old ghost town worth poking around in. From American Basin, one can continue all the way over to CO 149 and Lake City, returning via the Engineer Pass 4x4 road, but I find that is a very long day. Passengers can get pretty tired of bouncing around for that many hours. Instead, I'd return over Cinnamon Pass and take a right when you get back to the road above Animas Forks. This will take you toward the Engineer Pass road. Take this for a couple of miles, then take a left for the road down to Ouray. This will take you back down to US 550 and you can then come back to Silverton over Red Mountain Pass. Google Street View actually has part of this trail above Animas Forks, so pull it up to see what it's like. Look at the switchbacks as that's usually where the most challenging part is. Of course when you rent your jeep, they will surely have lots of other suggestions.